Your portfolio might be the most important part of your BFA college application. Here are some tips for how to create your portfolio so you highlight your personal artistic narrative and stand out from other applicants.

Attending National Portfolio Day allows high school visual artists to receive invaluable expert critiques of their portfolios before submitting their applications.

During our RIT campus tour, we explored why art students are drawn to tech schools and delved into the College of Art and Design, as well as the School of Film and Animation. Notably, RIT's support for deaf and hard of hearing students, including those with auditory processing challenges, is impressive, offering generous scholarships to those who qualify.

Cornell University features two schools for creatives: the College of Architecture, Art and Planning and the College of Human Ecology. As part of the land grant program, three schools, including the College of Human Ecology enable New York state residents to qualify for in-state tuition.

Syracuse University is an R1 research university but for creative students it is the home of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and the School of Architecture.

There are many reasons to attend a College of Art and Design and there are many reasons to attend an art school within a university. There’s no right or wrong, it’s all about you and what you want. Read about the differences in this blog.

Concept Design, 2D Animation, 3D Animation are different but related majors. Read this blog to learn about the differences and see which might be right for you.

There’s a wide range of architecture degrees, BArch, BFA, BS, and BA. Read which might be right for you.

BFA applications start with the Common Application, but then there are many more requirements… essays, artist statement, descriptions of artwork, writing samples, creative samples. Read how you can be prepared to answer all the prompts.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Contest is one of the most accessible nationwide competitions for creative high school students who focus on art and writing. With 28 categories, 17 categories for the arts and 11 categories for writing, there is a category for almost every form of art. On the visual arts side this includes architecture and industrial design, ceramics, jewelry, animation, short film, as well as the traditional fine arts. On the writing side the categories range from poetry to science fiction to fantasy.

Northwestern University is a premier liberal arts university where creative students interested in performing arts will have the opportunity to study their craft as it intersects with the liberal arts.

DePaul University is a great option for students who want a liberal arts university in a fun, less hectic city environment of Lincoln Park but would also like to study film, performing arts, animation and other creative areas in a downtown city environment of the Loop Campus.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is one of the few truly multidisciplinary art schools in the US. Students do not select a major rather they select coursework, with the guidance of an advisor, in one of about 20 “areas of study” and pursue individualized courses of study. It is also specifically tied programmatically to one of the largest museums in the country, the Art Institute of Chicago, to which students are encouraged to visit often.

Columbia College Chicago is has a full range of majors and minors at both the BFA and BA/BS level to study everything from Animation to Film to Sound Design to Writing for Television, all while you are immersed in Chicago’s artistic community.

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) is a small but vibrant visual arts college with an urban feel in a small midwestern city. Most majors are design oriented, while many minors are connected to the humanities appealing to a wide range of students.

Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) is a small visual arts college, perfect for a student looking for an urban campus outside of large metropolitan cities. They offer majors in both fine arts and design so most students will find an area of study that interests them.

University of Miami offers all that you’d expect at a large school, but it is a gem for creative students as it houses the Frost School of Music, majors and minors in the Department of Cinematic Arts, and BArch degree from the School of Architecture. Worth considering if you’re looking for a school in a lively, international city.

Ringling College has a top five Computer Animation program but do you know about some of their other programs? They’re pretty spectacular too.

Rollins College is an exceptional small liberal arts college outside Orlando Florida. They house an on campus art museum, have D2 sports, and over 35 majors including a 3+2 BA/MBA program. It’s a hidden gem in Florida.

Visual arts portfolios are often judged based on: concept, use of color, craftsmanship, composition/design, and observational drawing. Each college has their specific requirements for portfolios based on these characteristics.