In August 2020, as the global pandemic became the new normal, the Common App added a new COVID-19 question to its list of essay Qs. This optional essay prompt presented students with a useful way of explaining certain elements of their academic history to college admissions officers—namely, if someone’s ability to perform in school was deeply impacted by COVID and the society-wide changes that came along with it.
Now that the pandemic is no longer in its peak, though, does the Common App still offer this question? And if not, (how) can applicants still write about extreme circumstances that might have impacted their high school academic record and/or physical and mental well-being?
As a leading SAT/ACT prep and application essays coach, it’s my job to keep you up to date on all of the ways that the admissions process changes from year to year (and even from month to month!). And so today I’m going to thoroughly explain the answers to both of the above questions.
Article Contents
1. Full text of the old COVID question on the Common App
2. Does the Common Application still have a COVID-19 question?
3. What replaced the COVID prompt on college applications?
4. Does the “additional information” question still exist on the Common App?
5. Should I write about the pandemic in my personal statement?
6. Conclusion
1. What was the previous COVID question on the Common App?
From August 2020 through August 2025, the Common App offered the following optional essay prompt, with a 250-word limit:
“Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. For more information, check out our COVID-19 FAQ.”
Note that this prompt was offered along with the preexisting “Additional Information” question (with a 650-word limit). Both Qs were optional, so you could answer one, both, or neither. And both were found in the “Additional Information” section of the application.
2. Does the Common Application still have a COVID-19 question?
The short answer is: no!
As of August 1, 2025, the Common App underwent a refresh (I explain all of the changes here), and the COVID question per se got the ax.
BUT! A related question has taken its place. Another way of looking at it is: the COVID question still appears on the application, in a sense, but its scope is now broader, giving you the chance to talk about many different types of extreme event that may have shaped your high school career—not just the specific event that was the pandemic.
The prompt is now called the “Challenges and Circumstances” question. And I’ve printed its full text below.
3. Full text of the "challenges and circumstances" prompt
Here is, verbatim, the full prompt that replaced the COVID question this year:
Sometimes a student's application and achievements may be impacted by challenges or other circumstances. This could involve:
Access to a safe and quiet study space
Access to reliable technology and internet
Community disruption (violence, protest, teacher strikes, etc.)
Discrimination
Family disruptions (divorce, incarceration, job loss, health, loss of a family member, addiction, etc.)
Family or other obligations (caretaking, financial support, etc.)
Housing instability, displacement or homelessness
Military deployment or activation
Natural disasters
Physical health and mental well-being
War, conflict, or other hardships
If you're comfortable sharing, this information can help colleges better understand the context of your application. Colleges may use this information to provide you and your fellow students with support and resources.
Would you like to share any details about challenges or other circumstances you've experienced?
As was the case with the COVID question, this essay is still optional. And the word limit (250) hasn’t changed, either.
4. Does the "additional information" question still exist?
Yes! However, the word limit has now been reduced from 650 to 300 words max.
5. Should I write about the pandemic in my personal statement?
Good question! This could be a strong topic for your main Common App essay if and only if the COVID years caused you to 1) undergo a massive personal evolution, 2) change your worldview, 3) part ways with a major activity because of cancellations and social distancing…only to discover your true life’s passion in its stead.
But you want to be sure that you’re writing about your massive personal change/shift in perspective/passion...with the pandemic as the backdrop of your personal story. The main essay still needs to be, first and foremost, about YOU—your personality, qualities, beliefs. The essay just happens to be telling the story of that element of YOU in the setting of the “global pandemic.”
If you want to explain above-average hardships you endured because of the pandemic, on the other hand, that’s more the territory of the optional “challenges and circumstances” Q.
It’s most strategic for your Common App essay to present a positive portrait of YOU, your passions, your growth, your transformation, your identity, your worldview.
Conclusion
To sum up: while the COVID-19 question is now defunct, the Common App still gives you the chance to write about exceptional material problems you may have faced—problems that most high schoolers don’t have to deal with, and that therefore provide crucial context to the person reading your application.
As always, if you need help writing a knock-em-dead personal statement or finding a coherent framework for how you present yourself in your app, you can learn more about the highly honed essay-writing help I offer. Or, for those among you who have more of a lone-wolf learning style, you can check out my comprehensive written Guide to the Personal Statement.
