How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section (2025 Update)

Sawyer Earwood, CEP
12 minutes ago
6 min read

The vast majority of high school students applying to colleges and universities in the United States will use the Common Application. While we’ve written extensively about various sections of the Common App (Activities List, Letters of Recommendation, High School Transcripts, Personal Statement), we’ve yet to tackle one of the most frustratingly ambiguous parts for students and families: the Additional Information section.

In this post, we’ll explore the history and purpose of this section, why students often struggle with it, how colleges use it, and, most importantly, how you can use it effectively.

A Brief History of the Additional Information Section

The Additional Information section has seen few changes over the past two decades, but recent years brought some notable changes that, in my opinion, better reflect student realities.

Here’s a quick look at its evolution:

Before 2019
- Students were asked:
  - “Do you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application?”
- If they selected Yes, they could elaborate in up to 650 words.
2020
- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Common App added a second optional question:
  - “Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts...”
- Students could use 250 words to explain how COVID-19 or similar disruptions affected their health, family, or education.
2025 Updates
- For the 2025–2026 cycle, both questions are changing:
  - Updated Additional Information Prompt: “Would you like to share any additional details or qualifications not reflected in the application?” (300-word limit)
  - New Challenges & Circumstances Prompt: “Sometimes a student’s application and achievements may be impacted by challenges or other circumstances...” (250-word limit) This new version expands the scope to include:
    - Access to technology or quiet study space
    - Family disruptions or responsibilities
    - Housing instability
    - Discrimination
    - Physical or mental health challenges
    - Community disruption, natural disasters, or conflict

Why These Changes Matter

Generally speaking, I think these changes are trending in the right direction. These revisions mark an important shift for The Common App moving beyond pandemic-specific disruptions to acknowledge the broader challenges students face.

Historically, the Additional Information section was vague and students with meaningful context often missed the opportunity to explain it, while others used the space to repeat unnecessary details. The new prompts are moving towards a clearer direction about what belongs here and why it matters.

It’s also worth noting that by 2025, most students applying to college experienced COVID-19 primarily in middle school, meaning its direct impact on their high school performance is increasingly distant*.

*Note: There is much to be said and debated about the long-term effects of COVID on students navigating the education system in our country. I want to take a moment to acknowledge that disruptions of any kind can have compounding effects on a student’s development and progress. However, this discussion is not the purpose of this blog and thus will be left as a footnote.

The Purpose of the Additional Information Section

With our history lesson out of the way, it’s time to focus on the purpose of the Additional Information section. Think of the Additional Information section as a context box, not an extra essay.

The Additional Information section is:
- A space to explain context, clarify discrepancies, or add essential details/information that doesn’t fit or isn’t present in other pieces of the application.
The Additional Information section isn’t:
- A space to try and sneakily add in more unrequested information, like an additional personal statement or achievements repeated elsewhere in the application.

Admissions officers use this section to understand context, not to evaluate writing style, creativity, or consider additional content that fits elsewhere in the application. If a college wants more content, they’ll ask for it. No student is winning brownie points by adding more workload to a reader’s plate and complicating the application review process.

How to Use the Additional Information Section

While advising students, I’ve found that keeping suggestions/guidelines simple is often the most effective. In the instance of the Additional Information section, I provide two guiding words to students: contextual and clinical.

Contextual
- This section should focus on context, not content. The goal is to provide important insight into a student’s circumstances that aren’t obviously highlighted in other pieces of the application. Ask yourself:
  - “Are there important details about my academic or personal journey that aren’t addressed elsewhere in my application?”
- If yes, then you need to provide the additional contextual information to help the admission officer better understand your journey and circumstances.
Clinical
- While you will find many references to the idea of “contextual” when discussing the Additional Information section, you will find fewer people discussing the term “clinical.” While I use clinical in a more colloquial context, I do think the dictionary definition of “efficient and unemotional; coldly detached” is a good guide for students.
- A student needs their response to be efficient, clearly indicating the context along with its importance and impact in a relatively short response. Approach your writing with a calm, factual tone.
- More often than not, the content of an Additional Information section is emotionally charged or challenging for students. I see students equally split between not wanting to mention a challenge due to the emotional trigger they feel, and not wanting to mention a challenge because they don’t want to be viewed as a victim or trying to take advantage of a “sob story.” I find that having a student remove the emotional component and focus on the contextual importance allows them to more easily approach sensitive subjects while integrating obstacles they’ve faced into their narrative in healthier ways.

Many students hesitate to write about challenges because they fear sounding like a “victim/sob story.” Along the same lines, some students don't want to be judged or defined by the circumstances of their life. Removing the emotional component and focusing on the contextual importance allows students to more easily approach sensitive subjects while integrating obstacles they’ve faced into their narrative in healthier ways. In reality, offering thoughtful, factual context shows maturity and self-awareness—two traits every admissions office values.

When to Use the Additional Information Section

Students might use this space for explanations related to:

Academic Context

Changes in schools, education systems, or grading policies
Interrupted education (transfers, remote learning, etc.)
Limited access to advanced coursework
Clarifying dual enrollment, online, or self-study courses
Test score inconsistencies
Nontraditional or narrative grading systems

Personal or Family Circumstances

Health challenges (student or family)
Caretaking or exceptional/unique work responsibilities
Significant relocations or instability
Learning differences or diagnosed challenges

Extracurricular or Other Context

Independent research or creative projects not listed elsewhere
Unconventional achievements or self-directed work in nontraditional or unrecognized categories
Gaps in schooling or activity involvement

Structuring a Strong Response

Students often struggle with how to organize their response. Here’s a straightforward outline that can serve as a flexible foundation for students to customize to their situations:

Start with Purpose: Clearly state why you’re using this space within the first sentence.
1. “I’d like to provide context for…”
State the Facts: Briefly describe what happened, when it happened, and highlight the most important facts.
Describe the Impact: Explain how the event affected you (academically, professionally, personally) and why this impact is important to highlight.
Show Growth: Although not always relevant, for many responses, a student needs to reflect on the experience and demonstrate reflection and maturity rather than self-promotion.
1. For example, if a student’s GPA dips, then the student needs to own that and assure the admissions officer that it won’t happen again. Failure to include this piece leaves a lingering question in the reader’s mind about whether a student might struggle with similar circumstances again in the future.

Example: “During my sophomore year, my family relocated three times due to my parents’ jobs. As a result, I attended two different high schools and adjusted to different grading systems. This transition affected my GPA during my Sophomore year, due to a late start in the semester and the third adjustment to a new grading system in one year. Since then, I have pursued more advanced coursework, learned to lean on my teachers for support when needed, and have thrived while academically challenging myself.”

Final Thoughts

The Additional Information section remains one of the most misunderstood yet powerful parts of the Common Application. When used effectively, it gives admissions officers essential context, not excuses, to better understand your journey.

If your application includes meaningful circumstances that shaped your academic or personal path, use this space to explain them clearly and confidently. If not, feel free to leave it blank. Sometimes, the most strategic choice in the application process is restraint.