Harvard EA: Supplementary materials?

<p>The website says that any supplementary materials should display unusually advanced work. However, can I submit my IB Extended Essay (4000 words, will work on for 9 months+) or some photos from a conference that I coordinated?</p>

<p>The essay will (hopefully) demonstrate promise in my future concentration, and the conference will confirm my dedication to ECs. Are these effective/necessary materials?</p>

<p>I have same question on this line. How about sending the student’s research, which was prepared during internship with a professor in one of the HYPS professional schools? Is it a good idea to send the professor recommendation? Professor says that he is very impressed as work is graduate level work.</p>

<p>Yes, about those supplementary recs..</p>

<p>Would it be wise to include two supplementary recs from mentors in your ECs? Even if they aren't as personal as my teacher recs are, they will still confirm my significant leadership in and dedication to various non-profit projects.</p>

<p>No one can tell you what to include or not include in your application. You have to use your best judgement as to how you want to present yourself in the best light.</p>

<p>However, Harvard admissions does carefully read everything you send.</p>

<p>This is only my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt:</p>

<ol>
<li> savoirfaire: I wouldn't submit the IB extended essay. I wrote one as well (albeit in the last two nights before it was due.. so it's not something I'm super proud of, anyway) but 4000 words is not much compared to the extended investigations you'll probably be working on in college. Also, it is unlikely the admissions officers would have the time to read your entire essay. What's more likely is that they would forward it to the appropriate dept (English, History, Math, whatever), where a prof might read and evaluate it, sending their opinions to the admissions office. Unless your EE is spectacularly original and meticulously well-researched, I would not send it.</li>
</ol>

<p>However, it might be a good idea (if you're truly passionate about your EE topic) to send them an abstract describing what you did, why you did it, etc.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I don't know how effective photos would be.. generally, supplementary materials should have some substance+depth to them.</p></li>
<li><p>collegein07: Again, your research might be most effectively presented in the form of an abstract. I think it's a good idea to send the prof's recommendation. It gives original and impressive information about you that a teacher or GC could probably not provide.</p></li>
<li><p>savoirfaire: Is it truly necessary to submit two extra recs? If they each reveal very different+important facets of your personality that just one could not cover, then it might be a good idea to send them in. However, I wouldn't send in both if they say generally the same things about you. Be cautious about sending in too many materials. My GC used to be an admissions officer (not at Harvard) and he says "The thicker the file, the thicker the applicant." Having said that, supplementary materials are often necessary in revealing the kind of person you are so you shouldn't be discouraged from sending them. Just be selective about the materials you decide to send.</p></li>
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<p>For the record, I sent in supplementary materials as well. The project I sent in reflected my interests/prospective major (English) and provided insight into how my high school years had changed+shaped me. Though some schools highly discourage the sending of supplementary materials (e.g. Stanford, Columbia) I found Harvard to be very welcoming of extra materials.</p>

<p>Good luck everyone :)</p>

<p>There is a very specific program at Harvard (it involves social science research) that I am interested in as an undergrad, and I think that the EE might confirm this interest.</p>

<p>I do many things outside of school, so my teachers may not be able to talk about my leadership as well as my mentors can. Rather than submitting supplementary recommendations, how can I describe the leadership roles I have fulfilled outside of school (other than the essay--I have another topic in mind)?</p>

<p>There are two essays on the Harvard application (one is optional) which are open-ended. Write about your leadership roles in one of the essays - in a way that shows who you are and what you are about.</p>