Hi, I am an international student who is currently studying in the U.S.
I wrote a book about my experiences and inspirations after coming to the U.S, and the book is actually being published by a publisher back in my home country.
The book is in both English and my native Language, since I wrote in both languages interchangeably, and translated them into each other later.
Do you think I should send my book as a supplementary material for my common app? If so, how? I think most colleges accept PDF files through SlideRoom, but does that apply for an actual book? Is sending in physical copies possible? Or is it worth doing at all?
Do not send anything unless they ask for it.
We were told that they didn’t want extra materials because they didn’t have time to sort through it.
As for admissions, you need top scores on your tests and top grades with ECs and a good essay.
Don’t send the book. You can put that you wrote the book on your application. Admissions officers are swamped and will not have the time or energy to read the book.
Was the book self-published? Or did a publishing company pay you for, edit etc. the work? A self-published book won’t carry a ton of weight since anyone with sufficient funds can do it.
It’s not writing a book that impresses. Lots of kids collect enough words and either call it a book or get a bunch bound, one way or another.
Nor is it about quality, per se, if only a small number see it. Or some local mention. If the NY Review of Books likes it, now you’re talking about merit, impact, worthiness, and marketing. That’s so different.
I thInk you guys are being overly harsh. Should kids not put participation in high school sports unless they at least made the Olympic trials? Don’t put high school theatre unless you actually performed on broadway?
Putting together a book is a lot of work. Put it down as one of your activities. I ageee that trying to submit the entire book to a college is overkill, but mention the number of pages, copies sold, or other measures of your work and its impact.
There is an essay component to the application to show off your writing skills, or you could try to submit a few pages you’re particularly proud of.
Bad analogy. The OP asked if s/he should include the book as a supplement.
So for both the above analogies, the athlete would (or at least should) only include a video/link of their athletic performance to the coach as a recruited athlete. The drama kid would only do a video/link as an arts supplement if the acting is truly amazing. For the “regular” varsity athlete/drama kid, attaching a supplement could lead an AO to question the applicant’s inflated opinion of self and raise questions about other aspects of the application. In many cases, the thicker the file, the thicker the kid.
Will participation in HS sports/theatre/writing a book “help” one’s chances? Again, I say no. For the colleges that care about EC’s (and there are many that do not), one “standard” EC is not more helpful than any other. On the flip side, it’s unlikely to hurt, unless one sends in a book as a supplement.
Your response said (and a second response echoed) the book wasn’t even worth mentioning unless it was in NY Review of Books, which is seems to me to be a bar that almost no high school writers could meet.
To me, it is OK for high school students to have high school level ECs. Avoiding mentioning things unless they are nationally or internationally impressive is adding too much stress to the college application process. Most hardworking kids are impressive, but not THAT impressive. They still get into good colleges.
I agreed with everyone that sending the whole book would be a mistake.
Sports and school or local theater are organized activities, have a context and structure, reflect engagement with peers, etc. Outside activities of more import are among adults, their expectations.
Writing a book? Well, plenty of kids crank out 50k words for NANOWRIMO (in general, average book expectation is 80k,) and just doing that says little about the quality.
I didn’t broach mentioning it. Ski said, “…could lead an AO to question the applicant’s inflated opinion of self…” And an applicant’s understanding of what the college(s) do look for. I might say ok, mention it, but without overstating, toward the bottom of the list. But OP has said aiming for very selective colleges. He/she has to learn what these are looking for. A big part of that is one’s thinking.
Look, we’ve all got access to pencil and paper, laptops. That’s not what makes writing impressive. Sorry.
OP, don’t send the book, but in your essay, mention your book and the publisher. Add a link if possible to any mentions/reviews, so that If an admissions officer wants to find out more about it, he or she can. Present the fact of your book as part of an overall picture of yourself as an accomplished applicant. Good luck.
