Getting the Most Out of the Additional Info Section
You’ve perfected your personal statement, listed your extracurriculars in the best way possible on your Common App, then you come across yet another application component—the Additional Information section. Naturally, the first question I get from students is “do I have to fill this out?”
The answer, as always, is “it depends.”
But here are some guidelines on what the section is for and when to put something in this section that might help distinguish yourself from other applicants.
So, what is the Additional Information section?
It’s a section on the Common App, Coalition App, and other applications where you can include extra information you want colleges to know about. Although this section offers a whooping 650-word space, keep whatever information you include here as short and sweet as possible. After all, admissions officers only have maybe six to eight minutes to read your application, and if you can make that process easier by being succinct, please do.
Where is the Additional Information section located?
Here’s a rundown of where to put your additional information:
Log into your Common App account
Go to the menu on the left panel and select “Writing”
Click on “Additional Information” and voilá
Do I have to fill out the Additional Information section?
Step back and go through everything you’ve already included as part of your application. Is there anything missing? Are there any situations that might need an explanation? If you need some extra help identifying what’s missing, asking someone who knows you well is a great move.
And if you feel like what you already have in the application reflects who you are and what you want colleges to know, feel free to skip this section. The Additional Information is truly optional, and should only be used if you have a strong reason for doing so.
What should I include in the Additional Information section?
I’ve included a list of potential information you might want to include in this section, but a word of caution: keep it brief, specific, and focus on impact. Why? Because you’re on borrowed time, and your reader has hundreds of applications to go through before their weekend.
Details about your activities that wouldn’t fit in your activities list
If you have an overabundance of solid, amazing activities (more than 10) that don’t fit on your activities list, you can add the extra ones to this section. Or if you’ve already included an activity in your activities list, but the 150-character limit doesn’t do it justice, you can elaborate on how incredibly impactful this experience was for you. Please don’t expand on every activity on your activities list. Only do so for ones that warrant extra explanation in bullet-point format.
Health-related issues
Did a month-long bout of mono keep you from getting good grades? Or perhaps you were diagnosed with a chronic illness that prevented you from going to school for an extended period of time? If this isn’t already explained in other parts of your application, the additional information section is the place to do so.
Potential “red flags” on your application
If you went from a straight-A student to getting C’s one semester, you can briefly explain why a sudden drop in grades occurred. Anticipate questions your reader may have and offer some information that provides context. Did you give up taking an AP course because of a scheduling conflict? Or perhaps you had to give up sports in order to focus on academics? The key here is to be concise, and explain (not complain).
Circumstances that made it difficult to participate in extracurriculars
I’ve had some students who had to work part-time jobs to help pay bills or lived so far away from school that the commute was at least 1.5 hours each way. This means that participating in extracurriculars might be a lot tougher for them, and this is something that you should consider letting colleges know.
Physical or learning disabilities or differences
As with medical or health-related issues, you should explain how your disability has impacted your grades or your ability to participate in certain extracurriculars. While many students with disabilities receive reasonable accommodations for classes and testing, many do not. If you have not, this is a good place to put down the diagnosis, when you received it, and how long you’ve navigated the effects.
Family member disability or unemployment
If you have a family member who is disabled, has been unable to work, or is homeless, and this has had an impact on your life, consider including this for context. If the difficulties were temporary, include the dates when they occurred, especially if they happen to line up with a semester where your grades dropped or during which you took a high-stakes exam like the SAT or ACT.
Unusual grading systems, curriculum, or classes
For international students, in particular, if your school has a grading system that doesn’t follow the American one or if you’ve taken a year to study abroad, this is a good place to clarify your situation.
Any other relevant information
If there is anything else that may give your reader a more complete picture of who you are, where you’re coming from, and what you’ll contribute on a college campus, put it down. Some examples might include coming from a single-parent household, speaking a language other than English at home, or perhaps being the first generation in your family to attend college.
Now that we’ve listed out what you should put in the Additional Information section, here’s a list of what not to put down:
Another essay or a second personal statement
Colleges will require essays that they want you to submit. By requiring applicants to write the same number of essays, colleges ensure a fairer evaluation system. The exception is recalibrating short supplemental essays that add factual, succinct context.
Excuses
We’re human and therefore, not perfect. Many students judge themselves and stress over something they could have done better. If something did happen in high school that affected your grade or standardized test scores, take responsibility by explaining the situation, impact, and what you did about it in a factual tone.
Your resumé
While you should highlight major extracurricular accomplishments or explain unusual and niche activities, you do not need to copy-and-paste a resumé that includes what you’ve already said in your activities list. This is frowned upon because it’s redundant, and readers don’t have that much time.
How Covid-19 impacted you
The entire world has been impacted by Covid, and your reader is probably already well aware of how the pandemic has prevented students from participating in extracurriculars, internships, summer programs, etc. You should only respond to this if the pandemic had a significantly negative impact on your ability to perform academically or participate in extracurriculars. Otherwise, don’t do it.
A slightly lower test score than expected
Standardized tests are just a data point in a sea of data, and by no means perfect measures of your abilities. If you received a 3 on your AP Language exam but expected a 5, or if your SAT Reading score was 700 but you expected an 800, there is no need to explain these. One low score won’t sink your entire application.
What if I don’t have anything to add to the Additional Information section?
Just leave it blank. I’m not kidding. It’s totally up to you!
Just in case you’re wondering about how to put together or upgrade your activities list, check out “How to Upgrade Your Activities List in Two Steps.”