"Optional" Essays on Applications

[Stagg737]

The topic of 'optional' essays came up in conversation the other day and it got me thinking about how optional they actually are. I was wondering if anyone knows people that were accepted but did not do any of them. I don't know anyone that was accepted that didn't finish all the optional essays myself, and I was always told to complete all essays no matter what. So I'm curious as to whether or not it's common for people to get accepted without completing the optional essays or if that person is the rare gem.

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[xroc]

They're optional. If they weren't, they would be required.

 

[compstomper]

It gives the admins more insight into you as an applicant. So all things being equal, you're worse off if you didn't write the essay when pitted against an applicant that did write the "optional" essay.

 

[Jabbed]

I received an interview without submitting an optional essay..






..but not an acceptance

 

[Stagg737]

Obviously they're optional, and meant to give more insight into the applicant. I was just wondering how much weight they actually held in the admissions process. Like I said, I've never heard of someone not doing them and getting accepted, so I was wondering if that's the norm...

 

[tmn]

If there were optional essays and I didn't have anything substantial to say in them, I didn't do them. I wasn't going to write an optional essay for my health. People reading applications can sniff that out.

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