<p>Duke is my top choice school and I want the highest chances offered to me for getting admitted. This being said, I plan to submit a supplement of my piano playing. Does anybody know how much of an effect this will make on my application?</p>
<p>Is an art supplement useful in showing off another side of you? Yes. If it is absolutely fantastic, and evaluated by music professors as such, will that make a difference? Maybe. Will the mere presence of a music supplement give you extra points? No.</p>
<p>Is your piano playing good enough that you could be recruited at some colleges/conservatories? If not, then I would discourage your supplement submittal.</p>
<p>Think of a sports analogy. You might be the best cross country runner in the history of your high school and hold every school record. However, unless you are good enough to earn some type of national recognition, Duke’s adcoms won’t be impressed.</p>
<p>You certainly should include your years of piano study on your application - I am not belittling your accomplishment. However, the threshold for where a supplement would make a positive impact is quite high.</p>
<p>My uninformed guess is that a majority of supplements have a negative impact, since they are not impressive enough yet require adcoms to invest considerable time and effort having them evaluated by faculty experts.</p>