<p>My intended major is NOT photography or art related, but some universities allow art portfolios anyways and I really want to take advantage of that to potentially stand out.</p>
<p>I've been told my photos are good but I'm worried they may be too "immature" to be included in a serious application to a <em>prestigious</em> university. Again, my intended major is not art-related so I think that gives me slack, but I don't want to include it if it simply wastes their time or mine.</p>
<p>Hi xcloudy,</p>
<p>I’m a little confused as to why you want to submit photos in the first place. Are you thinking this will increase your chances for admission? If so, I would strongly suggest that you not do this. Here’s a cut and paste from Yale’s website - please note the cautionary tone:</p>
<p>"You should think carefully before submitting supplementary materials with your Yale College application. Most successful applicants submit only the items that we require. There are cases in which too many submissions, or submissions that do not reflect a high level of talent, can actually work against a candidate. Because the Admissions Committee gives greatest weight to the documents required of all applicants, we recommend that you focus your energy primarily on those elements of the application.</p>
<p>Supplementary submissions may make sense for students with substantial and well-developed talent that cannot be conveyed adequately in the rest of the application."</p>
<p>Now sure, Yale is pretty tough to get into with or without a portfolio, but their sentiments above are more or less universal in college admission offices. In addition, when a college says they are looking for “a high level of talent” they don’t mean better than most kids in your high school. They mean that you’re the best in your high school and your work could be confused with a Soph in college’s work.</p>
<p>You aren’t there yet my friend. I like the enthusiasm in your photos but your subjects are wrong (pets and relatives) and your technique is flawed (tilted verticals and horizontals).</p>
<p>Submitting this portfolio will reduce your chances of admission to most colleges.</p>
<p>Sorry if I’ve hurt your feelings but I’d rather do that than see you make what I see as a sure mistake.</p>
<p>Best of luck,
Wheaty</p>
<p>gawd Wheaty
I was gonna look at it when I got to better Mac that opens it, and now it’s gone.</p>
<p>OP kid
don’t get too discouraged, but what Wheaty said is true, for ELITE college app game.
besides, he is the professional photo journalist. his stakes are rather high.
what grade are you in?
what you can do is, enter some contest, scholastics or state wide and let’s them be the judge. If you win anything, you can list it as award and accomplishment in your reseme, instead of sending in supplement that more likely not going to get to delivered to the right person.</p>
<p>This is very nasty advice giving book aimed for parent. You can get it from the library or pick and read in B&N if you got any.
<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/What-Colleges-Dont-Other-Parents/dp/1594630313[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/What-Colleges-Dont-Other-Parents/dp/1594630313</a>
It might upset you ( all these crazy helicopter parents!! seriously !?!?!)
the author is no artist, which give us better view of how non-art people in the receiving end would “use” or “disuse” so called talent.
Photo, is more regulated than say, abstract painting. there are certain aptitude one can or should achieve with better tools and resources, but still tricky.</p>
<p>and let’s just say,
no one cared much about Francesca Woodman’s works even with back-up from her lineage or RISD education.
now she is one of the most cerebrated artist.
What changed is how we look at things as time have changed, not her work. (she is dead (this also add to the fame) so work can’t be changed nor developed anymore)</p>
<p>xcloudy,</p>
<p>Oops, was I too direct? Sorry if I was but I tend to be absolute when it comes to photography. I have been in it for a looong time and I think I have a pretty good handle on what college photo programs respond to and what they don’t. Because of that my responses regarding high school photo submissions tend to be tough but also maybe a little closer to how an admissions portfolio screener sees things. Please remember that my comments are strictly limited to the application cycle and how to increase your odds in this game. I love that you are taking pictures and I encourage you to continue your photography.</p>
<p>@ Bears,</p>
<p>Hey can I borrow your muzzle?</p>
<p>be my guest.
thou I should warn you that it only works sporadically and gotten contaminated with biased BS-ing hijack virus.</p>
<p>Sorry, my portfolio link got deleted. I didn’t know they weren’t allowed; I’d seen links posted everywhere in this forum.</p>
<p>I’m an entering senior. I’m not applying to anywhere with the prestige of Yale, but they are all very good schools- Tufts and Emory, to name two of them. Not all of them even allow supplementary apps.</p>
<p>People always say applicants need to <em>stand out</em>. I will take photography classes in college, but I won’t even minor in it (I’d hate to see this hobby turned into work). Thus, I assumed since Art is contrary to my intended major of economics or engineering and my math-heavy courseload & SAT/ACT scores, even a decent portfolio would help. Appear well-rounded and such? Misled thinking, it seems. I have won a few awards on the local and state level and will just include those in my resume instead (thanks bears!). </p>
<p>Also- I am considered the best photographer in my school of 2,500+, but I guess that says more about my school than anything? (Though not to disparage my school or myself too much - all those photos WERE from my 9th and 10th grade - I haven’t updated that portfolio in well over a year. However, even though I have improved, it’s not a ton more.)</p>
<p>Thanks. Even if photography is just a hobby, I’m not someone who is content with doing simply average work. I hope to immerse myself into it more in college. :)</p>
<p>Also- that book sounds very interesting, I’ll give it a shot!</p>
<p>whaaat??? you didn’t ask them to delete it but it happened without telling you?
I did think it was weird because the editor’s name is not from art, but cough cough parents forum.
did you include naked children or bloody animals?
I have seen pretty edgy photos kids done here, like you say and it stayed on unless the kid quitted the link.
PM and ask paying3tuition(THE goddess) if you want to clear this out.</p>
<p>however that made me feel much better and I am sure save poor good ol Wheaty’s soul.
If you won state level and your state has OK numbers college apps going, it is sufficient.
What that awful advice giver warns against is, get too complacent about small achievement, like assuming being val or sal or editor of chief, captain of this of small HS would make the applicant shoo in to their dream school (here she is talking about HYPS MIT).
try Scholastics or youngarts, never the less. even small award there, like one gold key or honorary mention means a lot, because it is well known to adcoms.
It helps if you do photo for school newspaper or do community service tied to it, like nursing home or under priveraged kid’s programs’ newsletter.
or work part-time in photo labs (the book’s author=advice giver would say, delivery person or shelf stocking is fine, as long as you did work at PHOTO labs, more likely no one would ask you to write the details unless going to be interviewed for really really elite schools)
these are to reinforce and hilight your so-called passion (the magic word!!!) that prove you have nice artistic side to go with your math science brain.
or you might even be interested in chemistry or mechanical side of photography. I can’t remember top of my head, there is an artist obsessed over machine parts and paint them. (and somebody would pay big $$$$ for it)
Tufts is popular here but one day I saw a woman with Emory’s umbrella in the subway(NYC) so I asked if she is a graduate and if from here, how she adjusted, etc…
she loved loved loved the experience. still carries the umbrella with pride.
good luck.</p>
<p>I saw who deleted that and I wondered as well…</p>
<p>No, I didn’t ask! I’m so confused, I actually thought I had broken a rule…the pictures were perfectly G rated. :P</p>
<p>Thanks again for all the advice. I completely agree, I’m not overshooting schools; my academics are in the ranges of the school but I’m just trying to increase the chances of getting in as much as possible. 
Thanks again! I’m sure I’ll love whichever school I pick :)</p>
<p>Try posting it again and see what happens.</p>