Is it okay to reuse essays for multiple college applications?
I'm a senior starting the whole college application grind, and I am already feeling overwhelmed by how many essays I have to write. I know some prompts like 'Why this college?' are unique, but for other essays like personal statements or topics about overcoming challenges, the prompts seem pretty similar.
Has anyone actually submitted basically the same essay to different colleges? Did you change anything or just keep it almost identical? I really want to make each application stand out but I also have so many deadlines at once.
Would admissions officers know if I reused my essay? Or is it sort of normal to do a little copy-pasting for general prompts?
Has anyone actually submitted basically the same essay to different colleges? Did you change anything or just keep it almost identical? I really want to make each application stand out but I also have so many deadlines at once.
Would admissions officers know if I reused my essay? Or is it sort of normal to do a little copy-pasting for general prompts?
4 months ago
•
65 views
Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
It's completely normal—and honestly quite practical—to reuse essays across college applications when the prompts are very similar. Most applicants do this, especially for the Common App personal statement, which is submitted to multiple schools by design. Admissions officers understand that students are applying to several universities at once, and they don't expect each essay to be 100% unique for every place.
However, it's important to take a close look at each prompt. Sometimes questions look similar but have subtle differences in what they're asking. For instance, one school's 'Describe a challenge you've overcome' might focus more on resiliency, while another might emphasize how the experience shaped your future goals. In these cases, it's smart to tweak your essay slightly to make sure you're answering the specific question for each school.
For essays like 'Why this college?', you really do need to write a new version for every school. These tend to require very specific details and show you’ve researched the college. Copy-pasting a generic response can come across as disinterested or unfocused. For things like personal growth, adversity, or identity, reusing content is expected—just be sure it genuinely fits the prompt each time.
Admissions officers can't track whether you've used one essay for several places, unless you mention another college by accident. Still, recycling material is standard, especially with general prompts. A good example: if you have a moving essay about a leadership role at a summer camp, you can reuse the core story and reflection for any prompt about personal development, but you might adjust the intro or conclusion to match the wording in each application.
In summary: reuse when it makes sense, but adapt wherever necessary. Always double-check you haven’t left in a college’s name by mistake, and make quick revisions for slight prompt differences when possible. This way, you can manage your time and maximize the quality of your applications.
However, it's important to take a close look at each prompt. Sometimes questions look similar but have subtle differences in what they're asking. For instance, one school's 'Describe a challenge you've overcome' might focus more on resiliency, while another might emphasize how the experience shaped your future goals. In these cases, it's smart to tweak your essay slightly to make sure you're answering the specific question for each school.
For essays like 'Why this college?', you really do need to write a new version for every school. These tend to require very specific details and show you’ve researched the college. Copy-pasting a generic response can come across as disinterested or unfocused. For things like personal growth, adversity, or identity, reusing content is expected—just be sure it genuinely fits the prompt each time.
Admissions officers can't track whether you've used one essay for several places, unless you mention another college by accident. Still, recycling material is standard, especially with general prompts. A good example: if you have a moving essay about a leadership role at a summer camp, you can reuse the core story and reflection for any prompt about personal development, but you might adjust the intro or conclusion to match the wording in each application.
In summary: reuse when it makes sense, but adapt wherever necessary. Always double-check you haven’t left in a college’s name by mistake, and make quick revisions for slight prompt differences when possible. This way, you can manage your time and maximize the quality of your applications.
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Camille Luong
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Stanford University, BAH in Urban Studies
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