Additional Academic Information (HILS Graduate App)

Colleges & Universities Harvard University
1

<p>I’m applying for the HILS graduate program and I’m a bit stumped by the “additional academic information” essay. The prompt reads as follows:</p>

<p>“Use this page to include any supplemental or additional information which you are unable to supply in the rest of the application.”</p>

<p>I’m not exactly sure what they’re looking for here. They asked for a long personal statement (1000 words) which covers my motivation for Ph.D., “Why Harvard”, and my relevant research experience, so all of those are taken care of. They also have copies of my transcripts and a list of courses which are relevant to my chosen field. What else could they be looking for here? I don’t have any sort of absences, disciplinary action, or illnesses to document; my academic career has been pretty typical aside from good grades and a double major, both of which are covered in the statement of purpose. Is this an essay that they expect all applicants to submit, or is it just for people with special circumstances?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance :)</p>

2

<ol>
<li>If you can think of situations (poor semester due to illness) for which that essay would be useful but that do not apply to you, you don’t need to force yourself to write something for a space that isn’t intended for people without those circumstances.</li>
<li>That said, 95% of what this forum does is for Harvard College, so most of us are unlikely to be very helpful. You should probably ask the people supporting your application (LOR-writers, anybody in your school’s office of helping-graduates-get-jobs-or-into-whatever-grad-school) if they have any idea.</li>
</ol>

3

<p>It’s typical to include your CV in this space. Although you’ve likely already provided most or all of the information in your CV elsewhere in the application, it’s a useful summary for faculty readers.</p>

<p>To which of the HILS programs are you applying? I’m a current BBS student.</p>