Meet SAIC Undergraduate

Summer at SAIC

Saturday, July 27, 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT
Check-in begins at 10 a.m. 
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We invite you to join us on campus for an informative and fun day featuring: 

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

We are delighted to offer this opportunity to join us on campus as you begin your college selection process. 

Saturday with SAIC

Saturday, October 5, 3-6 p.m. CT
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Prepare for the Chicago National Portfolio day with this pre-NPD event. Our “Portfolio Day Survival Guide” presentation will help you make the most of your National Portfolio Day experience, with portfolio preparation tips for both admission and merit scholarship, and you'll also have the opportunity to tour our state-of-the-art facilities. Current students, faculty, and staff will be on hand to answer all your questions.

Chicago National Portfolio Day

Sunday, October 6, 12 - 4 p.m. CT
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Learn more

SAIC invites you to one of the nation’s largest portfolio days with representatives from nearly 50 nationally accredited art schools and universities on hand to discuss your work and assist you in pursuing an education in the visual arts. High school students, parents, teachers, guidance counselors, and college transfer students are encouraged to attend this four-hour educational event, created for emerging visual artists and designers. Representatives from colleges of art and design will review artwork, discuss programs, and answer questions about creative and professional careers.  

See SAIC Day

Monday, October 14, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. CT
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Learn more about our acclaimed interdisciplinary curriculum, tour our state-of-the-art facilities including our residence halls, see what we look for in an admission and merit scholarship portfolio, and learn more about financial aid at SAIC.

We highly encourage you to bring your portfolio for a one-on-one conversation about your work with one of our admissions representatives.

SAIC Days are special three-hour events that take place in select cities from September to November. These events are a perfect opportunity to get one-on-one feedback on your portfolio, meet with SAIC faculty and staff, and learn more about our interdisciplinary 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!

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.

2024-2025 Events

Brazil

Canada

China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

Colombia

France

India

Indonesia

Japan

Mexico

Mongolia

South Korea

Thailand

Türkiye

United Arab Emirates

Vietnam

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

Tuesday, August 6, 5 p.m. CT
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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.

Art School 101 & Portfolio Prep for International Students

Saturday, August 17, 8 p.m. CT
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Convert to your time zone

Join the International Admissions Team for an overview of the benefits of attending an art school over a traditional college.

Portfolio Tip Tuesday: What is a Portfolio & Where to Start?

Tuesday, August 20, 5 p.m. CT
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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 on Tuesday to find out!

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.

Virtual National Portfolio Days

Representatives from SAIC are 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.

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 4:00 pm CT.

•  Schedule a live virtual tour 
• Check out our self-guided virtual tour
• Take an on-demand tour of our residence halls

Brazil

Canada

China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

Colombia

France

India

Indonesia

Japan

Mexico

Mongolia

South Korea

Thailand

Türkiye

United Arab Emirates

Vietnam

Art School 101 & Portfolio Prep for International Students

Saturday, August 17, 8 p.m. CT
RSVP
Convert to your time zone

Join the International Admissions Team for an overview of the benefits of attending an art school over a traditional college.

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 9, 2024
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 25, 2024
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.

Tuesday, June 11, 2024       
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!

Thursday, April 25, 2024        
Watch Recording

Join us to learn more about our renowned, interdisciplinary programming, cutting-edge facilities, and life in Chicago—one of the nation’s most culturally diverse and artistically welcoming cities. We’ll be starting with a brief presentation, but have set aside much time for you to ask your questions.

Thursday, April 11, 2024          
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.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024        
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.

Tuesday, November 7, 2023
   
Watch Recording         
SAIC Admissions is here to help with any questions you have leading up to our Early Action deadline on November 15th. Don't panic - we're hosting this live Q+A session to help you hit the "Submit" button with confidence. 

Tuesday, October 24, 2023         
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.

Transfer Week - The Transfer Process 

Wednesday, October 18, 2023    
Watch Recording      
This webinar is specifically for students wishing to transfer to SAIC. For this session, we'll cover:    
• Assistance with application completion    
• Portfolio advice for admission and merit scholarship    
• Transfer credit policy deep dive    
• Academic resources and next steps review

Transfer Week - Understanding SAIC's Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Thursday, October 19, 2023 
Watch Recording   
Meet with faculty and learn more about what it means to study within an interdisciplinary curriculum.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023
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 26, 2023       
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, 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.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023
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. 

Thursday, March 23, 2023 
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.

Friday, January 6, 2023 
Watch Recording

Join us to learn more about transferring to SAIC, and get an optional portfolio review with an admissions counselor to get valuable feedback on your work.

Thursday, December 1, 2022
Watch Recording

SAIC's Student Financial Services office is hosting an online information session to assist you in 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.

June 9, 2022
Watch Now
Faculty representatives will discuss SAIC's interdisciplinary curriculum and how it informs the creative process as they practice it and as they teach it.