Personal statement vs common app essay?

Transfer Students
1

<p>If one is transferring to schools, isn't it best to slightly tailor each transfer essay for each school to mention their name?</p>

<p>Some schools use the common app, which I thought sent the same transfer essay response to each school. My top choice college says a personal statement on transferring is required but not needed if it is already addressed in the common app. They give the option to send it with the common app or mail it traditionally.</p>

<p>I feel that at least for my top choice I want to let them know they are my top choice in my personal statement. </p>

<p>Which would be the best way to go in this situation? Send a separate personal statement by mail to each college? Or just use the common app to send one generalized essay? </p>

<p>If I forgo using common app to send the essay, do I just leave that section blank?</p>

<p>Thank you very much for the help!</p>

2

<p>You can edit the essay to each school you apply to. </p>

3

<p>Oh! <em>facepalms</em> Okay, thank you!! I didn’t realize that I couldn’t find a way to do it.</p>

4

<p>@2016Candles‌ Ah I apologize! But I don’t think it is possible withing the common app. This is from the help center:</p>

<p>"You should not customize your essay or make it college specific since one copy of your application will go to all of your schools. The system will allow you to correct mistakes in your essay twice after you submitted it, and then submit it to other schools.</p>

<p>Once an application has been submitted, you cannot make any change to it.</p>

<p>The system will display the number of edits you have left when clicking to update the essay." </p>

<p><a href=“https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/777/Customizing-your-essay”>https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/777/Customizing-your-essay&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>I submitted 2 different essays last year. I don’t remember exactly what was involved or anything, but I had 2 different essays submitted 2 different schools. It wasn’t overly complicated.</p>

6

<p>Maybe they’ve changed it this year.</p>

7

<p>@2016Candles
Ah I see, yes maybe they’ve changed it. I think I will have to go with sending separate statements by mail.</p>

8

<p>Here is the CA on making different versions of your application:</p>

<p><a href=“You can only fill out the Common App once, right? - Applying to College - College Confidential Forums”>You can only fill out the Common App once, right? - Applying to College - College Confidential Forums;

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<p>The function of the CA is to facilitate the application process for both the colleges and applicants, not make up rules of their own. They have had that statement about not customizing essays forever, and applicants have been making different versions with customized essays, both for fr and transfer admissions, for years. The colleges don’t care if you send them a custom essay. The decision is up to each applicant, but IMO, different essays for different schools is even more important for transfers, as not all schools have a Why College X in their supplement, and this is a very important part of your application.</p>

9

<p>@entomom‌ I’ve noticed that yes, I agree I think it would be best in my situation to customize each essay. It won;t be as simple as submitting something online but I think it’s important. Thanks for the feedback!</p>