Should you submit an arts supplement to colleges?

RReaders in Stanford's admissions office gave students who doubted their own art, music or film a blunt piece of advice: do not underestimate your talent, and let the school be the judge. Many selective colleges let applicants submit additional work in art, music, dance, theater or film, often through a separate portfolio platform linked to the application, and faculty in the relevant department review it and send their assessment to admissions.

Every year students with genuine talent skip this step. They assume their work is good rather than exceptional, and they would rather not be judged. That reasoning treats the faculty verdict as the only thing a portfolio carries, which is where it goes wrong.