Thank you for your interest in joining our community! Illinois State
seeks a highly motivated, academically well-prepared, and diverse
student body. Please review the following admissions information carefully
and when you're ready, apply
online through the Office of Admissions.
Students seeking admission to the School of Art begin by applying
for admission to the University, using the regular admissions procedure.
In addition you will need to file separate application materials to
the School of Art. All this is outlined below.
Admission to the University
The School of Art encourages all prospective students to review guidelines
and projected application deadlines found on the
Office of Admissions Web site. Priority consideration for admission
will be given to outstanding students whose applications are complete
and postmarked during the priority filing period for the term for
which they are applying. Applications postmarked during the priority
filing period may have an advantage when space is limited. When you're
ready, Apply Online!
While visiting the Office of Admissions site take some time to discover
all that Illinois State University has to offer you , browse through
some seasonal
snapshots of campus, and take a virtual
tour.
Campus Visits
We encourage all prospective undergraduate students to make an on-campus
visit. Visit the Office of Admissions Web site to make
your reservation for an open house or campus information session.
Admission Procedure to the School of Art
Beyond the admission process to become a general student at Illinois
State University, students who major in the School of Art must also
pass an additional review before being admitted to the School. All
applicants to the School of Art who anticpate eventual entry into
either the Graphic
Design, Studio Arts,
or Teacher Education
sequences must submit a portfolio of art work and one writing sample
for review by the School of Art prior to being admitted (see specific
requirements below.) Applicants to the Art
History sequence are not required to submit a portfolio but must
submit an art history or humanitites writing sample instead.
Portfolio Requirements
The portfolio will be considered in relation to all other admission
materials, including class standing, ACT/SAT scores, and prior college-level
records.
Complete the online School of Art application form
or request an application by contacting the School of Art.
Include all of the following in your portfolio:
*8-12 artworks in any medium and that you
consider to be your best work.
These must be individually identified and indexed. Any pastel
of charcoal drawings must be treated with permanent fixative.
Works should NOT be framed. Pieces may be submitted in original
form or through photographs, slides, DVD or CD-ROM. These
pieces may be 2-D, 3-D, or any combination thereof.
*Notes:Digital portfolios must conform to the following specifications:
2D & 3D Art:
--File Format: JPEG file format only
--Resolution: 300 dpi
--File Size: approximately 700 x 700 pixels / approximately 1.0 MB (1000 KB)
--File Name: identify each image with name and number (e.g., Jones-001.jpg; Jones-002.jpg; . . . )
Additional Requirements:
--Include all portfolio JPEGs in their own file folder on a single CD.
--Include any other documentation in a separate file folder on the same CD.
--Include on a sheet of paper a list with the title/description, medium, and size of each artwork in the portfolio; identify each artwork on the list with the same number as the JPEG filename
--Optional: include a "contact sheet" with small (approximately 1x1") printed color images of the JPEG files (these printed images augment but do not substitute for the JPEG files).
Please do not use Powerpoint or other presentation programs or formats; the portfolio should be comprised of clearly identified and properly formatted JPEG files. Check that your files are openable and viewable from your CD; if reviewers cannot open your CD, your application cannot be reviewed.
Tips for shooting digital images: Use a digital camera of no less than 3.2 megapixels; 4.0 to 6.0 MP cameras are even better. Make sure that the artwork is squared in viewfinder, well-lit, and in focus. It is important to record color and exposure accurately, so be sure to set the proper camera exposure and "White Balance" for the lighting conditions (consult your camera manual). It is also important to eliminate distracting backgrounds by filling the viewfinder as much as possible with the artwork (but not cropping the artwork) and by using a neutral cloth or wall; if these cannot be controlled, then you are encouraged to carefully crop out the distracting backgrounds in a photo editing program. Accurate and simple representations of your artworks are paramount.
3-D work: Only photographic or electronic
representations of 3-dimensional work will be accepted. Do not
send the original art works.
Sketchbooks: You may submit a sketchbook; however
it will only count as one piece.
Transfer students: Work submitted should reflect
college-level art classes already taken.
Required Essay (at least 250 words)
Send us an essay that shows us your best writing. It can be
on any subject and can be either one you wrote specifically
for this application or one you wrote for a class. The essay
may, but does not have to, relate to art. Transfer students:
If this is a class-related essay, it must be from a college-level
course.
Unofficial Copy of your Transcripts.
High school students: an unofficial copy of
your high school transcript. Transfer students:
an unofficial copy of your college transcript. Current
Illinois State University students: a copy of an up-to-date
Academic Progress Summary available from the Student Services
and Referral Center in Moulton 107.
Portfolio Delivery and Return
- Portfolios should be in a flat container measuring no larger than
34" x 42" x 5".
- For return shipping, include a self-addressed mailing container
and sufficient postage.
- Portfolios must be mailed or delivered to the office of the Illinois
State University School of Art, Center for the Visual Arts (CVA)
Room 119.
- Portfolios not ready for return shipping will be held for pickup,
and will be discarded according to the following
process:
When the review committee has made a decision, you will receive
a letter from the school informing you of your admission status.
You will have 3 weeks from the date of that letter in which to pick
up your portfolio if you did not include postage. Please note: any
portfolios not picked up within the 3-week period will be discarded.
Send materials to:
The School of Art Admissions Committee
Illinois State University
Center for the Visual Arts Room 119
Campus Box 5620
Normal, IL 61790-5620
Retention Requirements
During the second or third year in the School of Art students must
go through a second admissions procedure in order to be admitted to
one of the Major sequences: Art Education, Art History, Graphic Design
or Studio Art. The requirements for admission to these sequences vary
and are available in the Undergraduate
Catalog (pdf). (search for Admission-Retention Requirements under
the sequences).
