The 2016-2017 college application cycle saw only 45 out of the 95 Coalition for College Access (CCS) members launch applications on the platform, with the remaining on-boarding this summer.
If you’re applying to college this fall, stay tuned for the announcement in May. In the meantime, check out the CCS 2017-2018 essay prompts that have already been released:
PROMPT #1
Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
This prompt encourages the applicant to share an experience or an encounter that demonstrates personal growth. It could also be something that changed your perspectives or outlook on life.
PROMPT #2
Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution.
This essay prompt is perfect for students who are heavily involved in community service activities, or have consistently volunteered throughout high school. Of course, this isn’t limited to such applicants. Students can also reflect on occasions you stumbled upon that resulted in a meaningful contribution.
PROMPT #3
Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?
Colleges want to see students’ thought process as they tackle this essay prompt. The belief that was challenge doesn’t have to be deep and philosophical, it just has to be something that you truly believe: whether that be equal gender rights, or a hotdog is considered a sandwich.
PROMPT #4
What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?
This might be the most personal college essay prompt an applicant can write. At first glance, it might seem too straightforward to talk about your teenage years, but it requires a lot of reflection and self-awareness. It’s a lot easier to praise and criticize others than it is to do so to yourself.
PROMPT #5
Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
The freedom of being able to choose what essay topic to write on can be a blessing and a curse. Essay prompts provide applicants with guidance and indication of what admission officers want to know, and the lack of it can potentially cause applicants to wonder in their personal statement. But, for those who are interested in creative writing, this could just be what you need.
A lot of the essay prompts that the CSS offer are similar to the options that the Common App have. The biggest difference between the two platforms is the word limit of the essays. The CSS recommends students to write an essay between 300-400 words, while the Common Application has a 650 word limit.
Make sure you also check out the Common App 2017-2018 Essay Prompts! Familiarize yourself with the essay topic options as you go through the college research process, and stay updated with the colleges that are on the Coalition or Common App platform.
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