<p>I was looking through my common app, and I was wondering if they read essays that were in that third box for extra information.</p>
<p>I threw an essay in there because, well, it was an essay box and didn’t think about it. Will they read it? Because I have to admit, it was pretty baller.</p>
<p>I’m sure that they’ll at least skim anything that’s sent. I’m not sure what “baller” means, but a good essay could help you, a weak one could hurt you.</p>
<p>All of my essays were good, but this third one provides a great uniqueness that probably won’t be found in many essays. I undervalued it by throwing it into that third box, but hey, there isn’t anything to be done now.</p>
<p>I wrote essays in the Additional Info section, too. They were explanations of my courseload and ECs, though, rather than another reflective piece about one of those general questions the applications always ask you to answer.</p>
<p>I certainly hope they’ll help, but, given the circumstances, I don’t think they’ll hurt.</p>
<p>My son threw in his “What do you do just for fun” essay that he’d written for MIT into that box. I don’t think it will hurt him. I’m sure everything gets read.</p>
<p>I did what mathmom’s son did – I recycled one (if not both, I don’t recall) of my MIT short essays and tossed them into that box.</p>
<p>This kid where I volunteered at sent in an extra essay via postal mail…is that even possible?</p>
<p>“My son threw in his “What do you do just for fun” essay that he’d written for MIT into that box. I don’t think it will hurt him. I’m sure everything gets read.”</p>
<p>I did exactly that as well :)</p>
<p>Won’t Harvard be suspicious as to why so many people are sending in additional essays about what they do to relax?</p>
<p>Plus, I’m sure Harvard already knows what MIT’s admission essays are, and thus they’ll know who applied there as well.</p>
<p>I don’t think this will turn out to be a contributing factor in Harvard admission decisions, but the thought just popped into my mind… :)</p>
<p>Harvard doesn’t care where else people applied. Harvard doesn’t care about demonstrated interest.</p>
<p>What Harvard does care about is getting information that helps them create a well rounded class. Consequently, if a student has an essay that would make them stand out in the admission pool, they should submit that essay even if it clearly was written for another college.</p>
<p>Harvard admissions officers aren’t dumb. They know that their applicants have the good sense to apply to other excellent colleges. That doesn’t count against the applicants.
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<p>Since my son’s interviewer asked him why he didn’t apply early to Harvard and he replied because I applied EA to MIT, I think they know that he’s applying there. Lot’s of kids apply to both MIT and Harvard from our school. Most of them end up at Harvard if accepted to both places.</p>
<p>Would they read an extra essay if one mailed it to them?</p>
<p>interesting question, I’d like to know that too.</p>
<p>Yeah, because if I sent them one extra essay it would bolster my application immensely. I doubt that it’s possible because they purposely limit what you can send because of their volume. In any event, I’d still like to know.</p>