<p>hello, i wonder if most applicants to Harvard send an optional essay.</p>
<p>it's just weird while most of top tier colleges wants several essays/short answers, harvard wants only common app's essay and nothing more. (but optional.. )</p>
<p>is that truly optional or does most ppl send optional essay anyway??</p>
<p>(or i can say, are there EAers who got accepted without any optional essay/material ?)</p>
<p>Not too sure about the Harvard specifics, but in general you want to be doing the things that are optional. Especially at a school as selective as Harvard. If you're bright enough to be accepted to Harvard, you should be bright and enthusiatic enough to want to send in the optional stuff (just as you would do the optional homework assignment :)) Most of the accepted students probably sent in additional parts to the Common Application, or made sure the rest of their application was so 'complete' that any additional info would be a blemish, rather than a valuable addition to the application.</p>
<p>You'll stand out (in a bad way) if everyone else makes the effort to send in one additional essay, or one extra personal statment, and you don't. More importantly, the point of the game is to make sure they know you as fully as possible - your personality, your quirks, not just your achievements and list of extra curriculars. </p>
<p>Given the choice between two equal candidates, they're more likely to admit the person rather than the sheet of paper.How do they get to know more? You tell them more! Just make sure it's relevent and interesting, something about YOU that is not conveyed in the other parts of your application. </p>
<p>Optional reads: "Highly Highly Recommended That You Send This In". </p>
<p>Exceptions are:
*Teacher Recommendations (No need to harass an extra teacher or stuff your file with excess paper, if it doesn't illuminate your overall application in some way.)
*Supplemental Art Work (If you're not the next Picasso, or you don't play competitive piano, don't bother. The university wants to see if your talent will be a special asset to their institution, nothing more.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
are there EAers who got accepted without any optional essay/material
[/quote]
I was accepted ED to Princeton. I sent in the optional essay, and so did most of the people I know who were accepted.</p>
<p>Hey, great tips gianievve! First of all, congrats for Pton ED. What did you write about for Pton's extra essay, and was it around 500 words like Pton's regular one essay?</p>
<p>I sent in an extra essay, but no other extra material. Don't write an extra essay just for the sake of writing it. Write it if you actually have something else to say.</p>
<p>"You'll stand out (in a bad way) if everyone else makes the effort to send in one additional essay, or one extra personal statment, and you don't."</p>
<p>haha probably the reason i got deferred. and THEN i realised there was something about me that I could've written.:(</p>
<p>wow.. you wrote ANOTHER essay after you wrote a bunch of essays that Pton already required!! (yes i am also applying Pton, and its supplement is floating with questions and short answers)</p>
<p>As beethoven already asked, what did you write about??
and how long was it??</p>
<p>I am thinking about writing 250 or so essay. do you think it's better to be a full(500+) essay? also it, i think, will be about the drama(which I love).. can I ask your 2cents about subject-wise??</p>
<p>girl from my school was accepted EA without any extra material</p>
<p>I sent Harvard a supplementary rec and an 11 page research paper i wrote. I thought writing the essay as well would be a bit excessive, even though i did have stuff i wanted to say. I figure ill just slip it in the interview. And optional does not mean "please send in." When you visit harvard, the admissions staff strongly discourages extra paper for no good reason.</p>
<p>I did an essay, and I sent in a CD, a research abstract and clippings from my school paper. All my supplement stuff represented something important to me, and I know my regional rep listened to my CD at least. In hindsight, I probably sent in too much stuff, and I know some colleges (such as Yale or Stanford) have stressed that they don't want thick files. Harvard doesn't seem to explicitly say that they don't want too much supplemental material, but I'd just send in the good stuff and omit the mediocre.</p>
<p>(I got in Harvard EA, by the way.)</p>
<p>Usually the word "optional" is proceded by "This item is not expected nor required. Not including it will in no way affect your admissions decision."</p>
<p>..seems pretty explicit to me :)</p>