Submitting Your Portfolio

Your portfolio is the cornerstone of your application to the Cleveland Institute of Art and is a significant part of the admission decision. The following guidelines will help you to create a portfolio that best reflects your work.

Portfolio Review

Our Admissions Committee evaluates your portfolio to assess your technical abilities, conceptual problem-solving skills, and your use of chosen mediums.

Prior to that review we recommend that you schedule an appointment with one of our admissions counselors for a preliminary portfolio review. We can provide feedback on your current work and guide you as you work towards your best possible portfolio while you visit our campus. Upon completion of your application for admission, our admissions counselors and faculty are available to assist you in making final choices for your portfolio prior to submission. We encourage you to meet with them during Portfolio Day, our visit to your high school, or your visit to CIA’s campus.

Building Your Portfolio

Your portfolio should include no less than 12 and no more than 20 pieces of your original artwork. Please do not send more than 20 pieces. This number will give us enough information to make an accurate assessment of your abilities. We recommend that at least four of those pieces should be drawings from observation. Observational drawings include still life, gesture, or figure drawings, portraits, and landscapes. We encourage you to feature your strongest pieces made in your junior and senior years. 

Portfolio pieces can take many forms, including (but not limited to):

• Drawings
• Paintings
• Prints
• Photographs
• Sculptures
• Mixed-media or found-object pieces
• Computer-generated works
• Illustrations
• Animations
• Clay, metal, or glass objects

Make an effort not to include work copied from photographs or other published works. These generally do not make strong portfolio pieces. If you use source photos, try not to use them as the sole inspiration for your work. 

The order in which you present your work can have a significant effect on your portfolio review, therefore we suggest you end your presentation with your strongest piece. Keep in mind that relationships in color, media, composition, and concept can link one piece to another and help your portfolio flow in a cohesive manner.

Freshman Student Portfolio Checklist

• Include 12 to 20 pieces of artwork
• Include 4 observational drawings (recommended)
• Present portfolio in CD or DVD format
• Follow CD / DVD guidelines below

Transfer Student Portfolio Checklist

These preferred elements are only for transfer students wishing to be placed in the sophomore year or beyond, and seeking studio art credit to replace freshman-level Foundation courses.  

As a transfer applicant, your 12 to 20 pieces should include the following elements:

• 4-6 drawings from observation (recommended)
• 2-3 examples of 3D work
• 2-3 examples of 2D work
• 3-4 examples of digital work using Freehand, Illustrator, InDesign, or Photoshop
• 4-6 examples of work pertaining to the major you wish to enter
• Follow CD / DVD guidelines below

CD or DVD Portfolio Guidelines

When you're ready to submit your portfolio, you can submit your portfolio in CD or DVD format or online. 

Online Portfolio Submission Procedure

Once you begin your online application, a counselor from the Office of Admissions will email you a login for uploading your portfolio directly to CIA. Be sure to include your email address as you begin filling out your online application. If you haven't received a login within two business days, please contact us at 1-800-223.4700.

CD or DVD Portfolio Submission Procedure

Mail the disc to The Cleveland Institute of Art, 11141 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44106. Note: No application items will be returned, and it is recommended you keep an original copy of your submission for your records.

Submission Procedure:

• Individual files should be in JPEG (jpg) format with a file size not exceeding 1MB each.
• Animation or video work must be submitted in either QuickTime (.mov) format or Windows Media Video (.wmv) format.
• It is preferable that images be assembled and presented in a slide show format, using PowerPoint, Acrobat, or another slide show application.
• Please submit a numbered list in Microsoft Word on the disc with the title, size, medium, and a brief description of each piece.
• Please do not stick any labels to the front of the disc; mark directly upon it with permanent marker. 

Make sure to label disc and sleeve with the following:

• Your full name
• Home address
• Phone number
• Email address 

Tips for Photographing Your Portfolio Work

These tips will help you photograph your work for your admissions portfolio. For extra help, please see the two instructional videos in the right sidebar of this page.

• Preferably use a 35mm, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, or if using a digital camera, use a three-megapixel camera or higher.
• Use the correct film or setting for the lighting. For outdoor shooting with natural light, use a high-speed film. If shooting with a digital camera, make sure the white balance setting is for outdoor or daylight. For indoor shooting, block other sources of light and use two tungsten bulbs. Place a light on each side of your artwork at a 45-degree angle. Use Ektachrome tungsten film with tungsten lights. If shooting digital images, make sure the white balance setting is for indoor or tungsten.
• Photograph each piece individually. Try to fill the camera frame with your work. If you use a background, it should be a neutral color, preferably black.
• If unsure about exposure time, take three slides of each piece: one at suggested meter reading of the camera, one at an exposure (f-stop) higher, and another at an exposure lower.
• Most importantly, take your time. Photograph your work again if necessary. Select the best shots, put them in the order you want us to review them, and preview your work by projecting it.

Portfolio Prep Videos

This set of two videos will help you build your portfolio, whether you're an art school admission candidate or a practicing artist or designer.

Photographing 2D Artwork
Photographing 3D Artwork