Attend National Portfolio Day events
Meet individually with admissions staff from art and design colleges across the country and get valuable feedback on your application portfolio.
National Portfolio Day Events
Learn how to make your application stand out
What to expect
This year, you’ll have opportunities to attend National Portfolio Day events virtually or in person at locations across the country. More than 30 leading art and design colleges accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design will participate and offer portfolio reviews. Representatives are there to answer your questions about their institution’s programs and application requirements and help you put together your best portfolio.
Please note: No admissions decisions are made or scholarships awarded at National Portfolio Day events.
How to prepare
All virtual and in-person events require advance registration. Register by creating an account through the National Portfolio Day Association event page. Once you have completed the online registration form, you’ll be able to RSVP for virtual and/or in-person events.
You do not need to upload or submit your portfolio in advance of a National Portfolio Day event. For virtual events, you should have digital images of your work ready to share. You’ll be meeting with reviewers via Zoom and should be prepared to share your screen. For in-person events, you are welcome to bring a laptop or tablet to share your portfolio digitally or bring sketchbooks or pieces that you can carry with you easily.
What to include
Your portfolio should include your best and most recent work, but it can also include works in progress, sketchbooks, and first drafts. We recommend that you collect 10–15 pieces that show the range of your work. Schools are often interested to learn about your process, methods, and thinking. Before the virtual session or event, practice explaining how you develop your ideas, articulating where you want to go with those ideas, and sharing how you arrive at a completed work.
We encourage you to ask questions and take this opportunity to learn about the process of applying to an art and design college. This is your chance to learn how to apply with your best portfolio and find the best-fit schools for you.
Additional information
Whether you attend an in-person or virtual event, you can expect to receive the same high-quality, engaging experience with the colleges’ admissions staff. We encourage you to choose the events that best suit your schedule, location, and comfort level.
San Francisco Undergraduate Event
Attend this in-person event at CCA
2023 Undergraduate National Portfolio Day
CCA is hosting Northern California’s in-person Undergraduate National Portfolio Day event. This is a chance for anyone from high school to transfer applicants to meet one-on-one with admissions counselors and find out what colleges are looking for. Join us and learn how to make your portfolio stand out.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
12–4 pm PT
CCA
1111 Eighth St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
All attendees must register in advance.
Explore our growing campus in special 45-minute tours guided by admissions staff and student ambassadors on the morning of National Portfolio Day. Tour time slots are between 10–11:30 am. We can't wait to show you around!
Colleges and universities represented
- ArtCenter College of Design
- Boston University School of Visual Arts
- California College of the Arts
- California Institute of the Arts
- Cleveland Institute of Art
- College for Creative Studies
- Columbus College of Art & Design
- Cornish College of the Arts
- Emily Carr University of Art + Design
- Kansas City Art Institute
- Laguna College of Art + Design
- Lesley Art & Design
- Maine College of Art & Design
- Maryland Institute College of Art
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design
- Moore College of Art and Design
- Otis College of Art and Design
- Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University
- Paris College of Art
- Parsons School of Design/Parsons Paris at The New School
- Pratt Institute
- Rhode Island School of Art & Design
- Ringling College of Art & Design
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
- School of Visual Arts
- Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts
- The Cooper Union
- The University of British Columbia
- University of Illinois
- University of the Arts
- Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts
- Washington University in St. Louis
San Francisco Graduate Event
Attend this in-person event at CCA
2023 Graduate National Portfolio Day
CCA is hosting the West Coast in-person Graduate National Portfolio Day event. Meet one-on-one with faculty and graduate admissions staff to get feedback on your graduate admissions portfolio. We recommend researching application requirements for your particular program of interest so you can ask your important questions.
Sunday, October 29, 2023
10 am–2 pm PT
CCA
1111 Eighth St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
Colleges and universities represented
- ArtCenter College of Design
- Boston University School of Visual Arts
- California College of the Arts
- College for Creative Studies
- Columbus College of Art & Design
- Concordia University
- Cranbrook Academy of Art
- Emily Carr University of Art + Design
- Laguna College of Art + Design
- Maine College of Art & Design
- Maryland Institute College of Art
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design
- New York Academy of Art
- Otis College of Art and Design
- Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University
- Parsons School of Design/Parsons Paris at The New School
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
- School of Visual Arts
- Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts
- Washington University in St. Louis
Travel Resources
For locals and newcomers alike
How to get to campus
CCA is located in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood. Our address is 1111 Eighth Street, between Hooper and Irwin streets. Learn more about lodging in the area.
- By car — A rideshare service can drop you off directly in front of our main campus building. Limited parking is also available along streets adjacent to our campus with a four-hour time limit.
- By public transportation — Campus is accessible by BART with Muni bus connections at Civic Center station or 16th Street station or by Muni with nearby stops for the 19, 22, and 55 bus lines.
- From the airport — San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is about 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) from campus. There are several options for getting to campus from the airport, and SFO also has shuttle services that provide transportation to any destination in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.
Attend admissions information events, tour CCA, and get a taste of campus life