What Reviewers Look For in the Common App: Background, Identity, Interest, or Talent

This rubric looks at whether your essay stays focused on one meaningful part of your life and reveals something the rest of your application cannot. It asks for a specific moment, a clear change in your understanding or behavior, and details that make the story distinctly yours. It also values clear organization, natural voice, and reflection over a list of accomplishments or polished-sounding language.

What We Check

Mistakes We Flag

Repeating the rest of your application

Retelling an award, activity, or transcript highlight may leave readers without a new understanding of who you are.

Trying to cover too many subjects

Combining unrelated topics or shifting into a list of activities can make the essay lose its central focus.

Using summary instead of a scene

Saying you are resilient, curious, or hardworking is less convincing than showing what you did in a specific moment.

Ending with a generic lesson

Statements such as appreciating what you have or never giving up can feel detached unless the essay shows how your thinking or actions changed.

Relying on familiar cultural or hardship stories

Shared details about food, festivals, sacrifice, service trips, or loss do not by themselves show what is particular about your experience.

Frequently Asked Questions