The D Section

Being in the midst of the application season, our office is inundated with calls from applicants. Just last week, I had several questions regarding Form D on the Supplemental Application. For those of you not familiar with our application, Form D is the "Statement of Educational Opportunity".

According to our instructions: "We believe that students of diverse backgrounds will positively contribute to the intellectual, social, and cultural enrichment of the School's academic programs and student body. Although not required, Form D provides you with the opportunity to tell us how you may have overcome economic, social, cultural, or educational barriers while pursuing your academic goals."

The 4 areas that are included on Form D include:

C1. SOCIAL/CULTURAL FACTORS. Please tell us about any unique circumstances involving your family and/or the community in which you were raised, and how these social and/or cultural factors might have adversely affected the pursuit of your education.

C2. ECONOMIC FACTORS. Economic factors, such as the need to work, dependent care, family resources, etc., can often seriously impede an individual’s academic progress. Use the space below to elaborate on any economic issues that affected your schooling.

C3. EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGES. The availability and types of schooling offered, as well as the history of education in one’s family and/or community might vary significantly. Comment below on any educational disadvantages you feel you might have had to overcome.

C4. LEARNING AND/OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. Do you now have, or have you had in the past, any learning or physical disabilities that might have adversely affected your academic performance? if so, please indicate what accommodations, if any, you were provided in high school and college.

So.... the questions we always seem to get (and my responses):

• Do I have to fill this form out? No. Form D is totally optional!

• Should I complete Form D? Sure -- but only if you feel we should know about a particular situation or issue that fits into one of the 4 areas.

• If I do not fill out Form D, will my application be less competitive? Absolutely not. Form D is optional!

• Why do you include a Form D anyway? Well, we believe that it's important to provide applicants with the opportunity to comment or provide us with any information that puts their application into context. If we talk about a "holistic review" of an applicant, these areas are important for us to know about.

• Do I have to complete all sections? No, Form D is optional! If you think you may have something in 1 or 2 sections, then just complete those sections. If it's only 1 area that you feel is appropriate, then just complete that 1 section. Did I mention that Form D is optional?

• If I complete Form D, will I be a more competitive applicant? No. But it could help explain a particular situation. Sometimes, an application may have a "red flag" somewhere. By explaining a situation on Form D, the "red flag" can be appropriately addressed.
  

So there you have it... everything you wanted to know about Form D (but were afraid to ask!)

We receive many applications with Form D's included -- and many applications that do not include it.

We admit many applicants who have included it -- and many applicants who have not.

We've denied many applicants who have included it -- and denied many applicants who have not.

It's optional. Complete Form D if it's appropriate for you to do so. Don't include it if you don't feel compelled to address any issues in the 4 areas.

I did mention that Form D is optional, right? I think I did. I hope I did.

(It's kind of like going to a "black-tie optional" party. If you feel compelled to wear a black tie, great! Rock it! If not, no big deal -- because it's optional!)