Meet SAIC Undergraduate

Art School 101 – A Special Event for Rising Seniors 

Saturday, July 25, 2026
10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT
Check-in begins at 10:00 a.m.

RSVP

We invite you to join us on campus for an engaging and informative day that includes:

• Art School 101 - a presentation covering everything you need to know about applying to and attending an art and design school
• One-on-one conversations with faculty and admissions counselors, including personalized portfolio feedback
• A guided tour of our state-of-the-art campus and loft-style residence halls
• A Chicago-style lunch for you and your guests

We’re excited to welcome you to campus and share this experience as you begin exploring your college options.
 

Join us at one of our Meet SAIC events taking place in select cities from September to November. We’ll start with a presentation on our unique interdisciplinary curriculum and resources, plus you can get one-on-one feedback on your portfolio and meet with SAIC faculty and staff.        

National Portfolio Days (NPDs) take place throughout the year, and SAIC participates in all of them. Representatives from SAIC are ALWAYS available to provide 10–15 minute portfolio reviews of prospective students' work, give you valuable feedback and guidance on your portfolio before you submit it as part of your application, and to speak about SAIC's curriculum.

One-on-one meetings give you individual time with an admissions counselor to get feedback on your portfolio, or just ask any questions you may have!

2025 Events:

Canada

China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

Colombia

India

Indonesia

Japan

Mexico

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

Singapore

Thailand

Türkiye

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

Vietnam

For Admitted Students: Student Financial Services- Final Steps - You Are Almost Here 

Tuesday, July 28
6:30 p.m. CT
RSVP

You are invited to attend an online information session with SAIC's Student Financial Services office. We will help answer any last minute questions you may have about payments, loans and more.
Topics will include:
Important Dates
Making Payments
Setting Up Payment Plans
Health Insurance Waivers
Loan Processing Steps
There will be time for individual questions during and after the webinar.

Portfolio Tip Tuesday #4: Pro Tips for Documenting Your Work at Home

Tuesday, August 4
5 p.m. CT
RSVP

Taking great photos of your work is just as important as making it! In this hour long workshop, SAIC faculty will walk you through how to capture and edit high quality photos for your application. We'll also cover tips for using household materials and a smartphone in this process.

View more virtual events for admitted students at saic.edu/ugnext!

Sign up for a virtual one-on-one portfolio review session. 

During these 20–30 minute virtual sessions, faculty, alums, and admissions counselors will provide valuable feedback on your work for both admission and merit scholarship consideration. Have sketchbooks, finished pieces, and your questions prepared.

You will present images of your work live via screen-share. You can also share links with the reviewer utilizing the Zoom chat box. You don't need to upload anything in advance.

All appointments are in central time, please schedule accordingly.

Representatives from SAIC will be available at all online National Portfolio Days to provide 10-15 minute portfolio reviews of prospective students' work, give you valuable feedback and guidance on your portfolio before you submit it as part of your application, and to speak about SAIC's curriculum.

Take a live tour of our campus and residence halls with our current students and ask any questions you have! Virtual tours take place on Wednesdays at 5:00 pm CT.

•  Schedule a live virtual tour 
• Check out our self-guided virtual tour

• Take an on-demand tour of our residence halls

  Please note: You may need to disable your browser's ad blocker to allow the tour to load correctly.

Take a live tour of our campus and residence halls with our current students and ask any questions you have!

In-Person 

Tours take place daily, Monday through Friday and select Saturdays. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes in advance for check-in. A maximum of three people are allowed per party, including the prospective student. Advance registration is required.

Schedule an In-Person Tour

We offer you the opportunity to meet with an admission counselor before or after our on-campus tours to have your portfolio reviewed or just get more information about SAIC. Reservations are required due to a strict capacity limit. 

Tour guests should arrive at the LeRoy Neiman Center at 37 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL, 60603, 15 minutes in advance of the scheduled tour time. Tours typically last 90 minutes.  

Our tours include the following:

• A brief presentation providing an overview of SAIC’s campus and curriculum
• A look inside our campus buildings (2) and facilities, including our Contemporary Practices department
• Visiting one of our residence halls
• Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago museum
• Introduction to our downtown campus—wear comfortable shoes!  
   

Virtual

Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Watch Recording

Are you currently contemplating the age-old question of "Is it okay to submit anime, fan art, or comics in a portfolio for art school?" We'll do a deep dive exploring the topics of authorship, originality, and appropriation in art to help you decide how to move forward if you have an interest in this style of work.

Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Watch Recording

Applying to art school usually means providing images of your artwork in the form of a portfolio. But how do you get started? How do you know what to include and what to leave out? And how do artists use this important tool in their professional lives? Join us online for our first summer session of Portfolio Tip Tuesday to find out!

Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Watch Recording

Sketchbooks and journals are essential companions for artists. Together, we'll look at interesting ways to use them and how they can help you build a strong portfolio.

Thursday, June 4, 2026
Watch Recording

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)'s Student Financial Services office will be presenting information on how to calculate your expected costs, how to make payments, and important deadlines. We will also complete a sample budgeting worksheet called "Figure Your Costs" available at saic.edu/fyc.

Thursday, April 23, 2026
Watch Recording

Join us for an online info session about transferring to SAIC. You'll learn more about transferring credits, our renowned interdisciplinary programming, applying for scholarships and financial aid, and more! We’ll be starting with a brief presentation, but have set aside much time for you to ask your questions.

Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Watch Recording

Representatives from SAIC's Student Financial Services department will discuss SAIC award packages, completing the budgeting worksheet, and outside scholarships. There will be time during and after the presentation to ask questions.

January 9, 2026
Watch Recording

Join the International Admissions Team for an overview on understanding the benefits of attending an art school over a traditional college and a live Q & A session. 

Thursday, January 8, 2026
Watch Recording

Join the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) admissions team for an engaging overview of SAIC. You’ll learn what makes an art school experience unique, how our interdisciplinary curriculum supports creative exploration, and what life at SAIC looks like—from studios and facilities to the vibrant campus community. This session will help you better understand how SAIC can shape your future as an artist or designer.

Thursday, December 4, 2025
Watch Recording

This online information session will cover filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), applying for scholarships and identifying other sources of funding, and understanding your award. There will be time after the presentation to ask any questions you may have.

Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Watch Recording

SAIC Admissions is here to help with any questions you have leading up to our Early Action deadline on November 15. Don't panic: we're hosting this live Q+A session to help you hit the "Submit" button with confidence.

Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Watch Recording

How do you know what different schools are looking for in a portfolio? Is it the same for every degree program? Join us to learn how to research and follow portfolio requirements. We will review specific requirements for SAIC's 5 different degree programs.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Watch Recording

This online information session will provide details about our Art Education, Art History, Writing, and Visual and Critical Studies Programs. Departments will present details about the programs' curricula, admissions, and portfolio requirements.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Watch Recording

Have you run into a case of writer's block? You've made some awesome artwork, but how do you write about it? Join us to learn everything you need to know about constructing an artist statement. We will explain the purpose of an artist statement and offer tips for getting started and editing your statement.

Portfolio Tip Tuesday: How to Apply & Submit Your Portfolio

Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Watch Recording

You've created artwork, documented it, and made your final selections. Now, it's time to apply! We'll show you how to access the Common Application and walk you through the steps to complete and submit your application and SlideRoom portfolio.

Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Watch Recording

Taking great photos of your work is just as important as making it! In this hour long workshop, SAIC faculty will walk you through how to capture and edit high quality photos for your application. We'll also cover tips for using household materials and a smartphone in this process.

Saturday, August 17, 2024
Watch Recording

Join the International Admissions Team for an overview of the benefits of attending an art school over a traditional college, and how to curate your portfolio for SAIC.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023    
Watch Recording

How can you go beyond what's expected when working on an assignment? How have artists previously incorporated assignments and prompts into their creative practices? SAIC Admissions counselors give you the inside scoop on how to approach assignment-based work so you can include it in your portfolio.

June 9, 2022
Watch Recording

Faculty representatives will discuss SAIC's interdisciplinary curriculum and how it informs the creative process as they practice it and as they teach it.