Which programs require one
The studio art, graphic design, industrial design, animation and game art, and music performance programs review a portfolio or audition alongside the standard application. Some technical programs with a design component ask for a smaller creative sample. The program page lists exactly what is required and how to submit it.
What goes in a portfolio
Usually 10 to 20 pieces showing range and process, not just finished work — sketchbook pages, iterations, and studies matter as much as polished final pieces because the committee is judging how you think and develop an idea. Include a mix of observational work (drawing from life), design or concept work, and anything in the program's medium. Follow the stated format and file specs exactly.
What reviewers look for
Drawing and observational skill as a foundation, evidence of iteration and problem-solving, a point of view, and craft appropriate to your level. They are not expecting a professional portfolio from a high school senior — they are looking for the raw material a program can build on and genuine engagement with making things.
Auditions
Music auditions ask for prepared repertoire (the program specifies style and length), sight-reading, and sometimes scales or a short interview. They can be in person on designated dates or by recording. Prepare well under the exact stated requirements; a strong performance of the required material beats an ambitious piece done shakily.
Portfolio days and feedback
Porter runs portfolio review days in the fall and winter where you bring work and get direct feedback from faculty before you formally apply — the single most useful thing you can do. National Portfolio Day events also include Porter reviewers. Use the feedback to revise before submitting.
If your portfolio is not ready
A developing portfolio can still be admissible with a plan — some students enter as exploratory or in a foundations track, build a portfolio in the first year, and apply into the major. A counselor and the department will tell you honestly where your work stands and what would strengthen it.
Deadlines
Portfolio and audition deadlines are firmer than general admission and often earlier, especially for scholarship consideration. Check the program page and give yourself weeks, not days, to photograph work well and meet the file requirements.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. Every office, person, building, phone number and statistic on this page is invented; nothing here describes a real institution or a service you can actually contact.