Additional Information. What does that mean?
On the common application there is a section under writing called Additional Information. I think this section causes more confusion that any other section of the common app. So what type of information goes here?
There are two situations when I have my students put something in the additional information section. One situation is when there is something odd that needs to be explained. For example, if a student had an illness as a freshman that adversely affected their grades, a note here could be used to explained the aberrant grades.
However, even in that situation it isn’t always necessary for the student to provide an explanation. If your high school guidance counselor knows the situation and is willing to write about it in their letter of recommendation, that can be an even better way of communicating the problem since it won’t sound like an excuse.
The second situation where my students will sometimes use the additional information section is if they can’t fit everything from their resume into the list of 10 activities on the common app. This doesn’t mean that this area should be used to talk about winning the little league award in 4th grade. Only serious accomplishments should go into the additional information section.
For most students, even the very strong students that I typically work with, there is no need to put anything in that section.
Leave a Comment