I have noticed that some colleges state that a teacher recommendation or personal statement are optional but not required. Does it help your chances for admission if you do the additional recommendations and personal statements?
I don’t think a strong letter or essay can possibly hurt your chances. So if you end up on the cusp of being admitted, either of those might be the thing that makes the difference.
They can. If you can add strong ones, it’s that much more of a chance to bring attributes and contributing issues to the AO’s attention. It can also reinforce the opinion that you have a blasé app
I wouldn’t pass up the chance to submit an “optional” essay. All else being equal, if a hypothetical decision comes down to a person without the essay and the person who took time to write a careful essay on why the college is a great match, who would you expect the college to pick?
They are the only things that separate your application from that of another kid with identical stats. They allow “YOU” to shine out of the app.
If you can add strong ones, then yes. But if not, don’t be afraid to skip them. When S16 applied to Duke, the optional essay had something to do with being a minority or bringing diversity to the campus. He tried to write about being a minority in his HS, but it didn’t come across well. Ultimately, he left it blank. We were surprised when he was admitted. He was waitlisted to the other Ivies/top 20s.