Applications to art schools require a portfolio.
Applications for admission to undergraduate or graduate programs in the visual arts typically require a portfolio of recent artwork. Prospective fine arts graduate students will have to demonstrate a significant body of work with a focused direction in their portfolios. Each school designates its own specific requirements concerning the format of the portfolio and the number of images that should be included in it. If you are interested in applying to a specific art school, visit the admissions section of the school's website for detailed information about portfolio requirements.
Content of Portfolio
Undergraduate art admissions offices often require applicants to include specific kinds of images, such as drawings, work from observation, work from a live model or a drawing or painting that answers a specific problem given in the application. Graduate applications, however, simply require students to demonstrate a well-developed direction in a particular medium. Many schools encourage applicants to focus on recent work in one particular medium in their portfolios. Some schools specify that images should be placed in chronological order or reverse chronological order.
Format of Portfolio
Most art schools have begun to require that applicants submit their portfolios in digital form. Often applicants must burn their portfolio images to a CD or DVD, or upload digital images to the school's online application. As of 2010, very few schools require students to submit slides or original work. Most schools require applicants to use a specific image file format, most often the JPEG, as well as a specific image size. Schools also supply instructions for labeling image files according to a particular convention, such as the applicant's last name followed by the image number: "Smith_01.jpg."
Number of Images
The number of images that schools request you include in your portfolio varies. Most schools require at least 10 images but usually no more than 20. Some schools require applicants to provide a specific number of images while other schools allow applicants to choose the number of images as long as it falls within a given range. Schools typically recommend that applicants include a small group of images that represents their strongest work, rather than including more images of lesser quality.
Inventory Sheet
Most schools require that applicants provide an inventory list to go along with their digital or slide portfolio. This list should indicate the title, date, dimensions and medium of each work included in the portfolio, along with each work's corresponding number or file name. Some schools also require thumbnail images on the inventory sheet.
