<p>DanAdmiss@tufts,
I have been asked by a prospective applicant I know (;)) whether the optional essay is truly just that, optional. The comment was, "Is this how they separate the men from the boys? If I don't write this other essay, I'm toast?" I think this "prospie" is just overwhelmed with school work and essay writing.</p>
<p>I know you addressed this to Dan, but I just wanted to offer that at the beginning of the year, when the Dean introduces the new class, he doesn’t dwell on their stats, but on their character and personal qualities. The more essays one submits, the more opportunities to share those intangible qualities that show who the applicant is and what they will contribute to the school community.</p>
<p>Well, in my D’s case, the answer is no. You do not have to write the optional essay. She did not, and she got in and is a happy sophomore today. I think if you have something to add that you have not said elsewhere, then I’d say “go for it.” If not, then leaving it blank is perfectly fine. As a Tufts parent, I have come to believe that Tufts really means what it says and says what it means. It’s OPTIONAL.</p>
<p>I didn’t and I’m pretty sure most of my friends here didn’t either. I’d say don’t do it if you’re just saying something you already emphasized in your application. Remember, the admissions office have to read A LOT of applications. And if you’re already overwhelmed, it wouldn’t be a good idea to try to fit another essay in and have it be of a lower quality.</p>
<p>I wrote one. I haven;t talked to too many people about it, but I was under the impression that most DID write it (although I’m not sure).</p>
<p>The optional essay is OPTIONAL. Literally. Completely. Optional.
</p>
<p>Inside Higher Ed Article: [News:</a> A ‘Rainbow’ Approach to Admissions - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/07/06/tufts]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/07/06/tufts)</p>
<p>The above quote is only true if you have something to say in your essays. What you’ll gather from reading the above articles and from reading our optional essay prompts is that we’re trying to find qualities in our applicants that the traditional college application doesn’t target (see Robert Sternberg’s research into theories of leadership). We look for those qualities everywhere in an application; there are many spaces for you to show ‘those intangible qualities’, but the Common App (frankly) makes it hard for you, our applicants, to do that - not impossible, just difficult. The optional essay questions provide a better space for an applicant to discretely draw those qualities out and put them on display. </p>
<p>We worked to create topics for the optional essay that would interest a variety of students and possibly spark an internalized discussion that would yield interesting writing. But we know the prompts won’t speak to everyone. If you don’t like the topics, please don’t feel pressure to write an essay. Not doing an optional essay isn’t a strike against you, and we don’t look at those applicants any differently than those that do submit an optional essay. I didn’t do an optional essay for Tufts, and I was admitted (woo!). But if you finish your common app, and our supplement, and you think to yourself, “I’m still not sure I’ve shown them who I am,” then an optional essay can be that opportunity.</p>
<p>Our Dean of Admissions Talking about the role of the supplement in our process: [Supplemental</a> Insights Inside the deans office](<a href=“http://deancoffin.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2008/10/10/supplemental-insights/]Supplemental”>Supplemental Insights | Inside the dean's office)</p>
<p>DanAdmiss@Tufts, thank you for your comprehensive answer to this question. :)</p>