Meet SAIC Undergraduate

Summer at SAIC
 

Saturday, July 26, 2025
10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT
Check-in begins at 10 a.m.
RSVP

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 fall 2026 college selection process.

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!

2025 Events:

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.

2025-2026 Events

Portfolio Tip Tuesday #4: Pro Tips for Documenting Your Work at Home
Tuesday, August 5, 2025, 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.

Portfolio Tip Tuesday #5: Back by Popular Demand: What is a Portfolio & Where to Start?
Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 5 p.m. CT
RSVP

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!

Portfolio Tip Tuesday #6: How to Apply & Submit Your Portfolio
Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 5 p.m. CT
RSVP

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.

Portfolio Tip Tuesday #7: Artist's Statement A to Z
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 5 p.m. CT
RSVP

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 #8: What to Include and NOT Include when Editing Your Final Portfolio
Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 5 p.m. CT
RSVP

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.

Portfolio Tip Tuesday #9: Don't Panic! Moral Support Before You Hit Submit
Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 5 p.m. CT
RSVP

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.

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

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

Canada

China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

Colombia

India

Indonesia

Japan

Mexico

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

Singapore

Thailand

Türkiye

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

Vietnam

Art School 101 & Portfolio Prep for International Students

Saturday, August 23, 2025, 8:00 p.m. CT
RSVP

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.

International SAIC DAY and Q & A

Thursday, November 13, 2025, 11:00 p.m. CT
RSVP coming soon

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. 

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 8, 2025
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 24, 2025
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 10, 2025
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 on Tuesday to find out!

Thursday, April 24, 2025
Watch Recording

Join us to 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 4, 2025
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.

How to Apply for Financial Aid Using the FAFSA

Thursday, January 23, 2025
Watch Recording

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)'s Student Financial Services team 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.

January 10, 2025
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. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
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 29, 2024
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 five different degree programs.

Thursday, October 24, 2024
Watch Recording
 
Meet with admissions and learn more about what it means to study within an interdisciplinary curriculum.

Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Watch Recording
 
This online information session will provide details about our art history programs: the Bachelor of Arts in Art History (BAAH) and Bachelor of Fine Arts with Art History Thesis (BFAAHT). The Art History department will present details about the programs' curricula, admissions, and portfolio requirements.

Tuesday, October 15, 2024
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 24, 2024
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.

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, August 6, 2024
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.

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.