Bachelor’s Application Requirements (BA)

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Application Checklist

  • Application and non-refundable $45 fee
  • Prompted Essay topic
  • Portfolio of artwork and portfolio statement
  • Official transcripts
  • SAT I/ACT test scores
  • Personal statement ( 1 page)
  • Letters of recommendation (optional, but encouraged)
  • FAFSA (for financial aid consideration)

The Committee on Admissions notifies candidates of decisions approximately two weeks after the submission and review of all required application materials.

Admission and Scholarship Criteria
The Committee on Admissions considers artistic potential and the ability to succeed academically as the two most important considerations for admission. These same criteria are used to consider accepted students for multi-year merit scholarships at the time of admissions. No additional forms are required. Students applying for need-based aid should complete the free federal application form at www.fafsa.ed.gov. For more information on Corcoran financial aid, please click here.

Essay Information
Candidates for the BA Art Studies programs are required to complete an essay based on one of the provided topics. The essay should be no more than two pages in length and give us a clear idea of how you think and express yourself.  

Portfolio Information
In addition to having their original portfolios viewed, students must submit a digital portfolio on a CD or DVD. Please format still image files as TIFs or JPEGs set for the optimum quality you wish your work to be viewed. Video clips should be formatted in QuickTime or on a DVD. Please print your name and address on each CD or DVD. Do not submit your only copy. Please check your disk to see that the files are readable before submitting and accompany your digital portfolio with a list of the disk’s files and the title, medium(s), size, and date of the depicted works. The entries should also describe the file type (i.e., .jpg, .html, etc.) and indicate if the files were generated using a Mac or PC.

Bachelor of Arts Essay Requirements

Please select one of the following topics for your application essay. This is not a test; we are simply interested in learning how you think and express yourself.

  • Today the web is a major site of visual experience, and some museums are responding by placing their collections online or devising “virtual museums” on the Second Life website.  What are the essential differences between a virtual museum and one made of bricks and mortar, and how should museums respond to the virtual world?
  • In a recent poll conducted by theNew York Times, a large majority of art critics said they wouldn’t try to define the term “art.” Why do you think they feel that way?
  • For this question, we ask you to write a personal response occasioned by a particular word. Your answer can take you in any direction you wish and be in any written form. This year’s word is “Engagement.”

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