Discover a creative writing process that empowers—while crafting a college essay that inspires.

College Essay Success.
The upgraded way.

The 650-Word Personal Statement
— The Class of 2026 Guide —

  • — The Creative —

    Welcome to Phase Two of the Five Phases of the Upgraded College Application Process—The Creative!

    College Application Phase Two includes the quintessential application component—the 650-Word Personal Statement that serves as a student’s Main College Essay.

    Utilize our success-proven methods to showcase your story—and learn our innovative approaches to craft a piece that is memorable and one-of-a-kind.

    — The Class of 2026 Guide —

  • — The Personal Statement —

    Phase Two is the time for a student to begin sharing their story—through the most well-known component of the college application process!

    — Preview The Guide —

  • — Application Phase Two —

    Phase Two—The Creative—includes the quintessential application component: The 650-Word Personal Statement that serves as your Main College Essay.

    Review All Application Phases

  • — The Creative Component —

    The 650-Word Personal Statement—often referred to as the College Essay—is the primary place where your story gets to shine.

    Review All Application Components

  • — The Personal Statement —

    The Personal Statement addresses one of the seven Essay Prompts delineated by the Common Application. You can explore all seven below!

    Explore Prompts & Example Essays

  • — College Essay Success —

    Creating a truly unique Personal Statement can be a challenge—especially in 2025. Learn our proven approaches to streamline your success!

    See Accepted Alumni Examples

  • — The Upgraded Way —

    With methods designed by an Ivy Alum and 300+ student success stories, discover innovative approaches—and craft a piece that’s truly one-of-a-kind.

    — Continue Your Success Below —

  • — The Personal Statement —

    The 650-Word Personal Statement—often referred to as the College Essay—is a writing piece that’s roughly a page and a half, but it’s the primary place where your story gets to shine.

    The 650-Word Personal Statement serves as a student’s Main College Essay, and it addresses one of the seven Essay Prompts delineated by the Common Application. You can explore all seven above!

    Creating a truly unique Personal Statement can be a challenge—especially in 2025. Learn our innovative approaches to craft a piece that is memorable and one-of-a-kind.

    — Explore Strategies & Samples Below —

The 650-Word Personal Statement

Common Application





— Personal Statement Prompts —

  • The Official Personal Statement Prompts

    The seven Personal Statement Essay Prompts shown below are the Official Essay Prompts provided each year by the Common Application—the organization that provides the formal online platform to build and submit each of your finalized college applications.

    These official essay prompts are both inspiring and flexible. Often, the most successful Personal Statements are planned and written before the student selects an Official Common Application Essay Prompt. We aim to be unique and memorable as much as possible.

    Explore the seven official Personal Statement Prompts below, but embrace creative freedom to craft your memorable story. The rest—including your personal statement prompt choice—will come together at the right time.

    The Seven Common Application Prompts

    — Common Application Essay Prompt 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.

    — Common Application Essay Prompt 2 —

    The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

    — Common Application Essay Prompt 3 —

    Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

    — Common Application Essay Prompt 4 —

    Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

    — Common Application Essay Prompt 5 —

    Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

    — Common Application Essay Prompt 6 —

    Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

    — Common Application Essay Prompt 7 —

    Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

    — 650 Word Maximum —

Accepted Alumni





— Personal Statement Examples —

Accepted Alumni Essay Examples

  • — The 650-Word Personal Statement —

    Create your college admissions success story with the success-proven Application Approach designed by our Ivy League Founder and more than 300 student success stories!

    See how our Accepted Alumni students have built successful college essays—with Personal Statement Inspiration curated just for Innovators, for Creatives, for Healers, for Leaders, and for Change-Makers.

    Utilize our success-proven methods to showcase your story—and learn our innovative approaches to craft a Personal Statement that is memorable and one-of-a-kind.

    — Explore Innovative Inspiration —

  • — The Upgraded Process —

    Create your college admissions success story with the success-proven Application Approach designed by our Ivy League Founder and more than 300 student success stories!

    Our Five Phases Application Approach helps students streamline the application process through success-shaping frameworks and more opportunities for aligned action.

    We are passionate about guiding students through our start-to-submission application approach—because success stories require much more than one essay.

    The Upgraded Application Phases

  • — The Creative Phase —

    Upgraded Phase Two is the ideal time for a student to begin sharing their unique story—through the most well-known component of the entire college application process.

    Phase Two includes the quintessential application component—the Personal Statement that serves as a student’s Main College Essay. It’s the creative component essential to every application!

    Utilize our success-proven methods to showcase your story—and learn our innovative approaches to craft a piece that is memorable and one-of-a-kind.

    See Successful Creative Content

  • — The Personal Statement —

    The 650-Word Personal Statement—often referred to as the College Essay—is a writing piece that’s roughly a page and a half, but it’s the primary place where your story gets to shine.

    The 650-Word Personal Statement serves as a student’s Main College Essay, and it addresses one of the seven Essay Prompts delineated by the Common Application. You can explore all seven above!

    Creating a truly unique Personal Statement can be a challenge—especially in 2025. Learn our innovative approaches to craft a piece that is memorable and one-of-a-kind.

    Upgrade Your Personal Statement

  • — The Aligned Guides —

    Through our Aligned Guides, explore a curated set of alumni examples united by shared intellectual curiosities, related extracurricular experiences, and connected personal missions.

    The Class of 2026 Aligned Guides are designed with you in mind. Visualize your own college application components by exploring ideas that align with your interests, values, and goals.

    Envision your own upgraded future—with Aligned Inspiration built for Innovators, for Creatives, for Healers, for Leaders, and for Change-Makers.

    Discover Innovative Inspiration

  • — For Innovators —

    See how Class of 2026 students can successfully share their stories, values, and missions—with Personal Statement Inspiration that’s been curated just for future innovators!

    Explore a collection of Personal Statements curated just for Future Innovators—students passionate about computer science, data science, engineering, technology, and innovation.

    Below, see how our Accepted Alumni students have built successful college essays—while creatively sharing their passion for innovation.

    Inspiration For Innovators

  • — For Creatives —

    See how Class of 2026 students can successfully share their stories, values, and missions—with Personal Statement Inspiration that’s been curated just for future creatives!

    Explore a collection of Personal Statements curated just for Creatives—students passionate about the arts, music, dance, art history, architecture, literature, writing, and more.

    Below, see how our Accepted Alumni students have built successful college essays—while uniquely sharing their passion for creativity.

    Inspiration For Creatives

  • — For Healers —

    See how Class of 2026 students can successfully share their stories, values, and missions—with Personal Statement Inspiration that’s been curated just for future healers!

    Explore a collection of Personal Statements curated just for Future Healers—students passionate about medicine, research, biology, neuroscience, public health, and more.

    Below, see how our Accepted Alumni students have built successful college essays—while creatively sharing their missions to heal.

    Inspiration For Healers

  • — For Leaders —

    See how Class of 2026 students can successfully share their stories, values, and missions—with Personal Statement Inspiration that’s been curated just for future leaders!

    Explore a collection of Personal Statements curated just for Future Leaders—students passionate about business, management, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, and more.

    Below, see how our Accepted Alumni students have built successful college essays—while creatively sharing their passion for leadership.

    Inspiration For Leaders

  • — For Change-Makers —

    See how Class of 2026 students can successfully share their stories, values, and missions—with Personal Statement Inspiration that’s been curated just for future change-makers!

    Explore a collection of Personal Statements curated just for Future Change-Makers—students passionate about advocacy, law, policy, economics, sociology, sustainability, and more.

    Below, see how our Accepted Alumni students have built successful college essays—while creatively sharing their dreams of creating change.

    Inspiration For Change-Makers

Admissions Success.
The upgraded way.

Explore All Supplemental Essay Guides