COMMON APPLICATION� ESSAY WORKSHOP
AGENDA
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THE BASICS
ESSAY REQUIREMENTS
CORE VALUES
TONE & VOICE
PRO TIPS & PITFALLS
WHEN WRITING
REVIEW PROCESS
Have at least two people review your work before submission.
AVOID THESE (NOT PROFESSIONAL):
GOALS OF THE COLLEGE ESSAY:
Which questions will best showcase YOU?
FINAL PRODUCT:
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COMMON APPLICATION #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.
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COMMON APP #1 – SAMPLE- shortened for purposes of this workshop
“Ever since I was little I had a connection to the arts. I swear I was born with a crayon in my hand. No matter where I was, in my spare time I would draw…While other kids would be on their iPads, I would be drawing cowboys, pirates, ninjas and tikis…Instead of crayons, now I use pens, acrylic paint, clay, film, digital media and even baking to express myself…Even if my methods and mediums have changed, the motives are still the same; creating a piece that captures a setting or theme. Even though I still draw cowboys, I look at it more as capturing the tone of the Wild West…I love exploring theme and culture, to capture feeling and setting of my art, be it on paper, on screen, or on a plate.”
Balancing Life; A Life of Balance - Johns Hopkins Fall 2026 Applicant - Essays That Worked
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COMMON APPLICATION #2
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COMMON APP #2 – SAMPLE- shortened for purposes of this workshop
“In competitive mountain biking there are no times outs, substitutes, half times, or referees. It’s just you and the bike. Cyclists push the limits, knowing that one small mistake could take it all away…After smashing my face into solid cement and fracturing three different parts of my nose and jaw freshman year…seeing numerous specialists and having extensive testing, I was left with the empty hole in my life. Seeking a challenge off the mountain, I took on a class that pushed me to the brink. Being the slow-reading dyslexic that I am, AP Lit was a tough route. I got my first flat tire when we read The Scarlet Letter. It was a struggle to keep pace with the class; Hawthorne’s six-line sentences were a bouquet of complex diction. The content was hard…I stuck with the challenge and persevered through hours of research & interviews…The dedication and insanity that enabled me to succeed in cycling earned me an “A” in a class I would have never imagined a victory in.”
Conquering: Johns Hopkins Fall 2026 Applicant - Essays That Worked
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COMMON APP #3
Be the Salt of the Earth - Johns Hopkins Fall 2026 Applicant - Essays That Worked
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COMMON APP #4
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COMMON APP #5
A Splash of Color - Johns Hopkins Fall 2026 Applicant - Essays That Worked
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COMMON APP #6
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COMMON APP #6 – SAMPLE- shortened for purposes of this workshop
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to build things. When I was a child, I would create wild adventures and plotlines to explain all of the madness that would ensue on the playground every morning. As I grew, my friends and I would build grand islands where we would hold out against monsters in a last stand to save all of the Lego world we had spent hours working on. I would draw out inventions and fictional worlds where my dreams could be lived out…ideas that would never be tangible – until I discovered a proper outlet, that is. It came to me in bytes, logic gates, and hexadecimal. My ideas were made of code. I had just discovered the wonder of computing.”
Building a Universe - Johns Hopkins Fall 2026 Applicant - Essays That Worked
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COMMON APP #7
Where Math Collides With Art - Johns Hopkins Fall 2026 Applicant - Essays That Worked
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Resources to help get you started
Common App Page on Essay Prompts
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GO FORTH & WRITE!
GETTING STARTED IS USUALLY THE HARDEST PART…
“You can always edit a bad page.
You can’t edit a blank page.” ~~ Jodi Picoult
Fall: Editing sessions during Tutorial.
Bring your drafts and an Open Mind!
If you need a fee waiver for colleges, please let your counselor know
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