The Foreign Service Journal, December 2016

104 DECEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT Coalition App 2016-2017 Prompts: 1. Tell a story from your life, describ- ing an experience that either demon- strates your character or helped to shape it. 2. Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution. 3. Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs? 4. What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)? 5. Submit an essay on a topic of your choice. Common Application 2016-2017 Prompts: 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest or talent that is so meaningful they believe their appli- cation would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? 4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma— anything that is of personal impor- tance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from child- hood to adulthood within your culture, community or family. —Francesca Kelly Essay Prompts: Comparing the Common and Coalition Apps