We get quite a lot of questions about how to write the Common App additional information section. Specifically, students often ask “What am I supposed to say?!”

The Additional Info Section is a space to clarify any details that may significantly impact how readers view your application, but couldn’t otherwise be added to the original app.

So, if you want to clarify some low grades in your Sophomore year, the Additional Info Section is for you!

This is not to say you MUST fill it out. But, if you have things to talk about in it (and most people do) then it can certainly help!

There are quite a few things to know before you start. So, we’re going to go at it one at a time. Every section of this article is important; thus, we heavily advise reading from start to finish.

Let’s get to it!

Note: most students don’t realize they are actually qualified to talk about a lot more in the additional information section than they expect. Most students who fill out the additional information section (correctly) turn the tides in their admissions rate significantly!

Note 2: If you’re applying to the UC applications, they don’t use the Common App. They have their own separate UC-related Additional Comments section, which we’ve written a guide to here.

Table of Contents

1. How Important is the Common App Additional Info Section?
2. Where is the Additional Info Section on Common App?
3. What to Put in the Additional Info Section of Common App.
4. Additional Information Section Common App Example.
5. Additional Information Section Example for T20 Schools.

How Important is the Common App Additional Info Section?

Very.

The Common App Additional Info Section is perhaps more important than most students really expect.

This is because the additional information section can help provide crucial context to your application that admissions officers may otherwise not know about. And, depending on the significance of the events, they may make severe red flags like low GPAs and low test scores more understanding.

Here’s an excerpt from a phone call interview we had with the admissions office at NYU.

“Yeah, you’re not really obligated to fill out the additional info part of the Common App. But, it’s more like it’s a place where you can add anything that might help us understand your situation better.

I think the sad thing is that most students actually have a lot to say. But, they’re usually told (incorrectly) that they can’t really put that in the additioanl info section. Most students use this to write about tragedy in their family or outlandish events that often don’t apply to many people. In reality, it doesn’t have to be THAT extreme to be put in the additional info section.

Things like diagnoses from a doctor or environmental changes in the household can give us a better picture of what happened to your academics if it happend to be lower than average —so, like, think of a dip in academics.

You can write about defecits in grades and whatnot; but, remember: you should use the space to explain it in detail and why it’s significant. Don’t just say what your unusual circumstnace is without the details. That hapes us get to know your situtaion in a better light!”

Admissions Office of NYU –Call with PenningPapers, 2023

In other words: your Common App additional information section can help give the additional context needed to understand why you have deficiencies in your profile. This is big.

Let’s say you had a 3.6 GPA; and, you had practically all As in your report card save for a few Cs during one semester. It’s going to stand out like a sore thumb; and, it makes for a good story to explain to the admissions officers.

This is where the additional information section comes in.

You can write about some of the struggles you’ve had during that semester. They may be small, or big.

The additional info section of the Common App can turn a rejection into a waitlist. Or, hopefully, a waitlist into an acceptance.

Ready to get started?

Great. Let’s cover where you can find it.

Where is the Additional Info Section on Common App?

1. Log into your Common App Account.

2. Select the Common App Tab.

3. Select the writing section on the “Sidebar” below “Activities”

4. If you wish to explain the circumstances regarding COVID-19, click “yes” on the first option.

5. If you wish to explain anything else outside of the COVID-19 pandemic such as a dip in academic performance, learning disabilities, unusual household circumstances, and more, select “yes” on the second option.

What to Put in the Additional Info Section of Common App.

We’ve pasted the Additional Information section below.

“Do you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application?”

Remember: most students think they don’t have anything to write about. However, most students have a lot of circumstances that are very valid. And, they should be adding them to the Common App additional information section.

There are a plethora of options you can take when filling out the additional info section. You can choose to write about almost anything.

It doesn’t have to be negative topics either! You can also add context to your accomplishments that make them shine better! So, write about anything that adds extra depth to your achievements or deficits!

Note that most students are told they shouldn’t write about the reasons behind their bad grades in their additional comments/info section. That’s not true. You can (and should) explain the reasons why you performed poorly in your additional comments section. This is especially true for students who had grades below a B- or 80%.

Other than writing about bad grades, we’ve listed 10 common topics people write about in this section…

1. Having Bad Experiences With Teachers.
2. Having Physical Struggles Such as Injuries.
3. Mental Health Issues Like Depression or Eating Disorders.
4. Unfortunate Circumstances Like Deaths in the Family.
5. COVID-19.
6. Financial Issues.
7. LGBTQ Issues That Bled Into Personal Life.
8. Discrimination by Race, Sex, Gender, Sexual Orientation, etc.
9. Administrative Issues on the Part of the School.
10. Academics-Based Disadvantages Like ADHD, Test Anxiety, Time Blindness, etc.

Additional Information Section Common App Example.

“During the Spring of 2022, I suffered a significant dip in my academic performance. Specifically, I was diagnosed with Depression during that time which was likely due to exacerbated family dynamics.

I don’t intend for such experiences to serve as an excuse for my dip in performance; I believe I’m still fully responsibile for the marks I earn. Rather, my intention is to shed light into the reasons behind my unusual blemish in my transcript.

To add more context, it was during this time that my family had suffered through divorce. While things were rather messy from a technical standpoint, the inexorable effects would bleed into everyday life with myself and siblings caught in the crossfire.

One such example includes the loud shouting matches that would occur in the household. It’s not to say that it was unsafe in he household; but, the circumstances of loud arguing and a negative atmosphere compel my siblings and I to hole up in the corners of the house to finish our tasks, complete work, or other activities.

The overall negative atmosphere and deteriorating family dynamic led to a strata of other problems. The best way to conceptualize this is as a node in a netowork of problems. While the divorce was problematic in it’s own right, the problems that stemmed from it affected multiple variables in my life and had a spiraling effect.

For instance, it led to emoional spending both from my mother and father’s side. So, we were left with quite a lot of financially dire situations that were piled on top of the negative atmosphere –which took away from my own academic focus. This combination of family dynamics and financial situations led to strained relationships amongst our relatives, which led to a positive feedback loop, so on and so forth.

It wasn’t until establishing a more organized schedule that included strict boundaries and space away from my family that my performance improved. Initially, I could earn higher marks without having to do this; but, this divorce was a new expereince coupled with a lot of stress, anxieties, and unexpected twists and turns. Nonetheless, my newfound strength and adaptability to unusual and unexpected circumstnaces is something I’ll carry into my daily life at university.”

Additional Information Section Common App Example

Additional Information Section Example for T20 Schools

“When I graduated high school in 2019, I decided to take a gap year.

I could have sat in the front of a lecture hall; instead, I sat in a Spanish school in Quito, Ecuador, where I learned to speak Spanish fluently in 10 weeks. I could have commuted to class on a hip fixie bike coupled with the quintessential Fjallraven backpack; instead, I narrowly avoided getting kidnapped by human traffickers in Colombia. 

Living and bonding with dormmates; living and bonding with host families. Sitting next to peers in class; sitting next to chickens on a bus. Dancing at parties; salsa dancing at night. Working in Starbucks coffee shops; working on Peruvian coffee farms. Comfort. Danger. Knowledge. Adventure. 

I had every reason to attend school instead of traveling. I barely even gathered enough money from my entrepreneurial endeavors to fully self-fund my travels. Yet, a part of me knew exploring the world was a wiser choice. 

Of course, this was against the wishes of everyone I knew. I was no stranger to, “I don’t know. That sounds kind of dangerous.” 

However, I spent my gap year doing exactly what I wished. I went on a solo spiritual journey around the world, six months in South America, and two weeks in Asia (before it was cut short by the pandemic).

Oftentimes ideas are met with great opposition; that is the nature of entrepreneurship. Though, I believed traveling around the world before continuing my education was the right decision despite the plethora of obstacles. 

As an entrepreneur, it would be unwise to attend such a resourceful and fitting institution unprepared. To attend in my early naive state would have meant losing the potential to capitalize on opportunities for business and personal development from my most valuable years. Rushing into school to bootstrap my initiative impatiently would compromise both my future success and the success of those I aspire to help. 

I invested my gap year into crafting my character such that, if I undertake my entrepreneurial journey at Vanderbilt, I would be prepared for the fight ahead. Abroad, I have tackled scary circumstances; I have explored the unfamiliar and witnessed the beauty of it. I have developed the grit and strength of character to brave the unknown.“

Example Vanderbilt Additional Information Example

If you have any other questions about how to fill out the Common App Additional Information Section, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Schedule a free consultation with us, and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours. Our professional college admissions consultants and essay editors have helped students (especially those with unusual circumstances) defy all odds and get accepted into some of the most prestigious schools in the nation!