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by Kelly Wilson
If you’re a strong applicant who has no weaknesses, low stats, or application inconsistencies to explain, then you might be able to skip the optional essay. But the optional essay is not an option in the following two cases: 1. There is a weakness or inconsistency in your application. Suppose your grades plummeted during your …
Beyond the personal statement, many law schools invite applicants to share more about themselves through one or more optional essays. For example, in a previous application cycle, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School provided the following optional essay prompts: Are these essays truly optional? Technically, yes, they are; it says so right there in …
Many business schools use open-ended essay prompts, which are usually variations of “I wish the admissions committee had asked me…” or “What is a question that you wish we had asked?” The most common among these open-ended questions is the optional essay, where you have free rein to discuss anything you feel is important, something …
Many medical schools include an optional essay in their secondary applications. Obviously, this “optional” essay is not required, and the essay prompt sometimes emphasizes this point. Often, the question will include the stipulation that you cannot include anything that was already mentioned in your primary application or other essays. Some schools even state that most …
You’re sitting down to face your application, and you are glad to see that you can choose which essay questions to answer. You’re not stuck answering a particular set of questions. It’s good to know you have options. After all, you are determined to answer the questions that allow you to portray yourself at your …
If your law school’s application offers optional or extra opportunities for submitting supplementary materials, you are wise to take advantage of them and give the admissions committee more information about you, more reasons to admit you. When writing these supplemental materials, choose your topics carefully and write an essay that will make the admissions committee …
The Top 15 Things Every Law School Applicant Should Know is a series that will teach you the ins and outs of successful law school applications. Stay tuned for the remaining elements. This week we’ll discuss the not so optional “optional” essay. Almost every law school will ask for a personal statement as part of …
In this short video, Linda Abraham explores the two kinds of optional essays, who should write them, and what should go into them. Don’t miss the crucial warning at the end. [xyz-ihs snippet=”SR–Example-to-Exemplary”] [xyz-ihs snippet=”Accepted-Sig-Code-GENERIC”] Related Resources: • 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Application Essays, a free guide • How to Edit Your …
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