As seniors are right in the thick of filling out their college applications, many students are scanning through all of the sections of the various online forms they need to complete. While most sections of the application are very clear as to what the section includes, there is one section that is a bit more open to interpretation: the “Additional Information” section. This section is found in the “Writing” section of the Common Application underneath the personal statement.
I often get asked about what should be included in this section of the application because the directions are stated as: “You may use the space below to provide any additional information you wish to share.”
First and foremost, only information that students are comfortable sharing should be included in this section. If there are extenuating circumstances that do not fit into any other section of the application, this space can be used as a catch-all for students to explain any additional context they wish to share. Please note that filling out this section of the application is not required, so students should only be including information they feel is not captured in other sections of the application if it provides additional context about them as an applicant. It is also important to remember that the information included in this section should pertain only to the applicant’s time in high school.
In my time working as an assistant director of admissions at a highly selective school on the East Coast, I read over 5,000 college applications, and many students did use the “Additional Information” section. Some of the items listed below were included in applications that would be reviewed as part of the application evaluation process. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, but these are some of the examples that applicants would write about:
• Course scheduling conflicts. “I could not take AP Biology in my senior year because the course overlapped with the graduation requirement of Government and Economics, so I could not take a course I had planned on taking.”
• Additional activities and descriptions. If students participate in more than 10 activities and need additional space to include “overflow” activities, they can use the additional information section to continue listing activities. An alternative to this method could be to attach a PDF of a résumé to the application instead, if the college allows for a separate résumé.
• Nonacademic awards and honors. There is an “Awards” section in the Common App portion of the application, and common things seen there include AP Honor awards, Honor Roll, Outstanding Student in (insert grade level), etc. However, if students have received any awards for activities or something beyond their academic achievement, they can list those in the “Additional Information” section. This may include things like community service awards, recognition at a job or awards for sports.
• Individual circumstances that have impacted school. This could include disclosing personal information such as how students learn or if they are neuroatypical, discussing eating disorders, family responsibilities or household dynamics. One very important aspect to discussing any personal circumstances is that students should not just say the circumstance, but also should include how they have navigated the circumstance and what they are doing to find support if applicable.
Things that should not be included in the additional information section include: grades earned in class work (this can be seen on the transcript), notes from parents as a “parent recommendation,” anything not about the applicant themselves, anything from before their time in high school or an additional personal statement essay.
The textbox that is provided in this section allows up to 650 words. Students do not need to feel pressure to write 650 words about the information they choose to include. Their responses can be as short as 50 words if that is what makes sense for them to explain their situation.
Overall, this section of the application can really be used as an additional tool to provide students with more space to highlight who they are as students, as people and as applicants to universities, and it is up to students to determine how to use this section.
Jordana Bischoff is a college admissions adviser for College Unlocked. For more information, visit collegeunlocked.com or email her at [email protected].
