"Attach a photo of yourself"
Started by Lost in Translation
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If you were not disheveled, scowling and unshaven, it is merely a modest lost opportunity.
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I honestly think it's just to make sure you don't put stupid pictures. Just put something professional with a great smile.
I'm thinking of going with something like this so adcoms know I'm a listener.
Don't send in a shirtless picture and you're good.
How you present yourself is an important aspect of who you are.
I just used one of my senior pictures which is just a head shot of me wearing a sweater against a plain background
Just keep in mind that the picture you submit may be used in future publications at your school. For example, my school made a little booklet with everyone in the class that included the picture they submitted with their application. Some of the pictures were laughably casual and looked like they were random Facebook pictures that have been cropped. On the other hand, they likely used that same picture at every school and clearly still got accepted. It can't possibly matter too much. But as @gyngyn says, how you present yourself is important. I would work on putting a little effort into that.
I'm thinking of going with something like this so adcoms know I'm a listener.
Imma hold my dog instead of a telephone. Maybe my dog's cuteness will win them over 😀
i think your parents rightfully chewed you out on this one. the process is super high stakes and they didnt put 20+ years of raising you for you to send in casual photos for a professional school. throw on the top half of a suit, comb your hair, take a well lit picture in natural lighting against a neutral background. these things do register in people's minds even if it is at a subconscious level
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deleted393595
Don't worry OP. This is what I sent in. ADCOMs love candidates who are very forward
@NVdisG sounds like misdirected anger to me. Keep in mind that when you point a finger at someone else, you have three pointing back at you. One would think in 20 years they would have had ample opportunity to teach them better -- unless of course helicopter parenting has suddenly become an excellent method for creating mature and self sufficient adults....
Don't worry OP. This is what I sent in. ADCOMs love candidates who are very forward
You should get some points for those abds...and boldness. 😉
See now I'd give points for creative marketing--depending on the dog. I mean if he/she is a pug, I may take away some points. Sorry to all the pug lovers. Don't hate them, just find them semi-ridiculous looking and I hate that they eat each others' poop. Now mine are fluffy and cute and are not of the ilk that eat poop, so yes, definitely would give you points for using one of them--or a really cute kitty--or baby. People like puppies and babies though. I think they sell as much as sex does.
Excellent. I've decided... I'm holding a baby in my left arm and a fluffy small dog in the right all while wearing nothing but my birthday suit. Thank you everyone for helping me figure this out. Couldn't have been able to accomplish so much without the help of other passionate people. Here is to you SDN peers. 
You might be surprised how often small dark children and animals appear in these photos.Excellent. I've decided... I'm holding a baby in my left arm and a fluffy small dog in the right all while wearing nothing but my birthday suit. Thank you everyone for helping me figure this out. Couldn't have been able to accomplish so much without the help of other passionate people. Here is to you SDN peers.
Some level of nudity is not unheard of. I admit that I haven't seen all three elements in a single application photo, though.
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I love this guy. WHO IS HE?
I've seen worse.
I have better cats. I would've used them.
I've seen worse cats in application photos.
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Do not do the lab coat photo!
Geez. How many times am I gonna have to retake this photo.
Just do a suit and tie in front of a piano with a plant and a window or something. And a top hat of course.
Maybe subtle kitten in the background. All my awards hanging on the wall?
No trying too hard. Just pretend you are a suit model.
All of my secondary photos were me wearing shirts that said "XYZ School of Medicine" tailored for that particular school. Expensive, but it paid off.
I was dead broke and used an edited cell phone picture. Taken as "professionally" as possible wearing a button up. I would agree that's not ideal--but it didn't hold me back.
Exactly.... I find it hard to believe that no one has had any recent professional photos taken. This thread blows my mind. I have had several through the school- class photos, sorority photos, etc. even if I didn't, I have nice pictures of me dressed professionally that can be chopped in Paint. The Cvs idea is excellent though- get to it guys
