I’m applying to Penn this fall, and my scores and grades are slightly above their average 33 act, 1450 sat, 4.2 gpa, 5 ap classes; however I’m somewhat lacking in extracurriculars (two years of golf, one of basketball, two of mock trial, and two in a volunteer organization). Do they only like to receive classical/orchestral music, which I do not play, or would they also like jazz guitar, which I do play, but not competitively, only in informal bands. I just want to show that I’m doing something productive in my spare time.
Thanks
You can ask Penn admissions or check on the website to see if they accept music supplements and if so how they should be sent to the school I would only consider sending a music supplement if it is of very very high quality. You can include the guitar as an EC even if it isn’t done as part of a formal band.
Thanks. They do accept musical supplements, I’m just wondering if anyone knows if they only consider classical and other orchestral music, or if they accept jazz. I will apply to the school of arts and sciences, but I would major in English and not music
Send it; the worst you get is that they’ll listen to it and throw it away, the best is that they’ll mark your app. You can only win here.
You may want to check with either the admissions officers or a music teacher at your school. My understanding is that if the submission is not of excellent quality, it can be seen as inappropriate. So try to get some honest feedback from someone who can critique your work.
“Send it; the worst you get is that they’ll listen to it and throw it away, the best is that they’ll mark your app. You can only win here.”
This is wrong. If you send in crummy work, it suggests that you have bad judgment and don’t respect the officers’ time. That can hurt your application.
“if they only consider classical and other orchestral music, or if they accept jazz.”
Genre doesn’t matter. Quality matters. Ask your music teacher to tell you bluntly how good you are relative to other high schoolers. For highly selective schools like Penn, I recommend that you ask your teacher whether s/he would think you had a shot at a conservatory if you tried. (I know it isn’t what you want – but see whether your teacher thinks you have that skill level.) I use this metric for all art forms. If your painting teacher thinks your portfolio is good enough to give you a shot at a decent art school, then go ahead and send it as an art supplement to the schools where you want to major in English/physics/whatever.
^ @Hanna is correct. Genre doesn’t matter. Quality does. A supplement that wastes people’s time makes a negative impression.
You should definitely include the fact that you play jazz guitar in your applications, even if it is only in informal bands. However, I agree with Hanna that you shouldn’t submit a jazz guitar supplement unless a music teacher (or similar) tells you that you are a top-notch performer on the instrument.