<p>Hi all, I decided to wear my Vassar Tee in my Vassar photograph. Is that a good or bad idea? On one hand, it shows that I'm somewhat passionate about the school, but it also looks I'm trying too hard, trying to suck up to admissions. What do you all think?</p>
<p>Wearing a t-shirt does not demonstrate passion. It means you changed your shirt. <– note the period.</p>
<p>It also does not mean you’re trying too hard. Changing into a shirt is something people do every day, even when they’re not trying to do anything at all.</p>
<p>They will see you as trying to suck up to admissions. But that’s a good thing. In fact, one hopes that the rest of your application does precisely that because – generally speaking – it’s a good idea to put your best foot forward with respect to the materials and information that the admissions people will be looking at. Don’t reserve that attitude for a photo and limit your attempts to impress to one minor wardrobe adjustment.</p>
<p>It’s a completely safe choice that you’ve made. There is no risk at all. And little effort involved. It will be barely noticed.</p>
<p>As for passion, I suspect that they’d rather see applicants who are passionate about any number of things and not nearly as passionate about getting an acceptance letter. If you want to show your passion for something, you might wear a t-shirt about a cause, important to you, that you have supported (as indicated in your application) where there’s some risk involved by associating with that cause (e.g., a cause that you can’t feel sure that the AdComs will be inclined to support personally). Even then, if you’ve included that as an EC in your application or wrote an essay about it…that will say more than wearing a t-shirt showing your support for the cause. Everyone knows that you’re changing out of that t-shirt once the camera clicks…so the actual commitment you make (beyond vogue-ing) is the thing that will make an impression and demonstrate your passion.</p>
<p>But if you’re sticking with the Vassar t-shirt idea, it won’t help. It won’t hurt. Yawn.</p>
<p>I view it as trying too hard. Just be yourself. pick a vacation pic or an activity pic or a momentous moment in your life pic.</p>