When to Use the Common App Additional Information Section

Your transcript shows that your grades dropped junior year. It may give an admissions reader no way to know you missed three weeks of school recovering from surgery. A few sentences can connect those facts and help the reader understand that semester.

On Inside the Yale Admissions Office, Yale admissions officer Hannah advises students whose grades dipped because of a specific challenge to “explain to us what happened.” She also suggests asking your school counselor to address the circumstances in their recommendation.

Five situations worth explaining

1. A significant drop in grades

If an illness, family emergency, or other disruption affected a semester or school year, identify the period and explain how it affected your schoolwork. If your grades recovered afterward, a brief sentence can help the reader follow the timeline. An isolated grade you wish were higher usually needs no explanation.

2. A school transfer that changed your options

Explain the specific consequence of the transfer if a reader would have trouble seeing it in your record. For example, your new high school might have required you to repeat a prerequisite, which delayed your next math course. A midyear move might also explain why an activity you pursued for two years ends abruptly on your application.

3. Limited access to courses or activities

A scheduling conflict, financial constraint, or lack of transportation can affect what you were able to pursue. Tufts Admissions encourages applicants to explain barriers such as course conflicts, family responsibilities, and finances. If your school already explains its AP offerings in the school profile, focus on a constraint specific to your schedule or circumstances.

4. A personal or family circumstance that affected your time

Caregiving, bereavement, housing instability, or a significant health issue can affect attendance, study time, and extracurricular involvement. Share the timing and impact at the level of detail you’re comfortable providing.

5. A detail an admissions reader could easily misinterpret

Yale admissions officers point to two examples that can warrant clarification: an unusual, school-specific activity and a transcript label that obscures what a student actually studied. If your transcript lists “Independent Study,” one sentence could clarify that you spent the semester studying multivariable calculus under a math teacher’s supervision.

How to write your response

In a few sentences, tell the reader what happened, when it happened, and how it affected your record or opportunities. Add what changed afterward if it helps complete the timeline. A short paragraph is often enough. Bullets can work when you have two distinct details to clarify.

During your final review, ask yourself, “What would an admissions reader misunderstand or miss without this explanation?” If you can point to a specific detail, explain it plainly. If the relevant information is already clear elsewhere or you have nothing important to add, leave the question blank.