Portfolio Prep Tips from Moore’s Admissions Counselors

To get ready for National Portfolio Day on November 6, two of Moore’s admissions counselors put together their top advice for students preparing their portfolio for review!

Posted
— by Madina Nakashima, Admissions Counselor & Sierra Conniff, Transfer Admissions Counselor
National Portfolio Day 2022 Graphic

On Sunday, November 6, Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia will host National Portfolio Day. Students will have a chance to meet individually with representatives from accredited art programs from across the country to receive valuable feedback on their portfolio before submitting it as part of their college applications. 

We asked a couple of Moore’s admissions counselors, Madina Nakashima and Sierra Conniff, for their top 5 tips for preparing a portfolio—check them out below and you’ll be all set for NPD 2022! 

Admissions counselor Sierra Conniff reviewing a portfolio with a prospective student

Admissions counselor Sierra Conniff reviewing a portfolio with a prospective student, by Claudia Rubio ’24

  1. Edit! We hope to see 8–12 works of art. Due to time limitations at NPD, make sure you don’t bring so much art that we can’t get through all of it. This also means show your current or most recent work; try to stay away from work that was made over three years ago.
  2. Show us your original ideas! We want to see your creativity; this means no fan art. It’s also a good idea to add an observational piece to your portfolio, as many schools want to see where your traditional art-making skills are at when assessing your application.
  3. Be prepared to talk about your work! It is both beneficial for you and for the admissions counselor for you to be able to describe the background of your work—things like your art-making process, the inspiration or meaning of the piece, a description of the materials, what you are most proud of, what you might change, etc. 
  4. Present it as professionally as possible! The little details like clean edges, sprayed with fixative, matted, etc. make a huge difference when showcasing your work. And if you are photographing your work, make sure the photos are clear and evenly lit, and try to stick to neutral, one-color backgrounds if possible. 
  5. Show us what you’re proud of! All your artwork doesn’t have to be from school assignments; show us what you do in your free time and what you’re experimenting with! At the end of the day, we want to see what you are passionate about as an artist. Show work that is authentic to you and what you love to do. :)

We can’t wait to see you at National Portfolio Day—or, schedule a visit to Moore sooner! 

National Portfolio Day 2022 graphic designed by Darian Ehya.