<p>So I'm applying to Harvard SCEA/REA, not in need of chancing at the moment, but rather strategic advice.
Should I submit a portfolio of photographs?
I do photography as a hobby. I'm a student with a math/science academic focus--the details aren't important, but the thrust of it is that I'm not taking AP Art, haven't submitted work for competitions and the like, have not academically applied myself at photography past an independent-study program with the photography teacher last year. Extracurricular-ly speaking, however, I've founded and am now president of my school's photography club, which is very successful. So photography is not completely missing from my application as it is.
Obviously a good deal of this question weighs on how good the photographs are, so you'll just have to take my word for it that they're really very good. I'm pretty good at what I do. The question is, would a portfolio of work (of ~8-10 photographs) be distracting from an application standpoint? Does it add value to the application as a whole, or does it come off as "look at this other unrelated thing I do I'm so talented!!eleventy!" ? I'd appreciate any advice/opinions/rock ballads the community could provide, thanks!</p>
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<p>I’m sure your photographs are wonderful, but as there are a lot of not’s in that sentence, I would not submit an art portfolio. In addition, art portfolio’s generally consist of studio art – paintings, drawings, sculptures and the like, not photographs. Submitting a portfolio of any kind (music, art, computer science) that is not of the highest caliber can backfire, as your submitted work is going to be compared to all other students that have also submitted a portfolio. If your work has not won anything in a competition, it’s probably best to not submit it.</p>
<p>I was talking to Yale adcom last week, and was told that I should submit art/writing supplement if and only if I have won national level awards.</p>
<p>The College Board has a website devoted to examples of student art portfolio’s for the purposes of grading AP Art. There are no portfolios containing examples of photography. If your studio art work is of excellent quality (see samples), then I would submit an art portfolio to colleges: [AP</a> Central - Exams: 2012 Studio Art Drawing Portfolio Student Samples](<a href=“Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board”>AP Drawing Portfolio – AP Central | College Board)</p>
<p>Fair enough. That was exactly the sort of information I was looking for. Thanks for the help, everyone!</p>