Freshmen

Freshman Admissions Requirements for Fall 2013 and Spring 2013

Checklist

Details for each item are listed below the checklist.

1. Online Application (online required) with fee of $50; international applicant fee is $90. Pratt's 2013 fall and spring applications are now online as of Sunday, September 16, 2012. 
2. Official transcript from your last high school attended (as long as it includes any prior years at other high schools). If it does not, you must submit official transcripts from any schools not included. If you took the GED, you must submit official scores.
3. Results of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT 1) or the American College Testing Program (ACT) with writing. International applicants see #8 below.
4. Optional letter of recommendation. This is now optional. Reference form is downloadable if your reference prefers a form). We no longer require a letter of recommendation but will accept one on Slideroom (pratt.slideroom.com) or by mail. . 
5. Portfolio if required for your major: see details below (5).
6. Essay: See (6) below for topic. The essay is part of the online application and is submitted online.

 

Deadlines: see deadline information for freshman and transfer applicants 

Admissions Decision Timeline for Freshmen

• Early action decisions will be mailed by January 6.
• Regular decision decisions will be mailed by April 1.
• Spring decisions will be made by November 15.

Status checks will be available online using our new online application. Please make sure you check your status about six weeks after you have submitted all your documents. You will be notified by email if you are incomplete at the end of February (early November for spring entrance) and given the opportunity to submit missing documents in time for review.

Fall 2013
All majors are accepted for fall. A complete list of majors and concentrations is available online.

Spring 2013
The following majors consider freshmen for spring entrance.

• Construction Management
• Associate's Degree (all programs)
• BA Art History
• Critical and Visual Studies

All materials must be sent to:

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

Pratt is closed for winter break from December 24 to January 2. Please do not send FEDEX packages to arrive during this period.

1. Application Form with Fee: Pratt's new online application will be posted September 15. International students for spring should submit then. 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. Applicants requesting fee waivers must submit a paper application and include either a copy of the SAT or ACT fee waiver form or a request by the applicant's guidance counselor that the fee be waived.

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. Students submitting college/university transcripts from an International Institute must have transcripts translated into English. If your school cannot provide this, you must have them translated by some other reputable service such as World Educational Services (www.wes.org) or by 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 or IELTS instead of the SAT. International students whose first language is English may be waived from the TOEFL or IELTS but 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.

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 letter of recommendation from teachers or professionals who have direct experience with the applicant's artistic, academic, and creative potential using our online request at Slideroom. An optional recommendation form is also available online for recommenders who prefer a form rather than a letter. If the form is not used, it is essential that the writer include the applicant's full name in the letter. Letters should be sent directly to the admissions office or may be reqested at pratt.slideroom.com. This is not required and will not show up in the status checklist online.

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 must submit a visual portfolio for fall 2013 on slideroom. Both kinds of portfolios are described below. We request that visual and writing portfolios be uploaded at https://pratt.slideroom.com. See below.

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. (Art History BA applicants must submit a writing portfolio. See section below.) BFA in History of Art and Design applicants submit a visual portfolio.)

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. (See below for a description of the observational process). 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).

Film/Video Applicants: The following new portfolio requirements are optional for fall 2013 and required for fall 2014 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.)  

Not sure how to create a PDF from Word?   Creating PDFs.
 

Visual Portfolio Format: Applicants must submit their portfolios online at Slideroom.

Online: Portfolios should be uploaded at pratt.slideroom.com. This is the easiest, fastest, and least expensive way to submit your work, and it is our preferred method. You will be able to edit it online until you press the "submit" button, and you will receive immediate confirmation that we received your work. You may submit up to January 31, but we prefer that all documents are submitted as close to the application deadline as possible.

Do not send original work. All submitted materials, including the portfolio, become the property of Pratt Institute. Portfolios in any format will not be returned or held for pickup.

First time Freshman Architecture Applicants: Portfolios must be be uploaded at slideroom for architecture majors applying for fall 2013 at pratt.slideroom.com for your convenience. 

Do not email images to us; do not send CDs or slides. We do not review personal websites. Admissions advisement sessions and reviews done during National Portfolio Days or by appointment off-campus do not fulfill the applicant's visual requirement. They are for guidance only.

The Visual Portfolio

The most frequent question we receive is what should be included in the portfolio. Here are a few questions to think about as you edit your work for submission to Pratt Institute.

Am I meeting the requirements asked for in the application?
This may seem simple but you might be surprised by how many applications and portfolios we receive that do not follow the directions laid out in the application instructions. Sending five pieces of work just isn't enough to see the scope of your work. Sending fifty pieces indicates a lack of ability to edit your work.

Am I showing some form of the observational process?
With very few exceptions, work from observation is required in some form for all specialized art and design schools. Pratt is no exception. The observational process is the foundation for almost every discipline taught at Pratt. It refers to the visual and psychological process of looking at the world around you, making decisions about how you want to interpret what you see, and then replicating that which you observe. This process is fundamental to creating and understanding all things visual. Working from observation means that you are drawing what you see. For the portfolio requirements, demonstrate that you are able to go through this observational process. The medium you use and subject to which you choose to apply the observational process is up to you. Technical studies in various media are adequate (still life, figure, landscape, interior, etc.), but try to move beyond technical studies and use the observational process to express something that is connected to who you are and what you are thinking about.

What does my work say about me?
Is the work you are submitting telling us about who you are, what you've been doing, what your opinion is, where you want to go? Many applicants limit addressing these questions to their essay. Use your creativity and skills to address these questions visually. We want to see that you are willing to take some risks, go beyond what is asked of you, and that you are asking big questions.

Am I showing a range of skills and approaches?
Diversity of work is a very important part of the portfolio. It can include but is not limited to using different types of media, using different visual styles or making work about different subjects. It also includes visually approaching a single question 100 different ways and then showing us the three that you thought were the most, or sometimes least, successful in answering that question. Show us that you are open to all kinds of creative solutions to all kinds of questions.

Do not make work specifically for the admissions portfolio. Just make work, and lots of it. When it is time to apply, it is simply a matter of editing what you have made to show us what you might accomplish while you are here at Pratt.

If you want additional advice on your work, please feel free to contact our Visit Coordinator at visit@pratt.edu or 718-626-3779 to set up an appointment with one of our admissions advisors. Our admissions advisors are all active artists and designers and are delighted to give potential applicants feedback on their work and their application portfolio. They travel across the country starting in September and are available weekdays at our Brooklyn Admissions Office. Applicants seeking portfolio feedback from admissions advisors should contact the office between March 15 and December 1. Our schedule of states we will visit and Portfolio Days we will attend are posted online at www.pratt.edu/visit

Writing, Critical and Visual Studies, and Art History B.A. applicants: Applicants are required to submit a writing portfolio of recent writing (no more than ten pages). Writing applicants may submit poetry, short stories, and excerpts from novels, articles, and essays. Please submit one sample of analytical writing. We encourage you to submit several examples of your writing in different styles. If you submit poetry, you must also submit some prose. Critical and Visual Studies and B.A. in Art History BA applicants should submit examples of analytical writing.

Writing samples should be uploaded at Slideroom at pratt.slideroom.com under Media as a pdf. If you are unable to create a pdf, please upload a word document under Attachments on Slideroom. At this time feedback on writing portfolios is unavailable through the admissions office.

Mailed materials must be sent to:

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

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 SAT or ACT (no specified minimum). If your first language is English, you may submit the SAT or ACT, but we will accept the TOEFL or IETLS.

Choosing a Major: Applicants interested in architecture, writing, critical and visual studies, construction management, fashion design and the BA in art history must choose those majors at the time of application. They have different first years. Students who are uncertain about which major to choose in the School of Art and Design may choose undecided and then select their major in the spring of their freshman year. Certain majors like interior design and industrial design are limited by space and must control the numbers entering to assure enough space and equipment for all students. Most welcome students who wish to enter their departments.

Each year 80 freshmen or 15 percent apply as "undecided." Undecided students in art and design or students who initially chose another major and want to switch to another major within their school after they arrive must request the Change of Major form from the Office of Academic Advisement and meet with the Chairperson of the department in which they want to major. Be prepared to bring a portfolio including work from the foundation year and a transcript with your grades from the fall semester. The actual process for changing major is described fully in the Academic Advisement section of the website.

Students who wish to talk with an admissions adviser about the various majors are encouraged to call or come in with their work to discuss. Appointments may be scheduled by emailing visit@pratt.edu or calling 718 636-3779. Students may also read about each major and concentration online.

Home-Schooled Applicants: Pratt Institute welcomes applications from home-schooled students. In the absence of conventional high school records, submitting the items below will help us to evaluate your readiness for the programs that we offer. Home school transcript that includes: Course titles; Course grades; Units of credit for courses; Grading Scale (if other than A-F letter grades); and Signature of the home school administrator (the parent or other person who organized, taught, and evaluated your home school coursework) In the absence of a traditional transcript, you may present a portfolio of the work you consider most indicative of your academic achievements (This is in addition to the regular visual portfolio requirement). This may contain records such as grades from community college or other post-secondary level courses that you may have taken, scores from AP tests (these are also administered independently of schools), recommendations from qualified tutors or teachers, examples of independent research, or descriptions of books and other curricular materials used in preparation for college-level work.

Upon Deposit: Proof of high school graduation must be sent to Pratt before you arrive. This requirement may be satisfied by supplying any of the following: 1. Official scores from the official High School Equivalency Examination (GED). 2. A letter from your local superintendent of schools as proof of your readiness to enter college and that your home schooling was conducted in accordance with state laws. 3. Certificate of graduation from a diploma-granting organization or non-traditional school. Failure to provide will result in a registration hold.

Recommended High School Course Work: The following subjects are strongly recommended for admission to specific Pratt programs. Architecture, Writing and Critical and Visual Studies Programs English 4 units Social Studies 1 unit College Prep Math 3–4 units Science 2 units (d) Academic Electives 3 units (a) General Electives 2 units (b) Construction Management Program English 4 units Social Studies 1 unit College Prep Math 4 units (c) Science 2 units (e) Electives 5 units Art and Design Programs English 4 units Social Studies 1 unit Mathematics 1 unit Science 1 unit Academic Electives 3 units Notes (a) May include additional units in social studies, science, math, foreign language or any combination of these (b) Should include studio art (c) Should include trigonometry and advanced algebra (d) Should include chemistry, physics, or biology (e) One unit must be in either chemistry or physics, preferably physics

AP Credit: Beginning Fall 2010: Pratt Institute accepts up to a maximum of nine (9) total AP credits (up to 3 credits in each of the categories) with a score* of four (4) or five (5) only in the following:

English - 3 credits. AP courses of study accepted are English Language and Composition: Transfer credit given for ENGL-101. Enrollment in ENGL-103 the first semester at Pratt is required.

Math or Science - 3 credits. Students given transfer credit for a specific course may not enroll in other courses listed below as equivalent, but must enroll in more advanced courses. AP courses of study accepted are:

Calculus AB : Transfer credit given for Math 151

Calculus BC : Transfer credit given for Math 151

Chemistry: Transfer credit given for Sci 170

Environmental Science: Transfer credit given for Sci 177

Physics B: Transfer credit given for Sci 170

Electricity and Magnetism Transfer credit given for Sci 170

Mechanics: Transfer credit given for Sci 170

Biology: Transfer credit given for Sci 170

Statistics: Transfer credit given for Math 151

Art History* - 3 credits. AP courses of study accepted are:

Art History: Transfer credit given for HA-115

*Note: A student achieving an AP score of 3 in the History of Art and/or Design will have the option to be interviewed by the chairperson of the department to determine sufficient mastery of course material. The chairperson will then determine whether the student may be assigned to a higher level course. In no case will the process result in a waiver of credit requirements but only in the substitution of another course.

Studio Art: Pratt does not award credit for AP Studio Art.

AP credits are only accepted at the time of initial matriculation at Pratt. Applicants submitting AP scores must have official score reports sent by the College Board directly to the Admissions Office as soon as they are available in order to get credit. They must be submitted before arrival at Pratt. Students who fail to submit scores before they register will not get credit for AP scores. Please notify the Transfer Admissions Office with any questions. Unofficial copies will not be accepted. Students who have already registered will have their classes changed by their academic advisor as soon as the AP credits are received and entered.

IB Credit: (Beginning with fall 12 entering students) International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma recipients may receive transfer credits for higher-level courses in which they earn a score of five (5) or higher .Pratt awards transfer credit for second languages (Language B) taken at the higher level only if the student's major at Pratt requires foreign language. Pratt Institute does not award transfer credit for IB Visual Arts courses or exams.
 

Additional Required Application Materials for Permanent Residents: Applicants who are Permanent Resident Aliens, refugees and other eligible non-citizens must provide a photocopy of their alien registration card.

Confirmation that Materials Are Received: If you wish to receive confirmation that Pratt has received your materials, please send them via UPS, FEDEX, certified mail, or priority mail,with delivery confirmation. Applicants will be contacted via email once their application is complete and has been forwarded to the selection committee. Please do not contact the admissions office to find out if we have received your materials. Because of the volume of mail we receive, it takes two months to assemble the files for all applicants. We will contact you if your file is incomplete by mid-February so that you may complete it.