The Common Application

Lea Naiz • July 30, 2015

The Common Application…gaining in popularity and (hopefully) user ease.

Saturday, August 1, 2015, is a big day in the college application world. The 2015-2016 Common Application becomes available, online. True, as an Independent Education Consultant, I do get excited about these things, (sad, I know). And if you’re a rising high school senior, you should be equally excited. Why? Because this great tool and its early launch, give you a serious opportunity to get moving on this thing, before the new school year starts.

The current Common Application, CA4, launched on August 1, 2013 and since then, the CA ‘powers-that-be’ have been busy ironing out kinks and responding to industry feedback. The 2015-2016 college application cycle is the first to experience the revised Common App Essay Prompts. But before you get cracking on the CA essay, decide if, based on your balanced college list , it makes sense for you to submit the Common App. Do 6 of your 8 schools accept it? Then it’s a good idea to use it. Only one out of 10? Eh, skip it. All colleges and universities have their own application, even those that offer the option of using the Common App; the choice is yours.

So, first things first. Which schools on your list accept the common app? Check here for a complete list of member institutions.

https://www.commonapp.org/Login#!PublicPages/AllMembers

The other great news is that the 2015-2016 Common App Essay Prompts are available now . See below, but before you put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, spend a significant amount of time thinking about your responses, your story. For most students, plan to spend twice as much time brain-storming, as actually writing.

2015-2016 Essay Prompts

  1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
  2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
  3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
  4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
  5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

For more in-depth discussion and tips regarding each of the Common App Essay Prompts, visit my friends at:

essayhell.com - my absolute favorite resource and/or

Wow Writing Workshop http://www.wowwritingworkshop.com/wordpress/about/


Blessings and WRITE ON!

No Phone, Ditch the Shoes, Let’s Connect

By Shelly Humbach • September 11, 2025
In June, I hosted my annual Senior Essay Writing Workshop. This was the first in-person workshop since 2019. I bet you can guess why. I was elated to meet my students face-to-face after months, even years, of connecting through the screen. Imagine my surprise at their height, super-smiles, and warm laughter. Dang, it was wonderful. So, essentially, all my in-state seniors gather at my house for a three-hour intensive workshop on crafting a killer college essay. As I was preparing for the event, it occurred to me that I might be in competition with their PHONE. Classic directness (this is probably a character flaw) led me to inform my students and their parents, in advance, that this would be a no-phone gathering. My messaging went something like this, Important: Phones are placed in a basket at the door and retrieved at noon. No exceptions. Parents: If you need to reach your student during the workshop, text me directly at **********. Now, I am fully on board with the phone-free movement. I support it, advocate for it, and live it (I brilliantly quit all personal media last November). And I thought: my event, my rules. I was a little concerned about how this announcement would land. Turns out my concern was mainly about the parents. The kids? Not so much. In fact, research indicates that students crave phone-free learning environments. Suffice to say, the workshop was a smashing success. Not a single student pushed back against the policy. One poor soul forgot to retrieve her phone and left it sitting all alone in the basket. Not to worry, though. She didn’t get far before turning back to grab it. Here’s the truth: We don’t have to bow down to every technological whim or societal pressure. As adults, we know the phone is a problem, and it’s our job to foster healthy, happy individuals. So let's keep this momentum going. As Maya Angelou wisely said, “When you know better, do better.”

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