What Should I Write for Optional Essays?

Picture this: college app deadlines are looming and you're hard at work on your applications. You've compiled and narrowed down a college list and made a strategy for presenting your extracurriculars. Maybe you've even started brainstorming and drafting your supplemental essays for colleges. All this seems straightforward. Good for you! On top of all this work, you notice that a few of your applications allow for that perplexing, dark-horse component: the optional essay. In contrast, you haven't read anything about optional essays. Are they really optional? Maybe you should just ignore it for now...

Do you need to write optional essays for the college application? What if you don't have anything to say? What if the readers think it is unprofessional? Would a school immediately count it against you if you don't submit it? If you write a response and they don't like it, would that be worse? What are the guidelines?

These are all valid concerns. Rather than let the optional essay lurk in the shadows, looming in the periphery, let's find the truth. Let's take a deep dive into the optional essay and how it impacts your college application from start to finish.

As a matter of fact, the intent of optional essays is to give you (the applicant) the benefit of the doubt, rather than leaving questions entirely up to an admissions officer's interpretation. Remember: colleges do not expect everyone to submit an optional essay. That's why it's optional!

However, you're right to not just dismiss them outright. There are plenty of good reasons to submit an optional essay for college applications. In some situations, it can be very helpful. So before you cross it out just to save yourself time, remember that it might also be a valuable opportunity to provide context to your story.

The most common optional essay will ask, quite simply, whether there is anything else you would like to share. These are open-ended questions that could encompass a wide range of topics. For example, here's a classic:

"Is there anything else we should know about you?"

There are a few ways you might answer this in writing. Primarily, check that you're not repeating anything that's already appeared on your application elsewhere. After all, this isn't a necessary section, so the admissions readers aren't asking you to reiterate something just for the sake of filling it out. It's awesome to have accomplishments you're proud of—but if it can fit anywhere else on the application, that's probably where it belongs. You can skip it if you don't have anything new to add.

On the other hand, however, don't stress about "bothering" the admissions readers with additional information. They want to hear what you have to say, so long as it's relevant to your candidacy as a student! That's why the question is included. If you're on the fence, take some time to write out your thoughts and then decide. The more information you have to work with, the better.

If you address a negative occurrence, make sure to address the big picture and how you overcame and succeeded, and why it won't happen again. Prove to them that you are stronger, or that you learned. If you are discussing low test scores—provide context/evidence. Excuses and complaints aren't enough to constitute a meaningful response on their own.

If you do have a specific, sensitive personal scenario in mind for "anything else," complete the first pass and give your draft to someone else to read. That someone could be anyone who doesn't know you very well; a classmate, teacher, coach, or tutor. When explaining a personal crisis, it can be difficult to know where the line between just enough and too much information falls. If you notice discomfort on either side of this exchange, the admissions committee will likely feel the same, and you should probably reconsider your approach. Ultimately, you don't have to share anything you aren't comfortable sharing with a colleague.

Other prompts and situations may arise. Here's a rundown of scenarios when you should, could, and definitely should not submit an optional essay response.

• It's a "why us" or "good fit" question. [A few variations include: Why did you choose this school? What makes this campus/school a good fit for you and your goals? and What makes you a good fit for our campus community and/or student body?] For prompts like this, use the essay to demonstrate your interest in the school... but do NOT recycle content without customizing it thoroughly. It should be as specific and detailed as possible to your goals.
• It says "recommended", "highly recommended", or "encouraged" anywhere in the wording of the page or prompt. All of these are context clues that the materials will be considered important! Follow through and submit anything under this category.
• You need more glue to hold your application story together. For instance, if you changed your extracurricular thread halfway through high school from STEM to history, there may not be another place to properly contextualize that shift. That could be a good instance to use an optional essay.
• You have an additional piece of information about you that a college should know that you haven't had a chance to demonstrate fully yet. For example, perhaps you participated in self-guided projects or unconventional extracurricular activities that the application doesn't allow you to really explain. An optional essay response could provide this additional out-of-the-box information.
• There are more than a few optional prompts (e.g. Harvard, University of Pittsburgh)—they're giving you lots of opportunities to show your character and personality! Take the opportunity to rise to the occasion and respond with a few clever essays. After all, the root of the word "essay" comes from the word "to try."

• It states that it's truly an optional field and you shouldn't waste reviewers' time (sometimes, they are that blunt). If you have cause to write, it will depend on your personal situation.
• You have the start of an idea, and it's your dream school (or one you're super passionate about attending). If this is you, it may be worth spending the time and effort to draft and polish another writing supplement—take some time to consider what you could write about.
• You feel like you're a borderline or "splitter" candidate. Giving more context about your performance can demonstrate self-awareness about your strengths and maturity in how you plan to address your weaknesses.

• You don't have a good topic in mind right away—or the question just doesn't apply to you (e.g. the Duke diversity prompt). Don't try and force certain qualities for the sake of appearing like a good candidate if it isn't true.
• You don't have time to make that essay as good as all your other pieces. Rushing to put down something in this space won't pay off, and could actually hurt you if your writing is poor.
• You'll only restate information already covered in other parts of your application.
• You're just doing it because you think you should. It will sound fake and the readers won't appreciate the false tone.
• You'd have to divulge personal details you're not comfortable sharing with people you don't know. [You don't have to share anything on the application you choose not to share.]
• It would only consist of excuses/complaints. [This won't reflect well on you or contextualize your performance. In fact, it reflects a weak character.]

On the other hand, some applications will allow you to submit a resume or sample of your work. For example, Harvard allows for supplemental materials. These are a great chance to help your application stand out from the crowd and be really memorable!

Supplemental materials might include:

• video or audio recording of a performance (music, theater, dance)
• critical articles or commentary about your work by the public
• published instances of your work (articles, poems, essays, etc.)
• samples of visual art
• photographic documentation of your work(s)
• and more!

If this is true for you, be sure that you take the time to get all your materials up to par. Only submit if you have some works that you're proud of [which you should, especially if it's in the area you want to study]. Just because a section is optional doesn't mean that if you do submit it, the reviewer won't assess that material at face value.

If you have the ability to attach a resume, feel free to do so—but don't assume the admissions reader will go through the whole thing! Still include the activities in your application form. Think of the resume as an "extra credit" way to present your accomplishments. The bulk of your attention should still focus on your application itself.

Of course, beyond reasons you may want to write an optional essay to boost your college application even higher, there are situations when you might really need to include one, in order to explain a gap or issue. A few examples of reasons you may need to write an optional supplement would be: 

1. Unusually low or failing grades.
2. Taking time out of school for personal reasons (medical, family issues, money, etc).
3. Disciplinary actions on your record. Be very careful with your language and tone, but don't expect any permanent records to hide away from admissions reviewers completely; sometimes honesty is the best policy.

None of these things need to make or break your application, but it's a good idea to explain your side of the story. Focus on what you've learned and how you've changed as a result of these occurrences if you address them in an optional essay response.

So there you have it! Optional essays are a way to make the college admissions review process a little more forgiving and human—view them as a tool to help you. If you're still wondering, "should I do the optional essays?" These details can help you uncover the best move for you. When it comes to writing optional essays for college admissions, there's no need to be afraid of them... but it definitely is worth taking time to honestly assess your individual situation, and whether it's necessary for you.

Before you go, here are a few final quick tips and tricks to always keep in mind if you do write an optional essay to accompany your college application:

• Do stick to the word limit (if none, it shouldn't be longer than your personal statement). About 250 words will usually suffice.
• Do write an actual essay, not just a word bank. If you are going to ask the admissions committee to take the extra time to read it, you should put the effort in to submit something that is complete with sentences supporting an overall thesis.
• For writing style, generally, these essays should be direct and concise, not creative writing (unless it's a writing sample). Get to the point.

You'll still want to proofread and check the quality of the writing, to ensure it fits well in context with the rest of your application as well.

You can always check with a counselor to see if there is a gap in your holistic application (transcript, grades, etc) that needs an explanation to form a coherent story about yourself. If you're looking for help or feedback from a qualified professional on your particular draft, talk to us today!

The Empowerly community can help brainstorm and edit your best possible supplemental essays for college. Not only that, but we can also connect you with supplemental essay examples from our bank of college essays that worked. For a holistic review, our former admissions officer committee reviews each season are unparalleled. Book an exploratory call to learn more about how we help students shine.