What is a Portfolio?
Your portfolio should contain your best work to date. A strong portfolio will reflect a range of abilities, interests, and concepts and demonstrate your experience in a variety of media. Along with your work samples, you must also include an introductory artist’s statement. This should be a brief synopsis of your experience, describe who or what has been an influence for you and how, and explain your aspirations for the future.
Submit your portfolio via York College's online submission system. YCP no longer accepts portfolio submissions via mail-in slide form or CDs. You will receive an email confirmation with an approximate decision date.
Your portfolio will only be reviewed after you have been accepted to York College. Acceptance to York College does not guarantee acceptance into an art program. Students who do not yet have a prepared portfolio may be declared as Provisional Fine Art or Provisional Graphic Design majors.
Understanding Portfolio Submission and Evaluation
The Portfolio Review Committee wants to get a sense of who the applicant is as an artist by reading the artist’s statement and viewing his or her best work to date. Experience in a variety of media, interesting perspectives, and subject matter indicate to the committee that the applicant has the potential for success in a college-level art program and beyond. A numerical score is given to the applicant in areas listed below. These numbers are then averaged for a final rating.
The committee asks these questions during the evaluation of a portfolio:
- Are the images of good quality in terms of focus and lighting?
- Is the artist’s statement clear and substantive?
- Is there a good sampling of several of the following media: ink, pencil, pastel, oil, acrylic, collage, digital, photography, sculpture, fabric, jewelry, ceramics, printmaking, video or web?
- Is there drawing from both real and still life?
- Has there been experimentation with both realistic and expressive drawing and composition?
- Are there varied subjects and concepts in the portfolio?
- Is the subject matter a reflection of the applicant’s interests?
Deadlines for Portfolio Submission
- November 1 — for entry in the spring semester
- January 31 and March 15 — for entry in the fall semester
You will be notified of the review committee’s decision by letter, approximately two weeks after portfolios are reviewed. Portfolios will be reviewed on an as-received basis and accepted as space permits after the deadlines.
Your portfolio should contain a minimum of two examples of work from each art course you wish to transfer to York College.
Transfer credit in Graphic Design is given only for foundation courses (with the exception of Computer Graphics I), art history courses, and art electives.
Transfer credit in Fine Art is given for foundation courses, art history courses, art electives, and any additional nine credits in art.