<p>I hate it when colleges say something is "optional" when they weight it heavily. </p>
<p>Is harvard the same? Has anyone here been accepted without writing the essay?</p>
<p>It IS an optional essay. If you are a weak writer, or your topic is boring, writing the supplemental essay may hurt more than it helps.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you're a great writer and have a revealing topic, writing the essay can only help. You have to decide what's best for YOUR application.</p>
<p>what about 25 blurbs about random things about me. haha. </p>
<p>that's what i did for stanford and it seemed to work.</p>
<p>My younger D, a H freshman, is an insatiable reader and had read > 150 books in the year prior to her application. She chose to offer that reading list in lieu of an extra essay.</p>