'Optional' Essays

College Essays
41

<p>Go Triggy! I was about to find that post and add it to the discussion! </p>

<p>At Tufts, the optional essay is optional. Literally. Having said that, if your essay will add to an admissions reader's understanding of you, then of course you should write one. </p>

<p>But writing an optional essay because you feel it's actually 'mandatory' likely won't add anything. Please, please do not do that. Essays written like that lack motivation, energy, and interest. When you are disinterested in what you write, I become disinterested in what you write.</p>

42

<p>ethanrt, i thought the same thing "nothing from this section is required or expected..." it just felt like they didn't want anything.</p>

<p>In general, though, I would say that it is to your advantage to write an optional essay.</p>

43

<p>its optional. use or don't. if you feel that ur required essays are lacking. use it. if you feel as though they are just fine. don't</p>

44

<p>What do you guys thing of using a list (with short paragraph explanations) for Why [SCHOOL]? "essays"?</p>

45

<p>Out of all my essays, I had the most fun writing the Tufts optional one.</p>

46

<p>I think it is usually better to write the optional essay but I don't think they would label it optional if it wasn't. For example, Princeton has you write a required second essay on their supplement while Harvard says their essay is optional. They specifically say if you don't feel "you've expressed yourself fully" through the app then do it. They are looking through so many apps I don't think they just throw kids away who don't write them or put kids who did above those others who didn't. Isn't it really about how they feel about you as a person and your app? If you feel it would be redundant or not give them unique insight why should you have to write them-you shouldn't.</p>

47

<p>For whoever was talking about Duke, their optional essay was one or two paragraphs? (at least for Trinity). I don't see the admissions committee caring that much if you take the time to write down one or two paragraphs that is probably the most repetitive subject (why the school is right for you) when reading it from student to student.</p>

48

<p>Twiggy and Dan...THANK YOU...i also didn't submit an optional to Tufts, and it's my first choice...after reading Dan's post on the other thread..i figured it was ok not to...i really struggled with it for a few weeks, i'm not lazy, im just not a stellar creative writer...hopefully Tufts will appreciate not having to read another essay :)</p>

49

<p>sorry, i mean't Triggy</p>

50

<p>I think its quite the opposite baseballpat4. If its only a paragraph and you really want to go to Duke, you could do it 5 min.So why wouldn't you do it? There's no excuse.</p>

<p>If its long essay your losing an oppurutnity to tell them something new. Always do the essay.</p>

51

<p>" Only write the optional essay, if you think you need the optional essay. "</p>

<p>Agreed.</p>

52

<p>write the optional essay for tufts. i didn't. i didn't receive an acceptance letter.</p>

53

<p>" Only write the optional essay, if you think you need the optional essay. "</p>

<p>Agreed.</p>

<p>Never hurst to be safe in today's competitive market.</p>

54

<p>how about the harvard optional essay?</p>

55

<p>Of course write the optional essay......And it is not too late to do it today and send it in by the 1/1 deadline even if you have submitted the rest of the app. I did an optional essay on the common app and believe that it was one of the reasons that I got in ed. Think of something unique about yourself or unique about your view of something that everyone else does (everyone else does sports, social service, debate, school council, blah, blah, blah...)</p>

56

<p>we ,procrasinators, have billions of other things to worry about...</p>

57

<p>are there ppl doing the optional for common app? do they not discourage it?</p>

58

<p>mememe245 -- I'm sorry to hear that. :( But plenty of people have said that they didn't do the optional essay and got into Tufts, so I wouldn't say that you didn't get in simply because you didn't do it...</p>

59

<p>don't do it! The more people who don't write them, the better chance I have to get in!!!</p>

<p>/joking :-)</p>

<p>but i believe it's best write them if you are the gray-area applicant, and don't write them if you know you are over-qualified.</p>

<p>and we all know enough about ourself to know if we are over or gray.</p>

<p>*o yea, and I'm assuming that people do take time to write them :_)</p>

60

<p>What about the UDel personal statement? It asked you to explain if grades didn't reflect academic performance, but I had nothing to say here and tried not to submit one. Apparently, though, it's impossible to submit your application online unless you write something in the box, so I wrote something like "My grades reflect my performance" and sent it...</p>