In its first edition published in 1910, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines the word “talent” as:

1. An ancient weight used by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and other ancient nations
2. Inclination or disposition for anything
3. Mental endowment; natural ability

While we no longer associate “talent” primarily with ancient weights, in admissions, everything from questions about “what we are looking for” to books about “how to get in” have at their heart the question of talent. Even phrases like “we are looking for talented students” imply a desire to enroll students who are naturally good at something — and in the case of some schools, more than one thing. Sometimes it can feel like everyone’s got talent, and it’s just a matter of in how many areas. Indeed, in some cases, a mere inclination for something can be claimed as a talent in an application — and under the 1910 OED definition #2, that claim wouldn’t be incorrect.

For the purposes of this blog post, however, it’s really definition #3 — natural ability — that I am focusing on. In some areas, it’s easy to identify talent as defined this way: you can be adept at something like a sport, visual arts, or music in a way that is evident to others and not just yourself. Most people who achieve success at something like throwing the javelin or creating a stunning work of art have natural ability. Yes, skill development is involved, but you must start with some talent to begin with, otherwise, anyone could be Picasso. If you can’t draw very well, you may learn to draw better, but that doesn’t mean you are a talented artist. Something like academic talent can be a bit tougher to discern. One can achieve academic success for reasons beyond “mental endowment,” either through hard work and determination or, more cynically, perhaps the class did not require a significant amount of talent to achieve success. As I can attest personally, just because a student gets an “A” in a math class doesn’t mean they’re talented in math.

So, just how important is natural ability in the evaluation of a student’s application? As with many questions we are asked, the answer is complicated. Are we looking for naturally gifted academicians, musicians, athletes, and artists? Yes. But at Loomis, we are looking for a lot of different types of students. I would argue that talent isn’t even the most important thing we are looking for — not by a long shot. Loomis Chaffee’s mission is to inspire in students a commitment to the best self and the common good. There’s nothing in that statement that says we are looking for students who have natural ability; in fact, there are plenty of people who achieve success and make a positive impact on the world whose talents are not easily defined by things like academic achievement, athletic prowess, or artistic endeavors. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s talent, for example, might not have been readily evident in an application for admission.

Because even the word “talent” is complicated, it can be difficult for applicants to know whether to submit materials showcasing their talents with their applications. I have a few general guidelines with the caveat that different schools have different philosophies on this topic. Be sure to confirm with each school you apply to what they recommend.

1. First and most importantly, make sure that the schools you’re applying to accept supplemental material before submitting it, and make sure you know how they want it submitted. Every year at Loomis we are unable to review material that is sent to us because the material was submitted in the wrong format. For example, we do not accept file attachments, only links to online videos, recordings, or portfolios. If you do not submit material in the correct format, we will not take the time to ask you to submit it the correct way; it will simply not be included in your file. All your work preparing your materials, then, has been wasted. Read the fine print on the website and if it isn’t spelled out, ask.
    
2. You’ve done your research and you know that the school/s you’re applying to will accept additional talent-based material. You know the format you need to provide it in. You’ve thought about which piece you might perform, or which highlight from the championship game has you making that epic block in the paint. Now you must ask yourself the following very important question: 
   
   Do I really need to submit this? 
   
   If you’ve read this blog carefully, you know that we are looking for students with many different talents, interests, and qualities (and I mean talent in the OED definition’s natural ability way, not the more common I’ve-worked-hard-to-be-pretty-decent way). You may have taken your research even further and know at least one school is interested in your talent, because you’ve gone so far as to email the orchestra director to ask whether she would like to see your video of your latest concert (one that is a close up on you,  not blurry footage taken by your mom from the last row of the auditorium where she can barely see you sitting in the fourth chair from the end of the third row), and the director has responded and said yes, because she needs flutes! So, full steam ahead, right?
   
   Maybe yes, but maybe no. This is when you need to take a moment to do some self-reflection.  Are you really good at the flute and want to be a major contributor to the orchestra, or are you an enthusiastic third-row participant who’s happy to play but not, in the OED #3 sense, truly talented? Because being a third-row participant is GREAT! We love our third-row participants!! But we do not need them to send their videos to our orchestra director to know they will be enthusiastic musicians. We just read the application and know that you are interested in continuing with your musicianship at Loomis. By not giving in to the temptation to send your supplemental material, your time is not wasted, our time is not wasted, and the orchestra director’s time is not wasted. And you can still participate in the orchestra if you get in because you know they need flutes! Win, win, win!
    
3. Let’s assume that after deep personal reflection, you have determined that you do not actually need to submit additional material to School A, because of one of the following:
   
   a) The orchestra director has not responded to your email indicating you play the flute, and therefore either doesn’t have the time or the need to watch your video;
   
   b)You know the school has a world-renowned orchestra because you’ve watched a video online or checked out its webpage and seen its many accolades, and you have been honest with yourself and know your talent is not at the level that the school is likely looking for. Maybe you can audition when you get there, but your video isn’t going to help get you in.
   
   That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t submit talent-based material to School B! But wait, Mrs. Thompson, I know some of you are thinking. I can’t submit my application without attaching my supplemental material to it! Let me reassure you, young Messi, that in most cases, you can. At Loomis, for example, you can submit supplemental information to our admission email address if you find yourself in this situation. Problem solved! Just submit your application without the supplemental material and then send the link via email to the schools you’ve researched that you think might be interested in your talent.
    
4. Okay, you’re saying. But if I don’t know for sure whether it will help me to send materials, or I know it won’t help me, but my parent/coach/consultant/favorite aunt is telling me I have to, so will it hurt me to send them?
   
   In a word, no. However, I cannot in good faith guarantee that at Loomis we will review everything you send us that is not required material for admission. Each year we receive applications from students with many pages of additional material, from resumes to copies of certificates earned to photos of family pets. Sending this kind of material with your application may provide you, or adults around you, with a sense of security, a kind of a “covering all the bases!” feeling. We understand this. In reality, though, what it results in is less time to spend in thoughtful consideration of what is the most important part of your application: the required materials; less time to read your writing, learn about your interests, review your recommendations, understand the context of your academic achievement, and the rest. It won’t hurt you, but it will not help you, and, sadly, many of those unnecessary pages are simply passed over due to time constraints.

 

In conclusion, you should take the time to submit talent-based material when you can confidently say “yes” to the following questions:

1. Does the school accept additional material? (Check the website!)
    
2. Am I able to provide it in a format and fashion that will provide my talent the opportunity to shine? (Not a blurry video from the last row of the bleachers, or your 500-page novel that will not be read due to time constraints.)
    
3. Is this a talent I have a keen interest in developing during my time at the school and one that I believe, due to feedback I’ve received from knowledgeable people who are not my parents, could be a significant value to the program? (If no, it doesn’t mean you won’t have the opportunity to possibly be a happily casual participant at some level…it just means that you don’t need to send anything extra.)

A last word: For those of you who have not even considered sending additional material until reading this blog post, let me reassure you that your instincts are correct. Most of our applicants do not submit anything with their application other than our required materials, and they still have successful outcomes. Remember, we are not just looking for students with a natural ability for something, but for students with talent in the OED definition #2: those who have an inclination or disposition for things.  We need students of all levels of ability, and yes, talent, to contribute to many programs at many levels as well as develop their skills and learn from each other.  And we don’t need a video, recording, portfolio, or anything else to determine whether you have that mindset — so rest easy. You don’t need to submit anything extra to be the star of our musical or the most enthusiastic member of our chorus. According to the OED, either way, you’ve got talent!