For First-Year students applying to UGA for Fall 2027, we will keep the same longer personal essay (250-650 words) as before, using the essay prompts from the Common App. After a review of the last few years of essay responses and our review process, we will only be requiring the personal essay for 2027 and we will not have a second essay, as we believe the one essay response gives us what we need in our evaluation process. We hope that this decision takes some stress out of the admissions process for both students and parents, and we look forward to reading your applications (and great essays) next year. I will say that our office will miss the book essay we have had for a number of years, both for the insight into a student and for the book list we were able to create for ourselves. I have read three books over the last two months (The House in the Cerulean Sea, Dungeon Crawler Carl and Theo of Golden), and all were prompted by essays I read this year. One of the reasons for this essay question (there were many) was to encourage students to read, and we hope our students continue to enjoy this literary outlet. Back to the essays for next year, here are the Common App essay prompts:
- 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.
- The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
- Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
As always, we also share an essay from an enrolling First-Year student that we believe shows strong writing skills:
The recipe for making a buckeye may seem straightforward, but to me, it is layered with meaning. Making these creamy peanut butter fudge balls dipped in silky, melted chocolate is a precious tradition.
As the holiday season approached and the weather became frigid, our annual buckeye-making festivity drew near. My Mimi and Grandpa have cherished this ritual for decades, passing it on to the next generation to spread joy. To another family, this might seem trivial, but to me, it held deep significance. My grandpa always worked at the stove, melting the chocolate chips into a glossy, gooey pool, while my Mimi kneaded the fudge until its texture was just right. As a child, I would wait at the kitchen table, watching them work, but as I grew older, I became the “chief” of operations. Rolling the fudge to the ideal size and dipping it so the chocolate reached exactly halfway up each ball. Every step meant precision.
The recipe was simple, but I craved perfection. Every morning, if my pillows were not fluffed just right, I would start over. As a little girl, I threw tantrums over tangled hair and crooked parts. My parents tried to convince me I did not need to be perfect, but the urge persisted. The process of making buckeyes became more than just a family activity, instead, I saw it as my way to make my family proud. Rolling the peanut fudge meant building a perfect foundation, and dipping it in the silky chocolate meant getting every finishing touch right. Whether it was folding laundry, coloring inside the lines, erasing my name until my handwriting met my standard, or in this case, making buckeyes, I chased absolute perfection in every task. The once lopsided Buckeyes became perfectly round and uniform.
Yet as the years passed, I realized that making buckeyes was more than just a tradition, it was a reflection of who I was becoming. This simple recipe became a thread woven through my background, shaping how I approached every aspect of my life. Every perfectly rolled buckeye showed my determination, attention to detail, and my drive to pour myself fully into what I do.
Yet the kitchen also exposed the limits of my perfectionism. The chocolate would drip unevenly, or the fudge mixture would soften too quickly. I used to panic at every mistake, certain that the imperfection meant absolute failure. But my grandparents never saw it that way. My Mimi would laugh as a lopsided buckeye fell onto the tray, and my grandpa would remind me that the purpose was joy, not flawlessness. Gradually, their calm reasoning relaxed my sharp instincts. The perfectionism I once deeply cared about was curbed by the love and laughter that surrounded me. This activity began to develop into a relaxing escape from life’s stresses instead of a dutiful task. The buckeyes once marred with exactness shifted into peanut butter and chocolate balls that varied in size, shape, and amount of chocolate. Undoubtedly, the taste dominated all other factors, and my perfectionist tendencies faded away.
Slowly, it clicked that my identity was not defined by perfection, but by the effort and intention behind my actions. I still care deeply about doing things well, noticing tiny details others might overlook, and seeking order in everyday tasks. But I have also learned to breathe when things go wrong and to find purpose in imperfect moments. Today, whenever I stand in that kitchen surrounded by the scent of melting chocolate and creamy peanut butter fudge, I’m reminded of the roots of my work ethic and the heart behind it. This tradition didn’t just teach me how to make a dessert; it taught me how to carry myself through challenges, and how to embrace the imperfect in myself. Most importantly, this sacred tradition revealed to me that personal growth often occurs when things do not go exactly as planned. (Kieran C., Hebron Christian Academy).
- This essay gives us insight into the student’s feelings and thoughts, and he shares her ideas and emotions through descriptive word choice. This is an excellent essay, but please know that we are not expecting this level of writing from the applicant pool overall. This essay example is meant to show our applicant pool how to express themselves through examples, personal growth and feelings. When we are reviewing essays, we are looking more at the student’s voice coming through and less on technical writing skills.