<p>I had a question...</p>
<p>About sending research supplements, since the adcoms are supposed to read everything, will they read the entire paper as well if i send it in?</p>
<p>and about music supplements...what happens if someone sends in a mediocre one? can it hurt one's admission? how is a music supplement evaluated? is it additive only, like for stanford, can it also detract from the app? is it typically forwarded to a dept?</p>
<p>THANKS!!!</p>
<p>Admissions Officers have about 15 to 20 minutes to review each file, which includes your transcript, test scores, teacher recommendations, extracurricular activities and essays. They barely have enough time to give all the required elements of your file a close read, and certainly don’t have the expertise, or the time, to review music or research supplements. That true for Harvard, Stanford and all colleges.</p>
<p>If Admissions feels strongly about the required elements of your file, they may forward your music supplement to the music department for evaluation, or your research paper to the appropriate academic department for review. Much will depend on how strongly they feel about you; some supplements get forwarded to academic departments, others do not.</p>
<p>I actually think Yale has some of the best advice for supplements on its website which can also apply to Harvard and Stanford as well: [Supplementary</a> Materials | Yale College Admissions](<a href=“http://admissions.yale.edu/supplementary]Supplementary”>Supplementary Materials | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions)</p>
<p>"You should think carefully before submitting supplementary materials with your Yale College application. Most successful applicants submit only the items that we require. There are cases in which too many submissions, or submissions that do not reflect a high level of talent, can actually work against a candidate. Because the Admissions Committee gives greatest weight to the documents required of all applicants, we recommend that you focus your energy primarily on those elements of the application.</p>
<p>Supplementary submissions may make sense for students with substantial and well-developed talent that cannot be conveyed adequately in the rest of the application. Due to the large number of applications that Yale College receives, we cannot evaluate all supplementary materials. Admissions officers and faculty members will be selective in choosing which submissions to review."</p>
<p>I can’t remember where I read this, but the #1 extracurricular activity sited by Harvard applicants is music, and many of them submit music supplements of themselves playing at Careneige Hall, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops etc. (think Yo-Yo Ma). Those students are your competition; your music supplement will be judged against theirs. So, while a mediocre music supplement may not sink your application, it cannot help you! </p>
<p>The take-away from this very long post (sorry): DO NOT submit a music supplement unless you have demonstrated music talent that is extraordinary and don’t submit a research supplement unless it is also of ultra-high caliber.</p>
<p><a href=“15-Yr-Old Kelvin Doe Wows M.I.T. - YouTube”>15-Yr-Old Kelvin Doe Wows M.I.T. - YouTube;
<p>The above youtube link exemplifies the extraordinary accomplishments of teenagers throughout the world who will also be submitting research supplements with their applications. This student is your competition! How does your research supplement stand up?</p>
<p>Thanks gibby! Helpful as always!
That boy is amazing. I hope he can realize all of his dreams. That video sparked a whole half hour of me watching those prodigy videos… I hope some of them are on TED too.
Obviously, I really couldn’t compare… those are the types of people I hope will make it in.
But hopefully not everyone at these selective schools is as extraordinary as he is.</p>
<p>So, just to clarify, a mediocre submission will not hurt, per say, at a place like Harvard, or Stanford, whereas for Yale, it can?</p>
<p>Thanks so much!!! :D</p>
<p>^^ No, a mediocre submission WILL hurt your chances no matter where you apply.</p>