Optional portfolios?

The previous response that encouraged you to submit such a thing to Columbia because their prestigious journalism school values such good writers. I disagree with this statement.

First of all Columbia's School of Journalism is a separate Graduate school within Columbia University. They do not offer undergraduate studies or degrees. You apply there to get an M.A., M.s. or Ph.D. Their professors and admin do not get involved with the Columbia College admissions process.

Second of all if you read the Creative Writing supplement direction, they explicitly state not to submit journalism samples.

Creative Writing

Please submit a document (in pdf format) of your sample creative writing in any of the following areas: poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. Do not submit journalism samples or full books. Submissions should not exceed 5 pages.

Applicants are required to include a résumé (in pdf format) listing their creative writing experience and recognition.

NYU and BU have undergraduate degrees in journalism and if they have optional portfolio submissions, then I would follow their directions carefully prior to submitting any kind of writing samples.

Good luck.

Hey, I would recommend submitting an optional portfolio only if you think it will help your application. If it is a strong portfolio that showcases your accomplishments, then go for it! The same thing applies with resumes...admissions officers only recommend submitting them if it adds value to your application. Hope this helped!

In this case, it kind of depends on what you might submit — since you're doing writing/journalism, in this case submitting a creative writing portfolio might make a bigger impact than, say, theatre or visual art. Additionally, when applying to schools like NYU and Columbia with really prestigious journalism programs, it generally helps to show that you can write well.

Overall, if you feel like your creative work is impressive from a professional viewpoint, submit it. If not, don't.