The Best MBA Networking Strategies

Should You Write An Optional Essay? Questions To Ask

Raise your hand if you’re thrilled that schools are cutting back on essay questions.

What a surprise…that’s almost everyone.

And almost is key. While fewer essays free applicants up to devote more time to pursue community work and prepare for interviews, it comes with a price. Rather than polishing opus narratives, they must succinctly deliver what they want and why they fit. And it’s always easier to write a villanelle than a haiku. Deep inside, students know the margin between those accepted and waitlisted is often slim. Less may be more, but more is reassurance – a way to keep doubt and regret at bay.

And that’s why the optional essay is becoming increasingly popular with applicants. Here, you don’t have to figure out novel ways to cram what you think is important into a narrow essay question. Instead, you can rattle off your achievements – and the intangibles you used to triumph over adversity – on your terms…or so you think.

In reality, there is a reason why schools are cutting back on essays: Adcoms simply don’t have the time to read them. And that means that an optional essay may not be welcome. You may think such bonus material makes you special, but it could also convey desperation or self-importance. So how do you decide when to use the optional essay?

This week, Clear Admit shared several questions to ponder before drafting an optional essay. And the first question to ask is this: “Is it relevant?”  In other words, does the adcom need this information now to make a decision – or can it be addressed in an interview? To borrow Clear Admit’s words, will an optional essay response “make a material difference in your candidacy” or is simply too much information at this stage?

Along with being relevant, you must ask a similar question: “Is it constructive?” Will it help to assuage concerns regarding potential holes in your academic or professional record? Similarly, does it convince an adcom that you can handle the academic rigor or fit with the school’s culture? Even more, does the information provided raise potential red flags? For example, citing a struggle with ADD may lead adcoms to wonder if you can complete the readings – or if you require special accommodations.

Likewise, “Is the essay requested” and “Is it welcome” are two other questions to weigh If so, look at how the school frames its directions. Are optional essays only available in narrow circumstances, such as a mediocre GPA, or does the school allow for more leeway? “If a school invites applicants to use the space to share anything else they would like to convey to the adcom, then it’s appropriate to highlight material that supports your candidacy and might not have fit with the program’s required essay responses,” Clear Admit concedes. “Meanwhile, if a program specifies that the optional response be used only to address extenuating circumstances or explain potential liabilities, it’s generally not advisable to stray from those subjects.”

Finally, ask yourself, “Is it concise?” As Clear Admit notes, “you’re creating extra work for the person reading your file…it’s very important that you demonstrate good judgment by limiting your comments to the most relevant information.”

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Source: Clear Admit