<p>Anyone who got in without submitting the optional essay? When they say that it is optional, do they really mean it?</p>
<p>It truly is optional!</p>
<p>If you don’t submit it, it won’t hurt you, but it won’t help either.</p>
<p>If you do submit it, it could hurt or help you depending on how well you convey your personality.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would do it. It’s a fun prompt anyhow, amusement park rides!!</p>
<p>So long as writing is your strong suit, and you can infuse the essay with some intelligent whimsicality, I see no reason not to submit it.</p>
<p>Optional means optional. If you can’t write something decent, then don’t waste their time. That’s how I see it.</p>
<p>I had this theory when I was applying to UPenn that a school looks at your transcript, and if you come across as a lazy (but talented) person (and you wrote the optional essay)… then they reject you because you’re trying to be someone you’re not and suck up and stuff.</p>
<p>Of course everyone tells me I’m crazy.</p>
<p>I’d suggest that you spend a good amount of time writing a strong essay. Don’t be lazy. Unless your some kind of genius, I am pretty sure you would want to make your application as strong as possible in order to increase your chances of acceptance.</p>
<p>As I stated in the other thread like this, if you can’t write a good optional essay. you should not be applying to Emory. This should be a fun essay and not take a lot of time. Isn’t it 500 words or less? I think I spent a few hours writing my essay. Have some fun and write it to demonstrate your interest as well as an opportunity to tell more about yourself.</p>
<p>My friend didn’t write it and she got in to Oxford 
She didn’t apply to college of arts and science though I believe.</p>
<p>If you skip the optional essay, what does that say about your level of interest?</p>
<p>I’d write the essay!</p>