College Essay Prompts

Berkeley:
     1. Describe the world you come from--for example, your family, community or school--and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and inspirations.
     2. Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution, or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Stanford:
     1. Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has important to your intellectual development.
     2. Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate--and us--know you better.
     3. What matters to you, and why?

University of Southern California:
     1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
     2. Discuss some issue or personal, local, national or international concern and its importance to you.
     3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
     4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
     5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
    6. Topic of your choice.