Essay Prompts for Common App and ApplyTexas

Are you a rising Senior or current Senior?  Then you should start writing your essays!  Here are the essay prompts for this school year.

Apply Texas Essay Prompts

Topic A (Required):

What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.

Topic B (Required):

Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

Topic C (Optional):

You've got a ticket in your hand -- Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

Common Application Essay Prompts

The 2018-2019 Common Application Essay Prompts are as follows.  You do not have to answer them all!  Each college requires one and most will have additional requirements but will vary from institution to institution.

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

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?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Want more information on College Admission Essays?

How To Write A College Admission Essay That Gets Attention

How To Write A College Admission Essay That Gets Attention

Many students often get confused when writing college admission essays because they are so used to writing academic essays for school that they tend to want to follow that same pattern.  However, a college admission essay is very different.  An admission essay, unlike academic/school essays, tells a story and allows the writer to show his or her voice and personality in a way an informative/academic essay never can.  

The college admission essay should be more of a narrative...it tells a story about you.  Therefore, we must go back to the basics of what makes a good story.  What are the building blocks of telling or writing a good story?

A Great Story.

You know what makes a great story and a terrible story because throughout your life you have heard many of both.  If you go back to your middle school language arts class, you'll remember what makes a great story.  

A great story follows the following structure or formula:

1.Introduction/Exposition (Introduction to your essay)

2.Rising Action....3.Climax....4.Falling Action (Body Paragraphs)

5.Resolution/Conclusion (Last paragraph of your essay)

Your essay should tell a story and follow the same basic structure of it.

1.  Introduction - Set up your story with a great first line which really captivates the reader.  Follow up by basic setting of the story.

2. The next few paragraphs should be the rising action, climax, and falling action.

3. The conclusion should offer the resolution of your story and offer a lesson learned and reflective narrative.

Before You Start Writing

Your essays will take time.  A great essay will not be written in days or weeks; it will be written in months.  Therefore, start thinking about the essays the summer BEFORE senior year begins.  Before you even begin writing your essay, brainstorm ideas on what would make an interesting way to address the prompt.  Many times, you can use the same story to address more than one prompt, so figure out which story ties in best with the question posed in the prompt.  Don't be scared to be creative and bounce off ideas with your parents, counselor, teachers, and friends.  Remember it takes time, so plan out your essay and create and outline before you begin writing.

Essay Musts

Your college admission essay should definitely have several ingredients in order for it to be captivating and effective. The essay should focus on telling a particular story which answers the essay prompt, captivates the reader, and demonstrates your voice and character beyond what your grades and SAT scores can.  Your essay should also be well focused and organized.  Depth is much more effective than breadth.  Be creative and honest, and allow the essay to be a way of the college to get to know you and your personality.  Do not include grades, GPA, rank, or test scores.  They know that from your transcript and test scores.  

Finished Writing? Now Proofread Again and Again.

Once you are done with your essay, share it with others to get constructive feedback and make changes if needed.  Proof read your essay time and again before you send it with your application.  Grammatical mistakes are a big NO NO in college admission essays. 

Get Started!

Be ready to devote time to essays and have fun doing it.  Many students become very stressed out over writing essays because they procrastinate getting started.  Give yourself reminders on your electronic devices and give yourself time to work on them, so you won't be panicking last minute.  

Applying to college is an opportunity to reflect on what you have learned so far and what you want for your future.  Important decisions will be taking place within the next months years, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun in the process.

50+ Ideas - Community Service Summer Project Ideas for Different Career Paths

Community Service Summer Projects

Summer is a great time to work on community service projects.  These projects can help you become a better candidate for college, expand your network, explore various career paths, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, help you grow personally.

What is community service?

Community service is any volunteer work done by you or a group to help non-profit organizations.  Since it is usually helping people and organizations around the place you live, your community, it is called community service.  Usually, community service opportunities are organized by local schools, religious groups, or non-profit organizations, but you can also create your own group or work individually to help those in need.

What is a non-profit organization?

A non-profit organization is a group whose ONLY purpose is to help a specific group or social mission.  A non-profit makes money to pay day-to-day operations and employees, but all extra money made is not given back to its owners or founders, instead it is used for operational of the organization.  Examples of non-profit organizations are churches,museums, public schools, legal aid societies, political organizations, public clinics and hospitals, public charity organizations, private foundations, shelters, and soup kitchens. 

What is NOT community service?

Volunteering your time at businesses is NOT community service.  This is volunteer work, which is still great, but not community service.  All community service is volunteer work but not all volunteer work is community service.

So now you know what community service is.  Now, it’s time to figure out what you want to do. Making your passion your career also applies to service in your community.

Below are examples broken down by areas of career interests. Look through all of them, as you will most likely be interested in more than one area.

Community Service Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

•  Volunteer at STEM summer camps.
• While this sounds easy enough, you do have to commit yourself to a schedule and show up.
• Create and organize a 1-2 hour STEM workshop or summer camp for kids. (Examples of topics are: Lego inspired, robotics, edible science, weather patterns, space exploration, engineering design with household items, power sources, gardening, recycling crafts, kitchen chemistry, creating crystals, math, app-design, computer software applications)
• Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive STEM workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop.  You can partner up with businesses and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. Talk to elementary principals and teachers in your area to help you with the project. If you are good at something, share it with others.
• **Please note: This applies to ANY given topic, activity, or subject you have exceptional knowledge of and would like to share.
• Volunteer at local planetarium.
• Help in efforts to clean local rivers, lakes, or ponds.
• Plant trees or plants in your community.
• Create an awareness campaign for benefits of STEM education.
• Online and in-person campaigns are equally beneficial. Target an audience and follow-up.  Partner up with non-profit STEM education organization.
• Create an awareness campaign for benefits of recycling.
• Collect and recycle cans and donate money to STEM non-profit organization.
• Volunteer at local museums.

Community Opportunities in Arts & Humanities

• Volunteer in summer camps in areas of art, dance, music, writing, learning a second language, photography, cooking, baking, graphic design, or performing arts.
• Volunteer with local public theater productions.
• Create and organize a 1-2 hour Arts & Humanities workshop or summer camp for children. (Examples of topics are: dance, singing, playing an instrument, creative writing (poems, plays, short stories), performing arts, foreign language, photography, music appreciation, painting, drawing, sculpting, jewelry making, and various arts and crafts. 
• Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive arts and humanities workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop.  You can partner up with businesses and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. Talk to elementary principals, local musicians, photographers, teachers, and local craft stores in your area to help you with the project. If you are good at something, share it with others.
• **Please note: This applies to ANY given topic, activity, or subject you have exceptional knowledge of and would like to share.
• Have a bake sale to collect funds for a charity of your choice.
• Organize a performance group and visit local hospitals and retirement communities.
• Create an awareness campaign for benefits of art education.
• Collect gently used books and donate to local library or children’s home.
• Create cards and send to soldiers serving overseas and military personnel.
• Operation We Are Here
• Create baked goods and donate to bereaved families, senior citizens, or non-profit retreats.
•  Cook meals for bereaved families, families in need, or senior citizens.
• Host a 1-2 hour Arts and Humanities workshop for senior citizens.  (Examples of topics are: social media use, phone app information, singing, playing an instrument, creative writing (poems, plays, short stories), performing arts, foreign language, photography, music appreciation, painting, drawing, sculpting, jewelry making, and various arts and crafts. 

Community Service Opportunities in Public Service (Law Enforcement, Law, Education, Public Safety, Health and Science, Public and Government Administration

• Volunteer at local public hospitals and clinics.
• Volunteer at local public legal aid office.
• Tutor children after school.
• Volunteer at your local animal shelter.
• Volunteer in Vacation Bible School or other religious camps.
• Create and organize a 1-2 hour workshop or summer camp to encourage kids to read (Examples: Harry Potter, Dork Diaries, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Chronicles of Narnia, Captain Underpants, Goosebumps, Ramona the Pest, The Spiderwich Chronicles, Junie B. Jomes, The Berenstain Bears).
• Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop.  You can partner up with businesses, local libraries, bookstores and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. Talk to elementary principals, bookshop owners, and teachers in your area to help you with the project.  If you are good at something, share it with others.
• Create and organize a 1-2 hour workshop or summer camp to expose kids to community service opportunities and engage them in their community.
• Join Big Brother or Big Sister organization and become a mentor.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
•  Become a member of a law enforcement explorers program and participate in their community service programs.
• Custom Border Patrol Explorer Program
• Police Explorer Programs
• Create an awareness campaign on how bullying affects victims and ways to empower victims (Cyberbullying, sexual harassment, physical bullying, bystander effect)
• StopBullying.gov
• Create an awareness campaign on a specific health issue you feel strongly about (Examples:  Breast cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, Heart disease and high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, Stroke, HIV, Tobacco Use, Opioid epidemic, Alcohol abuse, Obesity, Prescription Drug overdose, ADHD, Depression, Muscular Dystrophy, ALS.)
•  Foster animal(s) from local animal shelter and help find them a permanent home.
• Collect dog/cat food and donate to local animal shelter.
• Raise funds and donate to a non-profit charity of your choice. (See list below)
• Raise awareness on a specific mission of a charity or non-profit organization.
• Make “feel good” kits with shampoo, soap, lip balm, toothbrush, tooth paste, and body cream and donate to local shelters.
• Collect gently used clothes and donate to local shelters.
• Organize a toy drive for children living in shelters or children’s homes.

Community Service Opportunities in the Business Industry

• Volunteer at local food bank.
• Collect non-perishable food items and donate to local food bank.
• Create and organize a 1-2 hour workshop or summer camp to encourage kids to explore business topics (marketing, sales, social media campaigns, Excel, powerpoint, graphic design, Audio/Video production, business start up’s, import/export, online shops, information technology, journalism, broadcasting)
• Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop.  You can partner up with businesses, software companies, local internet providers, and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. Talk to school principals, bookshop owners, and teachers in your area to help you with the project.  If you are good at something, share it with others
• Create an awareness campaign for mission of non-profit group in the business industry.
• Code 2040
• 500 Startups
• Skees Family Foundation
• Newme Start Up Accelerator
• Score Free Small Business Advise
• Develop and publish a local scholarship directory for your area.
• Create a PSA to bring awareness on a specific topic or issue.
• Become a certified lifeguard and volunteer at public pool or rec center.
• Volunteer at local rec centers or Boys and Girls Clubs.

Community Service in the Areas of Sports and Recreational Activities

• Volunteer to coach local youth group.
• Create and organize a 1-2 hour workshop or summer camp to encourage kids to be more active (Examples: swimming, running, cheerleading, football, basketball, golf, hockey, weight training, tennis, kayaking, volleyball, lacrosse, soccer, yoga).
• Many hours of planning will be devoted to creating an interactive workshop, acquiring donors for materials, designing marketing plan, signing up students, getting a venue to host the event, and executing the workshop.  You can partner up with businesses, gyms, coaches, and non-profit organizations for sponsorship and support. If you are good at something, share it with others.
• Run a race promoting a charity of your choice.
• Get sponsors and create a shirt using their logos. Donate the money earned to the charity you are helping.
• Run a local charity race.
• Create an awareness campaign on health issues like child obesity, benefits of exercise, and healthy eating habits.
• Volunteer at local charity races.
• Volunteer at local Special Olympics events.
• Create awareness for mission of non-profit groups in the area of sports
• Special Olympics
• Action For Healthy Kids
• Healthier Generation
• Center for Science in the Public Interest
• Uconn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
• National Farm to School Network
• Global Sports Foundation
• Challenged Athletes Foundation

Remember to follow your passion and let it guide your volunteer work and community service. Serving your community and helping those in need is an incredible fulfilling adventure which will surely bring you amazing experiences and develop life-long friends.

Top 100 NonProfit Organizations

What Are You Going to Do After High School?

So You Are Going to High School?

Very well! You made it!  Well, honestly, no. You haven't made anything quite yet.  You have finished middle school and are about to begin high school. You still have a lot ahead of you, so sit tight and start thinking about your future.  You should start making a plan about what you want to do during high school to make the best of it and be prepared for what comes after high school ---real life.College. College. College.  Yes, many people will tell you that college is the only answer after high school, but I will tell you that not everyone is ready to go to college right after high school, or even if you are ready, you may not want college.  Guess what?  That's okay.  Parents, don't faint and ban me forever.  Hear me out.Our job as educators is to MAKE SURE you are college-ready when you finish high school, but your job is to figure out exactly what you want to do with your life.  It is sounds difficult, but it really isn't.  It's all about finding your passion.  What makes you happy?  What makes you smile? What are you willing to do so much, that even if you didn't have to work, you'd still do it for free?

Find Your Passion and Make a Career Out of It.

Victor Frankl wrote a book many years ago called Man's Search for Meaning.   It describes his time and experiences in a concentration camp where he lost everything.  In his book, he finds meaning in everything, even in the most desolate of situations.  Finding your meaning in life and your passion will undoubtedly lead you to existential fulfillment and success.  Therefore, take this summer before high school begins to examine what brings you happiness, joy, and pride.  Is it helping?  Is it creating or designing?  Is it fixing things?  Is is researching and investigating?  

If you aren't sure where to start, begin with your favorite subjects and activities.  Think about what makes you excited and go from there.  Start exploring different career path around your passion and meaning.  From there, you can start developing your path to fulfill that career goal.  Some career will require some college while others will require more.  Find first your passion, then set on developing your plan.

P.S.
It is never too late to find your passion and make a career out of it.  How ever old you are or where ever your are in your life.  Your meaning is out there.  Find it.