Hello! I’ve been casually writing music and playing the piano for about a year. I’m considering uploading a SlideRoom portfolio since hobbies are a big point in my application, but I worry that I’ll be up against students with much more experience whose portfolios will inevitably be better and it will only hurt me. So should I give it up?
Anyone?
In general any arts supplement should be of outstanding quality (conservatory level or close) for it to positively impact admissions. I would not send it.
That’s what I feared. Is there any other way of showing colleges what I’m into? I mean, I don’t have any proof of the fact I love music if I don’t send them anything, won’t they think I might be making it up to further my application?
I don’t have any “official” EC’s, I do everything at home, in private, but I’d like it to be considered.
Does it make any sense to link my soundcloud in the application?
Some colleges allow you to do that in your application. U of Rochester comes to mind. For the others, if you write about your music in an essay, I think it’s appropriate to add a link. One of my kids did and the site was visited.
Once again I would not add a link unless it is: 1) a format accepted by admissions and 2) of exceptionally high quality. Admissions officers are swamped and sending “hobby” quality supplements or links will not be helpful to an application.
You can discuss your hobbies in an essay if you want or list them as activities if you have no other ECs. In all honesty, I don’t think a year of piano lessons or casually writing music will move the needle in any admissions decision.
Portfolio, no. That would likely go to the arts department to be evaluated. But I can share what worked for my kid, realizing this is anecdotal and that you should ask your GC who might be able to give you more nuance.
She wrote a supplemental essay about a hobby (she makes things and writes up how-tos online.) In the last sentence, she included the page address to the instructional in the text. It’s her website, so she could see who visited. She didn’t always include it as all the supplements were different, but most of the schools that received it did visit the site. Her “product” was more technical, so that may be different.