Is a personal statement the same thing as a college essay?

Great question! The terms "personal statement" and "college essay" are often used interchangeably, but the meaning can depend a bit on context.

Most of the time, when colleges or the Common App ask for a "personal statement" or "college essay," they mean the main essay you'll submit as part of your application. This is typically a 500-650 word piece where you get to share something meaningful about yourself—your experiences, values, growth, or perspective. That essay goes to all colleges you're applying to through that application system (like the Common App).

Sometimes, colleges will call it a personal statement, especially if they use their own application system (like the UC personal insight questions, for example). In those cases, the instructions might vary a bit or they'll have word limits that are slightly different, but generally, the goal is the same: to get to know you as a person beyond grades and test scores.

If a college asks for a "supplemental essay," that's a different thing—that's an extra, shorter essay specific to that school. Those supplements usually ask questions like "Why do you want to attend our college?" or "Tell us about an activity that’s meaningful to you."

Here's an example: If you're applying to three schools via the Common App and two more directly, you'll likely use one main personal statement/college essay for those five schools, unless one has very specific instructions that change the focus. Always double-check the prompts, but usually, you won't need completely different essays unless the prompts or formats are obviously different.

In summary: For most applications, the personal statement and college essay are the same thing. Focus on writing one strong draft over the summer for your main essay, and keep an eye out for school-specific supplement prompts later. Lots of students find that clarifying these terms early helps with planning—so you're definitely on the right track!