Common App section questions

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

Hi - thanks in advance for pointers on the following questions for my D22 around common app

  1. In the EC Activities and especially Honors section, it it OK to leave a blank or two if we don’t have any significant ones to share
  2. What kind of info should you include in the other additional information section ( right upper corner). I read in one article that if there has been any grade drops etc can be written about. Is that the case? not sure whether one is expected to add anything here or leave it.
  3. While applying, let us say we apply to couple of colleges via common app in September, then in November or December , we have updates to the honors list, can we continue to apply to more colleges with the updated list of honors. Is that allowed?

Thanks in advance

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2

1.Yes, ok to leave some lines blank

2.You can use it to explain grade dips and such, but that is usually better explained by your HS GC in their letter. Is this the case for you? In the additional info section write more about yourself…hobbies, or interests, whatever makes you, you (something different than your personal statement essay). It doesn’t have to be an essay, it could be bullet points, or short vignettes. I highly encourage you to not waste this opportunity to share more about yourself to the AOs.

3.Yes, you can apply to more colleges with an updated honors list. Send a note to the AOs at the schools you had already applied to telling them about any new honors.

3

I’m interested in this response. I’ve never heard this advice in an admission presentation, they always say this is the place to explain a grade drop, etc.

Can you be more specific about the type of information and if possible, which colleges recommended this?

I have thought that my D22 could use this section to explain her high school magnet program and schedule choices in more depth. I’ve seen versions of her school profile and it barely touches on this. It’s also relevant because they use teacher-developed curriculum that is more rigorous than AP coursework, but it is not weighted.

4

Typically students don’t do well explaining grade drops, it’s better if it comes from the HS GC.

Sent you a PM @southoftheriver

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Ok, but what would you suggest adding that is not in the EC list?

6

Only explain a grade drop if it’s a truly extraordinary circumstance, and still have that backed up in the GC letter.

I’ve seen student state they want to explain that “my sophomore grades were low because I didn’t take school that seriously back then”.
No.