Tips for Developing Your Portfolio

Your portfolio of work is the single most important component of your application to MCAD.* This collection of your best work showcases who you are as an artist or designer. In order to help you put together your best portfolio, we present the following tips for creating, curating, documenting, and reviewing your portfolio.

Can’t wait to see your work!

Step 1: Create

The first step in the portfolio process is to create the works that will be in it. You may already have a lot of work, but you may also need to create new works to meet MCAD’s portfolio requirements.

• Start early! The more time you have, the better pieces you will be able to create.
• Focus on quality not quantity.
• Enroll in high school art classes (especially AP or IB, if offered) in a variety of media.
• Check out our portfolio preparation videos from faculty member Lynda Monick-Isenberg and helpful demo videos from our admissions team.
• Attend our Pre-College Summer Session and produce portfolio-worthy work while meeting like-minded creative peers and getting a taste of college life. Scholarships are available.
• Attend a portfolio preparation class.
• **Keep in mind, many institutions discourage the use of AI-generated content in admissions portfolios, permitting only a few such pieces with proper citation and explanation, while emphasizing the significance of preserving artistic integrity in stu dent work. See MCAD's AI Policy.

Step 2: Curate

After you have created several works, it is likely that you will have more than enough to include in your portfolio. The tough part is deciding what to include and what to leave out.

• Be sure to carefully read the application checklist and include everything listed.
• Only include original works (not reproductions of other artists’ works).
• Strive for variety in both content and medium.

Step 3: Document

Once you have selected the pieces to include in your portfolio, be sure to document them well.

• Scan or photograph your works; if the work is 3D, photograph it from multiple angles. Ask your library or school to borrow equipment if needed.
• Ensure your work is well-lit—a camera flash should not be necessary. Photographing outside or in a space with plenty of natural light is best, but overhead lighting, lamps, and clamp lights are also good options.
• Crop the final image. Everything beyond the edges of the artwork should be removed.

Unable to access equipment? Check out this video from our admissions team on documenting artwork with just a smartphone and a few inexpensive materials!