<p>How much is too much?</p>
<ol>
<li>Resume (On the additional info section- I took more SATIIs than required 2-3)</li>
<li>Arts supplement (photography)</li>
<li>Music production (Internship; so pro-level; no piano compositions,..etc; nothing typical)</li>
<li>Optional essay</li>
<li>Recommendations: 2 Academic+ 1 counselor (required)+ 1 Principal+ 1 Coach.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>The resume is fine, along with the supplements but only if they are at a high-level and will enhance your application significantly (more so for top schools than others). I wouldn’t do an optional essay unless maybe if the school didn’t have a supplemental one…but if they did, there’s no need to write another one. And five recommendations are too many. Pick between the principal or the coach, or forgo them if they don’t say something totally new about you.</p>
<p>^Yes. Extremely high level.
The school has one- I am applying to HYPS.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks!</p>
<p>So how’s this:
<ol>
<li>Rec from principal (optional)</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p>I am applying to Wharton- they ask for a supp. essay+ another optional one (Truly optional)</p>
<p>I have read that “there is no such thing as optional” when it comes to apps. Meaning if there is an optional essay–do it.</p>
<p>Thank you for your sound advice.
May I ask you a question via PM?</p>
<p>I disagree with fogfog. When they say optional, they mean optional. If you feel like your common app + supplementary essays cover everything, and your optional will just be repetitive, then leave out the optional essay. For the majority of applicants, this isn’t the case, so they do the optional as well. Some people cover everything without the optional, and so they leave it alone.</p>
<p>“Colleges don’t make a habit of lying to their candidates.” </p>
<p>I think a famous optional essay is pg. 217 from Penn. I highly doubt adcom’s sit there thinking “haha, this sucker didn’t do our optional essay. it’s a trap! reject!”. If you can’t add anything with your optional essay, then don’t do it.</p>
<p>Thank you for your insight, An0maly.</p>
<p>So commonapp (topic about culture)+ one supplement essay( Ben Franklin; how will you be an asset to Penn?)+ one optional essay (p.217 of your biography).</p>
<p>They are all different topics.</p>
<p>I was kind of befuddled about the Penn adcoms italicizing “Truly optional”.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>By italics, they mean “We’re not lying to you. Please trust us!” haha.</p>
<p>Just to clarify: I’m not talking about the topic of the essay, but the content. If you show in your common app essay that you’re daring, then you show in your page 217 essay that you’re daring, you’ll just be wasting an essay showing the same qualities. </p>
<p>Instead, if you write an essay about your hero and show that you’re daring, and then write an essay about a role model and show that you’re resilient, then those are two different essays even though the topic statement is similar.</p>
<p>Aha!
Thank you for enlightening me :)</p>
<p>So each essay serves to portray a different side of me. Am I right?</p>
<p>Hence, if they are all different topics and illustrate snippets of “kingsize”, then I am good.</p>
<p>Examples of optional essay topics may be:</p>
<p>-Is there anything that we should know/will help us when reviewing your academic history?
In this case, there is no whining about a difficult teacher, etc. If you had surgery/illness that caused an extended absence (say 3+ weeks) that may have caused a blip in your grades, this would be the time to mention it. Maybe you got a couple of B’s & B+'s in an otherwise A record. Your GPA reflects this as a 3.9 instead of a 4.0. Be matter of fact. No sob stories. You are giving information. </p>
<p>-What are your top 5 reasons for wanting to attend our university?
I’ve always wanted to go here isn’t a great reason. I am interested in studying the work you are doing in biomedical engineering, specifically xyz. That is a reason. I love your football team is not a reason. The unique partnership with xyz that offers students resources and internships might be a reason. My parents when here, debatable…obvious on your app. Stick with things that are very specific to the education you feel you will receive at that university only.</p>
<p>If you can ADD to your application then yes, it is really a good thing. If you are repeating things from your other essays, or do not sound sincere, it can dampen an otherwise very strong application.</p>