National Portfolio Day

National Portfolio Days are annual events held in multiple locations across the United States, Canada and Europe. They are designed to provide a unique opportunity for you to meet individually with professional representatives of accredited colleges and universities and receive valuable feedback and guidance on your portfolio before you submit it as part of your application. Not all members attend all events. Visit nationalportfolioday.org for attendees.

No admission decisions or scholarship awards will be offered to you at National Portfolio Days. Some college and university representatives may accept your portfolio as the visual portion of your application. Others have restrictions that prohibit them from making a definitive portfolio decision at the time of your review. All representatives will be happy to discuss their specific programs of study and provide answers to questions about the availability of scholarships and financial aid.

You will not find National Portfolio Days to be an examination or competition, the events are about an exchange of information. The representatives want to learn about you, your work, and your post-secondary plans, all while informing you about their college or university and application requirements. These events may be the first time you have been in an environment with so many people in one place who all share a powerful commitment to art and design. Use this as an opportunity to be inspired, to gain advice as to how to improve or present your portfolio, and to experience a small taste of what it is like to attend a professional art and design program.

A portfolio of visual artwork that includes your best and most recent work, but it can also include works in progress, sketchbooks, and tear sheets. Don’t hesitate to explain how you develop your ideas and where you want to go with them. Often, sharing the process of arriving at the completed work is as valuable as simply presenting finished products. You will hear many different opinions about your work that will be reflective of the admission requirements of each school. Therefore, we urge you to discuss your work with as many colleges/universities as possible and to bring no more than 15 works. Your portfolio can be presented as original work or on-screen, but make note wifi may not be available at all locations. Students who are not prepared to show a portfolio may attend to gather information from college/university representatives.

1. Guest wifi access will be limited. Students are encouraged to load images directly to their device for viewing.
2. Lines can be very long so be prepared to stick it out. Make sure you have a snack and water.
3. You are permitted to save a place in line for one person.
4. Representatives from each school have a limited amount of space to look at your work.
5. Filming or taking photographs during a review is prohibited.
6. You are responsible for providing your own equipment to display digital work.
7. Be prepared to discuss your art.
8. It will be a very busy day; please be careful and mindful of other students and their artwork.
9. If you have any questions or concerns, Cornish staff will be available throughout the event.
10. According to NPDA regulations, all representatives MUST finish their portfolio reviews at 3:00 pm. This means representatives may go past 3:00 pm to complete reviewing with the current student but after that review is over no other students will be seen.

Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts)
ArtCenter College of Design
California College of the Arts (CCA)
California Institute of the Arts
Cleveland Institute of Art
College for Creative Studies
Cornish College of the Arts
Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Fashion Institute of Technology
Goldsmiths, University of London
Kansas City Art Institute
Laguna College of Art + Design
Maine College of Art & Design
Maryland Institute College of Art
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Montserrat College of Art
Otis College of Art and Deisgn
Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University
Parsons School of Design Parsons Paris at The New School
Ringling College of Art & Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
School of Visual Arts
The Cooper Union
The University of British Columbia
Washington University in St. Louis

Cornish is located at 1000 Lenora Street, Seattle WA 98121
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Cornish is an urban campus. No campus parking is available. Consider using a ride-share, public transportation or secure parking in advance using SpotHero.