The Common App Additional Information Section: What to Actually Write There
I read thousands of additional information sections as a UC Berkeley admissions reader. Most of them were either blank or wasted space. A small number were genuinely persuasive. Here is the difference.
The Common App has an optional section called Additional Information. It comes near the end of the application, after the activities list, after the essays, right before submission. Students see it and either skip it entirely or paste in a wall of text. Both are usually mistakes.
Here is what the Common App Additional Information section is actually for, what belongs there, and how to use it without hurting your application.
What the Additional Information Section Actually Is
The Common App describes the Additional Information section this way: “Please provide any additional information you would like to add.” It allows up to 650 words. It is optional.
Admissions officers do read it. But they are reading it looking for specific things. The question you need to answer before writing a single word is: is there something that is material to my student’s application that has not been adequately addressed elsewhere?
If the answer is yes, use the section. If the answer is no, leave it blank. A blank Additional Information section does not hurt an application. A poorly used one can.
When You Should Use the Additional Information Section
There are a handful of situations where the Additional Information section genuinely adds value to an application:
Explaining a significant academic disruption. If your student had a year of poor grades due to a family illness, a personal health crisis, a school transition, or any other significant external factor, and that context has not been explained elsewhere in the application, the Additional Information section is the right place to address it. Keep it factual and brief. One well-written paragraph that explains what happened and what your student did in response is more persuasive than a lengthy emotional account.
Describing an activity or interest that could not fit in the activities list. The activities list has ten slots and strict character limits. If your student has a significant commitment that did not make the list or could not be described adequately in 150 characters, Additional Information can give it the context it deserves.
Explaining a transcript discrepancy. Failed a class and retook it. Transferred schools mid-year. Took a reduced course load due to a medical situation. Any of these should be explained factually and briefly.
Adding a significant update after the application window. If something meaningful happened after your student submitted the main application, such as a major award, a new leadership position, or a significant personal event, this section can carry that update for schools that do not have a separate update form.
Providing context for unusual coursework or testing patterns. A student who scored very differently on the two sections of the SAT, or who took an unconventional combination of AP classes, or who did independent coursework outside of school, may benefit from a brief explanation.
What Does Not Belong in the Additional Information Section
This section is not a fifth essay. Do not use it to write a personal statement overflow, to repeat information already covered in your essays, or to introduce a new theme that belongs in the main essay.
It is not a place to list more awards. If you won ten regional science awards that did not make the activities list, listing all ten in Additional Information looks like padding.
It is not a place to apologize for your GPA with no context or explanation. “My GPA is a 3.4 which I know is lower than average for this school, but I believe I can succeed there” is not useful information for an admissions officer. If your GPA needs context, provide actual context, not reassurance.
How to Actually Write a Strong Entry
If you have something that belongs here, write it like a memo, not a story. Lead with the key fact. Explain the context briefly. State what happened as a result or what your student did about it. Do not use more words than necessary.
Example for a medical situation: “In sophomore year, my student was diagnosed with [condition] and missed eight weeks of school between October and December. Despite this disruption, she returned to her full course load in January and earned a 3.9 GPA that semester. The dip in her sophomore fall grades reflects this period, not her academic ability or trajectory.”
That is enough. It does not need to be three paragraphs. The admissions officer has 15 other applications to read today.
Should Your Junior Start Thinking About This Now?
Yes. If there is anything in your student’s academic record or personal history that may require explanation, identify it now so you have time to draft the language carefully. Last-minute explanations written under deadline pressure tend to be over-emotional and under-specific. The best additional information entries are written from a place of clarity and calm, not anxiety.
For help thinking through your student’s overall application narrative, including where context belongs and where it does not, see my guide on the junior year spring college prep checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions: Common App Additional Information Section
Is the Common App Additional Information section required?
No. It is optional. Most students leave it blank, and that is perfectly fine. Only use it if you have content that genuinely adds material context to your application.
How long should the Additional Information section be?
As short as it needs to be and no longer. The section allows up to 650 words, but most good uses of it are 100 to 300 words. If you are writing more than 400 words, you are probably trying to do too much with the section.
Can I use the Additional Information section to explain a low GPA?
Yes, but only if you have actual context to provide. A brief factual explanation of a specific circumstance that affected your grades is useful. A general apology for your GPA with no specific context is not.
Do all colleges read the Additional Information section?
Most do. Admissions officers are trained to look for it when there are anomalies in the application, such as a grade dip or a gap in the activities timeline. Even at high-volume schools, readers are checking for patterns, and something unusual in the application will prompt them to look for an explanation somewhere in the file.
Can I paste my resume in the Additional Information section?
Technically yes, but it is generally not recommended. A pasted resume often duplicates what is already in the activities list and can read as disorganized. If there is a specific achievement or role that could not fit in the activities list, describe it directly in a sentence or two rather than pasting a full resume.
Tony Le is a former UC Berkeley Admissions Reader and UCLA Outreach Director with 15+ years of college admissions coaching experience. A full-ride scholarship recipient to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCI, Tony has helped 500+ students get into top universities including Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Columbia. Featured in the Wall Street Journal. Official TikTok College Admissions Educational Partner. Founder of egelloC. Follow on TikTok @coachtonyle.
Tony works with a small number of families each year. Book a free strategy call to see if it is a good fit.
What Happens at College Orientation: What Families Need to Know Before August
I have worked with hundreds of students through orientation transitions. The ones who thrive use orientation as a launchpad. The ones who struggle are the ones no one prepared. Here is the full picture.
Your student deposited. May 1 is behind you. Now comes the question that more families are asking in late spring and summer: what actually happens at college orientation, and how do we prepare for it?
Orientation is not just a logistics tour. It is your student’s first official experience of college life, and how they approach it shapes the first weeks of their freshman year. Here is what to expect and how to use it well.
What College Orientation Actually Covers
Orientation programs vary by school, but most include a version of the same core elements. Academic orientation helps your student understand their degree requirements, choose their first semester courses, and meet with an academic advisor. Most schools require this component and it is often the most consequential part of orientation for long-term success.
Residential orientation introduces students to their dorms, their residential advisors (RAs), and their floor neighbors. For many students, this is where they meet the first friends they will keep through college.
Campus resource orientation covers the services, offices, and systems your student will use during college: the health center, financial aid office, student support services, tutoring resources, and student government. This information is often given in one dense day. Students who pay attention retain the context they need when something goes wrong later.
Social programming: most orientation weeks include intentionally designed social events meant to help students meet each other in low-pressure settings. These range from scavenger hunts to concerts to welcome dinners. They feel cheesy but they work. Students who engage with them tend to build a larger initial social network.
Parent and family orientation: most schools run a separate program for parents that runs concurrently with student orientation. This is designed to give parents their own information about the school and, crucially, to separate parents and students so students can begin experiencing college independently.
Academic Advising and Course Registration
This is the most important part of orientation for most students. Your student will meet with an academic advisor who helps them register for their first semester courses. At many large universities, first-semester course selection is done during an orientation session in the summer, not during the school year.
Before orientation, your student should:
- Look up the requirements for their intended major (or their tentative major if undecided)
- Identify which AP or IB exam scores they will send for credit (if applicable)
- Know whether they are enrolling as undeclared or in a specific school or college
- Have three or four course ideas ready to discuss with their advisor
Students who go into advising meetings with no preparation tend to end up in default schedules that may not serve their specific goals. Preparation makes a measurable difference in first-semester course quality.
What to Pack and Prepare Before Orientation
Each school provides a specific packing list, but some things are universal. Health insurance card or documentation, especially if the school requires proof of coverage. Prescription medications with enough supply for the first semester. Government-issued ID and social security card for any employment or financial paperwork. Banking information for setting up a campus account if applicable. Immunization records, which many schools require before move-in.
Your student should also set up their college email account and check it before orientation. College communications about orientation, advising appointments, and housing assignments all arrive in that inbox. Students who set it up a week late miss information that matters.
How Parents Can Help Without Overstepping
Parent orientation is genuinely useful. Attend it. Take notes on the financial aid process, campus safety resources, and how to support your student from a distance. The sessions are designed for you and the information is real.
During student orientation events, let your student go. The instinct to stay close during this transition is understandable, but your presence at student events signals to your student and to their peers that they are not fully independent yet. The research on first-generation and lower-income students in particular shows that students whose parents overparticipate in orientation have a harder time forming peer relationships in the first month.
Be reachable but not hovering. Tell your student you are available if they need you. Then give them the space to need you less than you expect.
What to Do in the Weeks Between Deposit and Orientation
Most orientation programs happen in August, but some schools have summer orientation sessions in June or July. Between deposit day and orientation, your student should:
Connect with their assigned roommate, if one has been assigned. Most colleges send roommate assignments in early to mid-summer. A quick introductory message and a conversation about room setup can prevent a lot of first-week friction.
Research their intended major’s requirements so they go into advising prepared.
Look at clubs, organizations, and communities they want to explore. Most schools have activity fairs during orientation week. Going in with a short list of three to five organizations to find means your student is less likely to feel overwhelmed or skip the fair entirely.
For a full checklist of what to do after your student deposits, see my guide on what to do after you deposit at a college.
Frequently Asked Questions: College Orientation
Is college orientation mandatory?
At most schools, the academic advising component of orientation is required, particularly for course registration. Social and residential components may be optional, but students who skip them often struggle more in the first month. Attend as much as possible.
How long does college orientation last?
Most orientation programs run two to five days. Some schools have extended orientation weeks with additional programming. A few schools have multi-week outdoor or leadership orientation programs before regular orientation begins. Check your specific school’s calendar.
Do parents attend college orientation?
Most schools host a separate parent and family orientation that runs alongside student orientation. Parents attend their own sessions while students attend theirs. This structure is intentional. Attend the parent program. Skip the student events.
What if my student is nervous about orientation?
That is normal. Almost everyone going into orientation is nervous. Reassure your student that virtually every person they will meet during orientation is feeling the same way. The social dynamics of orientation are uniquely level. No one has friends yet. Everyone is available. The awkwardness is temporary and universal.
Should my student pick a roommate in advance or go randomly assigned?
Both approaches work. Self-selected roommates have the advantage of some advance compatibility knowledge. Randomly assigned roommates introduce your student to someone outside their existing social circle, which can expand their network. There is no universally correct answer. Both approaches produce good and difficult roommate experiences in roughly equal proportion.
Tony Le is a former UC Berkeley Admissions Reader and UCLA Outreach Director with 15+ years of college admissions coaching experience. A full-ride scholarship recipient to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCI, Tony has helped 500+ students get into top universities including Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Columbia. Featured in the Wall Street Journal. Official TikTok College Admissions Educational Partner. Founder of egelloC. Follow on TikTok @coachtonyle.
Tony works with a small number of families each year. Book a free strategy call to see if it is a good fit.
UC San Diego vs UC Santa Barbara: How to Actually Choose Between Them
As a former UC admissions insider who has worked with hundreds of California families, I have seen this choice come up constantly. Here is the honest comparison most websites skip.
Both schools are ranked in the top tier of public universities. Both are part of the University of California system. Both accept applicants using the same application. But UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara are genuinely different schools with different cultures, strengths, and environments, and the right choice depends on your student specifically.
Here is the honest comparison that actually helps you decide.
Academic Profile and Selectivity
UC San Diego has become increasingly selective over the past decade. As of 2026, UCSD’s overall acceptance rate sits in the low 20s for most applicants. The campus has a strong research identity and consistently ranks among the top public universities in the country, particularly in the sciences, engineering, computer science, and medicine.
UC Santa Barbara is also selective, with an acceptance rate in the mid-20s for most majors. UCSB has genuine national strength in research, particularly in materials science, marine science, chemistry, physics, and the humanities. It has produced multiple Nobel laureates. Families sometimes underestimate UCSB because of its beach-town reputation. That would be a mistake.
For most California students, both schools are competitive at similar GPA and test score ranges. The choice between them is less about academic prestige and more about fit.
Campus Culture and Environment
UCSD’s campus in La Jolla is urban-adjacent, modern, and research-focused. The campus architecture reflects its late 1960s origin as a research institution. The social scene has historically been described as quieter than other UC campuses. Students who choose UCSD typically do so because they want to be in San Diego, because of a specific program, or because they prefer a more academically intense environment over a high-energy social one.
UCSB is on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara. It has one of the most distinctive campus locations of any major university in the country. The culture is active, outdoors-oriented, and social. Students bike to class. The beach is a ten-minute walk. The student energy is high. Families who want a lively campus experience with beautiful weather and a strong sense of place often respond immediately to UCSB.
Neither description is better. They reflect genuinely different student experiences. A student who thrives in a structured, research-driven environment may find UCSD energizing and UCSB too social. A student who needs beauty, community, and balance in their environment may find UCSB transformative and UCSD isolating.
Strongest Programs at Each School
At UCSD: computer science and engineering, cognitive science, bioengineering, neuroscience, global health, marine biology, and the physical sciences. The Jacobs School of Engineering is nationally ranked. UCSD’s proximity to biotech industry in San Diego and its medical school (UC San Diego School of Medicine) makes it an exceptional pipeline for pre-med and STEM careers.
At UCSB: materials science (top five nationally), chemical engineering, physics, marine science, environmental studies, economics, and the arts. The College of Creative Studies is a distinctive honors-level college that gives high-achieving students in science and the arts an accelerated, independent path through their major. Not many schools offer anything comparable.
Research Opportunities
Both campuses are R1 research universities with significant undergraduate research opportunities. UCSD has a slightly larger research enterprise overall, driven partly by its proximity to federal research institutions, the Salk Institute, and the biotech corridor. UCSB’s research is deeply integrated into the undergraduate experience, particularly through programs like the California NanoSystems Institute.
Students who want research in their undergraduate years should investigate specific labs, faculty mentors, and research programs at both schools rather than relying on overall institutional rankings.
Location and What It Means for Your Student
San Diego is a major city with a strong job market in tech, biotech, defense, and healthcare. Students at UCSD have access to internships and employers in one of the most economically dynamic regions in California. The campus itself is in La Jolla, an affluent coastal community that is more suburban than urban in feel.
Santa Barbara is a smaller, more expensive coastal city with a high quality of life and less industry. Students at UCSB typically look to Los Angeles or the Bay Area for internships and post-graduation employment. The campus’s physical environment is unmatched, but students who need to be embedded in a major job market may find the 90-minute drive to LA a logistical gap.
Housing and Cost of Living
Both Santa Barbara and La Jolla are among the more expensive rental markets in California. Both campuses have on-campus housing for freshmen. The challenge for upperclassmen at both schools is securing affordable off-campus housing in high-demand beach communities. This is a real consideration for families planning a four-year budget.
How to Actually Make This Decision
If your student is undecided between these two schools, visit both if at all possible. The campus feel is genuinely different and most students respond to one of them more strongly than the other after seeing them in person. Ask your student: where did you feel more like yourself?
If a visit is not possible before May 1, read student reviews on Niche and Reddit, watch campus tour videos, and sit in on a virtual information session from each school. Then ask your student: which students at this school sounded like people they want to be around for four years?
For California families navigating multiple UC decisions, see my guide on the UC campus comparison every California family avoids having.
Frequently Asked Questions: UC San Diego vs UC Santa Barbara
Which is harder to get into, UCSD or UCSB?
UCSD has a slightly lower overall acceptance rate and is generally considered marginally more selective in STEM majors. Both schools are competitive and the difference is not dramatic. Acceptance depends heavily on major, GPA, and test scores.
Which UC is better for pre-med, UCSD or UCSB?
UCSD has a stronger pre-med pipeline, driven by its proximity to one of the country’s top medical schools and a large biomedical research enterprise. For pre-med specifically, UCSD has a structural advantage in research access and physician mentorship opportunities.
Is UCSB a party school?
UCSB has historically had a reputation for an active social scene. That said, the academic programs are rigorous and the research culture is serious. Students who come to UCSB to work hard and engage academically absolutely do so. Campus culture has evolved significantly over the past decade.
Which campus is better for computer science?
UCSD’s Jacobs School of Engineering has a stronger national ranking and a deeper industry pipeline in tech, particularly through its connections to the San Diego tech and defense ecosystem. For computer science specifically, UCSD has a slight advantage.
Can students transfer between UC campuses?
UC-to-UC transfer is not a formal pathway. Students who are enrolled at one UC campus and want to change campuses typically need to apply as a transfer student through the regular UC transfer application process, with no guarantee of admission to a different campus.
Tony Le is a former UC Berkeley Admissions Reader and UCLA Outreach Director with 15+ years of college admissions coaching experience. A full-ride scholarship recipient to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCI, Tony has helped 500+ students get into top universities including Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Columbia. Featured in the Wall Street Journal. Official TikTok College Admissions Educational Partner. Founder of egelloC. Follow on TikTok @coachtonyle.
Tony works with a small number of families each year. Book a free strategy call to see if it is a good fit.
First Generation College Student: What the Application Process Looks Like and How to Navigate It
I was a first-generation college student. Full-ride scholarships to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCI. I know what this process looks like from the inside, and I know what the system does not tell you.
If your student will be the first in your family to attend a four-year college, they are a first-generation college student. That term carries real meaning in college admissions, real advantages when disclosed, and real logistical challenges that no one fully explains to families.
Here is what you need to know about the first-generation college student application process and how to navigate it well.
What First Generation Actually Means in College Admissions
Most colleges define first-generation as a student whose parent or guardian did not complete a four-year degree at a college or university in the United States. If one parent attended but did not graduate, most schools still count the student as first-generation. If a parent attended a two-year community college but not a four-year institution, the student is typically still first-gen. The Common App asks about parent education level, and that information flows directly to admissions readers.
Some schools have slightly different definitions. Check the specific policy at any school your student is seriously considering.
How First-Gen Status Affects Admissions
Many selective colleges explicitly value first-generation students as part of their commitment to socioeconomic diversity. Admissions officers are trained to contextualize a first-gen student’s academic record against the resources and environment they had access to. A 3.7 GPA from a student who navigated the application process entirely independently, worked part-time, and had no college counselor is evaluated differently than a 3.7 from a student with every possible resource.
This is not a guarantee of admission. It is context that admissions readers use when building a picture of a student. First-gen status is most helpful when the student also addresses it meaningfully somewhere in the application, whether in the personal essay, a short answer, or the additional information section.
Several selective colleges also have dedicated programs for first-generation students, including orientation support, peer mentoring networks, and specific financial aid programs. When you are evaluating schools, look for these programs. They can make a significant difference in how well a first-gen student transitions and thrives.
The Financial Aid Advantage
First-generation students from lower-income households often qualify for the most generous financial aid packages available. The Pell Grant, which is federally funded and available to students from families with household income below approximately $60,000, can provide up to $7,395 per year. Many colleges also have institutional grant programs specifically for first-gen students that supplement the Pell Grant.
If your student is first-gen and your household income is under $75,000, many elite colleges, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford, offer need-based aid packages that cover full tuition and sometimes room and board with no loans required. For families in this income range, some elite private schools can genuinely cost less than a public university after aid is applied.
File the FAFSA as early as possible. October 1 is when it opens for the following academic year. First-gen families who delay FAFSA filing often miss out on aid that is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, particularly from state programs like the Cal Grant in California.
What No One Tells You About the Application Process as a First-Gen Family
The college application process was designed by people who went to college, for students whose parents went to college. It assumes a level of background knowledge that first-gen families simply may not have, and that is not a criticism, it is a structural gap in how the system works.
Here are the things that fall through that gap most often:
Deadlines come before you expect them. Early Decision and Early Action deadlines are typically November 1 or November 15. Many first-gen families do not realize that applying in the fall of senior year is the starting point, not early in the calendar year.
The FAFSA uses prior-prior year income. When you file the FAFSA in October of your student’s senior year, it asks about income from two calendar years before. This confuses many families who try to use the most recent tax year.
Recommendation letters require significant lead time. Most high school counselors and teachers need six to eight weeks to write strong letters. If your student asks in October for a November 1 deadline, they are too late.
Financial aid award letters are not standardized. Every college formats their letter differently, and the same dollar amount can look very different depending on whether loans are included and how the cost of attendance is calculated. For a walkthrough of how to read these letters, see my guide on how to read a financial aid award letter.
How to Use First-Gen Status in Your Essays
If first-gen identity has shaped your student’s perspective, work ethic, or goals, it belongs somewhere in the application. This does not mean writing a single essay about being first-gen and nothing else. It means weaving the context into the application in a way that helps admissions officers understand who your student is and where they came from.
The strongest first-gen essays are specific. They show a concrete moment, a challenge navigated without a roadmap, a skill developed out of necessity. They do not generalize about the first-gen experience. They put the reader in a specific scene and make them feel the stakes.
Resources Specifically for First-Gen Students
College Advising Corps provides free in-school college advising at many high schools serving first-gen populations. QuestBridge is a nonprofit that matches high-achieving, lower-income students with full scholarships at partner colleges. The College Board’s BigFuture has dedicated first-gen content. Many state flagship universities have dedicated first-gen programs with summer bridge opportunities and year-round peer support.
Frequently Asked Questions: First Generation College Students
Is it an advantage to be a first-generation college student in admissions?
It provides context that many admissions officers at selective schools are explicitly trained to value. It is not a guaranteed advantage, but it is a real factor when evaluating an application holistically, particularly at schools committed to socioeconomic diversity.
What financial aid is available specifically for first-gen students?
The federal Pell Grant is the most significant. Many elite private colleges have institutional programs that cover full demonstrated financial need for first-gen students from qualifying income brackets. QuestBridge provides full scholarships to low-income, high-achieving students. State programs vary by state.
Should my student mention being first-generation in their application?
Yes, if it has shaped their experience or perspective in meaningful ways. The Common App asks about parent education, so admissions readers already know. Addressing it directly in an essay or supplemental short answer allows your student to give that context full meaning rather than leaving it as a data point.
Do public universities care about first-gen status as much as private schools?
Many do. UC campuses in California, for example, have strong institutional commitments to first-gen access and specific programs for first-gen students. Public flagships in states with large first-gen populations often have robust support systems, though the financial aid packages at the most elite private schools can be more generous for qualifying income ranges.
What if my student does not know what to say about being first-gen?
Start with the specific. What did your student figure out on their own that others had help with? What did they build or navigate without a map? Concrete stories are more powerful than identity labels. The first-gen narrative should emerge from specifics, not abstractions.
Tony Le is a former UC Berkeley Admissions Reader and UCLA Outreach Director with 15+ years of college admissions coaching experience. A full-ride scholarship recipient to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCI, Tony has helped 500+ students get into top universities including Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Columbia. Featured in the Wall Street Journal. Official TikTok College Admissions Educational Partner. Founder of egelloC. Follow on TikTok @coachtonyle.
Tony works with a small number of families each year. Book a free strategy call to see if it is a good fit.