Submit a portfolio that gives us a sense of you, your interests, and your willingness to experiment, explore, and think beyond technical skills. There is no one “right way” to construct a portfolio—you choose what to present. Visit Portfolio Requirements by Degree Program for more detailed information regarding portfolios.
We strongly encourage you to meet with us at one of our events or on campus for individualized feedback about your portfolio.
The portfolio you submit for admission is the one that we will evaluate for merit scholarship.
View our portfolio preparation guide for more information.
General Portfolio Guidelines
- Show us 10–15 of your best and most recent works.
- Use your portfolio to showcase your interests, skills, and creative potential.
- You may show us work created across media or focus entirely in one medium.
- Work can range from observational to abstract.
- We have no media-specific limitations nor do we present portfolio assignments.
Advice for Developing a Merit Scholarship Portfolio
- Be bold, experiment, take risks, and be inventive.
- Show us what makes you different, and the things about which you are passionate.
- Build a portfolio of thematic work —show multiple pieces that share similar ideas, techniques, or media.
- Mesh great ideas —political, environmental, and even social within your work.
- Think about your portfolio as a gallery show you are curating.
- Highlight work that is consistently expressive, curious, and though-provoking.
How to Submit Your Work
Upload you work electronically through SlideRoom, which you will access through SAIC's member screen within the Common Application under the Portfolio section.
Guidelines for Submitting Work
Type of Media | Accepted File Types | Preferred File Size |
Images | .jpg, .gif, .png | 72 dpi, no more than 600 pixels in any direction |
Video | .flv, .wmv, .mov | 5 minutes total for all submitted pieces |
Audio | .mp3 | 5 minutes total for all submitted pieces |
Text Documents | MUST be .pdf | No more than 1mb per .pdf. PDFs may be broke down into multiple documents. |