Updated September 11, 2026

Guide to the Common App Additional Info Section

Bonus Material: PrepMaven’s 40 College Essays that Worked

Expert guidance provided by Mike Kleynman (PhD in English, 10+ years’ experience coaching admissions) and reviewed by Kevin Wong (co-founder PrepMaven, 20+ years’ experience coaching admissions).

Applying through the Common App? Don’t overlook the Additional Information Section, a hidden opportunity to stand out from other applicants. Used strategically, it can boost your application and give you a competitive edge.

Most students treat this section as optional–many don’t even fill it out at all! But that’s why it offers you a great opportunity. 

Because most colleges are now more selective than they have ever been, you need to take advantage of any chance to improve your application relative to other students. 

The additional info is the perfect section to do just that, and this guide will show you how to craft a compelling additional info section. 

Why trust us? Well, not only are our founders two Princeton grads, but they’ve put together an elite team of Ivy League graduates and professional educators that has coached students to acceptances at top schools for over two decades. 

As proof of our tutors’ quality, you can check out the free resource below. It includes over 40 real sample Common App essays that got our students admitted to Harvard, Princeton, Duke, and many more!

Jump to section:
Should You Use the Common App Additional Info Section?
 15 Smart Things to Include in the Additional Info Section
 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid in the Additional Info Section
 What to Do Next: Make Your Application Stand Out

Should You Use the Common App Additional Information Section?

The short answer is yes! The longer, more honest answer is: it depends. 

In almost every instance, using the additional info section will allow you to show admissions officers things that don’t fit elsewhere in the Common App. That means it’s a plus! 

When it comes to elite schools these days, you need to take every advantage you can get. 

Imagine that your application is really, really similar to someone else’s. Same grades and test scores, similar activities, and so on. But what if they’ve taken the time to put something extra in the Additional Info section, and you haven’t? It could make the difference between acceptance and rejection. 

We’d push you to think long and hard about whether there’s anything impressive or helpful you could put in this section. If so, you’ll want to take that opportunity. 

There’s only one case in which you should leave this section blank. That’s if you really, truly, honestly have nothing left to add. 

If you would only be repeating something that’s already in your application, then don’t bother! 

But before you make that decision, read on below for some unexpected examples of what you could put in the Common App’s Additional Info section. 

15 Smart Things to Include in the Additional Info Section

You might not be thinking of all the things that should find a place on the additional info section. We’ll start with some of the most obvious, then work down to the really niche and specific. 

1. Important activities that didn’t fit in the Activities Section.

If you’re truly busy and have more than 10 hobbies, sports, jobs, or other important experiences, use the additional info section to show these!

2. Awards/Honors.

The Common App only gives you room for 5 Honors or Awards. If you have more than 5 from high school, make sure to list them here. 

3. Explanations of serious illness or other events that affected your academic work.

This is a touchy one: don’t use a fairly minor event to explain away bad grades. But if you were, say, hospitalized for a long period of time and unable to complete schoolwork, you should address that here. 

4. Links to independent research papers.

If you’ve written a research paper outside of school and feel confident about it, drop a short abstract and a link to it here! Remember that our tutors can always help you work on your research writing! 

5. Coding or CS projects.

If you’ve coded an impressive project, you can drop a github link to your code here. Make sure to include a brief description! 

6. Website links.

If you have a website for a blog, business, or artistic endeavor, include a link and description to it here. Just make sure it’s appropriate for admissions officers to look at!

7. Art portfolios.

If you have any artistic hobby that takes a physical form–pottery, painting, origami, flower arranging, making murals–take some photographs and include a link to a gallery of your best work. 

8. Writing excerpts.

If you’re a creative writer or journalist, include both a link to your best work and a very brief excerpt of what you think is your strongest writing sample. 

9. Music samples.

Are you a musician? If your performances are live, include a link to 1 or 2 youtube videos of you performing. If you make beats or record music at home, include links to those songs. 

10. PDFs of poster presentations.

If you’ve presented at a science fair or conference, you likely had to create a poster. Upload a PDF of that to your Google Drive or Bit.ly, then link it here. 

11. Film/video projects.

If you make short films, video essays, animation, or anything like that, you should provide a link to your Youtube channel. As always, ensure all of the content admissions officers would see is appropriate. 

12. News articles about something you’ve accomplished.

If one of your projects was profiled in a local news source, provide a link to that here! Even if you’re not mentioned by name, you can make clear that the article was about you. 

13. Recordings of any competition you excelled in.

Whether it’s robotics or mock trial, a short video of you performing well in a competitive environment is another great addition to your application. 

14. Certifications, coursework, or other distinctions that don’t fit anywhere else on the Common App.

This could include online courses you’ve completed or professional certifications (like, say, an EMT license or lifeguard certification). 

15. Websites of community organizations you’re involved with.

If you work closely with the local library on ESL courses or volunteer with a local ecological organization, feel free to provide a link to their website–especially if you’re featured on it! 

There are more options, but those 15 possible additions cover a lot of ground. Don’t overdo it, but don’t underdo it either: if you have anything that fits one of those categories, include it! 

Make sure that anything you include has a short, clear description to go along with it. 

And remember that our college essay experts and writing tutors can always help you frame this section to be maximally effective. 

Contact us today to get paired with one of our tutors!

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid in the Additional Info Section

Here are 5 things you should not put on this section, however tempting it may be!

  1. Excuses for bad grades.

Many students—especially strong students—want to explain away any B or C grade they’ve gotten. 

Unless the grade was the result of something serious going on in your life at the time, don’t do it. 

Any explanations about a bad teacher, unfair grading, difficult semester, etc. will only make you look immature. 

  1. Full essays or personal statements. 

Don’t use this as a way to try to sneak in an extra supplemental essay! That’ll just annoy admissions officers, who won’t read it anyway. 

  1. Anything half-baked or lazy. 

For example, if you include a link to a research paper, make sure that research paper holds up. If admissions officers take a look at it and see that it’s subpar work, you’ll only hurt your chances. 

  1. Links to content that is inappropriate or downright embarrassing. 

The line can be hard to draw. For example, if you’re a creative writer, your poetry or fiction may very well have swears or adult themes, which is likely okay.

But if you’re linking a blog that includes you ranting about people at school or detailing your party lifestyle, that would be a big problem. 

  1. Lies! 

Is there a chance that you can simply make up an award or activity and not get caught? 

Sure. In fact, admissions officers are generally unlikely to engage in extended fact-checking with your application. 

But, putting aside the ethical question, is lying worth it? The answer is 100% no. This is high risk, low reward. If they don’t catch you, you might have just slightly improved your chances. But if you’re caught lying, you can kiss your chances of admission goodbye. 

Always remember that this section is just part of your larger application narrative! It should complement your personal statement, activities list, and other sections. Focus on those first, then consider what to add to Additional Info. 

For 40 real Common App essays that earned students acceptances to Harvard, Princeton, and other Ivies, check out our free pdf below!

What to Do Next: Make Your Application Stand Out

Whether you’re just starting your personal statement, digging into supplemental essays, or looking for a final review of your application, you should consider enlisting the help of an expert essay tutor. 

With acceptance rates lower than ever, more and more competitive students are turning to support from tutors and application coaches. 

And with good reason: the right essay tutor can help save you from costly mistakes and increase your chances of acceptance. 

Want expert guidance on your college essays? Work one-on-one with an experienced tutor from our team.

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Mike

Mike Kleynman is an expert test prep tutor (SAT/ACT/LSAT) and college essay consultant, with over a decade of experience and industry-leading results.

With average final scores of 34+ on the ACT and 1500+ on the SAT, nearly all of Mike’s test prep students score in the top percentiles. They also routinely earn admission to the most selective universities: just last year, Mike had students accepted to Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, UC Berkeley, USC, and Carnegie Mellon. The average final LSAT score of his students is over 172, and his law school application coaching students have been accepted to Harvard, Yale, and Columbia Law.

Mike holds a PhD in English from Duke University.

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