The Optional Statement

One frequent question I get is, "I noticed that you have an optional 'why are you applying to Tulane?' essay. Do you suggest we complete it?" Ah, the "why are you applying" question, a.k.a.: the optional statement. You'll notice a growing number of colleges and universities are now including this as a part of their application. As students apply to more and more schools, it becomes more difficult for us as admission officers to gauge students' level of interest in our school. The optional statement is a perfect time for you, the applicant, to express to me, the application reader, just why you are selecting us as one of your potential schools. So is it worth it to take the time to fill out that question? Let's just give a (very hypothetical) situation. My boss, Satya, tells me, "Jeff, we have one more spot left in the class of 2021. You can only pick one more." I come back to my office and notice I have two applicants left to read. They are identical with grades, scores and extracurricular activities, and both have glowing recommendations. One took the time to write an entertaining, engaging, and smart essay about why Tulane is the perfect fit for him, has a great major he's interested in and he loves BBQ Shrimp from Pascale Manales. The other student? Well he didn't write anything. At all. The decision for me? An easy one.

Now, we'd never get to a point where I can only select one final student from two. But, you get the idea. So... now that that question is answered, what makes a great optional statement? In my traditional blog format, how about we check out three great ways to make a killer optional statement for a school that you may be applying to.

1) Tell a specific story. The more specific you can be to the school you are applying to, the better. We can see right though the generic answers. So be specific. Tell me about your tour guide, what food you ate in New Orleans, what struck you about TruTU. I remember vividly how one student last year told me about how her tour guide seemed just so smart but laid back and even mentioned how she loved the green sundress the guide was wearing; "she struck me as someone who had the perfect work/life balance." I liked that. I like hearing specific stories about your research on Tulane. We use the optional statement for you to show your interest, so even if you aren't able to visit, still be specific with why you are applying. We know New Orleans is a great college town, but be more specific about what it is that draws you to our unique culture. Remember how your college counselor tells you to "show rather than tell" in your essay? Do this here, too. I want to read a story about riding the streetcar or the conversation you had at that crowded college fair with the Tulane rep.

2) Holler at your hook-ups. Did your cousin go to Tulane and love it? Did your 9th grade history teacher tell you about his experiences as a masters student here at Tulane? Do you love following that senior from last year on Instagram and seeing all her cool shots of New Orleans? Tell us! And tell us who! Feel free to name people who turned you on to Tulane, especially if they are current students. Many of us recruit from the same region each year, so it's cool to see who is helping us in the recruitment process. Our current students and alumni are your best source of research on our school, so use them and tell us you did.

3) It's not a Why College? statement. As in, if I can read it and replace "Tulane" with "USC" or "Vandy" or "Miami," then it will not come across as genuine. Avoid generic essays here at all costs. We know we are medium-sized and are well respected. Delve deeper; we read thousands of these and can easily tell when it's an essay that's heading out to all of your schools. See above two points for ways to be specific on this one. Horror story: last year I got one that actually said [insert school] where "Tulane" should have been. Yikes. We'd also rather you use this section to talk all about just you and add "and I'd like to continue [this activity, this experience, etc] at Tulane."

Hope this helps you guys out on completing that optional statement. Happy applying!