What are the different types of college essays I might have to write?

It's smart to get familiar with the different essay types early on—it helps make brainstorming less overwhelming! Beyond the main personal statement (like the Common App or Coalition App essay, which is usually a broad prompt about your background, interests, or experiences), there are a few main categories of essays you might see from individual colleges:

1. "Why Us?" Essays: These ask why you're interested in a specific college or program. It's about demonstrating you've done your research and showing a genuine fit. For example, "What about XYZ College excites you?" A strong answer connects your interests and goals with unique aspects of that school (specific professors, clubs, research opportunities, campus culture, etc.).

2. "Why This Major?" Essays: Similar to "Why Us?" but focused on your academic pathway. Colleges want to see your passion and reasoning for your chosen major. Example: "Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at our university."

3. Community, Identity, Diversity, and Inclusion Essays: These prompts explore your identity, background, or perspective, and how it will contribute to the campus community. For instance, "Share a background or experience that shaped who you are." Maybe you share about overcoming a cultural barrier, or how you started a club for first-generation students.

4. Extracurricular or Activity Essays: Usually shorter, these ask you to expand on an activity that matters to you. The Common App has a prompt like this—"Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences."

5. Short-Answer or Lightning Essays: Some schools, like Stanford or USC, ask for very short responses (sometimes 50–250 words) to questions about your favorite books, values, or even a "fun fact" about you. Don't overlook these—they offer a chance to show your personality in a quick snapshot.

6. Quirky or Creative Essays: A handful of colleges (think UChicago, or some smaller liberal arts schools) have unusual prompts—like "Find x," or "Where’s Waldo, really?" These allow for outside-the-box thinking and creativity.

Many colleges ask for two or three short essays or supplementals, so it's common to re-use and tailor your responses. For example, you might adapt a core story for both a "diversity" and a "community" prompt with some tweaks.

Getting a head start on brainstorming potential topics for each of these categories can help you feel less scattered when it's time to write. Once you know the types, you can start collecting stories from your life that fit, and then customize your message for each prompt.

If you're curious what a specific college wants, check their admissions website for recent essay prompts—they often stay pretty consistent from year to year.