How does the "additional information" section work?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

  1. Is the additional information section reviewed the same way as the essay? Would this be a section filled with flowing writing that creates images in someones mind? Or would the information here just be bullet points? Is the additional information anything about myself, or should it be used to further explaining activities/honors?

  2. If it can be used to further explain honors/activities, should I use bullet points to do so? Example: I organized the Pulsera Project at my school, and I am assuming that most college admission offices will not be familiar with the Pulsera Project. So in additional information, would I state “The Pulsera Project is a Nicaraguan-based operation, founded by American tourists/volunteers, in order to provide jobs, homes, and stability to less fortunate families. The Pulsera Project employs artists to make pulseras (bracelets), in exchange for a higher than average wage. My school sold x amount of pulseras for x amount of money etc”

And if I were to describe it as such, since it is something I did through my schools Spanish Club, would I put the Pulsera Project under “achievements” or under achievements write “see additional information section” to ensure I could give context to what my activities were?

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There is no right or wrong use of the Additional Information section. The key word here is “additional,” so you don’t want to repeat what you’ve listed elsewhere. However, in your case where you feel the need to elaborate on the Pulsera Project that is not self-explanatory, I think the section is a valid place to explain what the project is about. I’d, however, use the section VERY carefully so you only use the valuable real estate on something you feel quite significant in explaining about you or your activities.

In my son’s case, he used the section to bullet point his list of significant accomplishments that he couldn’t list elsewhere in the application. So, it really depends on each applicant. Even with the bullet point list, my son felt that it conveyed to adcoms a significant aspect about himself. Again, the key word here is significant, not just a garden variety activity list.