What are you supposed to write in a college application essay?

What is the college application essay? What are you supposed to write about? Is there a prompt?

• Answer:

  It's designed to give you an opportunity to show the selection committee that you are more than grades on a transcript. You are supposed to write about something you are passionate about. It can be funny or ironic or dead serious. Usually there is a prompt, but it will be general enough that you can swing it a number of ways. Remember, it is your goal to make the committee see what you could bring to their school. So if there is anything unique about you it is fair game. Are you the first person in your family to go to college? That is important for them to know. Do you have some sort of special talent that would bring kudos to the school? It could be sports, or music, or debate, or organizational abilities. If you are really good as something, let them know. If there is something special you want to study and their college is the best place in the country, state, region to study that, tell them. If there is a particular professor you want to study with, tell them that and why. Finally, use active voice (like this answer,) not passive voice. It will make your essay more dynamic.