Common App essay grader · 2026–27
Common App Prompt 4 Essay Grader
Gratitude. Paste your draft and see how well it answers this exact prompt.
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Common App Prompt 4 · 2026–27
How to answer this prompt
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?
250–650 words. Choose one of the seven prompts.
What it is really asking
The surprise matters: an unexpected act or an unexpected reaction in you. And the essay must turn back to you — what the gratitude has made you do since.
Angles that work
- A small gesture from an unlikely person, and the habit or choice it led to.
- Gratitude that arrived late, years after the act, and why it took that long.
- An act of kindness you now pass on, shown in a specific moment.
Common traps
- Writing a thank-you note to the other person, so the essay is about them, not you.
- Choosing an expected act (parents’ sacrifice) without finding what was surprising in it.
- Stopping at “I am grateful” without showing how it has motivated you.
The grader above already has this prompt filled in. It scores your essay on the same six dimensions as always — narrative strength, specificity, reflection and insight, authentic voice, writing execution, and overall admissions value — and uses the prompt as context, so its notes point out where your essay drifts from the question.
By prompt
Other prompts
Each page pre-fills its prompt in the grader.
Common App personal essay (2026–27)
250–650 words. Choose one of the seven prompts.
- Common App Prompt 1 · Background, identity, interest, or talent
- Common App Prompt 2 · Challenge, setback, or failure
- Common App Prompt 3 · Questioning a belief or idea
- Common App Prompt 5 · Accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked growth
- Common App Prompt 6 · A topic that makes you lose track of time
- Common App Prompt 7 · Topic of your choice
UC Personal Insight Questions (2026–27)
Up to 350 words each. Answer four of the eight questions; all are weighed equally.