Questions: Summer program and extenuating circumstances

<p>hi, i have two questions:
1) Part 1 app: "List all other secondary schools, colleges/universities (including summer schools and programs) you have attended, beginning with ninth grade." --> does a summer program such as EPGY count? what about leadership conferences?
2) optional essay --> what entails "extentuating circumstances?" medical conditions? financial hardships?</p>

<p>EPGY counts. You can list leadership conferences, but they are pretty worthless...
If there is something significant about you that does not show on the application, you can write about it in the optional essay. It is strictly optional; so don't feel like you have to come up with something. Most people don't.</p>

<p>err, nngmm, i think the definition of extenuating is "excusing" circumstances - i.e. circumstances that serve as reasons for doing bad in school, certain discipline problems etc. I do not think that this "optional" essay is a free for all like a personal statement is. This is my viewpoint, please correct me if I'm wrong since I'll definetely write something if that's not what extenuating means.</p>

<p>well like this could be a extenuating circumstance, correct me if I am wrong. For example, a guy got C's and B's when he was capable of getting straight A's. We look into his record and found out that his father had a tumor that stopped him from working for a year. </p>

<p>That is extenuating circumstances when there is a severe illness that affects the whole family.</p>