College Application Deadline:

•College early decision deadline: Early November

• Regular College Application deadline: Early December senior year

• Portfolio deadline: Nov 1st – Feb 1st. (Depending on the school)

Things to account for during high school (freshman to senior):

• School GPA – Homework, school projects, research paper (First 3 years matter the most)

• Volunteer Hours (up to 200 hrs) (depends on graduation requirements, classes taken & school wanted to apply) (we suggest to get it done during first 2 years)

• College Visits & Research (If it’s local, we suggest to get it done during first 2 years)

• Sports (hours of practice and travel for competition)

• SAT prep, and taking multiple tests

• AP Classes, IB Classes, Honor Classes

• College Applications (form, essays, and artist’s statement)

• Social Life (Family, friends, others)

• Spiritual Life (Church, temple… etc.)

• Other commitments: piano, violin, ballet, Kung Fu…etc.

• School leadership Roles (clubs, competition)

• After-school Programs

What is an Art Portfolio?

An art portfolio is a collections of students’ art work that shows off their technique, observation skill, creativity, interest, personality and vision. (Please refer to individual art school requirement.)

What’s the benefit of preparing a portfolio?

• Gives you an advantage when applying to the school of your dreams. Most colleges are looking for a well-rounded student who has good grades, diverse skills, talents, and strong leadership abilities to enrich their student body. This is the chance for you to make a memorable impression and separate yourselves from other candidate.

• Has helped many students get into their dream schools, especially when they are on the border of being accepted or rejected.

• For Art school, it’s a requirement to turn in the portfolio.

Who needs a portfolio?

• Students who want to get into Art school

• Students who want to impress and separate themselves from other candidates for private school with their skill other than their academic achievement

• Students who are not sure if they want to go to Art school

Things to expect for art portfolio prep:

• It takes an average of 400 - 500 + hours IN CLASS to build a portfolio. (Finished art projects really take time. Some projects may take up to 25 classes to finish.)

• you want to do it during 9th – 11th grade

• Most schools require 15 to 25 pieces of artwork (your goal is to finish 25+ pieces to choose from) (please refer to specific school requirements)

• Art college usually require 10 to 15 sketchbook pieces

• When the school reviews your portfolio, they judge your ability based on your WEAKEST piece, not your best one. Therefore, you want to make sure you have a STRONG portfolio

• Do your homework (Sketchbook Challenge): 3 – 5 pages a week. (More practice will speed up the process on projects in class; it also preps you to receive more information when the instructor is teaching.

• We strongly suggest at least 2 - 4 classes a week starting AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE if you want to build a strong portfolio.

• If you have more free time in the summer, take more classes. By junior year it is very hard to squeeze in time for your portfolio.

• Do it early!! (Take more classes freshman and sophomore year.) Your school classes will only become harder and more demanding later on.

Things to pay attention to when building a portfolio

• Do your research of the school(s) that you want to attend. Make sure you read the requirements carefully. Some schools are strict about their requirement, some are very flexible and open.

• Show variety in your portfolio. You want to exhibit all different subjects and materials. Schools want to see if you are open-minded or not. It’s also important to know the subject and materials you can handle now, it’s only going to help you in college later on.

• You want to show schools that you are well-rounded, open-minded, and willing to try new things (experimental).

• Portfolio presentation is everything. A good arrangement can make all the pieces look more cohesive, expensive and interesting. The way you present your work is also another skill that colleges are looking for. Every school has different requirements.

• Document your portfolio pieces throughout the process. Size, materials, title, your ideas behind the work. Give credit to people who collaborate in your pieces (group project). You want to be able to talk about/discuss your work when you go to an interview.

• Focus on your learning. Your portfolio is just the beginning of your art journey. Don’t just focus on the final product, focus on your learning, your growth, your strength and weakness, and what would you like to build upon when you get to college. You want to make your portfolio building process a meaningful one.

• Focus on the quality of your work, not the quantity.

• Make your portfolio stand out. Show the school who you are. Be personal. Other than showing off your technical skills, schools are looking for your individual voice. What stories do you have to tell, what vision do you have for this world, what makes you unique? What are your interests? You want to think deeply and let them get a sense of who you are. They want students who have direction and vision. That’s what makes you memorable.

• Have a sketchbook. It should show your progress of ideas, your thumbnails, your development. What interests you? Be playful. Some schools require to see a sketchbook when submitting a portfolio.

• Attend a National Portfolio Day event. You will hear some suggestions, and learn what you might be missing in your portfolio. You can also ask questions about the program you are interested in.

• Show a range of different compositions and color combination, with not too many pieces “floating” on the background, and not 1 item in the center of the paper.

Things to expect for Portfolio Submission:

• It takes 2 - 3 classes to arrange your portfolio. This step is extremely important. It can make your portfolio 20 - 30% stronger if you can take your time to improve the visual flow of your pieces. (The number of classes needed depends on the number of the schools you are applying to.)

• Some projects need to be arranged and formatted in Photoshop before submitting. (Some schools require all sketches to be formatted on 1 page.)

• Always submit your portfolio at least 48 hours before the final due date. You never know if the computer will crash or you may encounter technical difficulties.

How do I know which Art school to apply?

• Research what programs each school offers

• Research types of portfolios and what they look like when students get accepted into the school (your tuition is not just about the facility or faculty of the school, but your peers. You want to surround yourself with the right group of people). It’s also important to look at the other students who got accepted into the school, and also student portfolio when they graduate from the major/school. There are a lot of wonderful art schools out there, and the ranking can be 1 of the reason you go to the school. But it’s more important to ask yourself what you want to learn from this school, and what do you want to get out of it.

• Research what portfolios look like when students graduate from the school (do you get excited about their work? Do you want your future portfolio to look like that?)

How do I find out if I want to have an Art career?

Difference between hobby and a job. I like art, but how do I know it’s not just a hobby? Build a portfolio. It’s like a test to yourself to see if you can stick with it and get it done. If you can, then you can reflect back on the process and evaluate if you would like to choose a career in one of the many art and design fields.