What do you talk about in an optional essay?
Asked by: Glenda Senger | Last update: December 6, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (23 votes)
Most experts recommended that applicants only use optional essays to inform the admissions committee of extenuating circumstances, anomalies in their backgrounds, or in some rare cases, an extraordinary accomplishment not covered by the required prompts.
What to write in optional essays?
Showcase Personal Growth and Learning:
Use the chance to write an optional essay to discuss how you have grown and what you have learned. Think about what you've learnt from your mistakes and failures. Explain how you have grown as a person and in your career as a result of these events.
Should you answer optional essays?
Most optional prompts are simply additional opportunities for applicants to express themselves, and to add further texture to their applications. Take the opportunity to respond to the ones that allow you to highlight any other important connections, accomplishments, beliefs, or views for your readers.
Do colleges look at optional essays?
Should I do optional college essays? The short answer is yes. Unfortunately, electing not to complete these non-mandatory tasks can severely hinder your prospects for admission—especially at highly selective colleges and universities where the line between acceptance and rejection is razor-thin.
What is the best thing to talk about in a college essay?
A possible essay idea could revolve around something you found difficult and how you learned from it or something that you enjoyed, like a specific sports event or competition, and how you learned from that. A humorous essay that shows growth can also sometimes appeal to an AO who is having a bad day too.
The MBA Optional Essay | Do You Need to Write It?
What are the most overused college essay topics?
- Extracurriculars, especially sports.
- Role models.
- Dealing with a personal tragedy or death in the family.
- Struggling with new life situations (immigrant stories, moving homes, parents' divorce)
- Becoming a better person after community service, traveling, or summer camp.
How to make your essay stand out?
- Write about something that's important to you. ...
- Don't just recount—reflect! ...
- Being funny is tough. ...
- Start early and write several drafts. ...
- No repeats. ...
- Answer the question being asked. ...
- Have at least one other person edit your essay. ...
- Test Your College Knowledge.
Does the optional essay affect ACT score?
What is the Difference Between Taking the ACT with Writing vs. Without Writing? Taking the ACT with writing won't affect your Composite score, but it does add an English Language Arts (ELA) score to your report. Opting out means you'll miss out on this additional score.
Should I submit a letter of recommendation if it's optional?
So, when is it appropriate to send optional, additional letters of recommendation? The best practice is to do so when these letters offer a distinct insight from that of the required letters/recommenders.
Do colleges care if you go test optional?
Many colleges with test-optional policies still encourage students to submit their scores, but they don't require all students to do so for admission. Students can and should make the decision that will best help their admission chances.
How long should an optional essay be?
How Long Should My Optional Essay Be? Colleges will give you a word or page limit for your response. A typical essay can be 400-650 words, and a personal statement can be 150–300 words.
Do admissions officers read your whole essay?
Yes, every college essay is read if the college has asked for it (and often even if they did not ask for it). The number of readers depends on the college's review process. It will be anywhere from one reader to four readers.
Should I write a personal statement if it is optional?
Here's some expert advice on this supplemental essay. Even if the college you're applying to doesn't require a personal statement, you can often still submit it. The only time you should not send in the essay is if the school specifically states that they don't want you to.
Should I do optional essays?
The essay is a great option for students who want to give a more full view of themselves than what can be seen on a transcript and application. Maybe you feel like your transcript doesn't tell your complete academic or personal story. In that case, an essay can give your application a big boost.
What are the don'ts in writing an essay?
- DON'T forget to look for formatting requirements. ...
- DON'T write too long sentences. ...
- DON'T provide too much information or too many facts. ...
- DON'T stray from the focus of the question (especially in the conclusion) ...
- Don't forget to proofread. ...
- Don't be shy about asking for help.
Should I submit my Common App essay if it's optional?
Submitting an optional essay can be beneficial because it gives you an opportunity to showcase more about your personality, experiences, or achievements that may not be covered in other areas of your application. It can also demonstrate your interest in the college and your dedication to putting in the extra effort.
Is 3 letters of recommendation too much?
Students generally ask, “How many recommendation letters do I need to get into college?” The answer usually varies depending on the university. Typically, it's best to have one professional and one academic reference letter. Some universities may ask for three or more.
Should I provide references if optional?
If the company doesn't explicitly request references during the application process, you don't need to provide them at that point. Some employers wait until they narrow down the candidates.
Is a 9 good on act writing?
National Ranks for ELA and Writing Test Scores
For example, the national rank for a writing score of 9 is 97. This means that 97 percent of recent high school graduates who took the ACT writing test achieved a writing score of 9 or lower.
How long is the SAT if you decide to take the optional essay?
How Long Does the SAT Take? The SAT clocks in at 3 hours (3 hours and 15 minutes with breaks). And if you choose to sign up for the optional essay , the SAT takes 3 hours and 50 minutes to complete (or 4 hours, 5 minutes with breaks).
Is a 25 on the ACT good?
As noted above, an ACT score of 25 is competitive for admission to most colleges and universities. If your score lines up with your academics, and your academics are on par with what your Target and Reach colleges and universities are asking for, you're all set.
How do you make a college essay not cringe?
- Don't write the “safe” essay. Pick a topic that only you can write about. ...
- Avoid the generic and get specific. ...
- Don't repeat information that is elsewhere in your application. ...
- Don't complain. ...
- Don't talk about rankings.
How to start a hook for an essay?
A hook is an opening statement (which is usually the first sentence) in an essay that attempts to grab the reader's attention so that they want to read on. It can be done by using a few different types of hooks, which are a question, quote, statistic, or anecdote.
How do you fluff out an essay?
- Ask how and why questions. ...
- Add (more) concrete examples and evidence. ...
- Expand the introduction and/or conclusion. ...
- Add a sentence or two at the end of each paragraph summarizing (and/or refuting) the arguments presented in that paragraph.