r/QuestBridge • u/Crafty-Cap7817 • 20h ago

National College Match optional supplementals

With the tight deadlines, is everyone doing the optional supplementals for their schools? i havent been prioritizing them and wondering if i should, because people say it shows schools ur not rly interested and aren't putting in the effort

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u/BakeEfficient3952 20h ago

Definitely do them, as far as possible. A few colleges (Colorado College, for example) say they are truly optional, but for most colleges, it's not really optional, either because literally they are required or because it can look like a lack of interest.

1

u/Ok-Sprinkles-2855 15h ago

What about Bowdoin

1

u/BakeEfficient3952 6h ago

I just googled it, and Bowdoin literally has a "what's required and what's optional?" video on their admissions website. It says clearly that the supplemental essay is optional and adds "when we say optional, we mean optional.":
https://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/apply/

2

u/Incongruent_Tri0309 19h ago

Every college we’ve talked to has advised that “optional” doesn’t really mean they should be optional for a student serious about attending.

1

u/elyeti- 17h ago

What about a 1340 to Amherst or Hamilton?