<p>I'm an international student who's going to major in business; I know that extracurriclum is important when you apply for a school. But is it necessary for me to record a dvd of playing the flute to show the admission office that I'm different than other students, and recording the dvd will enhance my possibility to be admitted? But some of my friends said that it may not help, and plus I'm not applying for a music school. Can someone give me help on this? I'll be very grateful if you do!</p>
<p>How good are you with the flute? Ad coms don’t discourage sending additional materials, but they usually send those materials to experts within the school for evaluation. Music to the music department, art works to the art department, and etc. They sometime don’t even bother looking at them and usually give them to student volunteers to check out first to filter out the wheat from the chaff. It’s certainly won’t hurt you to send a dvd of you playing flute, they won’t reject you outright if you happen to play poorly, but it certainly doesn’t help your case if you don’t know how to evaluate your own talent. </p>
<p>I say send it if you are very confident that you are good. How much help it would be depends on the school and the particular person who deals with your admission.</p>
<p>actually my skill is not toooo good. I mean, I have to practice to make it good, not as good as I can just go and record the dvd. Do you think I still should record it?</p>
<p>Schools love arts supplement material. most ahve forms for you
to fill in and send along with your CD/DVD.</p>
<p>It will be hepful even if you are not a world class prize winner in
music.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for giving the advice! =)</p>
<p>If you’re applying for business and on top of that, not even that great with the flute, then I don’t see any way it could help you.</p>
<p>I think you’d be wasting your time, and are likely to irritate the adcoms. </p>
<p>If you were an excellent flautist and applying to a liberal arts of music program, it would be a good idea to send the dvd. Otherwise, though, it’s not worth it. As admissions officers say, “The thicker the file, the thicker (stupider) the applicant.”</p>
<p>I have to respectfully disagree with you NSM. I’m not sure if the OP is being modest but if he is of a high caliber (like he could play in a selective college orchestra) he most certainly should send the DVD. Most elite schools value students who are highly proficient in the arts, regardless of whether they want to pursue music as a major in college. I remember a Harvard admission officer saying that as the “arts supplement reviewer” he would look for both passion and skill in the supplements, in that one cannot just have a lot of passion for the arts without any skill but that with the combination it would be a big plus for an applicant. I also know Stanford only accepted arts supplements and no other types of additional material. I think the OP has to make a decision to send the recording based on his skill level.</p>
<p>
I’d be willing to bet a lot of money that these things only apply to students applying for an art or art-related program, not to those applying for business.</p>
<p>I am willing to bet that you are dead wrong. Very few students at top colleges major in something art related (like music or visual art), however they offer art extracurricular activities-selective and not selective. To fill the ranks of the highly selective arts programs they need really good artists. Note the proverbial oboe player needed for the band. If you don’t believe me, you can ask an admissions officer. It is almost always a plus to have a high caliber of artistic ability regardless of major of choice. Also, when I referred to highly selective arts programs I am not talking major of choice, I’m talking like your high school’s chamber orchestra X10.</p>
<p>I don’t know where the OP is applying. However, I do know at Harvard, the most popular EC for applicants and students is playing some kind of instrument. Music is so popular as an EC that during Harvard’s annual Arts First weekend, there are several concerts each hour – totaling more than 200-- that feature student music, theater, and dance performers ranging from prodigies to, as an admissions officer tactfully put it, “those with less experience.”</p>
<p>I would assume that colleges similar to Harvard also have high numbers of applicants and students with music backgrounds. Since the OP describes his skill as “not tooooo good”, I don’t suggest that he bother to send a DVD featuring his flute playing.</p>
<p>That’s fair enough. It’s just that when the OP said “not tooooo good” (because of the many 'o’s) I thought he meant that he wasn’t the creme de la creme but he was still extremely good, whereas I think it’s a good idea for him to evaluate his skill level and if he considers it to be of an unusually high quality he ought to send it.</p>
<p>I am into Math and Science not an Arts program.</p>
<p>Specifically my supplement to S, P, H figured in the positive feedback I got
post-admittance from the regional officer (either in writing or verbally).
It could be argued that my other achievements got me into HPS, however
it was the arts supplement that was prominently referred to.</p>
<p>NSMs post about the flute in the context of it being a common instrument is
totally on point however, some of you are quite incorrect about how arts
supplement material can influence admittance. As someone who did send
in such material and subsequently had plenty of feedback that these
were very well received, I can say that demonstrated passion and unique
content will augment your arts supp and app not subtract from it (even
without any prizes and awards in the arts).</p>
<p>Cervantes, I am actually agreeing with you on something…he he</p>
<p>Ask the schools you want to apply to whether or not you should send it in. Some schools will not accept dvds or recordings at all, some only from potential music majors, and others use them as an explanation of extracurriculars.</p>
<p>Thanks, passioniskey, I think this is a better idea. =)</p>
<p>p.s: Hey, guys, I am a girl.</p>