All applicants to the College of Fine Arts must apply through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and meet the standards of admission to Boston University. In addition to completing an application to Boston University, all prospective CFA students must have an artistic evaluation by the College of Fine Arts.?All portfolios must be submitted digitally at?bucfa.slideroom.com.
Portfolio Requirements
The portfolio is a critical part of the admissions process for SVA applicants. The faculty committee is interested in reviewing recent work that shows off you technical ability and prowess, as well as work that shows your creativity and personality. It is this combination that is critical. Ask yourself, “does this piece represent my highest level of execution?” “Does this piece say something about my ideas and creativity?” “Do the faculty at BU need to see this piece to understand who I am and what I can do?” If the answer is yes, than it should go into your portfolio.
Your portfolio is one piece of the holistic admissions process and will be considered along with all other aspects of your application when making an admissions decision.
Applicants to the undergraduate program in the School of Visual Arts at Boston University must upload their portfolio online.?
Portfolios are to consist of at least fifteen (15) and not more than twenty (20) samples of work. The portfolio review committee is especially interested in seeing examples of the applicant’s ability to work from observation.
Portfolios are required to include:
15-20?total images
Included in those 15-20 images there needs to be at least 3 drawings from direct observation, preferably 2?Still-Lifes and 1 portrait. Please note that this is a minimum requirement and you may include more if you like.
While not required, sketchbook pages that you feel represent your unique perspective are encouraged.
Tips & Hints:
Always choose quality over quantity. Portfolios composed of 20 images are not inherently better than those composed of 15.
Portfolios consisting primarily of photography are not acceptable.
The documentation of your work is crucial to how it is received by the faculty committee. Please ensure that your images are of the highest quality, in focus and well lit.
When you upload your images, Slideroom will provide you with text fields to submit the title, dimensions, medium, and description of your work. You do not need to include this information in the image file itself.
You want to have a diverse portfolio, but how you achieve that diversity may vary. It does not necessarily mean that you need many types of media.
You are encouraged to only include recent work (from approximately the past 6-9 months) as this will best show the state of your current practice and ability.
Only submit your original artwork. Fraudulent portfolios are not tolerated.
Visual Arts Portfolio Submission Deadlines
Early Decision
Trustee Applicants
ED2? ? ? ??
Regular Decision
November?1
December 1
January 4
February 1
Preliminary Portfolio Reviews
BU School of Visual Arts at National Portfolio Days
Boston University School of Visual Arts is a proud member of the National Portfolio Day Association and will be attending many events around the country this year. Please check the National Portfolio Day Association website to find out if we will be at an event near you.
Individual Portfolio Reviews
Students who are unable to connect with us at a NPD event may reach out to Jessica Caccamo (jcaccamo@bu.edu) to schedule an individual virtual portfolio review by appointment.
Transfer Admissions
Students interested in transferring to Boston University’s School of Visual Arts should refer to the University’s transfer policies and guidelines on the BU Admissions website.
All applicant portfolios will be evaluated for first semester freshman standing. Students may enter the program at a higher studio level should their transcript?and portfolio?reflect and adequate amount of studio practice at the collegiate level. This will be contingent upon a transcript evaluation performed on a case-by-case basis. The highest level that a student may enter the program is as a first-semester junior.
Admitted students?seeking advanced standing?are strongly encouraged to?contact?Jessica Caccamo, Assistant Director for Admissions in the School of Visual Arts, to complete the transcript evaluation process before submitting their enrollment deposit.?Read more about the transfer?process at?bu.edu/transfer. ?
We know that you have all sorts of questions about BU, the School of Visual Arts, and the admissions process. This is the place to ask! Every week this fall Assistant Director for Admissions, Jessica Caccamo, will be available to talk about what’s on your mind, and answer as many questions as she can. See you there!