Types of Essay Questions

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General and Specific Topic Admissions Essay Questions

The essay questions you will see on your college applications will fall into one of the following two broad categories:

General essay questions
Specific topic essay questions

Below are some examples of each of these two types. If the essay you have in front of you does not fit neatly into one of the types discussed below (click on the question for a more detailed analysis on its type), do not panic. Our analyses on the following questions should be directly applicable to which ever type of admission essay you come across.

Types of General Essay Questions

"Tell us something about yourself."

"Which question do you wish we had asked?"

"Is there anything else about you that we should know?"

"Why are you applying to our college?"

"Send us a writing sample."

Types of Specific Topic Essay Questions

"Discuss a significant event."

"Who is your role model and why?"

"What issues greatly concern you?"

"Tell us about your favorite extracurricular activity."