Freshman Applicants: Visual Arts and Design

Fall Applications

Presidential, Provost, and Deans’ Scholarship consideration (non-binding): November 1
Deadline to submit the Common Application for consideration for the University’s Presidential, Provost, and Deans scholarships

Regular Applications
VCU is still accepting the 2021 Common Application from first-time freshman applicants. While the recommended deadline for applying to undergraduate programs was Jan. 15, 2021, new applications received for fall 2021 will continue to be accepted and reviewed on a space-available basis. If you have any questions about applying to VCUarts, please contact our office at (804)VCU-ARTS, arts@vcu.edu, or schedule a virtual meeting with an admissions counselor here.

Spring Applications: November 1Back to top

Freshman applicants must apply using the Common Application.

Applicants may only submit one application to ONE major. Admitted students can request additional major/minor(s) during their first semester.

Applications will only be reviewed after ALL components have been received, including transcripts, test scores, and supplemental materials.

Include your Social Security number on your application if you wish to be considered for financial aid or the Hope Scholarship/Lifetime learning tax credit.

Please note: While VCU does not require your Social Security number for admission consideration, it is necessary for applicants who wish to be considered for financial aid and the Hope Scholarship/Lifetime Learning tax credit to provide a Social Security number to the university. To protect your privacy, your Social Security number will not be used as your VCU student identification number.Back to top

Request that your high school guidance counselor sends your official transcripts to VCU. Transcripts may be submitted electronically via the Common App or Naviance, or sent in the mail. If sending a hard copy in the mail, please request that your school counselor send your transcript, including:

• Senior-year courses and first-term grades, if available
• Class rank, if available
• High school profile

All foreign transcripts must be official and submitted in the original language. If the original language is not English, an official translation must be submitted along with the transcript.

Transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes signed across the seal by official high school, university or college registrars.

Transcripts should be sent to:

Office of Admissions
PO Box 842526
Richmond, VA 23284-2526Back to top

Please note: For Spring 2021 and Fall 2021, because of the lack of standardized examinations being offered due to the public health concerns related to COVID-19, VCU will review all applications for admissions and scholarship consideration without standardized test scores.

For the upcoming Spring and Fall 2021 admissions cycle, all applicants will be eligible for test score optional review, regardless of GPA. Applicants who are able to take a standardized test and would like the scores to be used in our application review may still submit scores. All students will receive a holistic application review.

As always, the university will select applicants who present the strongest qualifications in scholastic achievement and potential, and through a holistic review of other evidence of potential including the strength of character. Each applicant will continue to be reviewed on an individual basis.

Applicants whose native language is one other than English must submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to any other required test scores.

Exceptions to Score Optional Review

The VCU Honors College also requires that all applicants submit SAT or ACT test scores and may not request to be reviewed without submitting these scores.

Admission to VCU remains a competitive process, and all candidates for admission will be considered on their own merits. Qualifying for application review without submitting standardized test scores does not guarantee admission to VCU.

Request your SAT scores from CollegeBoard (school code: 5570): sat.collegeboard.com

Request your scores from ACT (school code: 4379): actstudent.org/scores/send/Back to top

Your portfolio will be submitted online through the VCUarts SlideRoom website (Freshman Applicants – Art & Design). We cannot accept physical portfolios.

Portfolio Requirements

Special considerations are being made regarding the portfolio requirement.
VCUarts understands that due to COVID-19, students may not have had access to art classes, studios, summer programs, and other art-making opportunities. We highly encourage you to apply, even if you feel that you could not create the “perfect” portfolio. We are seeking students who show high potential for success once enrolled in an arts program. We will consider the nationwide lack of arts access over the past year during the application review process.

Submit 12 to 16 works of art that you have created within the past two years that show your promise in visual art and design. Present your most vital work and demonstrate your potential to develop a diverse set of skills and ideas should you be accepted into VCUarts. A portfolio can consist of a diverse range of 2D and 3D media or could include only one type of media.

Drawing from observation is encouraged, while copying work or character designs from another artist is discouraged.

Acceptable media in your portfolio can include any of the following, but is not limited to:
animation, ceramics, collage, drawings, fashion design drawings and garments, furniture designs, game design, glass, graphic design, illustrations, installations, interior design drawings, jewelry designs, mixed-media works, original character designs, paintings, photography, prints, science fair projects and displays, sculpture, sequential art, sketchbook pages, sound art, storyboards, theatrical sets or costumes, videos.

If you have questions regarding your portfolio, we encourage you to make an appointment with an admissions counselor to discuss your work and options.

Technical information:

• You will be submitting your portfolio via SlideRoom. You will receive a link to SlideRoom in the Common Application.
• Images may be submitted in the following formats: .JPG, .JPEG, .PNG, .GIF, .TIF, .TIFF, .BMP, .TGA
• Videos may be submitted in the following formats: .M4V, .MOV, .MP4, .WMV, .FLV, .ASF, .MPEG, .MPG, .MKV
• Images can be up to 5 MB each. Video can be up to 250 MB each.
• Each video must be less than 3 minutes.