<p>What their underlying intention to see our photos?</p>
<p>
[quote]
i'm definitely sending in a picture of me doing something cool</p>
<p>maybe jumping on a trampoline or dancing or something. my application makes me seem like a dull academic machine so it certainly wouldn't turn them off.
[/quote]
That would be kind of wierd though...i'd sort of get the picture that you were trying to hard to make yourself look more interesting, which in turn would make you look more dull. It's sort of like how myspace clones tend to take the same pictures the same exact way with the same exact hairstyle and the same exact captions and the same exact...well, you get the picture. They try to look as different as possible, but ironically end up looking the same in the process.</p>
<p>i'm also curious about how one would go about sending a picture if he or she is applying on-line. anyone have any idea?</p>
<p>It it is not asked for, don't do it. Online or not.</p>
<p>Maybe you could use a digital camera and upload it to your computer and then attach it to your app.</p>
<p>i have read in numerous places and heard from admissions officers in the past that photos personalize an application... i'm just wondering how that works with online applications? maybe they don't want photos any longer, but i don't see how it can hurt (as long as you are not sending in any kind of "shock" pic)</p>
<p>"but i don't see how it can hurt (as long as you are not sending in any kind of "shock" pic)"</p>
<p>“The admissions process differs from school to school, so I don’t know if more than one person makes the final decision or not. Moreover, I’m pretty sure more people do not send photos to colleges than those who do. While yes not submitting a picture would not destroy all possibilities of personal bias, submitting one opens the door for many biased judgments about a person’s appearance, judgments that frankly I do not think should be made in the admissions process. However, the final decision is of course, the applicants.”</p>
<p>“I’m not saying that it definitely would harm an applicant. All I’m saying is that the risk is there, and it is a decision, like most of what one puts on his application, that should be made with at least a little thought. Think about it; what does an admissions officer learn by looking at a picture of an applicant?.... How the person looks, plain and simple.”</p>
<p>Haha, anyone with a lot of makeup and good lighting can look good (if you're a guy skip the makeup, might weird out the reviewer).</p>
<p>I'll send one if it's asked for, cuz surprisingly enough, I look just like Brad Pitt.</p>
<p>I would avoid sending a picture. It's personal preference though.</p>
<p>^^^I don't really look like Brad Pitt for those of you that may be wondering...</p>
<p>I asked my mother what she thought Brown's request (or suggestion) of a photo with the application was for, and she said "To put a face on the application." I think that sounds fair. I've never seen any other colleges that ask for a picture, though. Which ones do this?</p>
<p>Think about what you are saying. What in the world does your face on an application have to do with being admitted? The very assertion that it is in some way a good idea to let admissions officers see you is, to me, silly. Again, colleges learn nothing of any substance about you by looking at a picture of you. Do you really want your admissions decision to hinge on the possible biases that a person looking at your face has? I know I sure wouldn’t.</p>
<p>U penn asks for one too. I think its true that pictures can open biases, both negative ones and positive ones. Maybe the admissions office wants to see how you pose in a picture: do you smile, do you just stare, do you stand straight like a stick, or do you do something funny? That may say something about you that words can't exactly describe.</p>
<p>“do you smile, do you just stare, do you stand straight like a stick, or do you do something funny? That may say something about you that words can't exactly describe.”</p>
<p>-Your recommendations, test scores, class rank, and essays aren’t enough? Does a college really need to know how you smile to get an understanding of the kind of student and person you are??? Again, if you are ok with your admission decision possibly hinging on how well you are presented in a picture, then by all means, send one.</p>
<p>The explanation from colleges who ask for it is usually to put a face with the application. I don't really think they're rating attractiveness. I also think they do it so they can recognize people they're met before. Actually I think that's really one of the reasons even if they don't say it. I read a book by someone who used to work in admissions and she said they tried to remember names of people who expressed interest but it's hard (she was writing from the perspective of a few years ago when it probably wasn't common to ask for a picture). A face is easier to recall than a name for most people...and a face and a name the easiest thing of all. I think that honestly that's probably why they want it.</p>
<p>hasnt anyone seen legally blonde? the girl sends a video of her in a binkin and gets into harvard law. send a pic of youself looking good and they will accept you (if the world is like the movies)</p>
<p>if the world were like the movies, we'd all be working high-powered jobs, driving BMWs, and saving the world.</p>
<p>similarly, what college admissions offices do with pictures is very non-threatening. it's mostly just so when they think about what makes you a good student, they can visualize you better. It also has a practical purpose: that picture goes into the student facebook they distribute when you show up as a freshman, so it's a way of getting people to send it along.</p>
<p>Really, if someone refused to send a picture when the app asks for it, i'd wonder what on earth they think they're hiding. there's no downside here, this isn't a beauty contest (and if you looked at my fellow students at columbia, you'd know that for sure! =P)</p>
<p>I don't really understand why everyone is paranoid about sending in a photo if an app asks for it. While I agree that prejudice exists, I hardly think having blonde hair or green eyes is going to affect someone's chances either positively or negatively. I don't think colleges have any sort of ulterior motive for this, other than "updating their records" (the same bs reason you have to take a school picture every year).</p>
<p>"Again, that depends on the college to which a student is applying. I applied to several schools and only one required an interview. An interview is, however, much more profound than a picture. Unless of course you are saying you are a one dimensional person."</p>
<p>This is what a one-dimensional person looks like: .</p>
<p>:-P</p>
<p>....................... :rolleyes:</p>