PRATT BFA Admissions

Pratt Institute
Office of Admissions
200 Willoughby Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11205

admissions

FRESHMAN ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS 

1. Online Application
2. Fee of $50; international applicant fee is $90
3. Official transcript from your last high school attended 
4. Test Results: SAT, ACT or TOEFL 
5. Optional letter of recommendation
6. Portfolio 
7. Essay

DEADLINES: 

Freshmen

Early Action: November 1 (freshman applicants only) (non-binding)

Regular Admission: January 5 (freshmen)

Transfers: February 1

PORTFOLIO GUIDELINES 

• The visual portfolio should consist of a variety of media and approaches. It can include assignment-based projects, self-directed work or pieces of a collaborative nature. 

• The portfolio does not need to be specific to the discipline to which you are applying.

• The portfolio must include at least three to five pieces of work from observation. 

• Applicants should avoid including work that copies photographs, uses the grid system, or directly replicates any other artist's work (including replicating anime drawings, cartoons, or video game character designs).

All materials must be sent to:

Pratt Institute

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
200 Willoughby Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205

1. Application Form with Fee: Pratt's new online application has been activated. All applicants to undergraduate degree programs are advised to complete the Pratt undergraduate online application with the appropriate non-refundable application fee ($50 for U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents, $90 for international applicants). Applications should be completed online to expedite processing. Fees may be paid by credit card or electronic check. In cases of extreme financial hardship, applicants may request a fee waiver.

2. Official High School Transcripts: A high school diploma or equivalent is required for admission to all of Pratt Institute's undergraduate programs. Applicants should request official transcripts from all secondary schools attended and include them with their materials. Applicants who have received a high school equivalency diploma are required to have official High School Equivalency Examination (GED) scores sent to the admissions office in addition to official transcripts from all high schools attended. Students who are taking college-level classes while in high school must have the college send an official transcript to Pratt in order to receive college credit.

International Transcripts: International applicants must submit official transcripts (academic records) of all secondary school studies as well as any post-secondary studies. Applicants also must submit official results of all external examinations. These include: General Certificate of Education, Hong Kong School Certificate of Education, Israeli matriculation or Bagrut, Secondary School Certificates and Baccalaureate Part I and Part II. Transcripts must be translated to English. . If your school cannot provide this, you must have them translated by some other reputable service such as a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (www.naces.org). A WES evaluation is not required for secondary school transcripts.

3. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT 1) or American College Testing Program (ACT) Scores: First-time freshmen* applying to any of Pratt's bachelor degree programs must submit official results from either the SAT or ACT except those applying to the associate's degree programs. To ensure that we receive scores by our posted deadlines, students should take the tests as early as possible but no later than one month before the application deadline. Please be sure to have your scores sent directly to Pratt. Please do not request that scores be rushed. Pratt recommends that applicants to the Bachelor of Architecture program submit the results of the SAT II Mathematics Level I or II Subject Test. If you applied early action and took the October SATs or ACT, the admissions office will consider your file when we receive the score.

*International students may submit the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE instead of the SAT. International students whose first language is English may be waived from the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE but then must submit the SAT or ACT instead. Students who have been out of high school for five or more years are not required to submit the SAT or ACT but if international must submit a TOEFL, IELTS or PTE.

Pratt Institutional Codes

SAT code is 2669
CLEP code is 2669
AP code is 2669 ACT code is 2862

ACT and SAT test requirements may be waived for any first time freshman applicant who graduated from high school five or more years prior to applying.

4. Letter(s) of Recommendation (optional): Applicants may submit one optional letter of recommendation from teachers or professionals who have direct experience with the applicant's artistic, academic, and creative potential. Letters should be sent directly to the admissions office. The letter of recommendation is not required and will not show up in the status checklist. 

5. Portfolio Requirements: Pratt requires a visual portfolio for art, design, photography, and architecture applicants and a writing portfolio for the writing program, the BA in Art History, and critical and visual studies. Film applicants may choose one of the options listed below. Architecture applicants with a GPA of 3.7 or higher may waive the portfolio requirement. Both kinds of portfolios are described below. We request that visual and writing portfolios be uploaded at pratt.slideroom.com.  

First-time Freshman Art, Design, and Architecture Applicants
All first-time freshman art, design, and architecture applicants including photography but not including art history BA applicants must submit a visual portfolio consisting of 12–20 pieces of two-or three-dimensional work, although film/video applicants may instead submit Option 2 below instead. 

Architecture applicants follow the same visual requirements for portfolio except that the portfolio for  architecture applicants with a high school GPA of 3.7 is optional and is automatically waived. 

Film/Video Applicants: Film/video applicants must choose from either Option 1 or Option 2, but all film/video applicants must submit the writing sample in C below.

Option 1:
A visual portfolio consisting of 12–25 examples of two-or three-dimensional work. The work should consist of a variety of media and approaches; applicants may include a three-minute-maximum video for which the applicant has primary creative control in addition to work in other media. Work may include assignment-based projects, self-directed work or pieces of a collaborative nature. The portfolio does not need to be discipline-specific. The portfolio must include at least three to five pieces of work showing observational drawing; examples might include a landscape, still-life, self-portrait, life drawings, etc. Applicants should avoid including work that copies photographs, uses the grid system, or directly replicates any other artist’s work (including replicating anime drawings, cartoons, or video game character designs). 

OR

Option 2:
Film/Video Portfolio

Visual Sample: Applicants submit either A or B below, and all must submit C (the writing sample).

A) Video: A brief 3–5 minute video in which you had primary creative control. This may be fiction, documentary, or experimental in approach, and it may be silent or include sound, but it must reflect your aesthetic, intellectual, and emotional interests. (May be submitted on Slideroom at pratt.slideroom.com

OR

B) Graphic Series: A series of photographs you have taken or drawings you have made which, when viewed in a sequence, tells a simple story, or portrays an original character or place. Include a brief (less than one page) written narrative about the character, place, or story you’ve created. (May be submitted on Slideroom).

AND

C) Writing Sample (All applicants submit C below)

C) A one- to two-page descriptive treatment for a short film. This film contains no dialogue or voiceover but is all communicated through visual images, sound, and character behavior and action. Your film treatment must include at least two locations, one of which is a kitchen. It must also include at least two props, a pen and a jar of peanut butter. All else is up to you. (Should be submitted on Slideroom as a pdf in the Add Media section.)  

How to Submit Your Portfolio. Portfolios must be uploaded at pratt.slideroom.com. This is the easiest, fastest, and least expensive way to submit your work, and it is required.  

6. Essay: The essay question is part of the application. Describe when and how you became interested in art, design, writing, architecture, or the particular major to which you are applying. Describe how this interest has manifested itself in your daily life. The essay should be 250–500 words.

7. International Applicants: All international applicants whose first language is not English must submit the TOEFL (required score of 550 on paper version for four-year programs and 530 for two-year programs), the IELTS (required score of 6.5 for four-year programs and 6.0 for two-year programs), or the PTE (53 for four-year programs and 48 for two-year programs) or the SAT or ACT (no specified minimum). If your first language is English, you may submit the SAT or ACT, but we will also accept the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE.

ASHCAN STUDIO STUDENT WORK for PRATT ADMISSIONS 

by KALENE

TRANSFER ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS 

1. Online Application
2. Fee of $50; international applicant fee is $90
3. Official transcript from all schools attended (including HIgh School unless you've graduated with a four year degree)  
4. International transcripts.  See WES requirements at international application information.
5. OEFL, IELTS or PTE test score (international applicants whose first language is not English only). See International Requirements.
6. Optional letter of recommendation
7. Portfolio 
8. Essay

DEADLINES 

Fall:  February 1

Spring:  October 1. International applicants are asked to apply by September 1 if possible. 

All programs but architecture will accept transfer applicants for spring if students place appropriately for second semester.

Who is a Transfer Applicant? If you have attended a post secondary institution full time (twelve semester hours or the equivalent) for at least one semester or term or will do so prior to enrollment, you are considered a transfer student. If you have or will accumulate at least twelve semester hours (or the equivalent) after graduating from high school and prior to enrollment, you are also considered a transfer student. Applicants who are transfers but apply as freshmen may have their offer of admission rescinded because of different criteria for acceptance. The scholarship will be rescinded and the applicant will be reconsidered for admissions and  a transfer scholarship. If you earned college credit while still enrolled in high school (summer school, pre-college programs, advanced placement, dual enrollment between your high school and a university or community college, etc.) you will be considered a freshman applicant.

Student with College Degrees: If you are considering interior design, industrial design, or graphic design and you have a college degree, you should apply to the graduate programs in those fields. All of these programs consider students without a background in the field. 

Transfer Admissions Requirements

All materials must be submitted within a few weeks after the submission of the application on February 1 if applying for the fall term and October 1 if applying for the spring term. 

All materials must be sent to:

 Pratt Institute
 Office of Undergraduate Admissions
 200 Willoughby Avenue
 Brooklyn, NY 11205

Visual Portfolio: The transfer portfolio requirements are the same as the freshman requirements if you have not taken art courses in your previous college or have not taken the foundation year and will enter as a freshman. Instructions for submissions are listed below. Transfer applicants who have taken art courses should include examples of work that reflect all studio experiences at their previous college in order to be reviewed for credit. The portfolios (visual and writing)  must be uploaded at https://pratt.slideroom.com

ASHCAN STUDIO STUDENT WORK for PRATT ADMISSIONS 

by KALENE