Hello! I am applying for Regular Decision and am debating on whether or not I should include an art supplement. I am not planning on majoring in art but it has been a huge part of my life. I have won many regional awards, have had my work displayed in museums, and have worked on many other projects including the Memory Project (Artists create portraits of orphaned children in other countries. It’s an incredible organization). I am aware that my work is good. However, I’m not sure if it would be beneficial in any way to include it. In other words, I’m not sure if it’s good enough for Yale.
Here are a few photos of some of my works:
Is this Yale material? Is it worth providing? Thanks!
At a recent info session, the Yale rep said that unless the applicant were clearly stating a visual arts sort of major, adding a portfolio would not help the applicant.
T26E4 is probably correct in saying that an art portfolio will not be a deciding factor in your application if you’re not an art major. However, I think it can still add meaningfully to your profile and that you should submit it. I’m not an art major and I’m submitting an art portfolio. My friend (not art major either) applied SCEA last year and was deferred, so she created an art portfolio and submitted it in January/February, and was accepted RD. Obviously that might not be the only reason she got in, but it might’ve helped. And your pieces are definitely good enough for Yale.
itscourneywow, loved your pieces. Any word from colleges? I wonder the same about supplemental portfolio work. Did you ever find out who viewed your pieces and the role they might have played.
My son went to Tanglewood for the summer as a rising senior and he’s at Harvard now. We found out that one of his instructors at Tanglewood Young Artists (a professional opera singer and teacher) listens to and reviews supplemental videos for Harvard – so this definitely gave us a sense of the musical caliber and range that was appropriate.
I don’t have any sense of who might look at visual art pieces in a Supplemental Arts Portfolio for such colleges. Does anyone know?
@itscourtneywow - the admissions office first looks at your application, and, if passes muster, then sends supplement off to appropriate arts dept. for review.
Tanglewood, or Aspen, etc., is a really nice thing to have on an app, but it won’t get you into Yale (or Harvard) without the grades, etc., which matter most to Admissions. Of course, if you have shown your art work in galleries or have performed at the Met, then you are in a different group of applicants from everyone else. But you don’t have to be a prodigy to get into a school you love. You just have to show why you love the school and why you are a great ‘fit.’