<p>I know that people have asked the same question before and I looked over many of them and still am not really sure on what the additional comments field in the personal statement section is for. People say that it is for explanation and whatnot, but I feel like I need a clarification. The whole idea of the field is really vague and I'm at a loss for direction.</p>
<p>What do I talk about here? Specifically please.
Some people are using it as an essay, some as a list format, which one is it and should I treat it as a rough draft?
Are they looking for good grammar usage or are they looking only for content?
Will it even matter if I don't write anything for it? Will it affect my chances? </p>
<p>The additional comments field is exactly what it sounds like. It’s for anything that you feel like you need to explain but didn’t have a chance to in any other section of the application. For example, you could explain bad grades or a lack of extracurriculars because of medical/persona/family reasons. People don’t have specific things to put there because not everyone will have the same thing to put there. Consider your application as a whole and see if there is anything that would make the reviewers concerned. Bad grades, lack of extracurriculars, unexplained gap year, weird extracurriculars. Think about your application and see if there’s anything that you wish you could explain to the reviewer and consider putting it in the additional comments section. The field is vague because it’s literally just a space to explain something that you feel like you need to explain but there was no other space to put it. You DO NOT have to put anything in this spot. If you have nothing else to say or nothing you need to explain, then just leave it blank. It is NOT required. Don’t put something there just because you feel like you have to. If you’re wondering what to put in that section, then you probably shouldn’t put anything there.</p>
<p>Do not treat it as a rough draft. If you do put something there, treat it like an explanation. Use complete sentences and paragraph format. Always use correct grammar. It does not matter if you don’t write anything there. It will not affect your chances. Don’t put something there just for the sake of putting something there.</p>
<p>They don’t want extra essays. An example of something to put in there might be if you took a MOOC, and there was no place to list it on the application. You CAN use it for explanations for grade issues and things like that, but maybe better to ask your Guidance Counselor to handle that communication if needed. You absolutely do not need to put anything in there unless you have something that won’t fit in anyplace else on the application.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response, I submitted the application a week ago and I just decided to leave the field blank. I didn’t want to flood them with information and I think that my personal statements carry enough voice to give them a view of my personality.</p>