At Montserrat College of Art in Massachusetts, all first year students participate in a core group of courses geared toward developing skills and vocabulary common to all disciplines (painting, photography, design, illustration, sculpture, etc) in the visual arts. The college art portfolio you submit when you apply serves more than one purpose: it is evaluated for admission, for scholarship and if you are transferring from another college or art school, possibly for transfer credit.
Another purpose of the college art portfolio requirement is to determine if you are open to the challenges and experiences of Montserrat's rigorous first year program. For this reason even if you know you want to focus your work on photography, animation or graphic design, we ask that you include drawings created from direct observation and we ask you to show us both realistic and abstract compositions.
Your art portfolio for college should reveal your artistic abilities, experiences, and personal interests. We emphasize: originality, variety, excellence in your preferred medium, technical skills, and passion for creating art.
Submitting Your College Art Portfolio
Whenever possible we recommend that you have your college art portfolio evaluated in person either at Montserrat College of Art or with one of our admissions staff at one of the National Portfolio Day events. If you live in Massachusetts or within 150 miles of Montserrat, we strongly advise that you visit the college and bring your art portfolio with you. The admissions staff reviews art portfolios for college year-round so there are plenty of opportunities to set up a visit and review.
College art portfolios are only returned if you include a self addressed, stamped envelope with appropriate postage.
PLEASE DO NOT MAIL ORIGINAL ARTWORK
Format your portfolio according to the following standards:
Digital
Mac (preferred) or PC operating systems on CD-R discs. File format: PDF, JPG, or Microsoft Windows files of at least 72 dpi (dots per inch) and less than 1 megabyte. Discs must be clearly labeled with your name and all files must be titled and numbered with a printed list included.