Students targeting American universities are likely to submit one or more applications through the Common App platform. In this series, we will discuss strategies to write strong, memorable essays based on each of the six prompts offered by the Common App. Let’s finish out the series by analyzing prompt #6:
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time.
Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
In an age of constant noise and shorter and shorter attention spans, the ability to be engaged and stay focused on one thing is becoming increasingly rare. The first part of this question spans passion, engagement, and curiosity. Because of its wording – focusing on “a topic, idea, or concept” – you will note that the question is not interested in casual pastimes or hobbies, but in big ideas or topics that fascinate you. Answers that match the prompt will likely center on philosophical, social, scientific, strategic, engineering, systems, languages, or artistic topics, ideas, or concepts. Some students may find that one of their academic interests aligns directly with this prompt, while others will feel that a deep personal interest will apply.
The third sentence encourages you to talk about your intellectual curiosity, or what motivates you to learn. The prompt wants to know how you conductdo your research, how you deeply immerse yourself in a topic, and who might teach or mentor you on the subject. As with many of the Common App prompts, the underlying goal is to invite you to tell the admissions committee about your motivations, personality, values, and abilities.
Passion is Powerful
There are a range of ways to open this kind of essay, each with their own potential hook or points of interest for the reader. One direction is to take a narrative approach, telling a personal story about your passion for the topic, perhaps about the way you became interested in it in the first place. Another option could be to make the topic interesting to the reader, which might be done by sharing facts or even posing a question to the reader to stimulate their thinking about the subject. The key is to make sure that your opening clearly communicates your passion and interest. Showing excitement for learning and intellectual curiosity helps the admissions committee believe in your ability to succeed in your field of study in university.
Why Does It Fascinate You?
In the next section, the reader should understand why you are fascinated by this topic. At the root of your curiosity is there a pure hunger for knowledge, a drive for exploration, a desire to solve a problem, or a motivation to create? Explain to the reader what it is that you can’t stop thinking about and, in the process, you will reveal your values and motivations. Going further, discussing how you approach learning, involvement, and research on the topic will paint the picture of your intellectual curiosity. If you read books, shoot films, take classes, make art, volunteer, plan events, or engage in public policy discussions, tell the reader that, and share what you get out of those sources and experiences.
Mentorship
Some writers might overlook the “who” in the last part of the question, but it can be an extremely valuable aspect of your answer. Seeking out a teacher, mentor, guide, or master in your field of interest not only makes your stated intellectual curiosity more believable, but it suggests that you are teachable, which is another desirable trait. Those who are teachable tend to listen, observe, question, seek help, and learn from their mistakes or failures. Being teachable can show that you know your limitations, have the humility to ask for help, are willing to have your thinking and ability challenged, and are seeking to be led and to learn leadership. If you have a mentor or a teacher, write about how they support your pursuit of knowledge. Give at least one example of something specific they helped you learn, realize, or accomplish. Here’s an excerpt of how Landon described the support he received from his older brother, who shares his passion for computer science:
When I reached roadblocks in my video game design, I got really frustrated and struggled to learn how to move forward simply by reading or watching tutorials. My brother could quickly understand my situation and he would ask me leading questions that helped me to work through and solve the issues myself. Once I reached a new benchmark, he could check my work and give me tips on how to make my code cleaner, which will make it easier to update or allow others to work on it later.
Conclusion
The motivation to learn suggests a mature approach to self-improvement and a growth mindset, which we also discussed in the Prompt #2 post. Having a passion for a subject and pursuing deeper knowledge of it is proof that you take learning seriously, which indicates your fit for college-level education. Sharing your intellectual curiosity and your desire to continue to pursue knowledge at a higher level is a great way to convince admissions teams of your readiness for university.