How To Answer UMich's Supplemental Essays 2024/2025
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How To Answer the 2024-25 Coalition App Essay Prompts
08/20/2024•14 minute read
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Coalition App Prompts for 24/25
General Guidelines
How to Answer Prompt 1
How to Answer Prompt 2
How to Answer Prompt 3
How to Answer Prompt 4
How to Answer Prompt 5
The Coalition App is the main application alternative to the Common Application. You can apply to over 170 colleges using the platform.
Like the Common App, the Coalition App offers a chance to tell colleges more about yourself with an essay. In this article, we’ll go over:
- The Coalition App essay prompts for the 2024-2025 admissions season
- Which is the best Coalition App essay prompt
- How to answer each Coalition App essay prompt
- What the Coalition App essay does for your application
Plus, we’ll show you where to find examples of essays that were accepted to Stanford, MIT, the Ivy League, and more!
Overview of the 2024/25 Coalition App Essay Prompts
As the Coalition for College Access says, “You matter, and so does your story.” The Coalition App essay prompts give you a chance to speak directly to admissions officers about who you are and what you’ll bring to their campus.
For the 2024-2025 application cycle, the Coalition App has kept the same prompts as the previous year. The prompts are:
- Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
- What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
- Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
- Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
- What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?
- Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
Which Is the Best Coalition App Essay Prompt?
Although you may have heard someone say that one Coalition App essay prompt is better than the others, here’s the truth: it’s not.
The Coalition App provides options so that each student has the chance to share their own unique experiences. The questions are a starting point, but they basically boil down to, “Write about whatever you want.”
The purpose of the essays is to tell colleges:
- Is your writing level college-ready?
- What unique perspectives and contributions will you make to the campus?
Choose the Coalition App essay prompt that will help you best answer these two questions.
General Guidelines for Answering Coalition App Essay Questions
- Word Count: The Coalition App asks for an essay of 500-650 words. Be sure to stay within this limit!
- Be True to You: Admissions officers are pros at sniffing out inauthenticity. When you write what you think they want to hear, your essay blends in with the thousands of others. Write in your voice.
- Proofread: This is low-hanging fruit — always proofread your work! Consider having someone else review it.
- Don’t Rehash Your Application: Your essay should provide context beyond what’s found in other parts of your application. This isn’t the time to summarize your Activities List or awards.
- Stay Focused: Instead of jumping around to multiple topics, focus on a single story or idea.
- Reflect: A great essay tells a story AND reflects on its significance. Discuss how this moment or event influenced you to add depth to your essay.
- Write Several Drafts: Don’t worry about getting it perfect on the first try. Write multiple drafts, and refine your essay with each new version.
- Think Twice About Controversial Topics: It’s important to be genuine, but be cautious about discussing controversial topics unless you can approach them with maturity and depth.
- Answer the Prompt: Make sure your essay answers the prompt you’ve chosen. Show admissions officers that you can follow instructions!
- Look at Examples: Review examples of successful essays. They can give you a sense of what makes a stand-out essay.
Pro Tip: The maximum word count for the Coalition App essay is the same as the Common App personal statement — so you can use the same essay for both if you want!
How To Answer the Coalition App Essay Prompts for 2024/25
How Do You Answer Coalition App Essay Prompt 1?
Prompt: Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
When approaching this prompt, brainstorm a list of moments in your life that have left a lasting mark on who you are today. They don't have to be dramatic or life-changing events! Sometimes, even the most mundane experiences can say a lot about your character. Think of times when you’ve faced challenges, shown resilience, or acted with integrity.
Questions To Guide You
- What moments in your life have made you feel proud of who you are?
- When did you face a challenge that revealed something important about your character?
- What experience has had a lasting impact on how you see yourself or others?
- What were some defining moments in your upbringing? How did they shape your identity?
Your goal is to show how an experience has shaped your identity or worldview. Choose a story that allows your authentic self to shine through.
“Your personal statement doesn't have to be about a lofty life event. You don't have to be saving someone from drowning. It can be a very mundane, slice-of-life topic that you bring to life to convey who you are.”
- Sarah Tierney, Platinum Strategy Consultant at Crimson Education
5 Common App Essay Tips
How Do You Answer Coalition App Essay Prompt 2?
Prompt: What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
This prompt is an opportunity to showcase what makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning — or keeps you up at night. Reflect on the passions, hobbies, or subjects that captivate you. Think about how these interests have influenced your choices, your personality, and your aspirations for the future.
Colleges want to see not just what you’re interested in, but how these interests drive you and shape the person you’re becoming.
Questions To Guide You
- What hobbies, subjects, or activities make you lose track of time?
- How have your passions influenced your goals, values, or future aspirations?
- What do you love learning about, and how has it shaped your identity?
Don’t be afraid to lean into what you really love — even if it’s a seemingly “frivolous” hobby. You really can create a powerful essay out of any interest! The more unique to you, the better.
Talk about moments when your excitement for something led you to take action or make decisions that have shaped your journey so far.
The Essay That Got Me Into Brown University
How Do You Answer Coalition App Essay Prompt 3?
Prompt: Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
Think about a time when you contributed to the well-being of others — whether on a large scale or a more personal level. It could be a formal leadership role or an informal situation where you stepped up to help someone in need. Focus on the challenges you faced in making a positive impact, as well as the rewards you gained from the experience.
Questions To Guide You
- When did you take action that benefited someone else or a group of people?
- What obstacles did you encounter while trying to make a difference?
- How did helping others affect you emotionally or change your perspective?
This prompt isn’t just about what you did, but how it affected you and the people around you. So be sure to reflect on what you learned and how it’s shaped your approach to helping others in the future.
How Do You Answer Coalition App Essay Prompt 4?
Prompt: Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
Education is about expanding your mind, and admissions officers want to see that you’re up for the task. This prompt invites you to explore a moment when your beliefs were challenged. It’s a chance to show your ability to think critically and grow from difficult situations.
Reflect on an experience where you had to defend your views, reassess your opinions, or even change your mind. How did you handle the situation? Were you open to new perspectives, or did you reinforce your original beliefs?
What you learned from this experience is crucial. Colleges are interested in how you handle complex situations and grow from them. Be thoughtful and honest in your response. Show your willingness to engage with different viewpoints.
Questions To Guide You
- Have you confronted a deeply-rooted cultural or religious belief?
- When did someone challenge a belief or value that you hold?
- How did you react to that challenge? Did it change your thinking or strengthen your belief?
- What insights did you gain about yourself or others through this experience?
Bringing Sensitivity to Controversy
Yes, this prompt may encourage you to venture into potentially controversial territory. Be sure to do so with sensitivity and respect — this isn’t the time for a manifesto! Whether it's politics, culture, religion, or something else, focus on your own journey of introspection and growth.
“So many times, students ask me, "What does the admissions officer want to hear? What should I tell them?" That’s the wrong approach. You want to flip it on its head: What do I want to tell admissions officers about myself that truly reflects who I am at my core?”
- Sarah Tierney, Platinum Strategy Consultant at Crimson Education
Common App Essay Guide Part 1: Ideation
How Do You Answer Coalition App Essay Prompt 5?
Prompt: What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?
For this prompt, think about a significant challenge you’ve overcome or a success you’ve achieved. It can be academic, personal, or extracurricular. Focus on how you navigated the ups and downs. When giving advice, imagine you’re talking to someone you care about — a sibling or a friend — who is going through a similar situation. What would you tell them to help them succeed?
Questions To Guide You
- What’s a significant achievement or difficult situation you’ve navigated?
- How did you overcome the challenges or savor the success?
- What would you tell someone else in the same situation to help them succeed?
This is your chance to show your resilience, wisdom, and empathy. Be sincere and practical in your advice. Draw on the lessons you’ve learned from your own experiences.
How Do You Answer Coalition App Essay Prompt 6?
Prompt: Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
This is your opportunity to write about something that really matters to you. If there’s a story or idea that doesn’t fit into the other prompts but is still important to your identity, explore it here! You have the freedom to be creative and express yourself in a way that feels most authentic.
Questions To Consider
- What story, idea, or experience do you feel compelled to share?
- Is there a theme or subject you’re passionate about that hasn’t been addressed in other parts of your application?
- What unique perspective or insight can you offer on something important to you?
You may choose to write about a personal experience or a cause you’re passionate about. Maybe you have a unique perspective on a topic. Either way, make sure your essay reveals something meaningful about you.
Colleges are looking for insight into who you are — so choose a topic that lets your personality, values, and aspirations shine through.
“Admissions officers are reading thousands of applications. Many of these students have perfect GPAs and perfect test scores. These qualitative components — the essays — are crucial in enlivening your application, making it not “flat” (which is admissions lingo), and conveying to admissions officers who you are, not necessarily what you do.”
- Sarah Tierney, Platinum Strategy Consultant at Crimson Education
The Importance of the Coalition App Essay
Differentiate Yourself
Remember the Amazon Fire Phone? Probably not, because it never really took off. It didn’t have a clear purpose. It faded into the background in a crowded market.
Your Coalition App essay is your chance to avoid being the “Fire Phone” of college applications. It’s your opportunity to create a strong personal brand that stands out and resonates with admissions officers.
The Subjective Piece
The rest of your application is driven by data — grades, test scores, awards, position titles, and hours accumulated. The essay adds a qualitative touch to the whole process.
Score Big Points
We mean it when we say the personal essay is one of the most important pillars of your Coalition App. It’s weighted at around 30% of your application by most schools! Without a strong essay, even the best grades and extracurriculars won’t be enough to get you into a top university.
What I wrote about for my Common App Essay
Final Thoughts
I know, the Coalition App essay seems like a monumental task. You may feel like you don’t have anything worth writing about, but we promise — you do. We know because we’ve supported thousands of students in writing Ivy League-worthy essays.
Every person has a story to tell. The Coalition App essay is a chance to tell yours. Approach it with reflection and authenticity.
Not sure if your essay will stand out in a sea of applications? Get your essay reviewed by our team of experts to ensure it resonates with admissions officers.
And if you're at the beginning stages of your college application journey, book a free consultation with our seasoned college counselors. They can help you create a powerful application that boosts your chances of getting accepted to elite universities.
