BFA Applications - More than just the Common Application

A parent of a rising high school junior asked me a question that comes up quite often.

For creative students applying to BFA programs, are there many essays in addition to their portfolios/auditions?

As you might imagine, the application requirements for BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) programs vary tremendously, and what I highlight here are for this year, next year they could be entirely different. Schools want to assess not only your artistic skills but also your ability to articulate your thoughts, motivations, and goals through written responses. Many require additional materials like an artist statement, supplemental essays (long form and short answer), and videos. Be aware that some schools “hide” these essays in Slideroom (used for visual submissions) or Acceptd (used for performing arts submissions) so don’t leave opening these platforms until the last minute or you might face a very unwelcome surprise.

Whichever your creative focus, you will most likely have to write some variant of an artist statement which is a personal reflection of your creative journey. Take the time to tailor yours to accurately represent your artistic voice and vision. Your artist statement and your creative submissions need to reflect each other, for example, writing about the inspiration you find in nature would be out of sync with a portfolio of portraits and urban scenes.

For visual artists, including design and architecture students, some schools, like Carnegie Mellon, have three Common App essays and four short answer prompts found in Slideroom. Cornell has two supplemental essays in the Common App and additional written and specific creative challenges/essays depending on your selected major. Applying to Northeastern requires no essays, but don’t be fooled, there are four essays for the College of Art and Media Design (CAMD) all found in Slideroom. A design student applying to these schools, and others, had to write 47 essays (yes), create 32 works of art (and descriptions), to apply to 11 schools.

Film programs also have hidden essays in Slideroom. NYU has five requirements including a personal video essay. Chapman and USC, besides having a multitude of university essays, also each have as many as four additional essays depending on your desired concentration within your major. A film student this year applied to 10 schools responding to 28 prompts and made five films.

Lest you think that performing arts students just have prescreens and auditions, you too have extra essays similar to those for visual arts and film students, AND you have to format your resume, headshot, and prescreen auditions specifically to each school’s requirements. Both Boston University and the University of Michigan require two additional (different) essays. A theatre applicant this year submitted applications to 15 schools and wrote 21 essays and submitted 12 prescreen monologues.

Often these essays are hidden inside the college’s Slideroom or Acceptd portals, something to be aware of when planning your time to complete the applications! But don’t worry, if you work with us we scope these out so you don’t have to!

If you want help keeping it all straight and writing fantastic responses we're here to help you, here's my calendar, schedule an appointment today.