<p>Should I attach computer code or an executable file as a supplement?</p>
<p>No . . . that’s a little too geeky. You could submit a website with your computer projects that allow for downloading code for inspection.</p>
<p>BTW: The Dean of Harvard’s Computer Department, who has taught both Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of the Admissions Committee, so your computer projects and code need to exemplary to impress.</p>
<p>oh… so it’s good enough that I write about it in one of my essays & list it as an EC?</p>
<p>I suppose. When my son applied to colleges, he wrote about computer science in one of his essays and submitted a website with his computer projects which included several games written in java, net logo and flash. Many students who have a lot of computer science background do the same submitting websites with apps they created that are for sale on the App Store. It depends on how much stuff you have to display.</p>
<p>If you’re applying to a selective college and highlighting your interest in computer science, you need to be able to back it up with examples of your work. It’s kind of like applying as a studio art major, but not including an art portfolio – colleges wonder how good you are.</p>
<p>In past years, I have known several students who wrote essays about their involvement with their school’s math team, robotics team, or computer science lab only to have an Admissions Officer email them and ask for samples of their work. So, even if you currently do not have a website to submit, you should have a portfolio of your work at the ready in case you are asked for samples.</p>
<p>my code is kind of “amateur”… but i’m still interested in computer science at Harvard… Is there any point in submitting still? Or should I just leave it :/</p>
<p>Define amateur – what does your code do – Write “Hello World”?</p>
<p>I have a similar issue - I just started learning computer science and learning to code in java and a little bit of PHP this year. I absolutely love it and will definitely pursue it in college, but I don’t really have anything impressive to show admissions officers. Should I still work on making a basic portfolio with some of my more creative but still simple programs?</p>
<p>^^If they are simple programs, it is probably not worth assembling a portfolio. My son could code in middle school and wrote his first iPhone gaming app in 7th grade. There are many kids like him.</p>
<p>Your work will end up being overshadowed by other students who are more advanced and who have submitted websites with multiple games and apps – students like Falcon1’s kid.</p>
<p>I am writing a python based application basically for stock market analysis, it is months in the making, I have released the latest versions on the python package index. Do you think I should submit it? I am also submitting a research supplement in biochemistry. I am putting physics on my app, but I like economics and math. In general, what should we be submitting?</p>
<p>Oh yeah, my research had python code I made in it too, to simulate a biological process.</p>
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<p>It’s Harvard . . . the best of the best apply. If you submit a supplement – be it computer code, a website with your computer projects, an art portfolio, or music supplement – you need to understand that your work will be compared to all other student’s who have also submitted a portfolio or supplement. In past years, there have been students accepted to Harvard that have sold their company or idea for millions of dollars while they are in high school – yes those kids exist – and they have submitted their projects as supplements to their application. If your work is not of the highest caliber – and only you know if it is – then submitting a portfolio may not help your application and you might be better off just writing about your interest.</p>
<p>^^ Good advice</p>
<p>Btw @NAo36, I know of a girl who five or six years ago wrote a complete stock market simulation program that was adopted by many high schools across the nation. She later went to Harvard.</p>
<p>^^agree with gibby…for those attaching code as a supplement to schools like Harvard, Stanford, MIT…they better be outstanding…or else…it may diminish the impact of your overall application…</p>
<p>Yeah, I mean I know there are many kids who are better programmers, but do you think it is more relevant because my research sort of revolved around simulations written in python, and actually used some of the same code as my stock program? The bio program is included in the appendix of the paper btw.</p>
<p>As a general rule, Admissions Officers are not experts in computer code, scientific research, musical performance or artistic ability. If you submit a supplement, Admissions has the option to forward whatever has been sent to them to the relevant academic department for review. The department will evaluate your submission and send their comments back to Admissions. </p>
<p>It’s important to remember: NOT ALL supplements are reviewed. Admissions only forwards supplements for review if they are really, really interested in a student from reading their transcript, test scores, teacher recs, essays, and EC’s. So, here are two scenarios that every student who submits a supplement faces: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Admissions is interested in you and they forward your supplement to the relevant department for review. The department reviews the material and writes “Nothing really special here, about average ability for a high school student.” Admissions then puts your file on hold due to the tepid review, as they want to wait and hear back about other supplements that have been sent for review.</p></li>
<li><p>Admissions is interested in you and they forward your supplement to the relevant department for review. The department reviews the material and writes “WOW, This kid is really special, not may other high school students can do THIS.” The Admissions Officer then puts your file into a pile to be presented to the full committee.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Without knowing the quality of your submission, it’s impossible to say if it has a “WOW” factor – only you know that. If you don’t know, that’s probably a telling sign and you should not submit a supplement.</p>
<p>What is the best way to submit such a website - through a supplement, or including it in the additional info section of the Common App?</p>
<p>Including it in the additional info section of the Common App!</p>
<p>In industry, giving a url to a pastebin with source code is common in job applications. Whatever you do, don’t attach an executable.</p>