Submitting an arts supplement offers admissions officers a deeper understanding of who you are as a person. It adds richness to your application and showcases your talent in a unique area, which is always a valuable asset in college applications.
Most Ivy League and other prestigious universities in the United States allow students who are not majoring in arts to submit art supplements with their college applications.
There are some great reasons to submit an Art Portfolio as a Supplement to the schools that allow it.
Here are the benefits of submitting an Art Portfolio as a supplement:
- Stand Out from the Competition: In a sea of standardized test scores and transcripts, your artwork can set you apart from other applicants and leave a lasting impression on admissions officers.
- Demonstrate Your Creativity and Originality: Art provides a platform for you to showcase your unique perspective and artistic style. Admissions officers will be able to see your ability to generate original ideas and bring them to life.
- Highlight Your Problem-Solving Skills: Creating art often involves solving creative problems. Whether it’s finding the right composition, choosing the appropriate colors, or experimenting with different techniques, your artwork can demonstrate your ability to think critically and find innovative solutions.
- Convey Complex Ideas in a Non-Verbal Format: Art has the power to communicate complex ideas and emotions in a non-verbal way. Through your artwork, you can convey your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a way that words alone cannot.
- Showcase Your Passion: Including art in your college application allows you to share your passion with admissions officers. It demonstrates your dedication, commitment, and enthusiasm for your chosen art form.
- Enhance Your Narrative: Your artwork can serve as a valuable supplement to your written application materials. It can provide additional context and depth to your personal statement, resume, and letters of recommendation.
- Gain a Competitive Edge: Submitting art can give you a competitive edge, especially if you are applying to programs or disciplines that value creativity and visual thinking.
- Explore Your Interests: The process of creating art can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. It allows you to explore your interests, develop your skills, and grow as an artist.
When assembling a portfolio for an art supplement, you should aim to include a diverse range of works that demonstrate your technical skills, artistic vision, and personal style.
This can include various mediums such as painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital art, or mixed media.
The selection should showcase your growth and development as an artist, as well as your ability to experiment with different techniques and concepts.
In addition to the visual presentation of the artwork, you are also required to provide written explanations and statements of personal significance for each piece. These components are crucial in helping the admissions committee understand your creative process, inspiration, and the meaning behind your work. You should take the time to thoughtfully reflect on each piece and articulate your artistic intentions, influences, and the emotions or experiences that drove the creation of the artwork.
It is imperative for you to strictly adhere to the submission format requirements outlined by each university. These requirements may vary in terms of the number of pieces allowed, the file size and resolution, and the preferred method of submission, for example, online portfolio, physical portfolio, or another type of presentation. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the art supplement being disqualified or not being given proper consideration.
Overall, the art supplement provides an exceptional opportunity for you to distinguish yourself in the college application process and highlight your artistic prowess. By carefully curating a diverse portfolio, providing insightful explanations, and adhering to the submission requirements, you can effectively convey your artistic abilities, creativity, and dedication to your craft.
Schools that accept an Art Portfolio supplement:
Harvard University
You may submit optional supplementary media materials (e.g. videos, audio recordings, or images) electronically via Slideroom. Details for submissions in art will be found on the Slideroom website.
You must submit your application to Harvard College before you will be allowed to submit materials via Slideroom.
Yale University
Supplementary materials – Visual Arts
Whether or not you wish to major in art as an undergraduate, if you are an advanced visual artist, you may consider submitting an art portfolio as part of your application. Please bear in mind that Yale School of Art faculty members review selected portfolios, not admissions officers.
You should only consider submitting work if your artwork is a strong and important part of your application and demonstrates a high level of ability for a high school artist. You should limit the submission to between 5 and 8 pieces using SlideRoom Create a SlideRoom account before submitting your application.
Optional Arts Supplement Questionnaire-
Students who indicate their intention to submit a visual art supplement with their application will have the option to complete the Arts Supplement Questionnaire. The form allows applicants to provide additional context for their submission. The optional form will appear on an applicant’s Yale Admissions Status Portal. Information provided on the Questionnaire, like other parts of the application, are subject to audit and verification.
Princeton University
On the Common or QuestBridge* Application, please indicate your intention to submit an Arts Supplement in Princeton’s member questions. You will be able to access the link to submit an Optional Arts Supplement in your Princeton Applicant Status Portal.
You will need to submit your application to Princeton University before you can submit your optional Arts Supplement on your Princeton Applicant Status Portal.
Princeton encourages you to include a résumé if you think that will add to an understanding of your training and experiences.
Categories: Film, Digital Video and Animation, Graphic Design, Interdisciplinary (including Sound), Painting and Drawing, Photography, Sculpture
Princton encourages applicants to include works that reflect experimentation and imagination rather than stylistic consistency. We also encourage including exploratory and/or preparatory works (such as sketchbook pages) that convey how you think visually.
Whether you are self-taught or have taken art classes makes no difference; please represent the breadth, depth and complexity of your efforts. Test your digital materials to make sure they are viewable in their entirety before submitting them.
If your portfolio includes work from more than one category, choose the category that is your predominant one. If you are intentionally working in more than one category, submit under interdisciplinary.
Graphic Design, Interdisciplinary, Painting and Drawing, Photography — Your portfolio may include 10-20 images of your most recent work in any medium or across media. For painting and drawing submissions, please include some examples that involve drawing from observation if possible.
For interdisciplinary, you may include video in your portfolio as well, using the same submission requirements as film, digital video and animation (see below).
Film, Digital Video and Animation — Submit up to a maximum of 10 minutes total of video, either from a single work or clips/excerpts from multiple works. Submit only as link(s) to YouTube or Vimeo (without any password protection). Include a Word document listing the title(s), running time, short description, your role in the production and the category: narrative, documentary, animation, experimental or interdisciplinary.
Columbia University
Creative Portfolios- You may wish to submit supplementary portfolios if you intend to bring creative talents to Columbia’s campus either through a major and/or extracurricular opportunities.
Supplements are entirely optional and not required for the admissions process. Students will have access to the arts and maker communities and facilities, and are able to participate in the arts communities of Columbia regardless of supplement submissions or majors. Most students who choose to submit an Artistic Portfolio have achievements at the local, state, national or international level related to their craft, and have devoted a significant amount of time and energy to their art form(s). The Maker Portfolio may be an opportunity for students to highlight past creations or ongoing projects that demonstrate creativity and ingenuity, technical ability and hands-on problem solving.
Architecture, Film, Maker, and Visual Arts supplements can be submitted through Columbia’s SlideRoom portal. Please select the program corresponding to the application type you are using for your application to Columbia.
Visual Arts– Please submit up to 20 images that highlight the best work in your portfolio. Images may be submitted only in jpg, png, or gif formats, up to 5 MB each. Please specify the title, year and medium for each submission.
Applicants are welcome to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their visual arts experience and recognition.
Architecture- Please submit up to 10 digital images or models that highlight your best work. Images may be submitted only in jpg, png, or gif formats, up to 5 MB each. 3D models may be submitted via Sketchfab. Specify the title, year and medium for each submission.
Applicants are welcome to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their architecture experience and recognition.
Maker- The Maker Portfolio is an opportunity for students to highlight completed or ongoing projects that they have built, fabricated, invented, produced, or otherwise created. These projects should demonstrate creativity and ingenuity, technical ability and hands-on problem solving.
Students who would like their technically creative work to be reviewed alongside their application materials can submit up to 4 media items (images, video, 3D models, audio files, documents, or external links), documenting one or several projects. Submitted media can reflect any step in the design process, from blueprints and specifications, through demonstrations of completed work. Students will also be asked to answer a few short questions about the duration of their project, their specific role in and contributions to the project, and contact information of a mentor or advisor who can speak to this creative work.
Film– Please submit a video sample of your film work or a screenplay (in pdf format). Video submissions should be up to 10 minutes in length. You may upload a video file no larger than 250 MB or provide a link to a video hosting site (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo). List your name and role in the production in the description section of the media details. Videos should not include any biographical or introductory material.
Applicants are required to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their film experience and recognition.
Dartmouth College
Portfolio- Dartmouth welcomes fine art materials, from first-year applicants who wish to demonstrate extraordinary talent in the fine arts.
Submission
First-year applicants who wish to demonstrate extraordinary talent in the fine arts may submit a portfolio once they have already completed and submitted the rest of their application
Portfolios must be submitted electronically. Applicants who wish to submit a portfolio will be able to do so through their Application Portal after they have submitted their completed application. For more detailed information, review these instructions and this walkthrough video.
Portfolios are reviewed by Dartmouth faculty. If you submit a portfolio, our faculty will consider your potential to deeply engage with the arts at Dartmouth—either through academic studies or extracurricular pursuits.
If admitted, your submission does not commit you to participate in the arts, though we hope you will. Conversely, a lack of submission will not count against you if, in the future, you decide to participate in the arts as part of your college experience.
U Penn
Students with exceptional and recognized talents in visual arts, should use the activities section or additional information sections of the application to convey these achievements. Submit supplementary material through your Penn Applicant Portal which becomes available to you once you submit the Coalition or Common App and the Penn Supplement.
Art Portfolios – Portfolios are not required and will only be reviewed in two instances:
Digital Media Design applicants are recommended to submit a portfolio that includes at least one drawing or painting as well as any other work that highlights your talent. All forms of media are welcomed. Submit pieces that highlight your sense of aesthetic taste and vision and your eye for composition. The Program encourages you to explore how the computer transforms your artwork and design ideas. Please limit your selection to 5-12 pieces, or a maximum of 5 minutes of video.
Transfer students applying to Architecture for sophomore standing are required to submit a portfolio. There is no specific number of submissions that must be included. Junior transfers are ineligible to apply to the Architecture major.
Brown University
If you are accomplished in visual art, you may include additional supplements with your application in the Common Application through SlideRoom. You do not need to wait for access to your Brown Applicant Portal to upload visual art materials to SlideRoom.
Creating a SlideRoom account, and beginning to create your Art Portfolio well before submitting your material is strongly recommended to ensure that you are able to meet the submission requirements.
You may submit:
- 15 images (up to 5 MB each)
MIT
Visual artists, and Makers may submit optional portfolios for review by MIT staff or faculty through SlideRoom. Creative portfolios are truly optional, and should only be submitted if they feature work that is both significant to you and relevant to your MIT application.
Visual Art & Architecture
The Visual Art & Architecture portfolio is designed for students with exceptional creative talent who would like their work to be reviewed by professional faculty and staff at MIT. You should consider submitting work via SlideRoom if your work is a significant part of your application and demonstrates strong creative talent for a young artist.
- We encourage all types of media art, including design, drawing, painting, mixed media, digital media, photography, sculpture, and architectural work.
- You may submit a portfolio of up to 10 images of your work for review. Include the title, medium, a brief description, date completed, and a brief description of each work’s concept or inspiration.
Note: only one Visual Art & Architecture portfolio is permitted per applicant.
Makers
The Maker Portfolio is an opportunity for students to showcase their technical creativity—from carpentry to coding to cosplay. Your submission will be evaluated by the Engineering Advisory Board, a group of MIT faculty, staff, and alumni with notable technical expertise in different modes of making. If you make the kind of thing(s) you might exhibit at a Maker Faire, demo at a hackathon, or just do for yourself and friends, then the Maker Portfolio in SlideRoom is a way to show us.
- Please answer a brief questionnaire about what you make, how you make, and why you make. Provide clarity on relevant goals, issues, setbacks, and lessons learned. We want to know about your problem-solving process and motivations, not just your visible end result.
- Submit images, video totaling no more than 120 seconds, and up to one PDF of technical documentation and/or specifications. You may document one project or many, and your work may have been done inside, or outside, of school, and alone or with a team. Just make sure you explain it to us.
- Sometimes, less is more! If you’re particularly prolific, consider focusing on the details for a few of your favorite projects.
Note: only one Maker Portfolio is permitted per applicant.
Stanford University
Stanford welcomes the participation of all students in the arts.
Please submit a portfolio in the area that best students in the arts. The Arts Portfolio represents your strength in the arts and the optional, and if you submit one, you are not art form you are most likely to pursue in required to major in the arts. If you do not submit one you may still study or participate in the arts, and we encourage you to do so. Arts Portfolios will be reviewed at the discretion of the admission office and the fine arts faculty.
Step 1- Select “Yes” to the application question, “Do you intend to submit an Arts Portfolio?”
Step 2- Submit your Common Application by the applicable early deadline. After Stanford receives your application, we will email you (within 48 hours) with instructions on how to access your Stanford portal.
Step 3- Log in to your Stanford portal and submit the Arts Portfolio form, which will generate an upload link.
Step 4- Use the link to upload your Arts Portfolio materials by the applicable early deadline.
Students may submit one Fine Art portfolio in the following media: Painting, Drawing & Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture, and Video, Digital Media & Electronic. Art Students submitting a portfolio in Art Practice must include an artist’s statement of no more than 250 words describing concepts, formal issues, process and influences. Images must be arranged chronologically and captioned as follows: title, year, media, dimensions.
PAINTING, DRAWING & PRINTMAKING PHOTOGRAPHY • Submit exactly 10 slides of two-dimensional work demonstrating strong ideas and skills or a background in visual art practice beyond class assignments (inventive personal imagery, abstractions, difficult narratives, etc.). Work must be independently completed by the applicant. • Academic landscapes or figurative studies may be included but should not be the majority of submissions. • Do not submit PDFs showing multiple works. Each artwork must be submitted individually.
SCULPTURE • Submit no more than 10 images of three-dimensional works in any or all of the following: mixed media, wood, metal, clay, installation or found objects. • We do not accept portfolios that include ceramics, architecture, or product design submissions. • Submit no more than 10 art images from the past two years. • Photographs will be evaluated based on aesthetic and technical merit, and must demonstrate both a meaningful connection with the subject(s) and the commitment to exploring and developing an individual vision as an artist.
EXPERIMENTAL MEDIA: SOUND, VIDEO, INTERACTIVE, ART & SCIENCE • Submit no more than 10 files in total. This may include up to three excerpts of no more than two minutes each for time-based works, and images as appropriate. • If the work is collaborative, please list the team credits and your role in it. • If your work is interactive (website, installation, electronic), please submit a video showing it in action. Links and URLs will not be reviewed independent
University of Chicago
Students may submit supplemental material representing a significant talent, passion, or achievement by self-upload through their UChicago Account. These materials include visual arts
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