COLLEGE APPLICATION PERSONAL ESSAY QUESTIONS
CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY- CWU
(Required for applicants with a cumulative GPA of 2.0-2.9 or are core deficient).
How have your past experiences influenced your academic record? What are you presently doing to ensure
your academic success? What are your academic goals and how will our university help you accomplish these
goals? You are encouraged to include your involvement and leadership contributions, in your home, school, or
community.
EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY - EWU
Insight Resume (Written Experiential Assessment):
1. Describe examples of your leadership experience in which you have significantly influenced others,
helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. Consider responsibilities to initiatives
taken in or out of school.
2. Describe any of your special interests and how you have developed knowledge in these areas. Give
examples of your creativity; the ability to see alternatives; take diverse perspectives; come up with
many, varied or original ideas; or willingness to try new things.
3. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to address this
challenge. Include whether you turned to anyone in facing that challenge, the role that person played,
and what you learned about yourself.
4. Explain what you have done to make your community a better place to live. Give examples of specific
projects in which you have been involved over time.
5. Describe your experiences facing or witnessing discrimination. Tell us how you responded and what you
learned from those experiences and how they have prepared you to contribute to the EWU community.
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON- UW
(Choose either A or B. Maximum length: 600 words)
A. Discuss how your family’s experience or cultural history enriched you or presented you with
opportunities or challenges in pursuing your educational goals.
B. Tell us a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or
helped to shape it.
(Choose one of the following two topics and write a short essay. Maximum length: 300 words)
1. The University of Washington seeks to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural
backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints. How would you contribute to this community?
2. Describe an experience of cultural difference or insensitivity you have had or observed. What did you
learn from it?
TIP: You may define culture broadly in Topic #2. For example, it may include ethnicity, customs,
values, and ideas, all of which contribute to experiences that students can share with others in
college. As you reply to this question, reflect on what you have learned — about yourself and
society — from an experience of cultural difference.
10/9/2015 WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY- WSU
(Required only as requested by WSU Admissions or for Scholarship consideration) Your personal statement
should describe in detail (about 100 words per question) some special interest, significant experience, or
achievement in each of the following areas:
1. Leadership/group contributions: Describe examples of your leadership experience in which you have
significantly influenced other, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
Consider responsibilities you have taken for initiatives in or out of school.
2. Knowledge or creativity in a field: Describe any of your special interests and how you have
developed knowledge in these areas. Give examples of your creativity; the ability to see alternatives;
take diverse perspectives; come up with many, varied, or original ideas; or willingness to try new
things.
3. Dealing with adversity: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you
have taken to address this challenge. Include whether you turned to anyone in facing that challenge,
the role that person played, and what you learned about yourself.
4. Community service: Explain what you have done to make your community a better place to live. Give
examples of specific projects in which you have been involved with other time.
5. Handling systemic challenges: Describe your experiences facing or witnessing discrimination. Tell us
how you responded and what you learned from those experiences and how they prepared you to
contribute to the WSU community.
6. Goals/tasks commitment: Articulate the goals you have established for yourself and your efforts to
accomplish them. Give at least one specific example that demonstrates your work ethic/diligence.
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY - WWU
Respond to one of the prompts below. Most essay responses are about 500 words, but this is only a
recommendation, not a firm limit. Feel free to take what space is necessary for you to tell your story.
 Share a meaningful experience and how this has helped shape you in your preparation for college – this
could be related to your passions, commitments, leadership experience, family or cultural background.

Describe any activities you have been involved in related to diversity or multiculturalism and explain how
you will actively contribute to a diverse campus community at Western.

Admissions Essay - topic of your choice. If you have written another essay that captures what you want
the Admissions Committee to know about you, feel free to share it with us.
COMMON APPLICATION PERSONAL ESSAY (Gonzaga, PLU, Saint Martin’s, SPU,
Seattle U, UPS, Whitman, Whitworth)
The prompts are designed to encourage reflection and introspection. If your essay doesn't include some
self-analysis, you haven't fully succeeded in responding to the prompt. This is your opportunity to distinguish
yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from the
courses, grades, and test scores? Below are the five options. Please choose one and write an essay (250-650
words):
 Prompt #1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they
believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your
story.
10/9/2015  Prompt #2: The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
 Prompt #3: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.
What prompted you to act? Would
you make the same decision again?
 Prompt #4: Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve.
It can be an intellectual
challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the
scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
 Prompt #5: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal that marked your transition from
childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
Some Final Thoughts: Whichever prompt you chose; make sure you are looking inward. What do you value?
What has made you grow as a person? What makes you the unique individual the admissions folks will want to
invite to join their campus community? The best essays spend significant time with self-analysis, and they don't
spend a disproportionate amount of time merely describing a place or event. Analysis, not description, will
reveal the critical thinking skills that are the hallmark of a promising college student.
10/9/2015