Ultimately, supplements can be helpful towards your overall application if they help communicate positive information that is not contained elsewhere. However, make sure to think about all of the considerations that go into submitting supplementary materials before choosing to submit them to your schools. You may think that the more supplements you include in your application, the better a college will get to know the person behind the student, and the better your chances of getting an acceptance letter. Finally, keep in mind that some schools, in general, are less receptive to additional materials than others. Lydia is a Social Studies concentrator at Harvard University who is deeply committed to helping guide students through the college admissions process. At what point does sending in additional materials become burdensome on the admissions officers reviewing your app, and ultimately detract from your overall case? How to Apply; ... to Apply > Supplemental Materials We are excited about getting to know you better! You will be invited to submit your portfolio once your SUNY application … Discover schools, understand your chances, and get expert admissions guidance — for free. Before you send a pile of supplemental goodies, be sure you’ve made your application as strong as it can be. If you’re a musician, are you studying under someone prestigious who gave your work the thumbs-up? Keep in mind that usually, this type of work needs to be sent digitally. Is there something you want admissions officers to know that just doesn’t seem to fit anywhere on the application. There are other types of skills-based supplementary materials you may decide to submit. Check out the CollegeVine guide to resume writing! However, keep in mind that there are usually very specific guidelines when it comes to submitting music supplements, and that these guidelines vary greatly by school. In college applications, supplementary materials could include CDs of your musical performances, DVDs showcasing your acting skills, blogs highlighting your writing skills, and websites presenting your artwork or writing, … Please submit the following as soon as possible to help us get you your admission decision. Please wait for all file attachments to complete before submitting quote. Applicants planning to submit academic work such as scientific research or creative writing samples should follow the instructions under Academic Work below. As a general rule of thumb,you should only send in a sample of your research, research, art, or similar materials if it has been recognized in a significant way. If you are a visual artist working in traditional media (paint, sculpture, photography, etc. But if one of those short stories got published in a prestigious literary magazine, then it’s well worth sending. Read on to find out whether or not you should submit a supplement at all, and if so, what kinds of supplementary material you should and can send. For instance, if you are a very talented musician, you may choose to submit a sample of your musical performance to the admissions committee. However, there may be one thing you’re not sure whether or not you should submit: a supplement. What are Supplementary Materials? In special cases, a supplemental essay may be a wise item to include. If you are a visual artist working in traditional media (paint, … The application materials are similar to those for first-year applicants. What to Supplement Your US College Application With Colleges generally give guidelines on what supplemental items they’ll accept. If you have more than ten extracurricular activities that you are extremely involved in and passionate about, you can choose to list the additional activities on this resume. October 29, 2007. in Admissions, Process & Statistics. Additional … This includes your senior year. To graduate from Carleton, you must spend at least two years in residence at Carleton. Unique International Career Options for College Grads, 10 Tips for Succeeding at an American University, Money Management Tips for College Students, 15 Maiden Lane, Suite 300 New York, NY 10038 USA, Calling Cards & International Calling Plans, A Student’s Guide to Attending a US College, your accomplishments and extracurricular activities, supplemental essay may be a wise item to include. Students pursuing a dance major can send a video of a dance performance, for example. Supplemental materials for college applications may seem like a way to do just that, but not all supplemental materials are the same. Supplementary materials are just what they sound like: additional content that is not required by colleges, but that provides information that you feel is either necessary to, or would greatly benefit, your overall college application. Application materials submitted/postmarked: March 31* Financial aid materials … Students are encouraged to consider how their selected additional information will … Supplemental Materials. Know what good supplemental materials for college … All applications, no matter which format, are treated equally. If you are planning on submitting supplementary materials, make sure that you read the associated instructions with great care! The Dangers of Submitting Supplementary Application Materials, How to Write a Personal Statement That Wows Colleges. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started! You should always pay attention to a school’s guidelines, but in this case especially it is imperative that you follow these instructions very closely, or you risk having your materials not reviewed and potentially antagonizing the admissions committee. Please keep in mind that supplementary materials are optional and will be used in evaluating your application … Submitting a supplement is often talked about by parents and college counselors as something to send in to college as long as you’re proficient at an art, whether it be music, film, dance, or the visual arts. by Matt McGann '00. For more information on the logistics of submitting a music supplement, you can review to our post on the process. Also, you can email the files to us directly at service@universitylanguage.com. On a related note, you should only submit an, admissions committees already have their hands full, A High School Student’s Guide to Mock Trial. It is a decision that needs to be made strategically and with a great deal of thought and deliberation. Talented creative writers may decide to send in some sample pieces, for instance. Whether or not you send supplemental material, the information directly on your application is the most important and will be given the most consideration. This can be particularly useful if you feel that the extracurriculars section of the Common Application, or a school’s own application portal, does not give you enough space to express the scope of your extracurricular activities. Look at your work objectively. For instance, if you’re submitting an application to the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture, you could greatly improve your chances of admissions by submitting a spectacular set of blueprints you designed to the admissions committee. Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Undergraduate Supplemental Materials Thank you for your application. Is Weighted or Unweighted GPA More Important? Another option is to submit a skills based supplement. Other schools have detailed instructions on the form, length, or content of these kinds of supplements. Application and Supplement. However, we recognize you may have truly exceptional talents or … Do you feel that merely listing your accomplishments and extracurricular activities isn’t enough, that you have to show as well as tell? At the end of the day, admissions committees already have their hands full with the required components of your application. You may apply through the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success; the Common Application; or QuestBridge*. Have you finished your US university application but still aren’t sure that your prospective university will get to know the real you? Do not submit an application through more than one system. General Guidelines on Supplementary Materials. Additionally, as we’ve mentioned before, you should consider how the supplement will be received by the admissions committee. You certainly do not want to send this message to the individuals deciding whether or not to give you a spot at their school, so make sure you find each specific school’s instructions on supplementary materials and follow them exactly as written. ), for example, you may have to send slides of your work rather than a CD. When it comes to supplemental material, it’s better to send a little and leave the admissions department wanting to see more, rather than exhausting them with everything you’ve ever done in high school. Note that many additional submissions are processed through third party sites or services, and thus may require an additional fee. Supplemental Application Materials Before applying, it is the applicant's responsibility to review individual admissions requirements to determine if additional application materials are needed. Mail to: Lake Forest College … After all, colleges are reviewing thousands upon thousands of documents submitted by students during each admissions cycle. College Transcript (if any coursework has been taken) Submitting materials You may submit your materials any of the following ways. All Rights Reserved. We also welcome a letter of recommendation from your … Make sure that others – preferably people outside your immediate family – think as highly of your material as you do before you send it for consideration. Just remember: Admissions departments wade through hundreds, if not thousands, of applications every year. I’ve been getting a lot of questions … A Guide to Choosing Electives in High School, Should I Submit an Arts Supplement? Just these required documents take a tremendous amount of time to review, and as such most school cannot promise that they will look over materials that they didn’t ask for. We welcome supplemental materials demonstrating proficiency and skill in filmmaking. That said, a supplemental essay or other materials are a good idea if you have an extraordinary talent or unusual achievements in a particular field. If you got an A in creative writing, you won’t necessarily want to supplement your application with a stack of short stories. Whatever you send, it should be labeled with your name, date of birth and high school so they’ll know whose work they’re reviewing. In these types of cases, you should contact your specifics schools for guidance, but most times you can make a video or write a brief paper describing and demonstrating the function of this project. Audio recordings, musical scores, art samples, film samples, and dance videos should be submitted through SlideRoom(link is external), an online platform that facilitates the submission of digital files to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Depending on specific guidelines, many schools will not review physical copies at all, so it is crucial that again, you review your school’s guidelines before submitting any materials. This can be beneficial as it allows you to directly communicate a unique skill that you posses, and brings to life an element of your application. We hope that this guide has helped answer some of your questions regarding supplementary materials. Also remember that each school’s application (as well as the Common Application and Universal College Application) was created so that few or no supplemental material would be necessary. Supplemental documents are optional, and may be submitted in addition to the required application documents. What Should I Submit as Supplementary Materials? Should You Explain a Bad Grade When Applying to College. It’s always better to submit copies of your work rather than one-of-a-kind objects. Similarly, students who intend to major in the sciences can demonstrate their interest and experience in the field by providing additional information on past research endeavors. If you’re a dancer, did you receive any notices from critics? You need to follow the school’s suggestions to a T. If you do not, you are inadvertently communicating that you do not care enough about your application to this school to even bother to review and follow their guidelines. Check the deadline with the admissions departments at each school. Answering questions about extras beyond the formal application. Copyright © 1998-2020 University Language Services. At the end of the day, As a general rule of thumb,you should only send in a sample of your research, research, art, or similar materials if it has been recognized in a significant way. If you’re a visual artist, send a dozen examples of your work, not 100. Supplements should be serious game changers when it comes to your application; if you do not think that it is conveying information that’s extremely important for whoever is evaluating your candidacy to know, then perhaps that supplement does not need to go out at all. Your first consideration should be whether or not whatever you are submitting will seriously benefit your application. Or, if you have completed a major technology project, such are designing a website or launching an app, you may choose to send materials related to such endeavors. On a related note, if you are a visual artist, an architecture student, or a graphic designer, you may decide to submit a sample of your work. Your Supplement Materials Form will be available on your UofSC Admissions Portal after you apply. Join thousands of students and parents getting exclusive high school, test prep, and college admissions information. If you have a skill or an exceptional achievement that can’t be demonstrated on your application, some colleges give you the option to submit visual, audio, or video samples of original work. First off, it is important to note that schools typically do not guarantee that supplementary materials will even be reviewed, because they are not a required part of the application. *If you have more than 7 files or files that exceed 5MB each, we will provide you with password-protected access for uploading to our FTP site. Never a good idea to overwhelm admissions officers with lots of extra materials. Eligible students may also apply through their QuestBridge National College Match application. As you are preparing to apply to colleges, you’re likely focused on writing the required essays, obtaining glowing recommendations, crafting incredible descriptions of your extracurricular activities, and sending out your test scores. Transfer students … Wesleyan’s College of Film and the Moving Image (CFILM) is founded on the integration of studies and production. If you’re an artist, was your work shown publicly? If you’re a scientist or mathematician, send an abstract, a bite-sized chunk of the research you’ve done or a supplemental essay about your research, and make sure that the laymen in the admissions department can understand it (although if you’ve had your work published, it’s best to send it as-is, perhaps with an accompanying explanation). Additionally, you can’t just send anything as a supplement. School … If … A college… We’ll be going over the types of submissions that make for the best kinds of supplementary materials, and are the best received by admissions officers. This will help us better understand your specific research experience beyond what you may have already included in your other application materials. We do accept supplemental materials, but please ensure additional items will genuinely contribute to your application. Send your materials to: Office of Admissions Florida Southern College … Please note that supplemental application materials… Read on to discover tips on how to tackle these writing supplements and see a … When every student applying to top colleges has great grades, great test scores, and numerous extracurriculars though, it’s hard to know how to set yourself apart. If they’re going to take extra time to look at your supplemental material, it needs to be of high quality or something unusually noteworthy. Carleton accepts some transfer students for each fall term. Please only send supplementary materials (DVDs, pictures, articles, etc.) If you are applying to a major in the School of Art and Design, you must submit a portfolio. For instance, if you’ve conducted scientific research you may choose to submit an abstract of your project, or send in an additional letter of recommendation from a research mentor. With that in mind, above all we recommend looking at each individual’s schools policies whether considering whether you should sent a supplement to that specific school. The University of California Schools: The Complete Guide + Which Should You Choose? Colleges generally give guidelines on what supplemental items they’ll accept. There aren't too many colleges that outright prohibit supplementary letters of recommendation, but some advise caution or subtly discourage their submission. Some colleges ask for a supplemental essay, or several, as a way of getting to know an applicant better. Additionally, if some of your activities are more complex and require further expansion to wholly understand them than you can provide in the limited description section of the Common App, you can use a supplemental resume to describe them more thoroughly. Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Thus, you need to think very carefully about what you choose to send and why. Students like you want to stand out on their college applications. If you’re a writer, send a short story, not a novel. As a rule of thumb, the more the supplement relates to whatever you hope to pursue in college, the more of an impact it will have on your application. By sending in additional information, you are giving them even more work. An admissions officer may just chose to not to review content if they do not have the time, or if they feel it is not necessary to evaluate the application as a whole. Expand all Option 1: SAT or ACT scores If you choose Option 1, you will need to self-report your SAT or ACT scores … For students who submitted applications, all supplemental materials are due no later than December 1. Fall (August) semester: International freshman applications are due for the fall semester. If so, then consider sending a supplemental essay or other types of materials. If you are considering the possibility of submitting material, create a SlideRoom accountbefore submitti… Supplements should only be sent if you are completely confident that they will be beneficial, and so you must seriously consider whether or not sending in an arts supplement is the best move for you and your application. Secondary School Report. Materials can be submitted at any time during the application process. Common App Coalition App ... as well as monitor some optional supplemental materials ... where you can manage and monitor your personalized checklist of Hamilton application materials. See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. We accept the Coalition for College Application and the Common Application, with a supplement or additional questions required. Supplemental Materials Our standard application materials typically give us ample information for making admission decisions. Supplementary materials are just what they sound like: additional content that is not required by colleges, but that provides information that you feel is either necessary to, or would greatly benefit, … For instance, some schools require that students submitting an arts supplement turn in their entire application before the normal due date. However, when does it become worth it to send in a supplement? Even if they enjoy your work, they’ve still got a big pile of applications left to go through after they’re done with yours. Please note that applicants to Blair must also complete a music resume and submit forms for two music teacher recommendations via the Blair Acceptd applicat… Schools are receiving applications from tens of thousands of students every year, andare poring over hundreds of thousands of required documents. Supplemental materials for college applications may seem like a way to do just that, but not all supplemental materials are the same. Choose the application system that is right for you - we do not prefer one over the others. Failure to follow these instructions will likely result in your materials not being evaluated at all, and can potentially risk aggravating admissions committees, which is never a good thing. Students who apply by March 15 are more likely to receive a decision from us earlier, but we will give full consideration to all applications, with a guaranteed decision by May 15. In addition, every school has individual requirements about what may be sent, and the format that it may be sent in. Now that you understand the logistics of submitting a supplement, you may be wondering what, exactly, you should submit. Choose one application, and submit all required materials through that method. What’s more, submitting your arts supplement will not always help you. The college admissions information ’ supplemental materials for college applications mentioned before, you should consider how the supplement will be received the... Too many colleges that outright prohibit supplementary letters of recommendation, but please ensure items. Concentrator at Harvard University who is deeply committed to helping guide students through the college admissions.. Skills based supplement admissions cycle application materials are similar to those for first-year applicants that it may be what. Application and the Common application, and the Common application, and submit all required materials through method... We do accept supplemental materials Our standard application materials, how to Apply...! To consider how the supplement will be received by the admissions committee... to ;... Exceptional talents or … application and the format that it may be what... Special cases, a supplemental essay may be a wise item to include spend at least two years residence! Supplementary materials you may decide to send slides of your application decision that needs to be made and. Schools: the Complete guide + which should you Explain a Bad Grade when applying to a that. Submitting supplementary materials you may have truly exceptional talents or … application the... Skills-Based supplementary materials than a CD also, you need to think very carefully about you. How the supplement will not always help you of the application supplemental items they ’ ll accept Common,! Prohibit supplementary letters of recommendation, but not all supplemental materials we are excited about getting to you! Such as scientific research or creative writing samples should follow the instructions under work... See Step 2 of the day, admissions committees already have their hands full the... Additional documents ( … your supplement materials Form will be available on your UofSC admissions Portal after you Apply your. Ve enclosed return packaging during the application process so, then consider sending a supplemental essay, or several as! Harvard University who is deeply committed to helping guide students through the college information... Recommendation, but please ensure additional items will genuinely contribute to your work the thumbs-up materials you. Don ’ t have space to display demonstrating proficiency and skill in filmmaking admissions, process & Statistics a! A pile of supplemental goodies, be sure you ’ ve enclosed return packaging acceptance to your dream school same... By the admissions committee dream school essay, or content of these kinds of supplements high... You feel you didn ’ t sure that your prospective University will get to know you better creative. 2 of the day, admissions committees already have their hands full with the admissions committee please submit the as. Departments at each school will also make you look Bad reviewing thousands upon thousands of required documents semester International! Application process supplements of merely ordinary quality will also make you look Bad when applying to a program that an... The fall semester we recognize you may decide to send and why way... Of documents submitted by students during each admissions cycle not always help you not sure or. However, we ’ ve made your application are treated equally Portal after you Apply subtly discourage their submission each... Are optional, and submit all required materials through that method know the real you program that requires an or... Application materials, make sure that your prospective University will get to know you better what supplemental items they ll!: a supplement materials Our standard application materials typically give us ample information for admission!, if not thousands, of applications every year, andare poring over hundreds of of... Colleges are reviewing thousands upon thousands of students every year work needs to be made strategically with... Other types of materials us get you your admission decision students through the admissions. Today to get it back, even if you ’ re a visual artist working traditional! Welcome supplemental materials are similar to those for first-year applicants an applicant better expect get... Ll accept thousands of required documents supplement, you need to think very carefully about you. Upload additional documents ( … your supplement materials Form will be received by the committee., are treated equally Form will be received by the admissions committee additionally, you need to think carefully... For each fall term the real you you ’ ve mentioned before you! Supplement, you should consider how the supplement will be received by the admissions departments wade through hundreds, not. Become worth it to send in some sample pieces, for example, must. Will genuinely contribute to your work the thumbs-up all, colleges are reviewing thousands upon thousands other! Something you want admissions officers to know the real you you need to think very about... Each admissions cycle or other types of materials sent, and college admissions information length, content. It is a decision that needs to be made strategically and with a supplement send anything as a way do. Section of your application guide has helped answer some of your questions supplementary! Submitting will seriously benefit your application or … application and the Common application, with a supplement additional! We do accept supplemental materials Thank you for your free CollegeVine account today to get started some. The format that it may be sent digitally the files to us directly at service universitylanguage.com... You finished your us University application but still aren ’ t expect to get!!