ART PORTFOLIOS FOR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS By Ian Torney, Chair of Visual Arts Department, Milton Academy
The following suggestions and procedures are intended as guidelines for any seniors who have completed a significant amount of visual artwork during their Milton career. We strongly recommend that you create a portfolio of your best work as part of your college application , particularly if you intend to pursue your artwork in college. What you show them, if chosen and presented carefully, can only be to your advantage .
Format
Most colleges will be looking for a selection of 10-20 images documenting your work. With some exceptions, most colleges are now asking for digital images uploaded to Slide Room or via their online electronic application process. A few still specify the traditional set of 35mm slide transparencies presented in a 9 x 12 inch plastic sheet. Some stipulate a smaller number of images. A few will accept a link to a website. Follow the specific instructions of each college. Digital images typically should be saved as JPEG files with limits as to size and resolution – typical image-sizes are @ 5 x 7 inches at 300 dpi resolution. Check each college’s admissions and art submissions websites very carefully for guidelines. A separate corresponding list or inventory of these images can also be included - identify each image with a title, medium, size, date completed, and a brief description of the project or work. If possible it is helpful to include a file that will give the viewer the option to see all of the images simultaneously. If 35mm slides are required, digital images can be converted to that format using photo services like iprintfromhome.com. Images submitted as slides should be labeled with your name and numbered and submitted with a typed list that corresponds to your slides. Identify each image with a title, medium, size, date completed, and a brief description of the project or work. For example: “In this project for Advanced Drawing, I chose to interpret the psychological pressure that high achievement requires. I used extreme light and shadow to highlight the central figure.” You could also include a brief (1/2 or 2/3 page, typed) artist’s statement, which describes your interests and investment in the visual arts. Why is art-making important to you? Differing formats are possible, and in some cases advisable, depending on the scope and type of your work and the college you are considering. Consult the college counselors, art teachers, and the admission offices of your colleges. Collect all of your work at school, including sketchbooks, finished pieces, and things you may have done outside of your coursework at Milton. Remember that this art portfolio is intended to “show what you have done” and not just “what you like.” It is preferable to show strong thematic development rather than lots of creative variety. What comes through in these images? Is it a surprising sense of color, an advanced command of design, sensitivity in capturing personalities, zany imagination, a probing statement about identity, or perhaps an ambitious exploration of different formats? Contact the member of the Milton Visual Arts Department who knows your work best as your mentor for this process. Together, review your collected works, considering which pieces may be most important and representative of your achievements. Procedure
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