Junior year in high school can be very busy. Creative students need to start researching colleges early as they will need to prepare and submit portfolios and audition materials, in addition to writing many supplemental essays. This checklist tells you what you should focus on and when as you apply to college.

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.

There are good reasons to set up a college specific email to allow you to read important emails related to your applications, however, you have to remember to check it. If you don’t want to manage two separate emails then you might be better sticking with just one.

UI/UX marries art, design and technology. It is the perfect course of study for a student who is creative and STEM focused. Read the blog to learn more about it and some great schools which offer majors in it.

Entering the Scholastic Art & Writing contest is a fantastic opportunity for creative students to be juried by experts in the field receive awards. Read this post to learn more about the categories and the scholarship awards you can win.

FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is your gateway for receiving aid from college as well as being able to apply for Federal loans. This blog also acquaints you with other financial aid terms you need to understand to determine the cost of the colleges to which you are applying.

The supplemental prompts on college applications can be as important as the personal statement and other materials. Spend the time to write responses that show colleges who you are and that you support their values.

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.

What are your experiences? What are your hopes and dreams? Who is your treasured community? What makes you come alive? Start answering these questions and you’ll be brainstorming your college essay.

Submitting test scores is a nuanced decision, depending on where your scores fall with respect to other applicants at a college. There is no right answer, but we give you some thoughts and data from the last few years to help your decision.

Have fun over the summer, but squeeze in time to do some of these college application tasks and your fall will be less stressful, and you’ll feel so accomplished!

Northeastern University is a college where if you can imagine what you want to study, you can create that path, in fact every student I spoke with was studying a combined major.

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.

Here are 12 things that students can do to finish the year strong. Juniors and even Sophomores can take these easy steps to set themselves up for strong college applications.

6 Tips to learn how to use your social media to your advantage both to research schools and to let them know you care about them.

College decisions are released and you find yourself still in limbo placed on the waitlist for a school you’d really like to attend. Here are four steps to take now.

You want to research the academics, and also the culture and physical aspects of the college. These are all the pieces to making your four years successful and a good ROI.

It’s time to start planning your summer. There are great options if you know what you want to achieve. And don’t forget to include time to recharge and be creative.

Second semester Junior year could be the last full semester colleges evaluate in your applications. Make it a great semester with these tips.

Are you hoping to apply to film school? There are some great programs at USC School of Cinematic Arts, Chapman Dodge College, Emerson College, and UCLA. There are also programs at traditional art conservatories such as Rhode Island School of Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Pratt. Starting early in high school is key to being prepared to submit great applications.