Submitting extras in the application

<p>Sooo when I went to visit Columbia, they said they didn't really like a lot of add-ons put into the application. HOWEVER, they do like it if you have:
-a video of you dancing
-a tape/cd of you singing
-slides of your artwork
(Obviously, only send these if you think they're very good).
Anyways, I REALLY REALLY want to send slides of my artwork in with my application, because visual art (mostly drawing and design, a lil sculpture) is a *ginormous **part of my life and it's one of my main ECs. But then people tell me that Columbia would much rather have you send in the online app than the one by mail...so it would be *kinda hard to send my slides in that way. My parents suggested sending in digital photogs, but I think that will mess up the quality.
So anyways, I guess my question is...
How should I go about sending slides of my artwork in with my application?</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure that somewhere on the application, there are directions on how to send a visual or performing arts supplement with pretty specific directions on how to format everything.</p>

<p>Thanks viva, you're really helpful =)</p>

<p>You're welcome! Everything will become clearer when you start the application. I managed to find the section that I think you were looking for on their website:</p>

<ol>
<li>What is your policy on the submission of supplementary materials, and may I submit an artistic portfolio or a tape/CD of my musical performance?</li>
</ol>

<p>We request that the submission of supplementary credentials be kept to a minimum. However, there may be occasions where such credentials provide information that the standard application does not. As a result, some recommendations are detailed below. Please note that we specifically ask that you do not send collections of award certificates and the like and explicitly direct that you refrain from submitting your application in binders or folders.</p>

<p>Be sure to include your name, social security number (if applicable) and secondary school on each item you provide, and understand that such materials become part of your application and will not be returned to you.</p>

<p>Creative and Performing Arts</p>

<pre><code>If you are considering a major in Architecture, Dance, Drama and Theatre Arts, Film Studies, Music or Visual Arts, or if you wish to contribute to the creative and performing arts community at Columbia through extracurricular involvement, we welcome supplementary credentials and materials (such as slides, audio tapes, compact discs or professional resumes) that reflect your artistic ability. However, please note that while we may request that members of our creative and performing arts faculty review your materials, this is not a formal part of the application process, and no such review is guaranteed.

Please note that students wishing to submit a classical musical performance tape or compact disc should include two works contrasting in period and tempo. Tapes/discs should be limited to 20 minutes and should not include any biographical or introductory material. The tape/disc should list the composer, name of the work and any movement title or opus number.

If you are interested in majoring in Visual Arts, Music or Theater, you are welcome to submit supplementary evidence of your artistic talent. These submissions may be reviewed by the faculty of these departments; if so, their evaluation will play a role in our admissions decision.
</code></pre>

<p><a href="http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/faq/admissions.php#17%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/faq/admissions.php#17&lt;/a>
Other FAQs are there too :)</p>

<p>Also, don't be afraid to call and ask, either! (make sure you call the undergrad admissions #) It's intimidating at first but they've always been very nice and helpful whenever I've called.</p>

<p>Hmm...according to that, sending in my portfolio wouldn't really help me get into Columbia</p>

<p>...since it's not even REVIEWED by the application officers</p>

<p>What happens is that it gets sent to the correct people, if you send in a CD of music for example, it will be evaluated by Columbia's music department. The department will then send it back to the admissions committee with some sort of rating, letting them know if the quality of materials they received was particularly outstanding. If the department acknowledges the materials received as something great, then it will factor positively for you in your admissions decision. This makes sense because in the admissions committee, nobody there is really qualified to judge the materials they sent in since its not their area of expertise.</p>