Optional Essay

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Are you supposed to write the optional essay? I am just wondering how many people actually write the optional essay. Will I be in the minority if I don't? I know that some of you will say "write it if it adds some extra info about you...," but I just want to know, do a lot of ppl include an extra essay???</p>

<p>thanks in advance...</p>

2

<p>I do believe it is encouraged. I will be submitting 1 optional essay with my EA application.</p>

3

<p>bump..I'm also curious</p>

4

<p>I'm putting in the extra essay as a way to show all sides of myself. The main essay is very serious, so I want to balance it out with something lighter to show I'm not a brooding pseudo-artist :)</p>

5

<p>I think most people will do it. How could you possibly convey who you are with the one mandatory essay (max of 500 words)?</p>

6

<p>Do submit it, you know, it adds life to your app...something like that. Everyone says essays are the only thing you can control. I'll take the chance.</p>

7

<p>How many essays should you write to have a good chance?</p>

8

<p>as many as it takes to show who you are, and no more.</p>

9

<p>Does anyone know if there is a word limit for the supplemental essay? Also, may we write more than 1?</p>

10

<p>If more than one, then how many more? I’m sure admissions wouldn’t want to read 10.</p>

11

<p>if you feel like you need to write 10 essays, then you're gonna have a real problem when you apply to other colleges. :p</p>

12

<p>lol yes :)</p>

13

<p>OMG listen up folks. You got this "Barron's Essays That Will Get You Into College"? Quoth page 62, "Harvard is notorious for its long list of essay questions, as you can see from the seven essays this applicant had to write." Where did this piece of info come from, and is it EVER true? I thought the mandatory essay list of Stanford was bad enough <em>passing out</em></p>

14

<p>can i sent in two essays from the common app and 1 optional essay? do they allow multiple essays, like teacher recommendations? seriously, i believe one more essay can convey more of myself to the admissions people.</p>

15

<p>bump
bump</p>