Hello,
I have been scouring through these forums trying to see if anyone had any photographic work that I could compare mine to. With no luck, I have decided to make an account, finally - haha!
Anyways, I am looking for opinions on whether or not I am considered “talented” by a university allowing art supplements, namely Stanford. I know this is entirely subjective from person to person, but I’d like to hear some opinions regardless.
Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/jkhkjsz
Thanks! 
I can’t say how Stanford will view your supplement, but I think you are a very strong and talented photographer. Your portfolio shows nice composition, is visually interesting, and shows thought, creativity, and technical ability. Well done!
Have you already applied, or are you looking to apply for next year?
I think they are quite good. You have a good eye for composition.
Thank you both for the positive feedback! Not going to lie, I was a bit skeptical whether or not this would receive good reviews. I have plenty of other photos that may seem more like “conventional” photography, if that might be helpful?
@renaissancedad I am currently in the process of applying as a transfer student. However, I know my chances are virtually zero due to my SAT scores. I can’t remember the exact number off of the top of my head, but my most recent scores, from early senior year in high school, were around 16-1700. The only thing going for me is my photography and my GPA (3.94/4.0) at my state’s best university. The only EC I have is being the President/Founder of the photography club on my campus. Other than that, I work as a professional freelancer and for a lifestyle sock company. Both part-time.
I am applying as a economics major, however, do you believe that it would make better sense in an admissions perspective to apply as a fine art major? I doubt it would increase my overall chances by even a smidge, but it’s a legitimate thought.
I don’t think it will make enough of a difference which major you indicate. And unfortunately, I doubt that a photography portfolio alone - no matter how good, and how favorably received - will be enough to make a huge difference. Hopefully Stanford will look at your more recent academic achievement more than your test scores, but transfer to Stanford is even tougher than admission.
I think your portfolio is very cohesive and well thought out as it is, and emphasizes your skills. Whatever happens with Stanford, don’t get discouraged. Good luck!
Definitely so! Thank you. I greatly appreciate the realism you expressed.
I suppose that I would have to write insanely good essays to even get the tiniest bit of a consideration. I have the stories: growing up poor, losing a parent to cancer, verbally abusive household, etc, etc, but it is quite difficult to even emphasize any of that, given the questions they ask as a transfer.
For my personal statement (reasons why I wish to transfer), I am writing about how photography has played an enormous role in my life over the last year and a half I’ve been doing it, and somehow mixing that with learning basic economic concept and theories while running my business (freelance work). I basically said that this is where my interest was sparked for economics. Yikes, I am presenting it as very messy and sporadic, but I do feel as if I have a direction. My whole application, and the answers to the questions, is centered around those two ideas.
Would this be an effective approach?
I am also applying to Penn and NYU with the same credentials. Knowing that Penn is a slight better chance for me, I do not feel totally discouraged. But hey, whatever happens, happens.
I am a total amateur on the subject, but I thought your photos looked fantastic!
I should be careful posting this in the Stanford forum, but I wonder if you really “need” Stanford to get you where you are going! It seems like you are the type to blaze your own trail, and the school you go to might not be so important.
If your current school is not as strong in photography, how about some schools that are more known for their photography/fine arts programs but aren’t so crazy competitive to get into academically?
Examples would be University of New Mexico, Arizona, Arizona State. And maybe RISD, where you can cross-register for some classes at Brown. Just a thought. I am sure other people on CC know better than I do.
Good luck!
I don’t know what the timeframe is for transfer applications, but I would look at both Brown and RISD. I agree with the above post, there are lots of places that you could finish your education that would help you get where you are going. Grad school would be more interesting, particularly if you want to do something with your photography. You might look at places like the MIT Open Documentary Lab (or even the Media Lab) and the Duke MFA in Experimental and Documentary Studies:
http://opendoclab.mit.edu
https://mfaeda.duke.edu
As for your essay, I think that you can certainly connect your photography interest and running a freelance business to an interest in entrepreneurship. I wouldn’t try to relate it to economic theory per se - that seems like too much of a stretch. But there are lots of directions you can take your photographic interest in that would be interesting.
Thank you, really appreciate the feedback. Great advice, too! That is something I never even thought about!
I think I will remove the link. I got enough feedback to satisfy my measures.
Unfortunately, though, my intended major is within the business realm. As you said, I seem to be blazing my own trail, which I do feel like I am, therefor I don’t believe I necessarily I need a degree in fine art. I wouldn’t be opposed to a fine art minor, however. But at that point, my current school doesn’t offer that as a major or a minor. So I’d definitely have to transfer to accomplish that.
I also forgot to mention that I am afraid of taking out large loans to cover out-of-state tuition. I get my education for near-free because I qualify for federal grants, all while staying in-state. This wouldn’t be the case for an Ivy or Stanford, because well… it’s obvious. 
I missed the deadline for all of the other Ivies, so my only option is grad school. Or I guess I could just drop out now and wait until applications open back up. Haha!!