In addition to starting with the basics (shapes), designing repeating patterns like icons, symbols, or other combinations of shapes can be a great exercise to practice your skills. Try using only circles, or creating a pattern with a variety of components.
How to Apply As a Freshman
*Applications received after these deadlines will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
To apply to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, please submit your application online through the Common Application.
Application Fees
If you are submitting an application fee waiver from your high school or college, please answer “Yes” in the Common App Fee Waiver Section. Please keep in mind you must meet one of the economic benchmarks set by the Common App, and certify your eligibility.
Submit a portfolio that gives us a sense of you, your interests, and your willingness to experiment, explore, and think beyond technical skills. There is no one “right way” to construct a portfolio—you choose what to present. Visit Portfolio Requirements by Degree Program for more detailed information regarding portfolios.
We strongly encourage you to meet with us on campus, online, or at one of our events for individualized feedback about your portfolio.
The portfolio you submit for admission is the one that we will evaluate for merit scholarship.
General Portfolio Guidelines
- Show us 10–15 of your best and most recent works.
- Use your portfolio to showcase your interests, skills, and creative potential.
- You may show us work created across media or focus entirely in one medium.
- Work can range from observational to abstract.
- We have no media-specific limitations nor do we present portfolio assignments.
Advice for Developing a Merit Scholarship Portfolio
- Be bold, experiment, take risks, and be inventive.
- Show us what makes you different, and the things about which you are passionate.
- Build a portfolio of thematic work—show multiple pieces that share similar ideas, techniques, or media.
- Mesh great ideas—political, environmental, and even social concepts within your work.
- Think about your portfolio as a gallery show you are curating.
- Highlight work that is consistently expressive, curious, and thought-provoking.
How to Submit Your Work
Upload your work electronically through SlideRoom, which you will access through SAIC’s member screen within the Common Application under the Portfolio section.
Guidelines for Submitting Work
Type of Media
Accepted File Types
Preferred File Size
72 dpi, no more than 600 pixels in any direction
Five minutes total for all submitted pieces
Five minutes total for all submitted pieces
No more than 1mb per .pdf. PDFs may be broken down into multiple documents.
Artist’s Statement
Your statement should tell us about the work in your portfolio. Why did you make it? How did you make it? What inspired you to make it? What does your artistic process look like? Share why you are interested in utilizing certain materials, and in which exhibitions you have participated. How have specific experiences contributed to the making of your work?
While there are no word count limitations, we recommend a 250–500 word statement. Construct your essay with care, and pay attention to your grammar and spelling.
If you are applying to the Bachelor of Fine Arts with an Emphasis in Writing, your statement also needs to address how you imagine a studio arts environment will impact your writing practice.
You may submit your artist’s statement via the Common Application (within the member-specific questions), or through your SlideRoom ePortfolio submission.
Try a daily drawing challenge
To kick things off, try a daily drawing challenge for a week, a month, or even longer. You may want to get a sketchbook to keep with you at all times, in case you find yourself suddenly inspired by your surroundings. Some new supplies may also motivate you to get into a good drawing rhythm.
Practice sketching everyday objects while keeping your goals in mind. If your goal is to learn to draw realistically, try drawing a toothbrush with hyper-realistic details. Your skills will improve day after day, then you can start drawing more complicated subjects.
“When you sit yourself down, commit to drawing something for as little as five minutes, you start to see your subject in a totally different way.” — Tom Froese, Illustrator & Designer
Go back to basics with shapes
You probably learned how to draw shapes during your first few art classes and, once perfected, moved on from this practice as your skills developed. But almost everything you will ever draw like an artist can be made from shapes.
Shapes can help create realistic and consistent designs, create unique patterns, and utilize space effectively.
In order to better understand how they should execute a move, professional athletes often look at its components. To practice a difficult progression, musicians break it down into separate sections, then string them together. The same concept applies to drawing.
Start by practicing the shapes, and move on to what the shapes will create.
Pro tip: A useful exercise is going through an old magazine with a marker and searching for shapes within images. Developing an eye for seeing shapes in everyday life will ultimately help you to become a better artist.
Spend time looking for inspiration
If you’re in an art class or studying something you don’t usually draw, or browsing Dribbble for inspiration, stepping outside your comfort zone is always a good idea. Remember, if you’re not failing, you’re not learning.
Maybe you’ll find inspiration through an online drawing class, or YouTube tutorial, by visiting a new place, or listening to a different band.
You have to commit time and effort to improve your drawing skills. Imagine what you could achieve by taking a week of drawing classes.
