Is the Summer Essay Truly Optional?

<p>Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held, if not already detailed on the Common Application.</p>

<p>I mentioned my summer jobs in my ECs section & resume...I feel like I am still supposed to do this. Is that right?</p>

<p>My son, who was accepted to Princeton, wrote two sentences for this essay. Like you, the information was also listed elsewhere in his application, so it was a bit redundant – but, yes, you still are supposed to do it.</p>

<p>if it’s detailed on the common app, then you don’t need to fill all 2500 characters. do write a sentence or two, though. (like gibby said)</p>

<p>I was wondering about this short answer and the common app short answer. Are you just supposed to detail what you did or are you supposed to write it somewhat like your essays and include stories and how it affected you.</p>

<p>Yeah, wondering this as well. Is it supposed to be a short answer- descriptive and concise? Or is it another essay?</p>

<p>^^ It can be either. It depends on what you did for the summers, and how much you want to share (or write). I’m sure some students are accepted with longer, more descriptive essays, while others, like my son, are accepted with “short answers.”</p>

<p>is this kinda like the extracurricular essay on the commonapp?</p>

<p>^^ Not sure why this is causing sooooo much angst, but yes, it’s like the extracurricular essay on the common app.</p>