<p>Is it ok to use the UPenn supplement as the topic for my Harvard supplement? Basically UPenn had a topic along the lines of are you immovable, movable, or do you move. Do you think Harvard would look down on me using a rivals topic for their supplement. The way I see it, it could go two ways:
They don’t mind and think that I simply picked Upenns prompt because it was a good topic that allowed me to write about me.
They do mind and assume I’m more interested in UPenn and didn’t feel like writing an extra essay for Harvard.</p>
<p>Many students are admitted to Harvard without writing a supplemental essay. Your supplement should add another dimension, or perspective, to the information already in your file. </p>
<p>My daughter used her Yale essay for Harvard. Harvard didn’t question it when they accepted her – but Yale’s essay is more open ended: Tell us something about yourself that we cannot get from the rest of your application. UPenn’s supplement is more specific – sort of like MIT’s or UChicago’s – and I bet Harvard will notice. If many students repurpose their UPenn essay, the reaction might be “Oh look, another kid with his UPenn essay. Ugh!” That might adversely affect your application. In which case, it would have been better to not submit a supplement to Harvard rather than have them respond in that fashion. My advice: Don’t re-use the essay because it’s too UPenn specific.</p>
<p>Sorry if I’m hijacking this thread, but I have a similar question.</p>
<p>I want to use my Stanford roommate essay for the supplement. Since this was a suggested topic for the optional essay on the Harvard supplement, would this adversely affect my application?</p>
<p>Just to respond to the OP’s question, I would agree w/gibby. They might not like it.</p>
<p>I don’t think you have any reason to be worried, given that they even suggest that a roommate letter is a viable supplement topic. If your roommate essay is at all Stanford specific, then make sure you incorporate Harvard-esque things into it. Otherwise, I think you’re fine.</p>
<p>In response to the original post, I think you can reuse the ideas - you shouldn’t trash the essay, in other words. Just make it seem as though it could’ve been unprovoked by a specific prompt.</p>
<p>Thank you for the response. I think my UPenn essay is very good, however even with reworking it I wouldn’t say it adds much to what I’ve already said. Instead I’m going to go with another supplement I wrote about my appreciation of literature</p>