A common question I receive is whether—and how—to use the Optional Information section of the application. The answer is straightforward: use this space to provide clarity or context.
If there are aspects of your application that may raise questions or require clarification if left unaddressed, this is the place to do it. If there aren’t, it is perfectly acceptable to leave it blank. This section is not the place to introduce new accomplishments, additional leadership examples, or further explanation of why you want to come to Tuck. In this blog, I will provide guidance on effective use of this section of the application and when you should refrain from using it altogether.
References
Our application asks that at least one of your Letters of Reference (LORs) comes from your current direct supervisor; however, we understand that, for a variety of reasons, you may not be able to ask your current supervisor (or employer) for a LOR. If this is the case, you are asked in the References section of the application to indicate the reason why you are not.
It is not necessary to repeat that reason here, but if you feel your situation needs additional explanation beyond the available dropdown choices offered, you may provide it in Optional Information. If your relationship with the person writing your reference is not immediately clear from your application, you may use this space to provide that context.
Academic Performance
If your academic performance was not strong, for either a portion or all of your studies, help us understand why. Although individual reasons vary, we tend to see two common scenarios. The first is extenuating circumstances: factors that significantly impacted your grades and were outside of your control, such as a personal emergency, family issues, or illness. The second includes factors that were at least partially within your control such as work obligations to support yourself financially, overextending yourself with extracurriculars, or ineffective time-management/prioritization of commitments.
Here it’s not enough to just provide the context around your performance. We are looking for evidence that these circumstances are not reflective of your ability to succeed at Tuck. So, after explaining the situation, point us to evidence that better reflects your academic aptitude, time management, or demonstrates how you have grown since that time.
Test Scores
This is the place to address something that may have significantly impacted your performance on the GMAT or GRE, or to explain why you believe your scores are not representative of your academic aptitude. Explain the circumstances briefly, then point us to other evidence that you believe better reflects your academic capabilities.
You can also use this space to inform us of any upcoming GMAT/GRE test date(s), if applicable, and when our team can expect to hear from you with an update.
Employment History
The Other Employment Information section of the application provides you with space to address any employment gaps of two months or more. It is not necessary to repeat that information here.
A good use of the Optional Information section is to explain aspects of your career progression that are not immediately obvious from your resume. Examples include unconventional career transitions, lack of title progression due to an unusually flat structure at your organization, or a recent job change that could raise questions about your decision to pursue an MBA at this point in your career.
We are deliberate about the questions we ask in our application and have carefully crafted it so that each of our four admissions criteria is captured in a specific place and you are provided with opportunities to showcase how you meet all of them.
We appreciate that there is more to you than what you can fit into three essays and other supporting materials, yet we ask that you exercise good judgment and restraint. Before using the Optional Information section ask yourself if what you are providing here belongs elsewhere in your application. It is not an effective use of this space to:
The addition of this information isn’t helpful to our evaluation and could reflect negatively on your awareness. Good judgment includes knowing when additional information is necessary—and when it is not. More isn’t always better.
If you choose to use this section, be concise and to the point. We give you 2000 characters here, but you do not need to use them all. While we call it an optional essay, it’s not necessary to use essay format. If you need to address several topics, bullet points are perfectly acceptable.
In your explanation, remain objective, avoid excuses, and when appropriate, tell us what you learned or how you addressed the situation.
Absolutely. Rest assured, this is not a test. Most applicants do not need to use this section at all, and we will not think less of you if you leave it blank.
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