Is it okay to use some of the same answers for different college application essays and questions?

Answer 1

I have 2 answers on this one:

Short answer: Yes!

Long answer: Mostly yes and kinda no! It is okay if there is overlapping work across your applications and actually, many students are in this boat. If you think about it, this is a good sign. This means you have pretty consistent interests and you are NOT shapeshifting for the sake of fitting in to a perceived school-specific mold.

Now, should you have carbon copy answers on every single application? Absolutely not.

Even though schools tend to essentially ask the same question in different ways, it is important to assess whether your specific answer to the question of application #1 will work for application #2 through ##.

Tip: Highlight some phrases and content that you think is critically important to your application/expressed very well/unique to you. Just remember to make sure the surrounding language that is supporting this content^ is addressing ALL parts of each question directly.

This is actually a really effective stategy for students who are applying to many schools & programs!