Updated: Monday, September 30, 2024
The Common Application is officially open, and many college-bound high school students are hard at work on their college applications. In addition to the main Common App essay, many schools might also require supplements that include some thoughtful — and downright quirky — essay prompts and short answer questions.
These fun and funky essay prompts are meant to challenge students and make the college admissions process a little more enjoyable. After all, students love to write about what matters to them. However, because many of these prompts are so out-of-the-box, many students might struggle with how to address these quirky essay prompts. It’s important for students to get creative and seek feedback when they need it.
Here are some of our favorite quirky college application essay prompts from the 2023-24 college admissions season:
Chapman University: What song should we be listening to while reading your application?
Colgate University: My favorite food is…
Dartmouth College: Celebrate your nerdy side.
Emory University: Reflection is a central tenant of Emory University’s values. Craft a personal email providing advice to yourself in your first year of high school.
Occidental College: What is the first song you would play for your Oxy roommate on move-in day?
Pomona College: At Pomona, we celebrate and identify with the number 47. Share with us one of your quirky personal, family, or community traditions and why you hold on to it.
Princeton University: What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?
Stanford University: What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?
University of Chicago: A jellyfish is not a fish. Cat burglars don’t burgle cats. Rhode Island is not an island. Write an essay about some other misnomer, and either come up with and defend a new name for it or explain why its inaccurate name should be kept.
University of Richmond: Tell us about a time you learned something unexpected. What did you learn, and what happened next?
University of Vermont: Established in Burlington, VT, Ben & Jerry’s is synonymous with both ice cream and social change. The “Save Our Swirled” flavor raises awareness of climate change, and “I Dough, I Dough” celebrates marriage equality. If you worked alongside Ben & Jerry, what charitable flavor would you develop and why?
Wake Forest University: Give us your Top Ten list.
Supplemental essay prompts and short answer questions are just as important as your personal statement, so take some time to carefully brainstorm, draft, and edit your responses. Don’t just rush through these because they seem easy! Be thoughtful and try to reveal something new about yourself.
Now that you know the quirky essay topics, here comes the next challenge – what to write. Head to our piece on how to answer college essay questions.
Brown is at the top of plenty of students’ best-fit lists, so it’s no surprise that most prospective applicants want to do everything they can to stand out in their applications. While grades and course rigor carry the most weight in admissions decisions, students also need to write compelling essays that demonstrate their interest in attending the college.
Here’s How to Record an Outstanding College Application Essay Video
Many colleges are known for getting creative with their essay prompts, sometimes asking weird and wacky questions to encourage students to dig for thoughtful, creative responses. Another way some colleges are shaking up the college admissions process is with college application essay videos.
By Carolyn, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor
In eighth grade, my English teacher Mrs. Houlihan told me that I was the only student in my class who knew how and when to use a comma. That feedback stuck with me, not just because it made me feel like the greatest student of all time (which, let’s be honest, I totally was), but because it made me realize the awesome power of the comma. For such a tiny piece of punctuation, the comma packs a mighty punch, in that using it correctly or incorrectly is one of the most glaring signs that a writer either does or does not know what they’re doing.
