<p>Here’s the thing. A photo such as described in the OP doesn’t add anything to a college application. Affixing an unsolicited picture puts the admissions process under pressure that isn’t good for you. What are the AdComs supposed to understand from that picture? That the student is physically attractive? That’s no criterion for admission. That a student is an URM? List that elsewhere with a checkmark. </p>
<p>Someone reviewing a supplemental arts application will almost surely know of every play s/he might have been in. Showing him or her in costume says no more than just listing the name of play and character portrayed. It doesn’t need to be proved with a photo.</p>
<p>SoozieVt’s headshot information is a whole other aspect; yes, that’s needed later for auditions, but as SoozieVt noted, it’s not a full-figure in costume. It’s a professional headshot. It is relevant because, in the theater industry, physical attributes of facial appearance, height and weight all influence – but don’t determine – casting. So there, it’s relevant and new info. </p>
<p>A photo to a general college application adds nothing and IMO suggests a certain insensitivity to the entire selection process. Keep on topic. How the student looks is not the topic.</p>
<p>A photo on the job - again, we all know what someone looks like behind a desk, holding a lab beaker or waiting tables. I can’t see that it adds anything to show it in photographic form.</p>