portfolio reviews

[rstudio]

Is anyone attending a national graduate portfolio review day this fall? I will be going to one in Chicago. I am wondering what to expect/present for the portfolio. I have heard they are very hectic. I think I will be using 8.5 x 12 in printouts and also bring my resume and press.

Also, has anyone who is considering MICA uploaded the slideroom for the online portfolio review? www.mica.edu/gradportfolioreview

[Artist1]

Is anyone attending a national graduate portfolio review day this fall? I will be going to one in Chicago. I am wondering what to expect/present for the portfolio. I have heard they are very hectic. I think I will be using 8.5 x 12 in printouts and also bring my resume and press.

Also, has anyone who is considering MICA uploaded the slideroom for the online portfolio review? www.mica.edu/gradportfolioreview

I went to national grad portfolio day last year in Chicago. I'd suggest getting there at least an hour early. I got there 30 minutes early and the line was already wrapped around the building, going around the block. Go to the first school on the top of your list. You will probably only have time to see 3 - 5 schools because there is a wait as the day goes on. I had to wait over an hour with a number to see someone at SIAC.

You have a limited of time to actually talk to them. I wouldn't bother bringing a resume. The most important thing is your portfolio. It is a portfolio review. Most people bring their laptops with images of their work. You can zoom in to see details. Also, it's good in case they want to copy your images on a usb drive. Syracuse asked to do this of my work last year. They also asked to keep a copy of my artist statement.

Bring your artist statement. I'd make several copies of your artist statement with your contact info. And you might want to go ahead and have a couple CDs with your images and statement on it - this is good in case they want to keep some of your images to show other faculty.

If you already have print outs, you might want to bring those, as a back up in case there is a problem with your laptop.

Schools I had my review with last year: SIAC, Syracuse, SMFA

Good Luck!

[Another]

Thanks for the info — it's been about 10 years since I've gone to a portfolio review day, and apparently a lot has changed since then. It's great to know what to expect!

I'm planning on attending the review at CalArts this Sunday. Do you think it's worthwhile to bring along a piece of my work or should I stick to just documentation? Did you see many Universities there or was it strictly art schools? And do you think that the reviewers have any authority as far as getting you into their program?

[Artist1]

Thanks for the info — it's been about 10 years since I've gone to a portfolio review day, and apparently a lot has changed since then. It's great to know what to expect!

I'm planning on attending the review at CalArts this Sunday. Do you think it's worthwhile to bring along a piece of my work or should I stick to just documentation? Did you see many Universities there or was it strictly art schools? And do you think that the reviewers have any authority as far as getting you into their program?

Sure, if your work is small enough I'd bring it. Some work looks better in person than in photos. You just don't want to be dragging around a large canvas. You just sit at a table when they review your portfolio. You don't get to hang your work or anything. If your work fits on a table or in their hand - then go for it. I saw some people carrying medium sized portfolios. I didn't see the work in it - could have been design. Don't know....

Syracuse University was there. I talked to them. They have a good fine arts program. I'm not sure what other universities there were. I don't think there were many. Mostly the major private art schools across the country. I wasn't really looking at any other universities and don't know much any of them for art programs

In terms of the reviewers... Well, I guess it depends. Some schools like SMFA - it seemed that the reviewer was more of admissions staff and not a head of the department - so I'd say no they'd have no authority. But some schools have the actual heads of the fine art department or art professors reviewing your work and with those I would say maybe/yes. They might take your images and want to show the other faculty. You never know who you'll end up talking to. So I'd make the best impression you can and have the extra copies of artist statements and images on a disc just in case they ask for it. Good idea to bring along some business cards. I wouldn't push it on them but you would look unprepared if they ask for one and you don't have any.

I had one of the reviewers copy my images on his USB drive to show faculty. So it's good to have your images on a laptop, if you have one or can borrow one.

Edited October 5, 2010 by jmc2011

[zaquon]

I'm going to CalArts on Sunday too. I do photographic work, so I'll be bringing my 13"x19" prints in a portfolio book to show. Did the schools you talked to read over your artist's statement? I don't have mine written out yet, but I can talk really well about my work. I guess I'll bring some CDs too.

I visited the SMFA this last summer and had a review with the assistant dean of admissions. She said they'd be sending the grad students who are on the admissions committee. It sounds like they do have some authority.

[Artist1]

I'm going to CalArts on Sunday too. I do photographic work, so I'll be bringing my 13"x19" prints in a portfolio book to show. Did the schools you talked to read over your artist's statement? I don't have mine written out yet, but I can talk really well about my work. I guess I'll bring some CDs too.

I visited the SMFA this last summer and had a review with the assistant dean of admissions. She said they'd be sending the grad students who are on the admissions committee. It sounds like they do have some authority.

They don't ask for an artist statement. But I handed them mine and they said they would read it. It's about half a page. I think as long as it's short they'll take a look at it. They gave good feedback on my statement and said it was clear and concise. This helps me for when I'm writing my statement of intent.

[Another]

They don't ask for an artist statement. But I handed them mine and they said they would read it. It's about half a page. I think as long as it's short they'll take a look at it. They gave good feedback on my statement and said it was clear and concise. This helps me for when I'm writing my statement of intent.

The portfolio review last weekend at CalArts was really great for me. Unfortunately many of the schools I'm applying to weren't there, but it was a good opportunity to just show my work to people and practice talking about it. If nothing else, the portfolio review day served as a deadline for getting my portfolio into a presentable state.

I brought along my statement as well. Most people just glanced at it, but some of them took the time to read it and respond.

The reviewers have some authority to recommend you for admission and/or merit scholarships, so it's a great opportunity to show your face and tell them who you are. I got some great responses, and also some challenging questions that have been really helpful as I prepare my applications. I highly recommend attending one if you can.

[zaquon]

The portfolio review last weekend at CalArts was really great for me. Unfortunately many of the schools I'm applying to weren't there, but it was a good opportunity to just show my work to people and practice talking about it. If nothing else, the portfolio review day served as a deadline for getting my portfolio into a presentable state.

The best part about the day was that there was NO ONE THERE. For some reason this was pooly attended. My guess is that the UCs don't play ball with the art schools, and most people in the west are wanting to apply to a UC. The upshot is I got to talk to the schools I wanted to talk to (SMFA, SAIC, CalArts, CCA) for at least 30 min each. We were able to talk at length as to how I can present my port to increase my chances of getting in. I was able to talk about the ideas contained in my work and see what resonated with them I can now focsus my port around the pieces that really had an impact. I'm photo-based artist so I have time to produce new work around some now rock-solid ideas.

Also, I got tipped off to what kind of theory I should base my work around, for example, one school told me their faculty like to talk about perception and how we see, so include that in my statement. Another told me there are some faculty that really share my "photography as artifice" sympathies, so put it in my statement.

I learned a lot about the general demeanor of the shcools too. I got a very bad feeling from CCA. They were more interested in name dropping and trying to show me up than talking about my work and actively tried to shut down any ideas I had instead of challenging me. Their attitude was a complete 180 from the other schools whose give and take was envigorating. I've very happy they saved me the $70 application fee.

[Another]

The best part about the day was that there was NO ONE THERE. For some reason this was pooly attended. My guess is that the UCs don't play ball with the art schools, and most people in the west are wanting to apply to a UC.

I took jmc2011's advice to show up an hour early, and I was the second person to sign in. I was definitely caught off guard by how sparsely attended it was. Interesting point about the UCs though. I really hope that's the case. A low turnout of applicants this year would ultimately be bad news. Less competition might make it easier to get accepted, but that also means that schools may lower their standards to fill seats. With the economy as it is, you'd think there'd be more people going back to school, but maybe you're right and they're all applying to UCs (or looking for something more lucrative than a studio art degree).

The only school I wanted to talk to there was Cranbrook, and I felt a little rushed with them and didn't get the most enthusiastic response. I'm trying not to judge the program based on my interaction with one individual though.

[zaquon]

I wouldn't count on the number of applicants being low, last year was a record year. most universities had 200+ applicants for 5-10 spots, art schools about 300 for 15-20. Who knows what this year will be like, but they will have no trouble filling seats.

But if I'm wrong, they can lower their standards as much as they want if it means I get in.

[orangetrousers]

I uploaded my work to MICA's slideroom for an online portfolio review. I am still waiting to hear back.

[orangetrousers]

I wouldn't count on the number of applicants being low, last year was a record year. most universities had 200+ applicants for 5-10 spots, art schools about 300 for 15-20. Who knows what this year will be like, but they will have no trouble filling seats.

But if I'm wrong, they can lower their standards as much as they want if it means I get in.

That is really interesting. For some reason I always imagined the applicant number would be much higher. Where did you get that information from?

[caraa]

Thought I'd chime in here; when I first heard numbers like that, I too thought it sounded low, but the thing is, it's really not...chances of getting in are still so slim because of how few spots there are available in these programs. I applied last year and I remember that a lot of the places I applied to reported record application numbers, and they were a lot higher than 200-300, but I think for schools beyond the top ten that is the approximate number. I don't know for sure, but that's what I've gathered. A really good source for this kind of info is The CAA Directory of Graduate Programs in the Visual Arts, which you can get here: https://services.collegeart.org/eWeb/DynamicPage.aspx?WebCode=CSCPubsSearch

It's pricey, but it's worth it. Some schools provided a lot of information for the directory, others provided very little, and some schools aren't even listed. But many schools have an "admissions" section under their listing, in which they report how many applications they received in 2007, how many were accepted, and then how many enrolled. It's a very helpful resource; the numbers give you a better perspective of your chances.

[zaquon]

That is really interesting. For some reason I always imagined the applicant number would be much higher. Where did you get that information from?

Those were the numbers I got last year for UCSD and SCSB. SMFA told me about 200 when I was there during the summer. So that seems to agree with what caraa says about sub-top 10 schools.

For top 10 schools 200 is the approximate numbers for the individual disciplines. RISD said on their website last year photo gets 200 for 7 spots. I'm sure it was much higher.

I was at UCLA yesterday and they said they got 750 apps last year and they take about 22 for all disciplines.

The odds are pretty slim, but I saw most people on this board got in last year. It's a different kind of person who is obsessed about this enough to post on something like this.