<p>Could I literally just write a list?
:) And could I write other add'l essays? As I believe my commonapp one is really bad.</p>
<p>Writing a list alone would never be a good decision; if you can use that list as a jump-off point for some sort of creative discussion, then that would make for a good essay.
And yes, you can definitely write additional essays (it says “optional”, but many competitive applicants treat it as a compulsory second essay)…
Also, if you know/think your common app essay is “really bad”, why don’t you change it before submission…</p>
<p>Ah, thank you for getting back so fast 
And I already submitted my first CommonApp part so that they could make a file for me…unfortunate thinking…
I was really hoping I could just spew a list of a lot of read books…humph. :)</p>
<p>If you had a mediocre common app essay you’d like to make up for, why would you even consider writing just a list? Surely that could be useful information, but it won’t really make your application sparkle and shine. I really believe Harvard when they say that the second essay is optional. By that, they mean that they will not penalize you DIRECTLY for not writing the essay. But because, as EphemeralEternal mentioned, so many qualified applicants choose to write a (good) second essay, you may be penalizing yourself by not taking every opportunity to show Harvard what you’re made of.</p>
<p>What do you mean by “creative discussion”? As in how each of them impacted you?</p>
<p>^If you referring to what I’ve said, I meant some sort of zany essay that makes a witty connection between seemingly incongruous items in the list. It would show some humanity, some intellect, some flair, and most of all, a solid writing ability. Certainly it could include some reference to how the items impacted you, but you want it to be a bit clever and unusual, while not going to ‘out-there’ that the reader can’t tell what you mean.
I’ve seen it done before, and it can be very effective.</p>
<p>I did what EphemeralEternal said. I wrote out my list and then added a short essay at the bottom.</p>
<p>Hello again, to clarify for BsDBer2010 - I have another essay, quite decent, and I just wanted to add a list cause I read a lot and there’d be no way in heck I could write an essay on something comprehensive enough to cover what I do read.
But thanks a ton! Really glad I didn’t just send a list…that’d probably be really awkward.</p>
<p>What do you guys think about adding…um… like 4 essays? is that way too much overkill?
Let’s see, these are the titles:</p>
<ul>
<li>(common app one) The Persistence of Possibility - about perseverance</li>
<li>Philosophy of (My) Mind - it sorta plays off the whole “philosophy of mind” debate</li>
<li>Limitless Lens - about travel/perspective</li>
<li>something about me loving science, which I am tentatively calling “The Wonder of the Natural World” - it’s some quote by Watson of Watson & Crick fame</li>
<li>and a one I’m half done with on books that explore the meaning of life</li>
</ul>
<p>so do these titles suck, and should I not send the last two? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Philosophy has been grossly grossly overdone.</p>
<p>crap 
so which do I drop?</p>
<p>Quantity is not better than quality.</p>
<p>Pick one fabulous additional essay that will impress the adcom. Four additional essays with what you stated is a “really bad” common ap essay is not going to be a pleasant experience for him/her.</p>
<p>One of the expressions in college admissions is the thicker the file the thicker the applicant.</p>
<p>BTW who the heck titles their essays that they send in?</p>
<p>1) they’re all good, I think?
2) the commonapp one wasn’t “really bad” just stupidly generic?
3) Okay, I get that four addl essays is bad
4) lots? I think at least like most examples online have a title…although consensus on cc is that it doesn’t matter either way. I don’t know, I put a header too, so maybe that’s not really the way to go?</p>
<p>Seriously, I have no idea how to do this applying to college thing.</p>
<p>I did the “list of books” one. I just submitted a list. They asked for a list, they’re not expecting an essay along with it (not that it’s bad if you submitted one). They wouldn’t have put it as an option for the essay if it they viewed writing it as “never a good decision”–they’re not looking to trap you.</p>
<p>Lol. Perhaps not doing the Optional Essay is a way for the Admissions Officers to ease their work.</p>
<p>“No optional essay done? This one goes in the circular filing cabinet.”</p>
<p>eek I hate my harvard app…for the optional one I just turned in one from Rice about travel and now I sorta wish I could just send that list like LBloom I shoudn’t have applied, it’s giving me such a headache. meh. :(</p>
<p>is it really not okay to just submit a list? i’m sure that they don’t say it as a trap. i would not be at all surprised if they just use it as a way to see how intellectual, cultured, and interested you are. i am going with simply a list.</p>
<p>For people who have done the list, do you think it’s okay to do a modified list, where i write a list but in an essay form, and I make it a selective list of books I’ve read over four years instead of one? Im trying to write about how I’ve never not liked a book</p>
<p>^^^^
I wouldn’t find any problems with that if the modified list revealed something about you.</p>
<p>i agree. i think you guys are stressing wayy too much over the list-vs-essay thing XP if you want to write a list, go for it. if you think you have the ability to add a bit more creativity to it with a short essay, then do that. either way, harvard says “list” and i don’t think its trying to trap students either, so a list should be fine.</p>