Your Own Prompt

For the supplement, if I were to choose my own prompt option, do I have to write out a prompt before my essay, or do I just upload the essay?

Don’t write out the prompt, as it should be obvious from your essay that you’re choosing your own prompt. Harvard is basically giving you an opportunity to write anything you want, or to re-purpose an essay you’ve submitted to another college.

So, just to clarify, don’t write out any sort of prompt before my essay? Just select the “a prompt of your choice” and submit my essay? I’m repurposing the one I wrote for Princeton, so I do have a quote (of my choosing) and could make a prompt if I need to.

Correct!

Yes!

Admissions officers are keenly aware of what other colleges ask for in terms of essays. So, unless you want Harvard to know you’re repurposing your Princeton essay, I would NOT use the quote of your choosing and make a prompt, as it will be a dead giveaway. Just start your essay, as there’s no need for a prompt.

Okay, thank you for the clarification. I’m just nervous is all.

At least make it clear, though, what you are writing about. Don’t make them fish to the end and still wonder what the central idea is. This still isn’t like hs writing, no thesis statement needed.

Yeah, I’ve had many people read it, and I’ve made revisions to make it better and clearer.