I don’t view it as playing it safe- I view it as being authentic to one’s own self. As Soozie pointed out- every kid doesn’t have something relevant or additive or helpful to put in the Additional Information section. So don’t put it in. Some kids have something to add- that’s where it goes.
You don’t need to concoct something polarizing or irritating or shocking just for the sake of standing out. I had a candidate for a role at my company a few years ago who did something “so he’d stand out” which resulted in security being called and a restraining order being issued.
One person’s joke is another person’s “If you see something, say something”. There are enough obnoxious people in the world- a nice kid doesn’t have to go out of his/her way to go big or go home, even if that means “forfeiting” their Stanford golden ticket.
Well that was a hasty retreat. Was it something we said?
The unfortunate thing is that the OP had an insider perspective that could have been really enlightening if there was a bit of analysis behind it.
For example, it would have been great if he could have provided some information on the types of students where the Additional Information section was useful, and that if you don’t fit these, probably not worth doing.
For my kids the section was largely filled with research project descriptions and links to the resulting papers. There was no good place to put that elsewhere. We know other kids strong in math and science that did the same, and they also did well in terms of admissions.
Look there are many instances when something important is not covered in the rest of the application. That section can be very useful. It should not be used for information that has already been covered, and the information conveyed should be necessary to complete the picture of the applicant.
I just read an article about a student who got to see her application file at Stanford. She wrote, <<<Going on to reader two, my heart once again was pounding. Interestingly enough, both officers mentioned my additional info page, which apparently contained a lot of “character and personality” and “charm.”>>>
Speaking as someone who’s been in the teenager business for 20 years, this faith would be misplaced. People are mostly terrible at assessing which internet sources are reliable. This is especially true for first generation or immigrant families who don’t have a lot of background knowledge about U.S. higher education.
I just read the new book Valedictorians at the Gate, written by a 13-year veteran AO at Dartmouth. She is a big fan of the additional information section. A quote from pg. 124 “Specifically, it’s in the best interest of a student to fill out the Common Application’s “Additional Information” section … Most students don’t complete this section, likely because they are not sure what to say. But this is an opportunity to speak about one’s school experience, family background, culture or personal story.” She then gives several examples of what types of info students can include. I believe the OP was only an AO for one year more than a decade ago. The author of this book did it for 15 years, leaving only a few years ago. Maybe the difference between between being an “extra” reader & a professional AO. Of course no guarantee who will read your app.
There could be a situation where both are correct. While a good “Additional Information” section that the book author advocates for can help the applicant, it is possible and likely that most uses of the “Additional Information” section are bad uses (e.g. excuses for lower grades) that the OP may have seen too many of.
Like everything else, there are good uses and bad uses. (Indeed, my objection to the OP was the very black and white nature of it)
Repeating what is already in the app? Not such a good use.
Dwelling on the negative? Not such a good use.
Bringing out something positive that would otherwise not be there? That could be a good use. (Johnny Mercer gave some good advice here: Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive)
My kid is using the additional info as well for his research projects. I posted earlier about a GA Tech podcast on this topic, but it may get more eyeballs here.
What do you think about using the additional info section to discuss how an individual has gone far beyond what is typically required in a leadership role? He took a group that is usually run by a paid professional (teacher) and has made it one of the best performing groups in the history of the school, put in countless hours studying the topic, developing his own skills, and teaching it to others. He is one of the most recognized kids at school and was even invited to have lunch with the superintendent after an event today. Another option would be to have a recommender or the counselor could cover his accomplishments? If it’s relevant, he does not have very good grades. This is what he’s focused on for four years of high school. LOL Thankfully he wants to continue in some shape or form in college.
I think it would be best to have a recommender or counselor cover that. Your son should also include it in the EC section of the application.
As a piece of unsolicited advice, in general ECs (other than a recruited athlete) do not make up for subpar grades so, while it fine to include a couple of reach schools, be sure to focus on colleges that make sense given his academic stats.
This activity should be in the Activities section of the common app where the description is limited to 150 characters. But expanding on it could be a good use of the additional info section …focusing on the the research, learning, teaching, and showing how far the group has come. Less compelling is the recognition/superintendent lunch. IMO of course.
I think that the additional information section can be used to expand on a significant EC that perhaps was not long enough in duration that it should be worked into the overall narrative presented in the other essays (either in the common app or in school-specific supplements).
For instance, my HS class of 2021 kid used the section to expand on an EC/business venture to which they devoted tons on time at the end of junior year/summer/beginning of senior year. It was directly related to the pandemic.
Nevertheless, I do agree with the OP’s general point that less can be more.
Crowd sourcing requests on specific “what about me” examples are best served by having its own thread to prevent getting lost in the shuffle. Let’s keep this thread more general, keeping in mind that the OP has left the thread.
I was just reading through to see it had been brought up. I immediately thought of that chapter. While I don’t think the book was as fascinating as “Who Gets in and Why?” I thought she did an excellent job of advising on how to make the most out of each section of the application.
