NYTimes: The Common App's Supersize Supplements

[northeastmom]

<p>Son has a friend who wrote, “hi” as one of his essay responses. I did not believe it, but my son is sure that this is what he wrote. He attends that school as a freshman this year.</p>

[Roonil_Wazlib]

<p>I love Bard’s.</p>

[Marsden]

<p>

Cornell, NYU, and William & Mary, where, as Lurk said, they give you the “option” of making them laugh.

</p>

<p>Might be good advice to follow anyway. Having written (and read) what seems like a million essays by now, I always enjoy a good laugh.<br>
Particularly if it seems uncontrived. I imagine others do too.</p>

[Marian]

<p>

IMagine if there were NO supplements, you would have kids applying in even HIGHER numbers to schools and creating even more of a nightmare kids applying to many schools.

</p>

<p>So true. I think one of the reasons why so many kids apply to Washington University in St. Louis is that it has no additional essays in its supplement. They simply think, “Reasonably decent school. No essay. Click.”</p>

[northeastmom]

<p>Marian, and b/c Washington U meets 100% of financial need.</p>

[Marsden]

<p>

I think one of the reasons why so many kids apply to Washington University in St. Louis is that it has no additional essays in its supplement. They simply think, “Reasonably decent school. No essay. Click.”

</p>

<p>Oh, now that has me worried. I didn’t realize that WUSTL didn’t require an essay! Now I wonder if they’re doing it just to massage their admissions statistics for rankings purposes :(</p>