Coalition Essay Prompts 2025-2026
500-650 words. Choose one prompt.
Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become?
Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond?
Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
Coalition Member Schools Include
Common Questions
What's the difference between Coalition and Common App essays?
Coalition prompts are slightly different and some schools only accept Coalition. The personal essay is 500-650 words with 5 prompt options. Our editors are familiar with both platforms and can help you decide which to use if a school accepts both.
Which schools use Coalition?
Over 150 schools accept Coalition, including UW, Ohio State, UMD, UF, and many selective schools like Yale, Stanford, and Duke that also accept Common App. Some schools like UW are Coalition-only.
Should I use my Locker materials?
The Coalition Locker lets you save materials over time. If you have strong artifacts (writing samples, projects, videos), we can help you decide which to include and how to reference them.
Can I use the same essay for Common App?
Often yes, with minor adjustments for word count and prompts. We can help you adapt essays between platforms if needed.