I used creative writing prompts to help with my college application essay and it worked

[Paperrito]

I was completely stuck on my Common App essay. Everything I wrote felt fake or boring. My counselor suggested using some creative writing prompts as a warm-up exercise to get me writing without pressure. I tried one: 'describe a memory of a specific place using all five senses.'

I wrote about my grandmother's kitchen—the smell of tortillas, the sound of her humming, the feel of flour on my hands. That piece ended up becoming the core of my personal statement. The prompt helped me access sensory details I wouldn't have thought to include . I know prompts seem like they're for little kids, but they actually helped me find my voice. Anyone else used creative writing exercises for non-creative assignments? It really works.

 

[Lester]

yesss this is exactly what my english teacher had us do before our personal statements!! she called it "low stakes writing" and it honestly saved me. i did one about "the last time i felt completely at peace" and wrote about sitting in my car after a terrible shift at work just listening to rain. never would've put that in an essay normally but it became my whole opening paragraph. prompts unlock stuff your brain is hiding from you fr. so glad it worked for you too!