What to put in the 'additional information' box

Scholarship and college applications frequently include an open box for anything else the committee should know. Left blank, it's a missed opportunity; filled with padding, it's actively harmful.

Good uses: explaining a grade dip tied to a specific event, describing work or caregiving hours that limited activities, noting a school that doesn't offer AP courses, or clarifying an unusual transcript.

State it plainly and without self-pity, in three or four sentences. Committees are looking for context, not a second essay.