<p>Are students only allowed to submit this supplement if they are EXCEPTIONALLY good at an art form?
Should students who are good, but not great, submit it too? How are they evaluated?</p>
<p>First of all, not all schools accept the arts supplement so before you go thorough the trouble make sure that the schools that interest you do.</p>
<p>If you have a particular artistic talent and don’t have another means to convey this to the school, then I would say it’s worth the trouble.</p>
<p>In terms of how “good” you need to be, that’s obviously a judgment call but if your good enough that you think it will help your application, then I would say go ahead.</p>
<p>My son is a musician and he did submit the arts supplement (he was applying to “regular” colleges, not music conservatories which have their own audition processes, etc.).</p>
<p>Would a recommendation from a theater instructor or from someone who knows my work well be sufficient? Do I need to send a DVD or something?
I want to send visual art samples and theater recs.</p>
<p>Not theater or visual art specific, but the threads <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/968565-musical-edge.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/968565-musical-edge.html</a>, <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/830660-yale-arts-supplement.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/830660-yale-arts-supplement.html</a> and the links within may give you some insights.</p>
<p>You need to review the parameters for supplement submission at each institution. Gauging your talents against a broad base is the most difficult. Professional assessment, competition success and awards, the ability to derive income from the pursuit are some of the indicators.</p>
<p>Can a supplement that isn’t good enough according to a school’s standard hamper my admission chances?</p>
<p>Depends on the institution. The performance and creative arts are often very subjective, yet there are benchmarks and standards that apply in evaluating submissions. </p>
<p>At many schools, a supp means very little one way or another. At others, it will demonstrate a particular talent or passion, and be enough to make a candidate stand out.</p>
<p>For most, it is another data point or two, and NOT what gets them in.</p>
<p>Think about this:</p>
<p>If they request “excellence”, and you provide “average” how does that help you?</p>
<p>If they want a DVD and you provide a CD, what does that say about following parameters? </p>
<p>It will not kill chances, but it sure won’t help.</p>
<p>I’m am curious about how a college like Stanford reviews the arts supplement. Does the particular department review the supplement first and then interface with the admissions department with their recommendations? Has anyone out there asked this question and gotten a solid response?</p>
<p>CarCar - When I took my son to visit Stanford, the adcom said the arts supplement IS reviewed by the applicable department (music/dance) who then fill out an evaluation sheet and then forward that evaluation to the admissions office. That’s why the arts supplement is due 15 days before the admissions deadline, to allow for that review.</p>
<p>If you are trying to figure out how to distribute your remaining time among application tasks: if your Arts Supplement is truly outstanding, submit; if it’s more represents a normal EC in terms of observable achievement, don’t bother. Instead, spend your time on such things as a top quality personal essay. </p>
<p>My understanding is that, for a regular LIberal Arts program (as compared to a conservatory or competitive major in the arts…) the Arts Supplement will be reviewed by faculty in the relevant academic department, separately from Admissions. Then it’s returned with written comment to Admissions. So, if the Department deems it outstanding, that can help get you admitted if your app is already looking promising to them.</p>
<p>If what you have to show in the Arts Supp is more ordinary, their comments won’t hurt you at all for Admissions – but you might have wasted some precious January time doing it.</p>
<p>So if you are a Senior, asking to know how to split up your time right now, I hope that helps you decide what to do.</p>