Indiana Art Schools: What You Need to Get Into a Quality Art Program

Colleges and universities in Indiana attract a large number of students from around the country. Admission to Indiana art schools and leading universities is competitive. Applying to an art school usually entails creating a portfolio with samples of your best work as an artist.

If you are interested in studying art, it is important to plan ahead and learn about what will be required by the schools you hope to apply to. It takes a great deal of time to create an excellent portfolio so students need to be thinking about this well in advance of application season in the fall of senior year.

While liberal arts classmates are busy with essays and testing, art students also have to create portfolios and other supplementary materials such as artistic statements or additional short essays.

Some art schools will allow you to use the “common application” now utilized by many of the countries leading colleges and universities. But you will still need to complete an arts supplement and probably submit a portfolio as well. The portfolio usually includes either photographs, high quality copies, or slides of you work.

Students considering majoring in art should contact the admissions offices of the schools they are interested in attending and find out about their application requirements and portfolio instructions. The required contents of your portfolio might also depend on the major you are considering.

While you are not expected to already be an expert in the media you are looking to learn about in college, a graphic design program may want to see different kinds of samples than a photography, fashion design or animation degree program. Schools usually have quite specific requirements as to number of pieces, size, types of work and media show, and so on.

Schools that are members of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design offer a portfolio day when prospective students can meet admissions officers and present their portfolios. So, high school students should investigate whether there is a national portfolio day being offered at one of the schools in their region. The National Portfolio Day Association organizes 38 portfolio days around the United States and Canada in the months from September through January.

For example, the 2010 the Portfolio Day Association’s Indiana Portfolio Day is held on September 27th at the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University in Indianapolis, Indiana. All portfolio day events are free, open to the public and do not require pre-registration. Students are instructed to bring finished pieces, works in progress and sketchbooks.

Bring the original artwork to portfolio presentations whenever possible. Framing and elaborate presentation is not encouraged; the goal is for admissions officers to get a feel for students’ creative and technical potential. Students can contact the host institution to find out what schools will be represented at the Portfolio Day.

Many high school students work with their high school art teacher or other mentor to get guidance on putting their portfolio together. Sometimes it’s had to be the best judge of one’s work so students should consult someone experienced in the art school application process.

For many schools, especially specialized art colleges, the portfolio will be the primary factor in the school’s decision-making process. Not all schools require a portfolio; Herron School of Art and Design, for example, does not require students who have been admitted to Indian University and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to present a portfolio. Most universities and liberal arts colleges will give a great deal of weight to academics, test scores and essays, but if a portfolio is required it could give the student a significant leg up when applying to an academically competitive college.

Some of the best art schools also request an artist’s statement to accompany the portfolio. Here students can discuss why they are artists, perhaps discuss their favorite artists and sources of inspiration. It can be valuable to show your understanding of the history and tradition of art while focusing on your own ideas, perspective and goals.