Freshman
University of Illinois Office of Admissions and Records Application
The University of Illinois application can be completed online, or you can download a PDF and mail it in. The Office of Admissions and Records evaluates your GPA, class rank, and test scores (ACT/SAT), and essays with the University requirements for admission to the School of Art+Design.
All freshman Art and Design students apply to the Art Foundation curriculum (program code = KR4090N) in the College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA). Specialization in a particular area of study begins in the 2nd year. Options include: Art Education, Art History, Crafts/Ceramics, Crafts/Metals, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, New Media, Painting, Photography, and Sculpture.
Application Filing Period
September 1, 2009 — January 2, 2010
- The Office of Admissions and Records Application must be postmarked by January 2. The Office of Admissions and Records needs to receive all supporting documents (transcripts, test scores, essays) by January 12.
- The School of Art+Design Portfolio must be submitted online by January 12.
Priority Filing Period
September 1, 2009 — November 1, 2009
- Office of Admissions and Records: To apply during the Priority Filing Period, a complete application must be submitted online by midnight Central time on November 1, or if applying by paper, postmarked by November 2. All supporting documents (application fee, transcripts, and test scores) must be postmarked or received by November 2.
- The School of Art+Design Portfolio must be submitted online by November 1.
Notification dates: If you apply during the Priority Filing Period, you can view your admission status online on December 11, 2009. If your application becomes complete after November 1, you will be notified of a decision on February 19.
Additional information for international students can be found at: Additional International Requirements.
Inquiries regarding your admissions status should be directed to the Office of Admissions and Records. The School of Art + Design will not be able to respond to admissions status questions.
University of Illinois School of Art + Design Portfolio Review Process
The second part of the application process involves submitting a portfolio of your creative work to the School of Art + Design.
Submit your digital portfolio using the School's Fall 2010 A+D Freshman Portfolio Submission Form. If you encounter problems with the form or have questions, contact Mark Avery at mavery@illinois.edu or 217-333-6632.
- Priority Filing Period Portfolio Submission Deadline — November 1, 2009
- Application Filing Period Portfolio Submission Deadline — January 12, 2010
The portfolio is a collection of your recent work that illustrates your ability for advanced study as an art and design practitioner, educator or historian. It should demonstrate your ability to create and communicate ideas visually using various mediums and technical processes. The portfolio should consist of 10 examples of your recent work. Examples of work could include: drawings, paintings, ceramics, jewelry/metals, sculpture, textiles, photographs, digital artwork, designs (product and other objects), and video. Work illustrating proficiency in a variety of mediums is encouraged. Drawings from real life observation are preferable to those copied from photographs or other images. These drawings can be exploratory, i.e. spontaneous or more finished.
Portfolio Submission Guidelines:
- 10 required JPEG images, each of which is no larger than 2048x2048 and 500KB in size.
- Up to 2 movies (optional), each of which can be played with VideoLAN Client. No movie file should be longer than 1 minute in length and 50MB in size.
Faculty in the School of Art + Design will evaluate the portfolio and the outcome will be forwarded to the Office of Admissions and Records, who will then contact you. All offers for a place in the School of Art + Design depend on you meeting the University's entrance requirements along with a positive assessment of your portfolio.
Notification dates: If you apply during the Priority Filing Period, you can view your admission status online on December 11, 2009. If your application becomes complete after November 1, you will be notified of a decision on February 19.
