Where am I supposed to submit my college essay in the application?
I'm working on my Common App right now and I'm a little confused about where the essay actually goes. I've heard there's a specific section, but when I looked at the writing section, it just asks me to upload or copy and paste.
Is this the only main personal statement that all colleges will see, or does each college have its own space where I need to paste it in again? Also, do any colleges want a separate upload instead of copying the text? Not sure if I'm missing something obvious, but this is stressing me out a bit. Guidance appreciated!
Is this the only main personal statement that all colleges will see, or does each college have its own space where I need to paste it in again? Also, do any colleges want a separate upload instead of copying the text? Not sure if I'm missing something obvious, but this is stressing me out a bit. Guidance appreciated!
4 months ago
•
19 views
Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
No worries—this causes confusion for a lot of applicants, so you’re not alone! In the Common Application, there’s a section called “Writing” where you’ll find a prompt to either copy and paste your main personal essay (the personal statement) or upload it as a document. You only need to upload or paste your main essay in this section once, and it will automatically be included in each college’s application (unless a particular college is one of the few that doesn’t require the Common App essay, but that’s rare for most schools on the platform).
This main personal statement is the essay that goes out to all the colleges you apply to through the Common App. Each prompt they show in the writing section is just another option for the same personal essay, not different essays for each school. The safest route is to copy and paste your essay into the text box, as some colleges’ systems have trouble with uploaded files. Just double-check the formatting when you paste; sometimes paragraph breaks can get lost, so use the preview feature to make sure it looks right.
Beyond the main “Writing” section, many colleges you add in your Common App list will have their own supplemental essays. Those are found in the “Questions” or “Writing Supplement” section specific to each school in your dashboard. These are separate from the main personal essay, and you’ll paste or type your answers for each college directly in those boxes as well. For instance, if you’re applying to the University of Michigan, you’ll see specific Michigan essay prompts under their section once you add them, separate from your main Common App essay.
To sum up: you submit the main personal statement once in the Writing section, and you’ll paste (or occasionally upload) any other essays in the supplements for individual colleges as needed. If you’re still unsure, try walking through the Common App as if you’re about to submit—there’s a final review screen where you can see exactly what’s getting sent out. Take a deep breath! You’re doing great and most people need a second look at the screen for all these steps. If you run into any unique situations, some college help desks or your school counselor can confirm exactly what’s expected for their application.
This main personal statement is the essay that goes out to all the colleges you apply to through the Common App. Each prompt they show in the writing section is just another option for the same personal essay, not different essays for each school. The safest route is to copy and paste your essay into the text box, as some colleges’ systems have trouble with uploaded files. Just double-check the formatting when you paste; sometimes paragraph breaks can get lost, so use the preview feature to make sure it looks right.
Beyond the main “Writing” section, many colleges you add in your Common App list will have their own supplemental essays. Those are found in the “Questions” or “Writing Supplement” section specific to each school in your dashboard. These are separate from the main personal essay, and you’ll paste or type your answers for each college directly in those boxes as well. For instance, if you’re applying to the University of Michigan, you’ll see specific Michigan essay prompts under their section once you add them, separate from your main Common App essay.
To sum up: you submit the main personal statement once in the Writing section, and you’ll paste (or occasionally upload) any other essays in the supplements for individual colleges as needed. If you’re still unsure, try walking through the Common App as if you’re about to submit—there’s a final review screen where you can see exactly what’s getting sent out. Take a deep breath! You’re doing great and most people need a second look at the screen for all these steps. If you run into any unique situations, some college help desks or your school counselor can confirm exactly what’s expected for their application.
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Camille Luong
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Stanford University, BAH in Urban Studies
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