Undergraduate Application Requirements: High School Applicants

First-year applicants apply online through the Common App.

The application has an administrative fee of $50 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents; and $90 for international applicants. 

• Submit official transcripts from all high schools attended.
• Transcripts must be sent directly from your school  through approved electronic services (CommonApp, SCOIR, Naviance, Parchment, BridgeU, EScript, Scrib, National Student Clearinghouse, or CIALFO). Transcripts sent directly by applicants are not accepted.
• All final high school transcripts must include a signature from a designated school officer in order to be considered official. 
• A high school diploma or equivalent is required for enrollment before the first day of class. Applicants with a GED must also submit official scores and transcripts from all high schools attended.
• Official results of all external examinations are required if your school mandated it as part of your high school graduation requirements (e.g., GCSE, IB, A-levels, French Bac, etc.)
• The Office of Admissions reserves the right to contact your school directly for any questions or additional verification of documents needed.

• The Pratt essay is required (the CommonApp essay is optional)
• 250-500 words or two pages maximum. 
• Respond to the following prompt:

Write about a piece of work (visual art, musical performance, piece of writing, architecture, or design) that has influenced you and describe the impact it has had on your perspective OR write about a piece of your own work and the impact that creating it has had on you.

What is a portfolio at Pratt?

A portfolio is a collection of recent artwork that you feel best represents you — your creativity, your interests, your experiences, your point of view, and your potential. If you’ve been making art, you have a portfolio.

Your Portfolio

Your portfolio provides a snapshot of who you are today and where you sit on your creative journey. Because everyone’s journey is different, every portfolio is different. We look forward to getting to know you as a visual storyteller through the work you share with us.  

How do I submit my portfolio?

• Portfolios must be submitted at pratt.slideroom.com
• Slideroom has a $10 submission fee. We cannot waive this fee.
• You must create a login using the same email address and biographical information that you used in your CommonApp
• All images for your portfolio must be included in a single SlideRoom submission
• Links or websites are not accepted as a portfolio
• Once you submit your portfolio, it cannot be edited or returned except when the admissions committee may require additional portfolio work. In this case, an admissions counselor will contact you with instructions.

What should I include in my portfolio?

There is no set formula for the perfect portfolio, and what to include will depend on the type of portfolio that you submit. There are certain basics, however, that we want to see in any portfolio that will assist our review process.

• Recent work: include work made within the last 18 months from the time you submit your portfolio. This timeframe will ensure that your portfolio reflects your current skills, interests, experiences and abilities.
• Presentation: present your work thoughtfully. When photographing or filming your work, pay attention to lighting, focus, and cropping. Avoid blurry, out of focus images, and distracting or busy backgrounds that are not part of the work.
• Documentation: each artwork presented must include the media or materials used, the dimensions, and the year when you made it. A title and a description are not required but you can include them if you prefer.
• You: The portfolio you submit should reflect the person you want us to know. Show us who you are and show us what is important to you as a visual storyteller.  

How will my portfolio be reviewed?

Along with your academic record, your portfolio will be reviewed to determine your readiness to engage in the first-year of your intended major. 

We will never compare your portfolio to anyone else’s and will always assess your accomplishments relative to your unique educational and creative experiences and interests. 

During the review process, we will look at your portfolio through two lenses:

1) An admissions lens that will focus on the level of potential as demonstrated in your work.  

2) A scholarship lens that will focus on the level of accomplishment demonstrated in your work.

International applicants and those for whom English is not the primary or native language, must submit a proof of English proficiency. The following are accepted:

• TOEFL IBT and TOEFL Home Edition: minimum score of 92 in the 0-120 scale, or 4.5 in the new 1-6 scale
  • Submission code: 2669
  • MyBEST TOEFL scores not accepted
• DET Duolingo English Test: minimum score of 120
• IELTS Academic: minimum score of 7.0 
• PTE Academic: minimum score of 62
• Cambridge English Proficiency (C1 or C2 levels): minimum score of 183

All test scores must be sent directly to Pratt from the testing agency before the admissions deadline. Test scores must have been taken within two (2) years of your intended starting term (For Fall 2026, tests taken on or after August 2024 are accepted).

English Proficiency Waivers

International applicants may request an English proficiency waiver for one of the following reasons:

• Applicants who have studied the last three (3) years of high school in the United States and are in good academic standing
• Applicants who have studied the last three (3) years at a high school in another country where English is an official national language and the primary language of instruction and are in good academic standing
• Applicants who have studied the last three (3) years at an English-speaking school in a non-English speaking country if the school is U.S. accredited or an English-speaking IB World school and are in good academic standing

English as Second Language programs or certificates are not accepted.
Proficiency waivers are reviewed and approved at the discretion of the Office of Admissions.

• Letters of recommendation are optional. 
• To include letters of recommendation, please request them from someone with first-hand knowledge of your creative or academic preparedness. Letters of recommendation from family members or friends are not accepted. 
• A maximum of three (3) letters can be uploaded and should be submitted through the Common App

• SAT or ACT scores are not required. 
• Applicants who wish to submit SAT or ACT scores can have the scores sent directly from the College Board to Pratt:

SAT code: 2669

ACT code: 2862

All applicants to a bachelor’s degree program at Pratt, including home-schooled applicants, must provide high school transcripts, or its equivalent, issued by a state-approved homeschool association accredited by the Department of Education or by a sponsoring or partnering high school also accredited by the Department of Education.

Transcripts must include:

• Course or subject titles
• Duration of study for each course (term, semester, or grade)
• An evaluation or assessment of performance (grade, mark, or score attained)
• Grading scale if other than the U.S. 4.0 or U.S. letter grade A-F scales

Upon completion of high school, all applicants, including those home-schooled, are required to submit documentation verifying high school graduation or an equivalent credential. 

Acceptable documentation for home-schooled applicants includes:

• Official results from the GED, TASC, or HiSET examinations
• Transcripts issued by a state-approved homeschool association accredited by the Department of Education or by a sponsoring or partnering accredited high school, indicating date of graduation

Following review of these documents, additional materials may be requested at the discretion of the Office of Admissions.

We encourage you to learn about the programs that interest you. Meeting with an admissions counselor is a great way to do this. 

• Applicants interested in architecture, writing, critical and visual studies, history of art and design (BA), or construction management must choose those majors at the time of applying as they have different first year curriculums than other majors.
• Applicants who are uncertain about which major to choose in the school of art and the school of design may choose to apply as undecided and then select their major in the spring of their first year. We understand that you may want to explore before deciding on a specific major.
• 2D Animation and Game Arts may not be available as options for Undecided majors coming out of the Foundation year. It is recommended that applicants interested in these majors choose them at the time of applying.

Pratt accepts up to nine (9) total credits from the following:

• Advanced Place­ment (AP) with a score of four or five.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level with a score of five or greater.
• French Baccalaureate with a score of 12 or higher and a coefficient of 4 or higher.  (We require an officially certified copy of your French Baccalaureate Score results showing scores in each subject along with an official English translation.)
• College Level Equivalency Program (CLEP) tests with a score of 55 or higher.

Only tests taken prior to matriculation at Pratt will be considered. Accepted students who seek transfer credit must submit official copies of score reports to the Office of Admissions prior to enrollment. 

Text-Generation

• The use of AI text-generation tools is not permitted in any part of the written application materials or admission requirements for Pratt
• These submissions include the Pratt Essay, all Writing Components of portfolios, and the descriptions of your work in SlideRoom.

Image-Generation

• All portfolio images submitted must be the direct and original work of the applicant.
• Images derived primarily from other sources or appropriated from other individuals will not be accepted.
• Images fully rendered by generative AI are prohibited.
• AI image-enhancement tools used to support the development or editing of select pieces is permitted as long as the work remains original to the applicant.
• When using AI tools with your original images, applicants must disclose the specific scope of all AI tools utilized, and all text prompts employed, to create an image or portfolio piece.