<p>I have read several threads on related topics, but still don't get the answer. </p>
<p>Do you have to choose one prompt from the 5 possible topics? or can you write on your own prompt to serve the same purpose?</p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>I am pretty sure you can choose a topic of your own that is not on the list.</p>
<p>Does anyone feel that writing about how a specific Harvard alumni has inspired me would make for a decent response?</p>
<p>dragonboy, you can write on your own prompt because the 5 possible topics are just possible ones, not mandatory ones.</p>
<p>Harvard’s additional essay is anything you want right?</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Application Tips](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/tips/supp_page3.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/tips/supp_page3.html)</p>
<p>That is correct. If you click on the “Veritas” icon under Additional Essays in the above link, a box will come up saying:</p>
<p>"There is no “extra credit” for writing the optional essay. As you are filling out the application, if there is not a topic that naturally comes to mind, then you should probably skip this question.</p>
<p>Applicants use this space in a variety of ways: some students send us an essay that they wrote for another school that they thought turned out particularly well; many students leave the space blank."</p>
<p>for the prompt that asks to list books you read in the past 12 months, should you elaborate on the books, explain one’s meaning or just list them?</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there’s a suggested length for this? I want to submit something I’ve written but it’s pretty long, I don’t want to just anger them with extra work.</p>
<p>^My older son just gave them the list sorted by categories. (Mostly sci fi and computer related). There were over 100, so he figured there wasn’t space for mini-reviews. This was a few years ago and he was accepted, but I doubt his book list was a deciding factor. I don’t think there’s a best approach, but if it were me I’d try not to go over about 500 words.</p>