<p>garetville - You have to keep in mind that there are hundreds, if not even a thousand or so, students like your son with very high stats, excellent EC’s and great recs that are competing for 75 awards. That leaves the project to help separate out who wins and who doesn’t. In other words you need the academics and EC’s to make it to the finals, but at that point everyone in the finals has pretty much the same excellent resume and they are trying to impress the judges with something new and unique to them.</p>
<p>So while I certainly cannot read the minds of the Deans that evaluate the projects, IMHO an essay (I assume that is what you mean by portrait) simply reciting what they already know about him probably won’t do it. But being “creative” doesn’t always mean being able to paint or write a song or poem, etc. It can also mean being clever, which is not the same thing. And in that cleverness one can intertwine aspects of oneself that might enhance what admissions and the DHS people know form just reading an application.</p>
<p>I know that is a bit vague, but it has to be because only your son can make the project his. Often students have told me if they just try to clear their mind, go do something peaceful and contemplative for a while and not stress about it, something comes to them.</p>
<p>He should also try for the Paul Tulane Award, since those involve essays rather than projects. True, the essay topics are a bit offbeat, but still that is somewhat different than trying to do something with a square on a piece of paper.</p>