14 ways to make the most of the Additional Info section
Here’s the secret to the Common App’s Additional Info section: have students write the Additional Info section last → it is a space for anything at all that could explain a negative or add a positive to the application as a whole.
This works because admission readers grade each application for personality and potential not essay-by-essay, but based on the entire application. (That’s why our College Essay Help Center advises doing applications college-by-college rather than essay-by-essay.)
Thus, for each college they apply to, students should look at their application as a whole and ask what’s missing:
is anything confusing? does anything potentially look bad that could be explained?
is there something impressive they couldn’t fit in other places?
or is it pretty much all there?
Those questions should determine how (if at all) they fill in the Additional Info section for that college.
In this newsletter, we’ll discuss:
6 ways to expand on an application
3 ways to explain potential issues
2 ways to clarify potential confusion
3 ways to mess it up
6 ways to expand on an application
#1 — Expand on an amazing item from the activities list.
As we mentioned in our last newsletter on the Activity List, sometimes, an activity is too big and exciting for a 150 character-limited box. If so, the Additional Info section can expand on that one activity.
Tech note: In the Activities List, students should let the reader know they can find more in the Additional Info section. First, they should write up the item as they normally would. Then, at the end of that space, they should write “See Add’l Info” to show the reader that there is more. Finally, in the Additional Info section, they should use resume-like bullets to expand on what they achieved.
(Keep writing in the Additional Info section as succinct as possible. This section is the last thing standing between the admissions reader and a coffee break. Despite the expansive 650-word limit, don’t let students wax on excessively.)
#2 — Bullet point a supplemental essay that the college didn’t offer
Similar to expanding on the Activities List, students can use this section to include information from an essay they wrote for another school — for example, a supplemental essay on an extracurricular.
Two points here:
Add meaningfully: make sure the student isn’t being redundant - they didn’t get this point across elsewhere.
Boil it down: Although they have the space to copy/paste the other school’s supplemental essay, they shouldn’t. On top of acknowledging the reader’s mindset (craving a coffee break), students shouldn’t give colleges something they didn’t ask for (an essay); they should give what they did ask for (additional information).
Tech note: To pull this trick off, students need to be sure that they submit the right Additional Info to the right school. Most of the time, applicants write just one Additional Info section that goes to all schools (or leave it blank). But to repurpose an essay, students just need to make sure that they submit a blank Additional Info section to the school for which they wrote the full essay and the bulleted version in the Additional Info for the school that they want to see this extra info. (Going school-by-school takes care of this issue. 😌)
#3 — Describe impressive research or other academic projects
Students who’ve done something particularly impressive academically can use this space to describe it briefly. For example, if they did an IB extended essay, they could share the topic, essay title, and a few words explaining their thesis. Same for scientific research, a research paper, or something of that caliber.
#4 — Describe impressive outside projects
Creative or maker students can use this space to provide a word of explanation and a link to an:
Etsy shop,
YouTube channel of their video essays or music,
blogs, or
anything else they’ve created.
Make sure students write a sentence explaining what the admissions officer will find if they do click the link. (You never know if they won’t skip it for that cup of coffee.)
#5 — Give context on unusual classes or online/outside courses
Students who’ve taken an unusual class can give the college a little context on what it involved. For example, if they got to design their own Senior Spring curriculum, they might briefly describe the program, the project, the reading list, and how it went.
If they took a course online or outside of school (at the local community college, for example), they can describe the rigor of the course, how much work and time was required, and maybe why they decided to take it.
#6 — Acronyms or context
If the student used any acronyms in their Activities List and didn’t have space to spell out what it stands for, they can use this space to do so. Again, if possible, they should note that they’ll be doing this in the Activities List using the phrase “see add’l info.”
3 ways to explain potential issues
#1 — Explaining serious health issues
Students who’ve faced a serious health issue in high school can share that background with the admissions team to show what they’ve overcome and potentially explain some lower grades or a gap in extracurriculars.
A few bullets they could include:
Describe the health issue itself — ex: underwent major leg surgery on 10/5/21.
How long the recovery was + how much class time they missed — Couldn’t walk for a week; missed two weeks of school; continue to attend hour-long physical therapy sessions twice a week.
Say how they made up their work — Worked with all of my subject teachers on a plan for each class. I began catching up by working independently a week after the surgery and relied on teachers (and friends) to catch up with each class.
Describe some of the impacts — I had to give up playing the lead in the school play. Despite being disappointed to miss the experience, I look forward to seeing the show on opening night.
If they’ve improved their grades, mention that — I initially struggled in all of my classes, particularly Physics. However, after an intensive catch-up weekend, I got an A on my last Physics test.
Note on grades: if the student's grades suffered because of the health issue, there’s no need to say so. They’ve provided the context that will help the admissions team understand why their grades dipped.
Note on counselors: As a college counselor, you should absolutely supplement the student’s application with a note about what happened. Your note can work together with the student’s own brief description of their experience to give a full account of the issue they faced.
Note on mental health and learning disabilities. These issues can be trickier to describe. This is a good place to help students actively, working to explain the mental health challenge/learning disability, and show its impact, all without raising more questions than the note answers.
#2 — Explain any difficult family circumstances that have impacted a student’s schoolwork or extracurriculars
There are so many obstacles that students can confront. This is a good place to describe them to the admissions team.
Examples include:
Long commutes to school, limiting extracurricular participation
Family circumstances that pushed the student to take on a job or extensive domestic and/or childcare responsibilities
A family member who is disabled or requires care
Have the student try to describe the situation as straightforwardly as possible.
#3 — Explain any potential red flags in the application
Looking at the totality of what the student has given the admissions team, are there any issues they might have questions about?
Examples might include:
A bad grade
Dropped sports or activities
A class they didn’t take (ex: they want to be a doctor but didn’t take AP Bio)
In such cases, the student should provide the explanation in a concise, matter-of-fact description.
Tech note: Review the application first. Some college applications offer specific spaces for explaining potential “red flags” like a bad grade or a gap in schooling. Students should use these instead of the Additional Info section if the college provides them.
2 ways to clarify potential confusion
#1 — Explaining something unusual about the high school
For example, if the high school is new, and the student is in its first graduating class.
#2 — Explaining something unusual about the grades the student is submitting
If your school (or a combination of the student’s schools) has an unusual grading system, this is also a great thing to explain to colleges.
For example —
Your courses are full-year or trimester-length — your students can explain how that works in this space.
They attended School Year Abroad or another unusual program — they can explain the details of the two high schools.
They switched high schools — they can explain the reason (a move, for example), and any other context that would be helpful to admissions teams.
Your school has a specialized curriculum (performing arts, religious, trade) — they can explain how the specialized piece works in conjunction with regular classes.
What not to do: 3 ways to screw it up
#1 — Don’t let students write another essay
As we noted above, “additional information” doesn’t mean “essay.”
#2 — Don’t let students “explain” a B on their transcript
Students who worry about minor imperfections will appear to colleges to lack a sense of perspective.
#3 — Don’t let students make excuses
Explaining an issue will boost an application. Making excuses for it will hurt it. Sadly, the line between the two isn’t always obvious. Nevertheless, work with students to make sure they walked that line because the Additional Info section is likely the last thing the college will learn about the student — it’s important that it’s a good one.
How to help your students write great college application essays
Prompt’s Essay Planning Tools help students identify what to write about and how to write about it. The tools are available for free for every student either by requesting a Prompt college application essay resource page for your school (click here to request a page) or through our integration with MaiaLearning.
Click here for a 12-minute video overview of Prompt’s Essay Planning tools.
In our next issue, How to get students to get feedback, love feedback, and use it to improve
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