You’ve spent months polishing that 650-word personal statement. You’ve sweated over the activity list, trying to squeeze a decade of violin lessons into 150 characters. Then, right before you hit submit, there it is. A blank box. 650 words of "extra" space. The additional information section Common App prompt is basically the "choose your own adventure" of college admissions, and honestly, most people ruin it.
Some students treat it like a second essay. Huge mistake. Others leave it totally blank when they actually have something vital to say. That's also a mistake. Admissions officers at schools like Georgia Tech or NYU spend about eight minutes—sometimes less—reading your entire file. If you give them a wall of text in the additional info section that doesn't add new value, you aren't helping your case. You're just annoying a tired person who has 40 more applications to read before dinner.
The goal isn't to be "impressive" here. It’s to be helpful.
What the Additional Information Section Common App Is Actually For
Think of this space as the "technical difficulties" or "frequently asked questions" page of your life. It’s for the stuff that doesn't fit into a neat little box elsewhere. If your grades dipped junior year because you had mono, this is where that goes. If you spent twenty hours a week taking care of your younger siblings because your parents work late, put it here.
Context matters.
College consultants like Rick Clark from Georgia Tech often emphasize that context is the lens through which your grades and test scores are viewed. Without context, a "C" in Chemistry is just a "C." With context—maybe your school switched to remote learning and you didn't have reliable Wi-Fi—that "C" looks a lot different.
But don't use this as an excuse factory. There's a fine line between explaining a situation and whining about it. Admissions officers have a high "BS" detector. If you use the additional information section Common App to explain that you got a B+ because you didn't like the teacher's vibe, you’re basically telling the college you can't take accountability. Not a great look.
When to Keep it Shut
If your application already tells your full story, leave it blank. Seriously. There is no hidden bonus for filling every box. In fact, many Dean of Admissions will tell you that brevity is a gift. If you’ve shared everything important in your main essay and activity descriptions, hit submit and go get a taco.
The Logistics of the Box
The section allows for up to 650 words. Do not use all 650 words.
Standard advice from the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) suggests using bullet points or very short, punchy paragraphs. You want the reader to be able to scan the info in thirty seconds.
For example, if you have a bunch of minor certifications or awards that didn't fit in the "Honors" section, don't write a narrative about how much they mean to you. Just list them.
- Red Cross Lifeguard Certification (2024)
- Microsoft Office Specialist – Excel (2023)
- Regional Finalist, DECA (2022)
Simple. Clean. Effective.
Addressing Grade Fluctuations
This is the most common use for the additional information section Common App. Life happens. If your GPA took a hit, you need to address it head-on. Don't be dramatic.
"In the fall of my sophomore year, my family moved across the state. The transition was difficult, and I struggled to catch up in my AP European History class, resulting in a lower grade than my usual standard. Since then, I’ve adjusted and my grades in social studies have returned to the A range."
That’s it. You identified the problem, explained why it happened, and showed that it’s over now. Colleges love an upward trend. They hate mysteries. If there is a "gap" or a "dip" in your transcript, they will guess why it happened, and their guess might be worse than the truth.
Deep Cuts: Using the Space for Non-Traditional Activities
Sometimes the 10-slot activity list is a straight-jacket. Maybe you have a hobby that is super niche, like restoring vintage clocks or coding open-source plugins for Minecraft. If these things took up a massive chunk of your time but don't quite fit the "Activity" format, you can elaborate here.
But—and this is a big but—only do this if the activity is actually significant. If you just "like to bake on weekends," that’s not an additional info entry. If you started a small business selling sourdough starters and managed a supply chain of 50 local customers, okay, now we’re talking.
Research and Portfolios
If you did high-level research at a local university, the activity list usually isn't enough to explain your methodology or the specific contribution you made. You can use the additional information section Common App to provide a brief abstract.
Keep it professional.
"Title: Analysis of Micro-plastic Concentration in Urban Runoff.
Role: Lead Assistant under Dr. Sarah Jenkins.
Contribution: I processed 200+ water samples using infrared spectroscopy and co-authored the data section of the final report."
That provides concrete evidence of your work without the fluff of an essay.
The Mental Health Question
This is a tricky one. Many students wonder if they should disclose mental health struggles in the additional information section Common App.
There is a lot of debate among experts here. The general consensus from organizations like the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) is that you should focus on the impact and the resolution.
Colleges are businesses and communities. They want to know that you are ready for the rigors of campus life. If you mention a mental health struggle, focus on the tools you learned to manage it and how you have remained successful since. Avoid making the reader worry that you won't be able to handle the stress of college. It's about showing resilience, not just listing a diagnosis.
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Physical Health and Disabilities
If a physical disability or a chronic illness impacted your ability to participate in extracurriculars, you definitely should mention it. If you couldn't play sports because of a long-term injury or if you missed thirty days of school due to surgery, the admissions committee needs to know. Otherwise, they might just think you were unmotivated.
The "I Have Too Much Stuff" Trap
Some students use this section to paste their entire resume. Don't do this. The Common App is already a resume. If you repeat yourself, you're wasting the reader's time. Only include things that are truly new. If you have an "Activity 11" that is just as important as "Activity 1," then sure, put it in. But if "Activity 11" is that you were in the Spanish Club for one semester and never went to meetings, leave it out.
Quality over quantity isn't just a cliché; it's the law of the land in admissions.
IB and AP Curricular Explanations
Sometimes your school has weird rules. Maybe your school only allows students to take two AP classes a year. Maybe you’re in an IB program that didn't allow you to take a specific science course you wanted.
Your counselor should mention this in their report, but counselors are often overworked. It doesn't hurt to put a brief note in the additional information section Common App explaining the constraints of your curriculum.
"My high school limits students to a maximum of three AP courses per year. I have taken the maximum allowed since my sophomore year."
This shows you’re challenging yourself as much as humanly possible within your environment.
Creative Formatting Hacks
Since this is a plain text box, you don't have bolding or italics. It’s annoying. You have to use CAPS or dashes to create structure.
Example:
--- RECENT AWARDS ---
- 2025 National Merit Commended Scholar
- 2024 All-State Jazz Band (Trumpet)
Using white space effectively is your best friend. A giant block of text is a nightmare to read on a screen. Break it up. Give the admissions officer's eyes a break.
The "COVID-19" Distinction
For a few years, there was a specific COVID-19 section. If that’s still there or if you're using the general section for it, only mention things that were unusual or extreme. Everyone had their graduation canceled. Everyone had to do Zoom school. Only mention it if you had significant responsibilities (like working a job to pay rent) or a personal loss that fundamentally changed your trajectory.
Let’s Talk About "The Hook"
You might have heard that you need a "hook" to get into Ivy League schools. If your hook is something complex—like you’re a nationally ranked chess player who also runs a non-profit for senior citizens—the additional information section Common App is where you can tie those disparate threads together if they don't fit in the essay.
But keep it grounded. No "Since the dawn of time, I have loved chess." Just give the facts.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Application
Before you finalize your additional information section Common App, run through this checklist.
- Review your Activity List. Is there anything that feels "half-explained"? If you wrote "Responsible for social media" for a club, use the additional info to specify: "Grew Instagram following from 200 to 1,200 in six months."
- Check your Transcript. Are there any anomalies? A random "W" (Withdraw) or a sudden drop in grades? If so, write a 3-4 sentence explanation that is factual and lacks self-pity.
- Audit for Redundancy. Read your personal statement, then your activity list, then your additional info. If you find yourself saying the same thing three times, delete it from the additional info section.
- Check for Tone. Does this sound like the same person who wrote the essay? It should be more formal and direct than your personal statement, but it shouldn't sound like a legal document.
- Proofread. Just because it’s "additional" doesn't mean spelling doesn't count. A typo in this section shows a lack of care.
The best additional information sections are the ones that make the admissions officer go, "Oh, okay, that makes sense now." It clears up the fog. It provides the "why" behind the "what." If you do it right, you aren't just giving them more data—you’re giving them a clearer picture of who you actually are.
Focus on being the candidate who is organized, transparent, and respectful of the reader's time. That’s how you actually stand out. Once you've added the necessary context, stop typing. The more you add, the more you dilute the important stuff. Keep it tight, keep it honest, and let the rest of your application do the heavy lifting.