Ah! Two short-and-sweet, “fun” questions. No sweat. No big deal to just have a delightful time finishing your Emory application. Right?
[Record scratch.] Not right. Wrong. These little essays can be treacherous if you’re not careful. That’s because — for the “getting to know you” choices especially — it’s so easy to lose sight of writing them in a way that’s focused on your potential for success. As college admissions essay coaches, we see this mistake a lot.
Luckily, the solution is pretty easy. Take a look at the prompts, and then meet us below the table of contents for everything you need to know to ace these essays.
(For help with all aspects of your college application, head to our College Essay Help Center.)
Academic Interests
This question is required. Your response should be no more than 200 words.
What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college?
Getting to Know You
In addition, answer one of the following questions. Your response should be no more than 150 words.
Ok. Obviously, we’re exaggerating here — we literally asked you to read the prompts a few inches up.
Nevertheless, this is an important part of the Prompt essay-writing method. We keep the terror of the blank page at bay and — more importantly — the quality of your admissions-worthy content up by starting with a big brainstorm on what you’ve accomplished in your high school years.
Only after you know what your most impressive experiences are (ie: what you want to say) do we suggest finding the best places to slot that content into the questions the college asks.
We suggest you spend a real chunk of time brainstorming experiences including:
If you create a free Prompt account, you can develop these ideas through our brainstorming modules.
Next, you’ll choose your “best” experiences (the ones you want to write about) based on which ones most strongly show you will be able to succeed in college and beyond. Because, no matter what question they ask, that’s what college admission readers really care about.
Which experiences show you’ll succeed in college? The ones that best exemplify one or more of the 5 Traits Colleges Look for in Applicants:
Your very best experiences should go into your personal statement. But, for Emory at least, the “next best” should go into the two supplements:
Let’s show you how to approach each one.
Thank you, Emory. This is a great prompt that can show off your intellectual curiosity, something every college loves to see in an applicant.
Here is the prompt again (bolding added).
Academic Interests
This question is required. Your response should be no more than 200 words.
What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college?
The trap here is to make the mistake of focusing your answer on all (!) the exciting (!!) areas of study (!!!) you want to explore!!!!
No, no, no. Based on your understanding of the college admission mindset (ie: their desire to see if you’ll succeed in college), go into this essay with the goal of showing off your experiences that demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and ability to succeed academically.
Looking over your brainstormed experiences, focus on places where you went above and beyond in a class and/or took your learning into your own hands. Don’t talk abstractly about new areas that look kinda interesting to you — save that for when you’re safely admitted and choosing your semester’s courses.
Before we begin, please do not take our examples too seriously. They are made up. If your actual experience sounds less “impressive,” that might be because it’s easy to make up “impressive” experiences. Be authentic. You will be impressive if you discuss what you’ve actually done through the lens of demonstrating one or more of the 5 Traits. At Prompt, we do not believe in modeling your essays on what anyone else has done.
With that out of the way, here’s one example of what we mean.
Academic interest example:
In college, I’m excited to explore Political Science classes and deepen my understanding of our political climate and current events by learning more about American History.
At school, History has been my favorite subject, particularly when it helps to illuminate the extraordinary political moment that we’re now facing. I started regularly reading the newspaper and listening to the Ezra Klein podcast after taking the elective “American History Since 1945.” Learning about how the Civil Rights movement, for example, is not a “done deal” but still speaks to actively contested issues got me hooked on being informed about current events.
This experience has gotten me active in local politics, working on the campaign for a socialist State Rep, a position I found after months of being involved with our local Democratic Socialists of America group. As I try to advocate for “green new deal” policies locally, I’m learning about the challenges these policies face in real-time — while also seeking guidance from books like (most recently) Sarah Schulman’s Let the Record Show on AIDS advocacy and Anna Tubbs’ How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation. (I love any book about advocacy movements.)
Notes:
Alright, Emory. These choices are where things get tricky again. As we said in the intro, the potential trap here is to have so much fun with these questions that you forget to tie them back to your own actions.
Make sure you approach this next 150-word answer with a firm focus on showing off one or more of the 5 Traits, even as you have fun with these questions.
Here is the prompt again (bolding added).
Getting to Know You
In addition, answer one of the following questions. Your response should be no more than 150 words.
Here’s a little guide as you think about which prompt to choose. Any can lead to an essay that boosts your chances of admission. But they each have some potential pitfalls.
Let’s tackle each prompt in turn.
Option 1: Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
Cultural Awareness example:
Getting a C in freshman Spanish was a wake-up call. It’s my lowest-ever grade and was deserved: it was the one class I didn’t take seriously.
That summer, I decided to turn my attitude around. I set out to explore Spanish culture. I had two goals for the end of sophomore year: be able to (1) talk to my friend Luis and his family in Spanish and (2) watch a Spanish movie without subtitles.
It turns out that there are a million ways to explore Spanish if you live in Boston: you can join a Spanish-reading club at the public library, stream Spanish-language TV and movies (with subtitles), attend Latin music concerts, and go to Luis’s house often for study sessions and meals. I did it all, achieved my goals, and love not just Spanish but many of its cultures, too.
Notes:
Option 2: When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
Questioned example:
The last time I questioned something I’d believed to be true was when I helped push back against gun violence: I believed guns always win. That changed when I interned for a City Councilor last summer.
Based on constituent input and research, we decided to work toward funding safe, unstructured places for youth to hang out on evenings and weekends. This was a small but powerful goal. It spurred me to collect community support via a survey and door-to-door canvassing. The project is ongoing, but I’ve stayed with it since summer, learning about city administration as this program advances.
With help from the Councilor, I even worked with the police on a gun buy-back program at our high school, publicizing how much money a family can get from taking a gun out of circulation. I didn’t solve gun violence, but I learned solutions are out there.
Notes:
Option 3: If you could witness a historic event (past, present or future) first-hand, what would it be, and why?
Historic event example:
This event may not sound “historic,” but I’m certain its impact will matter: I hope to witness the ribbon-cutting for four safe, unstructured places for youth to hang out on evenings and weekends. As a City Councilor intern, I’ve been working on getting these locations funded and running since last summer.
Research shows that such places are hugely protective against youth gun injuries. That spurred my motivation to gather community support via a survey and door-to-door canvassing. I even stayed on the project after my internship officially ended, learning about City administration as we pushed it forward, and working with the police on a gun buy-back program at our high school.
Unfortunately, there are still hurdles to clear, but I’ve learned so much about the hard work that goes into positive change. There’s nothing I’d rather see than those centers opening to my fellow students.
Notes:
Option 4: Share about a time when you were awestruck.
Awestruck example:
I was awestruck when I went to a Latin music concert with my friend Luis the summer after freshman year. What a lightbulb moment! I’d gotten my worst grade ever in Spanish that year. I just didn’t care. But at the concert, I saw that taking Spanish seriously could get me somewhere exciting and meaningful.
Toward the start of sophomore year, I made a vow that I’d go back to the concert the next summer and be able to understand the lyrics and talk with the people there in Spanish. This motivation changed my approach to class. Now, class became a helpful place where I could fill in the gaps I had from my own study. Outside it, I joined a Spanish-reading club at the library, streamed Spanish-language TV, and went to Luis’s house often to study and hang out. My grades improved, but my life improved even more.
Notes:
Option 5: Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or non-fiction) seems made for you? Why?
Literary work example:
Almodovar’s Todo sobre mi madre was there when I needed it. Two reasons. First, its tragic, funny, beautiful way of normalizing gender-fluidity and sexuality was life-affirming when I first saw it in sophomore year. While my community accepts my non-binary status, this movie helped me see that I don’t have to be “defined” by that identity, but can play with it, learn from it, and forget about it, just as all the unconventional characters in this decades-old movie do.
Second, the structure blew me away. It’s somehow a playful-yet-loving homage to Tennesee Williams’ “Streetcar Named Desire” and the Bette Davis picture All About Eve. I was fascinated by how Almodovar pulled that off. I rewatched it (and those inspirations) trying to figure out how they pieced together. I credit this obsession with sparking a love for writing essays dissecting writers’ craft. My major is English because of Almodovar.
Notes:
A few helpful resources for the non-supplement parts of your application:
BTW, here’s our guidance for approaching any college supplement + here’s where you can find our guides for almost every college’s supplements.
Feeling inspired? A great place to start is at our College Essay Help Center.
More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:
Ok. Obviously, we’re exaggerating here — we literally asked you to read the prompts a few inches up.
Nevertheless, this is an important part of the Prompt essay-writing method. We keep the terror of the blank page at bay and — more importantly — the quality of your admissions-worthy content up by starting with a big brainstorm on what you’ve accomplished in your high school years.
Only after you know what your most impressive experiences are (ie: what you want to say) do we suggest finding the best places to slot that content into the questions the college asks.
We suggest you spend a real chunk of time brainstorming experiences including:
If you create a free Prompt account, you can develop these ideas through our brainstorming modules.
Next, you’ll choose your “best” experiences (the ones you want to write about) based on which ones most strongly show you will be able to succeed in college and beyond. Because, no matter what question they ask, that’s what college admission readers really care about.
Which experiences show you’ll succeed in college? The ones that best exemplify one or more of the 5 Traits Colleges Look for in Applicants:
Your very best experiences should go into your personal statement. But, for Emory at least, the “next best” should go into the two supplements:
Let’s show you how to approach each one.
Thank you, Emory. This is a great prompt that can show off your intellectual curiosity, something every college loves to see in an applicant.
Here is the prompt again (bolding added).
Academic Interests
This question is required. Your response should be no more than 200 words.
What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college?
The trap here is to make the mistake of focusing your answer on all (!) the exciting (!!) areas of study (!!!) you want to explore!!!!
No, no, no. Based on your understanding of the college admission mindset (ie: their desire to see if you’ll succeed in college), go into this essay with the goal of showing off your experiences that demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and ability to succeed academically.
Looking over your brainstormed experiences, focus on places where you went above and beyond in a class and/or took your learning into your own hands. Don’t talk abstractly about new areas that look kinda interesting to you — save that for when you’re safely admitted and choosing your semester’s courses.
Before we begin, please do not take our examples too seriously. They are made up. If your actual experience sounds less “impressive,” that might be because it’s easy to make up “impressive” experiences. Be authentic. You will be impressive if you discuss what you’ve actually done through the lens of demonstrating one or more of the 5 Traits. At Prompt, we do not believe in modeling your essays on what anyone else has done.
With that out of the way, here’s one example of what we mean.
Academic interest example:
In college, I’m excited to explore Political Science classes and deepen my understanding of our political climate and current events by learning more about American History.
At school, History has been my favorite subject, particularly when it helps to illuminate the extraordinary political moment that we’re now facing. I started regularly reading the newspaper and listening to the Ezra Klein podcast after taking the elective “American History Since 1945.” Learning about how the Civil Rights movement, for example, is not a “done deal” but still speaks to actively contested issues got me hooked on being informed about current events.
This experience has gotten me active in local politics, working on the campaign for a socialist State Rep, a position I found after months of being involved with our local Democratic Socialists of America group. As I try to advocate for “green new deal” policies locally, I’m learning about the challenges these policies face in real-time — while also seeking guidance from books like (most recently) Sarah Schulman’s Let the Record Show on AIDS advocacy and Anna Tubbs’ How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation. (I love any book about advocacy movements.)
Notes:
Alright, Emory. These choices are where things get tricky again. As we said in the intro, the potential trap here is to have so much fun with these questions that you forget to tie them back to your own actions.
Make sure you approach this next 150-word answer with a firm focus on showing off one or more of the 5 Traits, even as you have fun with these questions.
Here is the prompt again (bolding added).
Getting to Know You
In addition, answer one of the following questions. Your response should be no more than 150 words.
Here’s a little guide as you think about which prompt to choose. Any can lead to an essay that boosts your chances of admission. But they each have some potential pitfalls.
Let’s tackle each prompt in turn.
Option 1: Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
Cultural Awareness example:
Getting a C in freshman Spanish was a wake-up call. It’s my lowest-ever grade and was deserved: it was the one class I didn’t take seriously.
That summer, I decided to turn my attitude around. I set out to explore Spanish culture. I had two goals for the end of sophomore year: be able to (1) talk to my friend Luis and his family in Spanish and (2) watch a Spanish movie without subtitles.
It turns out that there are a million ways to explore Spanish if you live in Boston: you can join a Spanish-reading club at the public library, stream Spanish-language TV and movies (with subtitles), attend Latin music concerts, and go to Luis’s house often for study sessions and meals. I did it all, achieved my goals, and love not just Spanish but many of its cultures, too.
Notes:
Option 2: When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
Questioned example:
The last time I questioned something I’d believed to be true was when I helped push back against gun violence: I believed guns always win. That changed when I interned for a City Councilor last summer.
Based on constituent input and research, we decided to work toward funding safe, unstructured places for youth to hang out on evenings and weekends. This was a small but powerful goal. It spurred me to collect community support via a survey and door-to-door canvassing. The project is ongoing, but I’ve stayed with it since summer, learning about city administration as this program advances.
With help from the Councilor, I even worked with the police on a gun buy-back program at our high school, publicizing how much money a family can get from taking a gun out of circulation. I didn’t solve gun violence, but I learned solutions are out there.
Notes:
Option 3: If you could witness a historic event (past, present or future) first-hand, what would it be, and why?
Historic event example:
This event may not sound “historic,” but I’m certain its impact will matter: I hope to witness the ribbon-cutting for four safe, unstructured places for youth to hang out on evenings and weekends. As a City Councilor intern, I’ve been working on getting these locations funded and running since last summer.
Research shows that such places are hugely protective against youth gun injuries. That spurred my motivation to gather community support via a survey and door-to-door canvassing. I even stayed on the project after my internship officially ended, learning about City administration as we pushed it forward, and working with the police on a gun buy-back program at our high school.
Unfortunately, there are still hurdles to clear, but I’ve learned so much about the hard work that goes into positive change. There’s nothing I’d rather see than those centers opening to my fellow students.
Notes:
Option 4: Share about a time when you were awestruck.
Awestruck example:
I was awestruck when I went to a Latin music concert with my friend Luis the summer after freshman year. What a lightbulb moment! I’d gotten my worst grade ever in Spanish that year. I just didn’t care. But at the concert, I saw that taking Spanish seriously could get me somewhere exciting and meaningful.
Toward the start of sophomore year, I made a vow that I’d go back to the concert the next summer and be able to understand the lyrics and talk with the people there in Spanish. This motivation changed my approach to class. Now, class became a helpful place where I could fill in the gaps I had from my own study. Outside it, I joined a Spanish-reading club at the library, streamed Spanish-language TV, and went to Luis’s house often to study and hang out. My grades improved, but my life improved even more.
Notes:
Option 5: Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or non-fiction) seems made for you? Why?
Literary work example:
Almodovar’s Todo sobre mi madre was there when I needed it. Two reasons. First, its tragic, funny, beautiful way of normalizing gender-fluidity and sexuality was life-affirming when I first saw it in sophomore year. While my community accepts my non-binary status, this movie helped me see that I don’t have to be “defined” by that identity, but can play with it, learn from it, and forget about it, just as all the unconventional characters in this decades-old movie do.
Second, the structure blew me away. It’s somehow a playful-yet-loving homage to Tennesee Williams’ “Streetcar Named Desire” and the Bette Davis picture All About Eve. I was fascinated by how Almodovar pulled that off. I rewatched it (and those inspirations) trying to figure out how they pieced together. I credit this obsession with sparking a love for writing essays dissecting writers’ craft. My major is English because of Almodovar.
Notes:
A few helpful resources for the non-supplement parts of your application:
BTW, here’s our guidance for approaching any college supplement + here’s where you can find our guides for almost every college’s supplements.
Feeling inspired? A great place to start is at our College Essay Help Center.
More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:
Ok. Obviously, we’re exaggerating here — we literally asked you to read the prompts a few inches up.
Nevertheless, this is an important part of the Prompt essay-writing method. We keep the terror of the blank page at bay and — more importantly — the quality of your admissions-worthy content up by starting with a big brainstorm on what you’ve accomplished in your high school years.
Only after you know what your most impressive experiences are (ie: what you want to say) do we suggest finding the best places to slot that content into the questions the college asks.
We suggest you spend a real chunk of time brainstorming experiences including:
If you create a free Prompt account, you can develop these ideas through our brainstorming modules.
Next, you’ll choose your “best” experiences (the ones you want to write about) based on which ones most strongly show you will be able to succeed in college and beyond. Because, no matter what question they ask, that’s what college admission readers really care about.
Which experiences show you’ll succeed in college? The ones that best exemplify one or more of the 5 Traits Colleges Look for in Applicants:
Your very best experiences should go into your personal statement. But, for Emory at least, the “next best” should go into the two supplements:
Let’s show you how to approach each one.
Thank you, Emory. This is a great prompt that can show off your intellectual curiosity, something every college loves to see in an applicant.
Here is the prompt again (bolding added).
Academic Interests
This question is required. Your response should be no more than 200 words.
What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college?
The trap here is to make the mistake of focusing your answer on all (!) the exciting (!!) areas of study (!!!) you want to explore!!!!
No, no, no. Based on your understanding of the college admission mindset (ie: their desire to see if you’ll succeed in college), go into this essay with the goal of showing off your experiences that demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and ability to succeed academically.
Looking over your brainstormed experiences, focus on places where you went above and beyond in a class and/or took your learning into your own hands. Don’t talk abstractly about new areas that look kinda interesting to you — save that for when you’re safely admitted and choosing your semester’s courses.
Before we begin, please do not take our examples too seriously. They are made up. If your actual experience sounds less “impressive,” that might be because it’s easy to make up “impressive” experiences. Be authentic. You will be impressive if you discuss what you’ve actually done through the lens of demonstrating one or more of the 5 Traits. At Prompt, we do not believe in modeling your essays on what anyone else has done.
With that out of the way, here’s one example of what we mean.
Academic interest example:
In college, I’m excited to explore Political Science classes and deepen my understanding of our political climate and current events by learning more about American History.
At school, History has been my favorite subject, particularly when it helps to illuminate the extraordinary political moment that we’re now facing. I started regularly reading the newspaper and listening to the Ezra Klein podcast after taking the elective “American History Since 1945.” Learning about how the Civil Rights movement, for example, is not a “done deal” but still speaks to actively contested issues got me hooked on being informed about current events.
This experience has gotten me active in local politics, working on the campaign for a socialist State Rep, a position I found after months of being involved with our local Democratic Socialists of America group. As I try to advocate for “green new deal” policies locally, I’m learning about the challenges these policies face in real-time — while also seeking guidance from books like (most recently) Sarah Schulman’s Let the Record Show on AIDS advocacy and Anna Tubbs’ How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation. (I love any book about advocacy movements.)
Notes:
Alright, Emory. These choices are where things get tricky again. As we said in the intro, the potential trap here is to have so much fun with these questions that you forget to tie them back to your own actions.
Make sure you approach this next 150-word answer with a firm focus on showing off one or more of the 5 Traits, even as you have fun with these questions.
Here is the prompt again (bolding added).
Getting to Know You
In addition, answer one of the following questions. Your response should be no more than 150 words.
Here’s a little guide as you think about which prompt to choose. Any can lead to an essay that boosts your chances of admission. But they each have some potential pitfalls.
Let’s tackle each prompt in turn.
Option 1: Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
Cultural Awareness example:
Getting a C in freshman Spanish was a wake-up call. It’s my lowest-ever grade and was deserved: it was the one class I didn’t take seriously.
That summer, I decided to turn my attitude around. I set out to explore Spanish culture. I had two goals for the end of sophomore year: be able to (1) talk to my friend Luis and his family in Spanish and (2) watch a Spanish movie without subtitles.
It turns out that there are a million ways to explore Spanish if you live in Boston: you can join a Spanish-reading club at the public library, stream Spanish-language TV and movies (with subtitles), attend Latin music concerts, and go to Luis’s house often for study sessions and meals. I did it all, achieved my goals, and love not just Spanish but many of its cultures, too.
Notes:
Option 2: When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
Questioned example:
The last time I questioned something I’d believed to be true was when I helped push back against gun violence: I believed guns always win. That changed when I interned for a City Councilor last summer.
Based on constituent input and research, we decided to work toward funding safe, unstructured places for youth to hang out on evenings and weekends. This was a small but powerful goal. It spurred me to collect community support via a survey and door-to-door canvassing. The project is ongoing, but I’ve stayed with it since summer, learning about city administration as this program advances.
With help from the Councilor, I even worked with the police on a gun buy-back program at our high school, publicizing how much money a family can get from taking a gun out of circulation. I didn’t solve gun violence, but I learned solutions are out there.
Notes:
Option 3: If you could witness a historic event (past, present or future) first-hand, what would it be, and why?
Historic event example:
This event may not sound “historic,” but I’m certain its impact will matter: I hope to witness the ribbon-cutting for four safe, unstructured places for youth to hang out on evenings and weekends. As a City Councilor intern, I’ve been working on getting these locations funded and running since last summer.
Research shows that such places are hugely protective against youth gun injuries. That spurred my motivation to gather community support via a survey and door-to-door canvassing. I even stayed on the project after my internship officially ended, learning about City administration as we pushed it forward, and working with the police on a gun buy-back program at our high school.
Unfortunately, there are still hurdles to clear, but I’ve learned so much about the hard work that goes into positive change. There’s nothing I’d rather see than those centers opening to my fellow students.
Notes:
Option 4: Share about a time when you were awestruck.
Awestruck example:
I was awestruck when I went to a Latin music concert with my friend Luis the summer after freshman year. What a lightbulb moment! I’d gotten my worst grade ever in Spanish that year. I just didn’t care. But at the concert, I saw that taking Spanish seriously could get me somewhere exciting and meaningful.
Toward the start of sophomore year, I made a vow that I’d go back to the concert the next summer and be able to understand the lyrics and talk with the people there in Spanish. This motivation changed my approach to class. Now, class became a helpful place where I could fill in the gaps I had from my own study. Outside it, I joined a Spanish-reading club at the library, streamed Spanish-language TV, and went to Luis’s house often to study and hang out. My grades improved, but my life improved even more.
Notes:
Option 5: Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or non-fiction) seems made for you? Why?
Literary work example:
Almodovar’s Todo sobre mi madre was there when I needed it. Two reasons. First, its tragic, funny, beautiful way of normalizing gender-fluidity and sexuality was life-affirming when I first saw it in sophomore year. While my community accepts my non-binary status, this movie helped me see that I don’t have to be “defined” by that identity, but can play with it, learn from it, and forget about it, just as all the unconventional characters in this decades-old movie do.
Second, the structure blew me away. It’s somehow a playful-yet-loving homage to Tennesee Williams’ “Streetcar Named Desire” and the Bette Davis picture All About Eve. I was fascinated by how Almodovar pulled that off. I rewatched it (and those inspirations) trying to figure out how they pieced together. I credit this obsession with sparking a love for writing essays dissecting writers’ craft. My major is English because of Almodovar.
Notes:
A few helpful resources for the non-supplement parts of your application:
BTW, here’s our guidance for approaching any college supplement + here’s where you can find our guides for almost every college’s supplements.
Feeling inspired? A great place to start is at our College Essay Help Center.
More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:
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