First-Year Applicants: Visual Arts and Design

Freshman applicants must apply using the Common Application.

Applicants may only submit one application to one major. Admitted students can request additional major/minor(s) during their first semester.

Applications will only be reviewed after all components have been received, including transcripts, test scores and supplemental materials.

Include your Social Security number on your application if you wish to be considered for financial aid or the Hope Scholarship/Lifetime learning tax credit.

Please note: While VCU does not require your Social Security number for admission consideration, it is necessary for applicants who wish to be considered for financial aid and the Hope Scholarship/Lifetime Learning tax credit to provide a Social Security number to the university. To protect your privacy, your Social Security number will not be used as your VCU student identification number.

After completing the Common Application, applicants must create a SlideRoom account.

Upload your portfolio to SlideRoom here.

Your VCUarts portfolio should present 12 to 16 pieces of art that you have created within the past two years and that demonstrate your artistic commitment, skill, curiosity, and creativity.

Your work may consist of a diverse range of 2D, 3D, and 4D media or an investigation of one media type. We look for experimentation, a range of technical skills and subject matter, and evidence of critical thinking and creative problem-solving. Your work should indicate your potential to succeed in VCUarts’ rigorous programs.

Acceptable media in your portfolio can include any of the following, but is not limited to:
Ceramic, glass, metal or wood projects; clothing, furniture or jewelry designs; graphic design; illustrations; mixed-media works; paintings; photography; sculpture; sequential art; sound art; theatrical sets or costumes; videos.

• Images may be submitted in the following formats: .JPG, .JPEG, .PNG, .GIF, .TIF, .TIFF, .BMP, .TGA.
• Images can be up to 5 MB each.
• Videos may be submitted in the following formats: .M4V, .MOV, .MP4, .WMV, .FLV, .ASF, .MPEG, .MPG, .MKV.
• Video files can be up to 250 MB each, and each video must be less than 3 minutes.

If you are a Virginia Community College System (VCCS) transfer applicant, your portfolio must show work from each VCCS studio course taken. Applicants should identify the studio course in the SlideRoom description for each piece. When uploading your portfolio to SlideRoom, please include a brief description of each piece, its title, and dimensions. Additionally, you must include the medium and/or software used to create the work, including any use of artificial intelligence (neural network) programs that create images (e.g., Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Dall-E, Wombo).

Drawing from direct observation is encouraged (drawing people, places, or objects from life) but is not required. Copying work or using character designs from another artist or media property is discouraged.

When uploading your portfolio to SlideRoom, we strongly recommend that you include information such as the title, medium, dimensions, and a brief description of each piece.

Schedule a one-on-one meeting with a VCUarts representative virtually or meet with us at a National Portfolio Day for individualized feedback on your portfolio.

Please note: you may submit your Common Application prior to submitting your portfolio, but your application will not be reviewed for admission until you have submitted your portfolio.

Request that your high school guidance counselor sends your official transcripts to VCU. Transcripts may be submitted electronically via the Common App or Naviance, or sent in the mail. If sending a hard copy in the mail, please request that your school counselor send your transcript, including:

• Senior-year courses and first-term grades, if available
• Class rank, if available

All foreign transcripts must be official and submitted in the original language. If the original language is not English, an official translation must be submitted along with the transcript.

Transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes signed across the seal by official high school, university or college registrars.

Transcripts should be sent to:

Office of Admissions
PO Box 842526
Richmond, VA 23284-2526

Currently, VCU does not require SAT or ACT scores for admission. However, submission of test scores remains a requirement for all Guaranteed Admission Programs, offered through the Honors College.

Applicants whose first language is one other than English must submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For more information, please visit this page.

Admission to VCU remains a competitive process, and all candidates for admission will be considered on their own merits. Qualifying for application review without submitting standardized test scores does not guarantee admission to VCU.

VCU does not require applicants to submit recommendations. If you choose to submit recommendations, you will see an option to list your recommendations in the Common App.

Applicants should review VCU’s Student Financial Services’ financial aid checklist, available here.

Applicants are encouraged to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Completing the FAFSA form allows you to be considered for federal student aid. States and colleges also use FAFSA information to award grants, scholarships and loans.

The FAFSA form is available starting December 31. To be considered, complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the priority deadline of March 1.