how many essays??

thenatural · 11-03-2009, 06:39 PM

so i'm already writing an essay for the additional info section on the common app that all schools will get, but harvard has a space on its suplement for an optional essay AND then there's room for 800 more characters. i'm already writing an extra essay as it is, do i need these extra harvard ones? i'm running out of things to say about myself....

mifune · 11-03-2009, 08:26 PM

You do not necessarily need to use all the space to promote yourself. If you feel that you have already represented yourself well, then you should be fine.

smoda61 · 11-03-2009, 09:59 PM

Depending upon the content of the essay that you are writing for the "additional info" section on the common ap, you could instead send that in as the Harvard supplements "optional essay". That would require no additional writing effort but appear to be more fully completing the Harvard supplement.

thenatural · 11-04-2009, 04:14 PM

^^^^^ i was thinking about that but then i wouldn't be able to use that essay for other colleges

smoda61 · 11-04-2009, 04:21 PM

why not - of course you can. Each application can be completely independent of the others. I am wondering if you are thinking that you can only have one common application version and that you need to link that essay to your common ap so all schools will get it. My D, last year, had about 5 different versions of common ap. Not that they were hugely different but the main difference had to do with the common ap essay submitted. D had 2 primary essays and then many others that were specific to a certain colleges application. She would flip which of the two primary essays according to the college specific requirements so that she could potentially submit the other primary essay with the supplement. I don't know if I am making sense to you but I think you have more flexibility than you are realizing.

thenatural · 11-05-2009, 09:41 PM

yes that makes sense i'm just not sure how to do that because my sister already submitted her common app and i noticed all the fields lock and you can't change them...

smoda61 · 11-05-2009, 09:51 PM

I'm sorry that I can no longer access my daughter's account (last year) and check it out in person but what you want to do is go to the instructions page and read about "application versions". D had no problems creating the additional versions. What you noticed is that for a single version once it has been submitted it cannot be changed but you are able to have many versions if you use their instructions. Good luck.