I uploaded an image here: h ttp://i.imgur. com/IOPJt8U.png (remove the spacings)
First of all, why does it say “Not Required” when UNC actually needs the applicants to submit their own UNC prompts? All the universities I have applied to say “Not Required” under Writing Supplement column.
The Common App does not even allow the applicants to submit without the college-specific writing supplement. And in the Review section in Common App before I pay, the UNC specific prompt is showed in the very last page. So why does my Common App have red dash instead of a green check-mark for every universities I applied to?
First, let me tell you this is not and issue at all and that all your applications are OK. What that dash means is that, under the framework of the Common App, UNC does not have a writing supplement. This is true since you complete the essay portion under the “Questions” section of the application. IF you want to see what the difference between that and a “Writing Supplement” add the University of Pennsylvania as one of your schools just to see what having a writing supplement looks like. Then you can just delete it after you’ve convinced yourself you’re fine.
Also, UNC was by no means the only school which chose to put all of the essays under Questions this year; I think only one school my son looked at this year had an official “Writing Supplement,” but there were plenty of essays, both short and long, under the Questions sections – and red dashes under Writing Supplement.