2013-14 Quirky College Application Questions

Schools Come Out With More Fun and Creative Application Questions for the 2013-14 College Admissions Season The Common App launched last week, and while there were some first day hiccups, student have started to plan and write their college admissions essays to a variety of colleges and universities throughout the US. The college admissions essays are a way to let the school learn something about you that they can’t find out through looking at the rest of your application. The essays give you the opportunity to get creative, talk about your passions, and really let your skills shine! To make essays and short answers a little more fun and interesting, schools have been creating quirky prompts in order to get applicants to think outside the box and learn something interesting about them. Here are some of the quirkiest essay prompts for 2013-14: Tufts University: The ancient Romans started it when they coined the phrase "Carpe diem." Jonathan Larson proclaimed "No day but today!" and most recently, Drake explained You Only Live Once (YOLO). Have you ever seized the day? Lived like there was no tomorrow? Or perhaps you plan to shout YOLO while jumping into something in the future. What does #YOLO mean to you? University of Chicago: "This is what history consists of. It's the sum total of all the things they aren't telling us." - Don DeLillo, Libra. What is history, who are "they," and what aren't they telling us? Occidental College: Identify and describe a personal habit or idiosyncrasy—of any nature—that helps define you. University of Notre Dame: By the end of the college application process, you will have probably written dozens of essays and responded to a multitude of questions. Use this opportunity to try something new. Wake Forest University: Give us your top ten list. University of Virginia: To tweet or not to tweet? Stanford University: Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—know you better. Pomona College: What has sparked your curiosity in the last year? How did you respond? What are some other quirky prompts you’ve seen this year? How would you respond to some of these questions? Tell us in the comments below!