A Must-read for 2024 US Undergraduate Applications! Comprehensive Analysis of CA Main Document Topics (Part 1

Date：2023-09-08   Author：admin

With the official opening of the Common APP (CA for short) for undergraduate applications in the United States, the application season for the 2024fall intake of American undergraduate programs has officially begun, and many students are now busily preparing their application documents.

The Common App is one of the three major undergraduate application systems in the United States and also the one with the largest number of applicants. Every year, more than one million students apply to universities online through the Common App. Unlike the four-out of eight system in California, CA only requires the submission of a main essay, which can be applied to all universities within the system. Correspondingly, the word count of CA's documents can also be longer (up to 650 words), and the topics they can cover are also more extensive.

Now let's take a look at the main essay topics for the 2023-2024 application season. If you still don't know how to start, please follow our train of thought analysis and seek inspiration together!

01. Background

Identity and background

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.

Describe a certain trait of oneself, including background, identity, interests or talents, etc. By sharing your story to show a unique side, this will make your application more meaningful.

Thought analysis

This is one of the common questions in CA. No matter how many years of reform have passed, this question has always been retained. It not only has strong flexibility, but also provides sufficient directions to inspire the creative inspiration of applicants.

Applicants can mainly focus on the key words "background", "identity", "interests" and "talents", and take them as the starting point of the brainstorming. You can think carefully about what aspects of your experiences, personality, hobbies or achievements are worth the attention of the admissions officer? It can be as small as being inspired by watching an episode of a TV program, or as big as the huge challenges faced when first arriving in a foreign country (such as missing my mother's excellent cooking skills very much). An important point is that your perspective is dynamic and belongs to you, not to others.

Key issue
What aspects of your history or background set you apart from your peers?
How do you define yourself? How do the people close to you define you?
Which achievements have you made that have played an indispensable role in shaping your personality?
In the more than ten years since you came into this world, what has helped shape who you are today?

Reference example
Has your family's love for food, along with your unique taste and curiosity about cooking that result from it, connected you with cultures around the world?
Does the blue hair you dyed define you?
Did Picasso's art exhibition inspire you to start collecting artworks and expand your collection beyond your bedroom?
Can going back to your hometown to visit relatives every year help you understand your parents' ability to overcome difficulties?

Although this topic seems all-encompassing, its purpose is to enable applicants to showcase their individual side and unique self through their own stories.

02. Facing Adversity

Facing setbacks
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?
The lessons we learn from a certain setback may be the foundation of our future success. Share your experiences of facing challenges, setbacks or failures, how they affected you, and what lessons you learned from them? Describe your gains and growth.

Thought analysis

This topic is also quite conventional. It involves sharing the difficulties you encountered, how you overcame them or your experiences of failure, what impact this event had on you, and what lessons you gained during this process.

You should know that when admissions officers see an essay about overcoming obstacles, they will definitely pay more attention to your solutions rather than the problems you encounter. Therefore, when answering this question, you should focus on your thoughts, reactions and behaviors when facing adversity, rather than describing the difficulties. Applicants need to do their best to demonstrate qualities such as tenacity, decisiveness and modesty.

The choices made for this difficult experience will also vary greatly. These setbacks can be serious problems tormented by school bullying, deep-rooted economic issues that have plagued families for many years, or seemingly insignificant mistakes, such as losing a tip while working as a waiter. Although the answers are endless, it is also necessary to avoid those cliched topics, such as not achieving good grades in exams or not getting concert tickets, and do not choose those setbacks that can indicate your wrong judgment. If you can identify a certain test in life and explain how you learned from it, it is still a positive exploration.

Key issue

How do you deal with difficulties?

In your life and the world, what can be regarded as challenges or setbacks?

Are you the kind of person who can learn something from every experience, whether good or bad? Which experiences can reflect this quality?

What major challenges have you encountered in your life? Is there a glimmer of hope?

Reference example

Can stuttering boost your confidence and enable you to participate in social activities without self-criticism?

Does your parents' less-than-optimistic health condition pose a challenge to you and make you take on more responsibilities than the average teenager?

Did the series of setbacks you encountered on your path to becoming a child actor lead you to take screenwriting as your career goal and hobby?

Have you ever failed in your family science experiment because you didn't follow instructions and thus learned how to balance creativity and planning procedures?

In conclusion, try to present a positive attitude towards these stories. Please remember that this document is not a meditation on your difficult times, nor a reflection on the small episodes in daily life. They are about how to overcome obstacles and reject the big challenges in life.

03. Challenging an Idea

Question thought
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking?  What was the outcome?
Reflect on an experience where you questioned or challenged a belief or concept. What inspires your thinking? How are the results of your thinking?

Thought analysis

This question is quite challenging for Chinese students, testing their ability to question whether they dare to challenge authority. This question requires students to talk passionately about faith and ideology, which is often a burdensome topic and difficult to shape into a tight story.

This might be one of the more challenging issues for CA. It is necessary to guide students to develop in a positive and productive direction without getting trapped in excessive preaching. Nevertheless, the answer to this question can also be incisive and profound personal opinions, such as opposing parents' outdated feminist concepts. Applicants who can clearly express their thoughts and feelings, demonstrate malleability at the same time, and are willing to carefully consider others' ideas are likely to stand out. If you get inspired as soon as you see this topic and have a very specific story that you can't resist telling, then go ahead and choose it boldly!

Key issue

When is your opinion unpopular?

Why are you the kind of person who is willing to stand up for your beliefs?

What is important to you at the fundamental level of morality and values?

How passionate are you about what you believe in?

Reference example

Would you openly declare your homosexuality in a strict Catholic school environment? What does this mean for your self-esteem and interpersonal relationships?

Have you ever been an intern at an event Mired in a scandal? How did you react?

Have you challenged the notion that "horror is a dispensable genre" by writing numerous research papers on horror themes, establishing a horror film club at school, and organizing the most meticulously planned and highly-acclaimed haunted house event in your community's history?

Your essay doesn't necessarily have to revolve around a fundamental, serious or pioneering issue. What matters is that you firmly hold onto the belief you are trying to express and examine the impact of this spirit on your life and the world.

04. Gratitude

Gratitude
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?
Recalling something someone did for you can make you feel happy or grateful in a surprising way. How has this sense of gratitude influenced or inspired you?

Thought analysis

This topic originated from the exploration of gratitude and is relatively novel. It aims to give students the opportunity to reflect on the role gratitude plays in their lives, not only writing about the influence others have had on you, but also about the changes you have undergone under that influence.

Many of CA's questions ask students to talk about what they have done for others. However, equally important is how applicants react and respond when they themselves receive help. When answering this question, students should recall the moments when they felt recognized, listened to, and seen, which could be a gift, an action, or even just some kind of emotion projected onto them by others. This person can be an acquaintance of yours, a stranger, or even a public figure who has a positive impact on your life. Please remember that the main focus of this article is on how you handle, appreciate others' behaviors and draw inspiration from them. Therefore, make sure your answers are centered around yourself.

Key issue

In daily life, how do you like to repay others?

How do you express gratitude and appreciation?

What random good deeds do you like?

Has anyone ever made you regain your faith in humanity?

Do you believe in the cycle of cause and effect? Why?

Reference example

Does a kind act from a stranger inspire you to keep giving? How did you manage to do it, and what kind of actions will your kindness translate into?

Have you ever received unexpected gifts from others? Why does this gift mean so much to you? How do you express your gratitude?

Do you appreciate the efforts made by public figures in the fields you care about? How would you respond?

What's important is that the story you choose to tell should be connected to your life and the world in a meaningful way. This topic is designed to showcase your own value to the admissions officer, so be sure to highlight your enthusiasm, actions or aspirations through this kind act. Don't forget to clarify how this matter affected you at that time and how it inspires you now.

The increasing number of applicants each year has put considerable pressure on students. Therefore, presenting oneself more systematically and attentively in the application documents has become one of the "winning strategies" for many applicants.

Based on our past experiences, through the in-depth exploration of brainstorming and their own efforts, each student can discover a story worth telling based on different topics.

Please remember that the admissions department wants to know your personality, values, interests and passions. They hope to know what kind of attitude and vitality you will bring to the classroom and campus life. Therefore, please spend more time exploring your memories, collecting your stories, and stimulating your creativity. I believe everyone can create documents that catch people's eyes.

The remaining three main essay topics will be analyzed for you next week. Please stay tuned! If you need any help with your US undergraduate application, please feel free to add our assistant's wechat and match it with our professional US undergraduate application mentor to answer your questions and solve your doubts.

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