As we head into the application season, I thought it would be helpful to provide some practical guidance about a sometimes-confusing aspect of the application process—the submission of non-required materials.
I am regularly asked, “How much information is too much information in an application?” This is a good question, because it is true that a student or family can, in fact, submit too much information for the file. It is important to keep in mind that the application should be an honest reflection of who you are as a person and the interests you have developed to date. All middle- and high-school students are “works in progress.” There is no expectation that you will be perfect or that you will have one area of highly specialized talent by the time you apply. Some of our admitted students have “pointy” profiles that demonstrate specialization, while others are “well rounded.” We need both profiles to make the Andover community work!
Given our move to an environmentally sustainable online application, we cannot accept hard copy papers, folders, or portfolios. You should not bring this type of information to the interview with the expectation of leaving it with your interviewer, nor should you mail (or e-mail!) this kind of information to the office with the expectation that it will be included in your file. With more than 3,000 applicants, we simply do not have the office space to process and include this information in your file. While this may be disappointing to some of you, please be reassured that the admission committee is much more interested in your recent achievements and experiences than those from your earlier years in school. Moreover, we have no need to see your certificates/medals/letters of achievement. It is best to describe them in the achievements/extracurriculars section of the Gateway to Prep Schools application.
Is it advisable to bring extra information with you to the interview? There is no one answer to this question. I encourage you to think about how you can best engage in a conversation with your interviewer. In my opinion, reviewing information that the admission committee will read in your application, unless it is highly unusual, is not the best use of this time. Looking down at a series of transcripts or certificates does not give me a sense of the person sitting across from me. I watch for facial expressions—which often communicate more than words—and the way a student might shift in his/her chair when I hit upon a topic that is exciting to him/her. In most cases, all you need in the interview setting is you. I have had rap-loving students who freestyled responses to my interview questions. I once had a girl dance an Irish jig right in front of me! I have watched students break out in tears out of nervousness, or when sharing of the loss of a loved one. (A hot cup of tea can set these situations right.) All of the above are fine, as is staying in your chair and having a straightforward chat about the things that are interesting to you, including Andover.
If you are a very talented artist, the one thing that you can bring to the interview would be a portfolio of your work. Painters, sculptors, and photographers explaining the inspiration behind various pieces of work have mesmerized me.
Once the information is submitted, students sometimes feel that they must upload artwork, or an athletic or music performance to the online application. You are invited to include this additional information to your file only if you have a serious interest in that particular area and you intend to continue this interest at Andover. We do not expect that every applicant will have experience/talent in any one of these areas. Uploading information that does not demonstrate a real commitment will not improve your chances of admission. Again, we do not expect that middle- and high-school students will have identified a particular passion in advance of attending Andover. In fact, this may be one of the reasons for your search for a new learning community.
Additional letters of recommendation beyond the current English and math teachers’ recommendations and one personal recommendation are also not necessary. Are there any occasions when they are helpful? In cases where the student has moved recently, or has a very unusual story, one or two extra recommendations may be appropriate. However, additional recommendations should be kept to a minimum, AND sent only if the recommender knows the candidate well.
When in doubt, think about the admission reader. How will that person feel when pressed for time if he/she is asked to read a lot of extra application materials? Make sure additional pieces of the application are necessary and will work in your favor.
Good luck!
Season’s Greetings from Andover! This is Vivien Valenzuela Mallick, senior associate dean of admission, guest blogging for Dean Fried.
