Guide/02 The Essay Course
Community & Identity Essays
How to answer prompts about your community, background, identity, perspective, and "the world you come from" — and what you'll contribute to campus.
Chapter 13 of 385 min readUpdated September 25, 2026 Preview
"Describe a community you belong to." "Tell us about your background and how it has shaped you." "How will you contribute to our campus?" These prompts appear on almost every selective school's application — and they're often misunderstood.
They are not asking you to prove you've struggled, and they're not asking for a list of groups you belong to. They're asking how you connect with people...
Continue reading with full access
Get the complete college application guide, the example library, timelines, and resources.
One-time payment · Lifetime access · Secure checkout by Stripe
What’s in this chapter
- 1The three versions of this prompt
- 2Step 1: Define "community" broadly
- 3Step 2: Choose a structure
- 4Writing about identity: some honest guidance
- 5Common mistakes
- 6Exercise: the role sentence