Hi! I am a rising senior in high school who is planning to apply to Pitt this fall.
I am working on the online application at the moment but I am confused about the essay section. Online, we are asked to answer all three short answer questions within the word limit, but when I visited Pitt for their open house around a month ago, I remember hearing that we could choose to answer one, two, or all three of the questions of our choosing, as long as we stayed within the word limit.
I would prefer to just answer one of the questions in a longer response, however I would like to make sure this is okay before submitting, obviously.
Thanks in advance, and best of luck for everyone else applying!
@mpb1997, Please answer all three questions! (Also, it is fine to exceed the word-limit if you want to say a little more about a particular section. As a rule of thumb, the most effective response typically ranges from 250-500 words in total for all three questions. But responses that are longer or shorter are absolutely acceptable!)
Dear hailtopitt, when D enquired with email to OAFA about the length of EACH short answer, she got a reply in email to answer all 3, stating that length of any answer is recommended to be 250-500 words. Hence she sent her application with short answers each between 400-500 words.
Is this wrong information we got ?
@malgun98, Our website states that effective responses typically range from 200-500 words total for all three questions. But the good news is, we have no word-limit. Longer responses are not penalized in any way. Sorry for any confusion!
I submitted short answers questions as part of my original application, but I read on your website that the short answer questions should be submitted online after the original application is completed. Am I fine if I did them as part of my original application? Also, I did not complete the SRAS because I am sending a transcript instead, but I did put my senior year courses into the SRAS. When I submitted my application did the SRAS submit as well, or should I submit it separately? If you do think that I should submit it, it will be incomplete, showing only my senior year courses - will admissions staff realize that I have a transcript en route to supply the rest of my grade information?
Sorry for asking so many questions! Thanks in advance.
@musiclover214, it’s fine if you submitted the short answers with your application. No need to worry about that! The SRAR should be completely blank if you plan to send your transcript. It seems like you have already submitted your application – if that is the case, please contact our office so we can update the information on your application to reflect your choice to send a transcript. (oafa@pitt.edu or 412-624-7488)
Hope that helps clarify!
Best,
A Pitt Admissions Staffer
@musiclover214, I am not entirely sure. Feel free to discuss any concerns with our staff when you contact our office. They will be able to to a look at your account and get everything sorted out and answer any specific questions you have.
Wait does this mean its recommended that each response is about 200-500 words, or that its usually a 500 word max shared amongst the short answers? Sorry if this is a stupid question >.<
@billcweiss, The short answer questions are optional. They were required for scholarship review, but that deadline has passed. Hope that helps clarify!
