has anyone been accepted into the ogden honors college that didn’t do the recommended essay?

i do have a rough draft for my “a-ha” moment, but i was just curious because i’ve been under the impression that when colleges say that something is optional or recommended but not mandatory, it really means that if you do it, you’ll have a better chance of appealing to them.

also, if you’re in the honors college, what’s your experience like? are the dorms better, the classes smaller, etc.?