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.

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.

Make sure admissions knows you want to tour the art facilities.......Pick up college newspapers to learn what's important on campus.......Do your research before you visit so you know what questions you want answered.....Take notes and photos right after your visit so you remember.

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.

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.

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.

RISD looks for students with exceptional technical skills and those that show successful risk taking. RISD loves curious students, you need to show that thirst to understand and problem solve in your portfolio. Your application is more than your artwork and we suggest you pay very close attention to the sequence in which you present your art, the descriptions which accompany each piece, and your personal statement in the Common Application.

RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) is the school for you if you love to eat, drink and sleep art. It is a school for an aspiring fine artist.