Should I include other extras with my application?
If you have a special talent that can be captured in a portfolio, you should consider sending that material to the admissions office–particularly if you've received recognition for it from someone other than your mom. Smaller colleges especially welcome extras. "We really want to know as much about each candidate as possible," says Paula Mitchell, director of admission at Ithaca College in New York. Ithaca freshman Genevieve Conklin sent slides of her paintings to emphasize that, although she didn't plan on majoring in art, she devoted considerable time to creating it. Many big state schools don't have the time to examine your works of genius, however, so find out the school's policy before dropping your creative output into the mail.
If your talent–in student politics, for example–won't fit in a portfolio, include a résumé in your application, says Pam Proctor, president of College Application Consultants in Vero Beach, Fla. On the résumé, you can detail what you accomplished in each of the activities listed on your application.
