Creative Writing Supplement

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>I'm planning on sending a sample of creative writing with the Harvard supplement. I read on an old thread that I should not check off the box under Supplementary Materials and should instead attach the writing piece in the additional essay section. Does this mean that the additional essay would BE my creative writing? Or can I write an additional essay, then add my creative writing piece on that document as well, and upload them both in the additional essay section? </p>

<p>Also, why does everyone say that sometimes supplementary material can backfire? Should I send it if I consider creative writing to be a strength of mine, something I spend a lot of time doing, and I've won a local contest but nothing huge?</p>

<p>Thanks for any information.</p>

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<p>"Does this mean that the additional essay would BE my creative writing? Or can I write an additional essay, then add my creative writing piece on that document as well, and upload them both in the additional essay section? "</p>

<p>You could: (1) Upload the creative writing materials and NOT send in a supplemental essay, or (2) NOT send in the creative writing supplement and use those materials as your supplemental essay, or (3) Send in both the creative writing supplement and a supplemental essay, or (4) NOT send in anything extra (many students are accepted without sending in additional materials.)</p>

<p>Whatever you do, remember that an admissions director only has about 15-20 minutes to look at your entire file. Sometimes ‘less’ is actually ‘more’.</p>

<p>“Why does everyone say that sometimes supplementary material can backfire?”</p>

<p>Yale has some advice about this on their website and I imagine it would also apply to Harvard applicants, as well: [Supplementary</a> Materials | Yale College Admissions](<a href=“http://admissions.yale.edu/supplementary]Supplementary”>Supplementary Materials | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions) and <a href=“Advice on Putting Together Your Application | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions”>Advice on Putting Together Your Application | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions;

<p>“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>

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<p>Hmm… thank you for the feedback.</p>

<p>But there isn’t a way to upload a document to be under something other than “additional essay.” Under the supplementary materials part, there are only check boxes for if you are going to mail them a CD or artwork or something. Would it be looked down upon if I wrote an additional essay, completely separate from my creative writing, then on the same document under the heading “Supplementary Material: Creative Writing,” have an excerpt from a novel I’m writing? Am I better off to just choose either the essay or the excerpt, instead of trying to include both?</p>

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<p>You could submit an excerpt from your novel using the Harvard Supplement Additional Essay section and submit an additional essay, as well, by combining the two documents together as a Word or pdf file.</p>

<p>Or, you could submit just the additional essay on the Harvard Supplement and upload your creative writing materials on the Common App under the Additional Information section. You would then need to create an alternate version for the rest of your applications: <a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/AlternateVersionTechnologyFAQ.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/AlternateVersionTechnologyFAQ.pdf&lt;/a&gt;. </p>

<p>Most importantly: You need to show your best work with the fewest possible additional pages. </p>

<p>Having not read your materials, I cannot comment about what you should do. You should ask one of your teachers for that kind of advice, as they know you and your writing better than anyone here on CC.</p>

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<p>All right, thanks. You’ve been very helpful. :)</p>