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I am considering sending a creative writing supplement to the schools I am applying to. I have won a few awards, and it is one of my strong points.

My question is, do colleges want this? Unlike a musician or visual artist sending information, my writing ability (though not poetry, drama, fiction, etc) will be shown through my essays, short answer, and (sort of) SAT II in writing. Should I still send extra information in? I brought journalistic work to some of my interviews (not high school paper stuff) and was told to send it with my application. It feels wrong though, since creative writing is where my talent actually is. So...should I send it? Also, if I send it, what is the standard format? Should it be stapled or put in a folder? What is a reasonable amount of writing to send? Do I need a cover letter?

Thanks in advance.

By California Mom (Calmom) on Friday, November 30, 2001 - 11:47 pm: Edit

Alison,
It really depends on the college - some want things like this, some don't. You really might want to contact the admissions office at each college first to see whether they will accept the material.

By Jesse Collins (Amusery) on Friday, December 28, 2001 - 08:33 pm: Edit

73.1

What extra materials do admissions officers actually consider reviewing? I have an independant research paper in mathematics completed at a college-level summer program, some published poetry, and a term paper my English teacher said was the best he ever read. Will the schools I'm applying to, including Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, consider that kind of material in my application? And if so, would it be likely to help my chances of admission? Thanks

By anonymous on Friday, December 28, 2001 - 11:02 pm: Edit

It's unsettled. Some experts warn of an old adage among adcomms, "the thicker the file, the thicker the student" but others see the application as an applicant's only shot at putting his best foot forward. I won't speak for him but believe Dave ascribes to the latter philosophy and look forward to his input. As someone else said, I think it also depends on the college. The applicant is making a judgment call, I think the litmus test should be whether the supplemental material adds anything new and significant to the file.

By Dadster on Friday, December 28, 2001 - 11:10 pm: Edit

Jesse, I think the important thing is to only include material if it is TRULY outstanding. If you are an incredibly good mathematician, poet, and writer, then include samples of everything. Otherwise, I'd suggest getting some outside input on which work might be most impressive and include only that. Good luck!

By California Mom (Calmom) on Saturday, December 29, 2001 - 12:40 am: Edit

Jesse,
My personal feeling would be that for Ivy League colleges, the only appropriate submission would be a sample of your published poetry, and then only if it has been published in a nationally-recognized journal or in a book. A research paper, even if done at the college level, just isn't special enough to impress Ivy League admissions. Also, the ad comm people have a lot to read, and a paper on mathematics is bound to be difficult to read or assess in a short time. There is a much greater likelihood that someone will actually read your poem.

It can be different for other colleges. Many liberal arts colleges actually require submission of writing samples as part of the admission process, and in that case they really do want to see the work you have done for school.

By Dave Berry on Sunday, December 30, 2001 - 09:41 am: Edit

Anonymous, my son must be pretty thick, then. When he applied (successfully) to Princeton, his application package just made the cut for the two-pound priority-mail-letter limit. He included a governor's school team research report, copies of award certificates, an extended resume, newspaper clippings, and other documentation. He explained to the adcom that all this additional material was intended to document the aspect of his intellectual curiosity, love of learning, and various passions in his life.

I agreed with and supported his approach. All this wasn't bragging by him; it was marketing (in the positive sense). If the applicant doesn't strut his or her best stuff, who will? How else is the adcom supposed to know these things about the applicant if the applicant doesn't present them? Sure, recs can help, but rec writers usually don't present information this thorough.

As Calmom says, don't waste the adcom's time with inconsequential materials. However, something as seemingly mundane as a few artistic photographs can be a plus IF they are part of a fully integrated application package where "themes" about the applicant are presented.

Those reading this who haven't yet experience the inexactitudes of elite admissions may be shaking their heads wondering what all the fuss is about. I suggest that they spend some time evaluating the Ivies' admitted-student stats and reading some of the Web's admission-related discussion forums (such as Princeton Review's) where real students reveal their stats along with their successes and failures in getting into these schools. It's amazing how some of these kids can't get in. I truly believe that had they taken the time, care, and thought to prepare their applications properly, many of them would have been admitted to the same schools that rejected them.

Frankly, I don't think the majority of elite-college applicants understand how challenging the admissions process is. Also, in my view, they are distracted by to many competing interests and bad information. The process begins not in the fall of one's senior year, but, rather, many years prior. It's not a sprint; it's a marathon.

By Sammer on Saturday, February 23, 2002 - 04:39 pm: Edit

This is all true. On average, supplements might actually seem to help an applicant to reveal things that the adcom would otherwise never see. However, isn't it also true that these things would also have to be backed up by the statistics/numbers? I.E., a supplement won't take the place of a not-so-perfect SAT score, will it?

By Dadster on Sunday, February 24, 2002 - 10:44 am: Edit

>>a supplement won't take the place of a not-so-perfect SAT score, will it?<<

Sammer, a great SAT score and an outstanding supplement would be the best combination, of course. And it is true that the most selective schools are reluctant to admit candidates that don't measure up academically, even if they have outstanding talents.

However, if a supplement demonstrated true talent in some area of endeavor, and if other indicators (like GPA, awards & recognition, etc.) were strong, I'd say it could help offset a weaker SAT. Of course, it depends on what "not-so-perfect" means. If it's a 950, the supplement had better be world-class, like the paper that took first place in the Intel Science Awards; on the other hand, if the the SAT is just a tad low for a particular school but is above the fourth quartile, good supplementary material, along with other evidence of excellence, could go a long way toward securing admission.

Be aware, too, that stuffing the app isn't the objective - a supplement should be included only if it really tells something about the applicant or his/her capabilities. Bad supplement material (average writing, amateurish artwork, high-school quality music performance, etc.) could hurt the applicant.