Application essay
An admissions or application essay, sometimes also called a personal statement or a statement of purpose, is an essay or other written statement written by an applicant, often a prospective student applying to some college, university, or graduate school. The application essay is a common part of the university and college admissions process.
Some applications may require one or more essays to be completed, while others make essays optional or supplementary. Essay topics range from very specific to open-ended. Common topics include career aspirations, academic strengths and weaknesses, past experiences, and reasons for applying to a particular school. Creative approaches to the essay include writing it as a poem, comparing oneself to an inanimate object or constructing it as a faux letter to a family member or teacher.
The University of Chicago is known for its unusual essay prompts in its undergraduate admissions application, including "What would you do with a foot-and-a-half-tall jar of mustard"?