Are we supposed to submit our SlideRoom application before or after we submit our CommonApp (i.e. will the SlideRoom tab disappear after submitting the CommonApp)?
The Yale website only says to create a SlideRoom account before submitting the CommonApp. However, Harvard specifically says to submit the SlideRoom application AFTER submitting the CommonApp. Should I do the same for Yale?
You should telephone Yale Admissions and get the answer directly from them: 203.432.9300
What’s the general consensus on submitting vs. not submitting a music supplement? If music is a large part of my application (Common App essay topic + a lot of awards), will it seem odd if I don’t submit one?
Curious because my recordings didn’t come out perfect today. I know I could have done better, so starting to doubt my decision to submit a supplement.
Many student’s who submit music portfolios are also very accomplished musicians – student’s that could be accepted to conservatories such as Juilliard, Curtis, Oberlin etc. If you don’t have the chops to be admitted to a music conservatory, then you should write an essay about music being a large part of your life rather than submit a music portfolio. Keep in mind that when you submit something extra like a music portfolio, your application then gets compared to all other students who have submitted like-portfolio’s. As a result, to be successful applicant, you need to be at the very top of your game.
There have been a few threads lately about whether or not to submit a music supplement(or art supplement). So, this is just one example, but I want to share in case this helps the students applying now. My son’s major ECs in HS were all music related. He was a 4 yr all state player on an unusual instrument and a drum major senior year. Is he at the conservatory level? I don’t know, since he decided not to go that route. He did meet with music professors and have a few sample lessons when visiting colleges. They seemed to have positive feedback, but not begging him to come or anything. When looking at where to apply, he picked schools where he could continue with his music. So, we had the same question - should he submit the supplement? Especially at Yale where they seem to caution applicants about this. In the end, he decided to make the recording and submit it. It was not perfect and it was made with decent but not professional equipment in our basement. Our thinking was that since music was such a huge part of who he is, that it just didn’t feel right not to send the supplement. We will never know if it helped or hurt his application, but he was accepted to Yale and is attending. Again, perhaps unrelated, but he was only rejected to one school of 14, and that was the one where he missed the deadline for submitting the music supplement. If I had to guess, I’d say he might have been accepted to some conservatories, but not the top tier ones. So I don’t know that you need to be at that level in order to submit a supplement and be a successful candidate. Again, just an anecdotal story!
Another thing to keep in mind is that a fair amount of the conservatory-level musicians do not have Ivy-level academics. Some arts supplements, such as piano / violin performance, painting / drawing, and dance are more commonplace and tend to have stronger applicant pools. For example, if you are a pianist who can hardly play a Chopin étude, I would highly discourage a supplement. If, however, you play / possess a “unique” instrument (can still be a standard orchestral instrument, such as basson, tuba, viola, french horn) or skill (including playwritinging, composing, conducting) then go for it.
@Musicmom2015 - Thanks, that gave me a great approximation of the level of the pool!
@1golfer1 - I play the flute, which is (unfortunately) pretty competitive. The pieces I played were pretty difficult (repertoire frequently played by grad students) and my recordings were solid, but not flawless. I frankly have no idea where I stand compared to conservatory-admits; NEC and Curtis admissions are so fickle. I’m definitely nowhere near being a prodigy.
I was just wondering if it’d look odd if a musically-inclined person DIDN’T submit a supplement. They can’t penalize me for not submitting one, right…?
No, you won’t be penalized for not submitting a supplement.
Although musicmom2015’s son was accepted with a basement recording, four years ago a very talented pianist I know submitted a professional quality recording to HYP and was rejected from all three schools despite a 96+ GPA and 2300 SAT. This kid just graduated from Juilliard, so his musical talent was never a question mark in the applications process. Would he have been accepted if he didn’t submit a supplement? I highly doubt it. Sometimes a college just doesn’t want you no matter what wonderful things you have accomplished, or submitted, or not submitted.
@glasshours - For what it is worth, I am a musically-inclined person and chose not to submit a music supplement. I felt that the AO’s time is precious and listing my music awards was sufficient to demonstrate my talents; I am now a member of the Yale Class of 2019.
@cttwenty15 and @gibby - Thanks! Leaning towards not sending one in now, at least for Yale.
I might be attaching too much importance to word choice, but while I think “it’d look odd if a musician didn’t submit a supplement,” I think that a supplement isn’t a good idea for a “musically-inclined person.”
No slight intended.
i battled with this question as well. I am a national champion in…concert accordion. I didn’t send a supplement in the end. Dartmouth even told me NOT to submit the supplement because it wasn’t on the list of oboes, clarinets, and french horns. Spent 15 years playing and competing in music, at the highest global levels and no one at the best schools in the US even thought it was worth even listening to some of the most challenging classical music on an unusual instrument. Kind of turned me off to schools that value unique skills and excellence, but in the end maybe it’s better to just write about it. At least in my case.
I think you will find that being an accordion champion will be very helpful to you in selective college admissions. Your awards are enough to demonstrate your abilities–a supplement wouldn’t really be that useful, because they won’t be comparing you to other accordion players (or at least, not many).
Appreciate the perspective, Hunt.
RE whether to submit a supplement or not, my son is in the same boat.
He is an accomplished musician (4 years at the All State level) but isn’t planning on majoring in music - hoping to minor and participate instead. At All State rehearsals the visiting college conductors told students to contact directors of the schools they are interested in and introduce themselves, let them know they will be applying and ask for any direction. The majority of school directors my son contacted emailed back inviting him for a “lesson” and to sit in with their ensembles. All told him to submit a supplement. At one of these lessons the (IVY) director said that anyone one at the All State level is considered an accomplished (enough) musician to send in a supplement. He indicated that you need to designate a strong interest in continuing to play your instrument for the university for the supplement to get through admissions and actually be heard by him.
We struggled with whether or not to make a more professional recording vs the iPad filming. You do loose a lot of the tone quality in a non pro recording, but my son figured since the directors had actually heard him in person play for them it wouldn’t be so critical to sound perfect…
I guess I just want to throw out to everyone that All State level was worthy of sending in a supplement in the directors minds that we spoke to.
@runswimyoga - What state are you from? Over here, All-State isn’t terribly impressive; it’s normal for a 7th grader to play an All-State solo. I’m sure it’s more prestigious in other states, but “All-State level” is a bit of a blurry standard.
New Jersey. All State is impressive from NJ. My son is playing college repertoire. In fact, when he went for his “lesson” with the IVY director, he said my son was playing stuff he worked on in grad school …
In NJ perhaps a 7th grader could play the All State solo, but I doubt they could make the All State symphonic band or the All State Orchestra… This year (yesterday) they performed Symphonic Dances from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein (in its original form) and the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Bach arr. Stokowski (which was originally performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra)