Letter Pertinent to the application

texvd1988

I just wanted to see how you guys view all of the elements of the application. I know the personal statement is the most important, but how do you guys see the other elements we can add to the applications? Are all of you writing those? Will they push students over the top or are they kind of moot points?

Basically, are they necessary, and will schools look down on you if you don't use them?

Cant Get Right

I think it really kind of depends on the actual essay. If you write a "Why School X" essay and you really don't have compelling reasons as to why you really want to go there, then I think in that situation that essay is moot at best and possibly detrimental if it's poorly written or inconsistent with what the school actually offers. It is definitely not necessary or it would be required. For me, my rule has been to write those essays when I have a compelling reason to, and to pass on them when I don't.

texvd1988

I see. So everything extra to the personal statement could be that extra push from the individuals end rather than something the school needs to win over. If I am applying to choice A and have choice C in the backburner, I should focus on writing something extra for choice A and not worry about it as much for choice C.

Cant Get Right

I think it kind of depends. So maybe your choice A is Yale. But maybe your choice A is Yale just because Yale is Yale. That's not going to give you much to go on in a "Why Yale" addendum. Yale knows the implications of the fact that they're Yale and they know that you know it too. But what if Cornell is your choice C, jumping a lot of schools that are higher ranked? Why is Cornell higher on your list than Columbia? That would be an essay that I'd suspect would have substance. So of course you want to prioritize your preferred schools, just make sure you have something real to say.

texvd1988

Ah, Okay, so more to the point that it has to be a genuine letter of intent based on the school of your choosing. That makes far more sense.

Cant Get Right

Yeah, I think the main takeaway is just don't feel like you absolutely must write an optional essay. It is far better, in my opinion, to not write one at all than it is to write a bad one. Typically, I suspect that these essays are invariably bad when they are written out of obligation rather than sincerity.