Undergraduate Application Requirements: Associate

Pratt offers two-year associate degrees in art and design as well at its Manhattan campus on West 14th Street in the exciting Chelsea area of New York City.

Checklist

1. Application form with fee (online)
2. Official transcripts from each high school attended or official GED scores
3. Test Scores (*optional)
4. Optional letters of recommendation
5. Pratt Essay
6. English Proficiency Scores
7. Visual Portfolio 

Detailed descriptions of each material can be found below. 

Pratt asks that materials are uploaded to the online application whenever possible. Anything that must be mailed can be sent to:

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

All supporting documents, including portfolio if required, should be submitted by the application deadline. 

1. APPLICATION FORM WITH FEE

First-year high school applicants apply online ($50 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents; $90 for international applicants). First-year high school applicants apply through the Common App. Fee waivers are available through the Common App for students who qualify. 

2. OFFICIAL HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS

A high school diploma or the equivalent is required for enrollment to Pratt Institute’s undergraduate program. In order to complete your application transcripts from all high schools attended are required. Applicants who have received high school equivalency diplomas 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. Pratt receives documents through Naviance, Parchment, BridgeU, EScript, Scrib, National Student Clearing House, or CIALFO.

International applicants must submit official transcripts (academic records) of all secondary school studies as well as any postsecondary studies. Applicants also must submit official results of all external examinations, for example General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), Hong Kong School Certificate of Education, Israeli matriculation or Bagrut, Secondary School Certificates, and Baccalaureate Part I and Part II. All transcripts must be translated into English. 

Credential Evaluations for International Students

While we do not require credential evaluations for first-time high school applicants, Pratt strongly recommends it. College transfer students who have studied outside the US are required to submit a credential evaluation of their transcripts. These credential evaluations must be completed by a NACES member. Options for evaluation services include Span Tran for Pratt, WES, ECE, IEE, Global Credential Evaluators, or another acceptable service, e.g.: your embassy. Credential evaluations do not typically include translations, so documents must first be officially translated into English by a certified translation service. Pratt asks for a course-by-course evaluation.

3. TEST SCORES:  PRATT IS TEST-OPTIONAL 

Pratt is test-optional for high school applicants (US citizens and permanent residents only); we do not require the SAT or ACT tests. Applicants who do not submit test scores will not be at a disadvantage in the admissions process. 

International students and those for whom English is a second language may choose to submit either the SAT or ACT in lieu of an English proficiency exam (see #7 below).

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. 

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

4. OPTIONAL LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

We do not require letter of recommendation, but for those who would like to submit letters, we encourage that you choose recommenders who have first-hand knowledge of your academic or creative preparedness for study at Pratt. If you do not submit letters, you will not be at a disadvantage in the review process. Letters should be submitted through the Common App for high school applicants and through the Pratt application for transfer applicants, and a maximum of three recommendations can be submitted.

See details at our Apply page

5. PRATT ESSAY 

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. The essay should be 250-500 words or two pages maximum. Make sure your essay is complete before uploading because you will not be able to make changes after you submit your application. 

6. TESTS OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY 

All students for whom English is a second language must submit one of the following accepted exams: 

• TOEFL and TOEFL Home Edition (minimum score is 92 for 4-year programs or 71 for 2-year associate programs)
• TOEFL ITP Plus (minimum 600 for 4-year programs or 527 for 2-year programs)
• PTE (minimum 62 for 4-year programs or 48 for 2-year programs)
• IELTS or IELTS Indicator (minimum 6.5 for 4-year programs or 6.0 for 2-year programs)
• Cambridge English (the minimum score is 183 for 4-year programs and 175 for 2-year programs)
• SAT or ACT (no minimum) 

Please have official scores sent by the testing company. Pratt accepts the TOEFL My Best Score and super scores SAT and ACT tests. Scores must be received by our deadlines. Any test scores must have been taken within one year of submitting an application in order to be considered valid. Pratt no longer accepts Duolingo test scores as of August 1, 2022.

English Proficiency Waivers: International applicants who have studied at a high school in the U.S. for at least three years with academic success may waive the test requirement. Those who have studied in another country where English is an official national language and the mode of instruction may also waive the test requirement with official transcripts that demonstrate at least three full years of academic success. 

Pratt does NOT waive the test requirement for students who have attended an English-speaking school in a non-English speaking country unless the school is US accredited (e.g. American schools) or an English-speaking IB World school. 

If you intend to waive your score requirement, select this option on the Common App, and waivers will be issued after your application has been submitted and reviewed for eligibility. Waivers are issued at the discretion of the admissions office.

English Language Support: For international students who score a 99 or below on the TOEFL (or the equivalent on another accepted test), or receive an English proficiency waiver during the application process, you will be placed in a language-supported English class in your first year of study. Waiver opportunities will be assessed on a case by case basis by the Intensive English department. Questions may be directed to admissions@pratt.edu.    

8. PORTFOLIO

Portfolio requirements vary by program: 

• The visual portfolio at Pratt should be 10 to 15 pieces of your most recent artwork. Please organize these pieces in a way that makes it easy for you to share your visual story with us in a clear and meaningful way. Though not required, we recommend that you include examples of work made from the direct observation of objects or people. While working from photographic reference or from your imagination can offer valuable insights as to your technical and creative skills, the ways in which you used line, value, texture and/or composition to capture real life forms and spaces onto the 2-dimensional picture plane can offer a deeper understanding of your creative problem-solving process. We welcome examples of work done in a range of media, which can include pencil, charcoal, paint, collage, clay, wood, stone, photography and film. Design and computer-generated pieces are also acceptable but please make sure this type of work offers insights as to your own creative process and not just the capabilities of software and programs. Be careful not to submit a wide range of work or media unless you have found success or satisfaction working in those subjects and mediums. The most important thing to include in a portfolio is you. Make sure that what you share is work that you like, that is meaningful to you, that shares your voice, your perspective, your interests, your sensibilities, and your story. (Should be submitted on SlideRoom at pratt.slideroom.com.)
• Applicants to the AOS in Game Design and Interactive Media should see specific portfolio requirements below. 

PORTFOLIO FOR AOS IN GAME DESIGN AND INTERACTIVE MEDIA APPLICANTS

There are two parts to the AOS in Game Design and Interactive Media portfolio at Pratt:

• Creative Component: Select Option A or Option B
• Writing Sample: Complete the required writing sample 

Find details below: 

Creative Component

Option A

Applicants to the AOS in game design should submit 10 to 15 pieces of their most recent artwork. Please organize these pieces in a way that makes it easy for you to share your visual story with us in a clear and meaningful way. Though not required, we recommend that you include examples of work made from the direct observation of objects or people. While working from photographic reference or from your imagination can offer valuable insights as to your technical and creative skills, the ways in which you used line, value, texture and/or composition to capture real life forms and spaces onto the 2-dimensional picture plane can offer a deeper understanding of your creative problem-solving process. We welcome examples of work done in a range of media, which can include pencil, charcoal, paint, collage, clay, wood, stone, photography and film. Design and computer-generated pieces are also acceptable but please make sure this type of work offers insights as to your own creative process and not just the capabilities of software and programs. Be careful not to submit a wide range of work or media unless you have found success or satisfaction working in those subjects and mediums. The most important thing to include in a portfolio is you. Make sure that what you share is work that you like, that is meaningful to you, that shares your voice, your perspective, your interests, your sensibilities, and your story. (Should be submitted on SlideRoom at pratt.slideroom.com.)

Option B

Game Proposal: Applicants may submit an original game proposal including at least 3 of the following 5 elements. The proposal can be for any sort of game.

1. Characters
2. Narrative
3. Strategy
4. Rules
5. World/Visual Descriptions

Writing Sample 

Describe in detail the impact that a game has made on you. Applicants may write about any aspect of the game that impacted them the most. What effect did it have on you? How has it influenced you? What techniques do you feel the game developers use to achieve this impact?

Please upload the writing sample to either the media section of SlideRoom in a PDF format or to the attachments section as a Word document.

If you would like feedback on your portfolio, you may have it reviewed at the Brooklyn campus by scheduling an appointment online. For a tour of the Manhattan campus (where the programs are located), please call 212.647.7375 or email aos@pratt.edu.

Current Associate Degree Students Applying to the BFA Programs

Students in their second year of the associate degree who expect to complete by the end of the spring semester must submit a portfolio and brief application through SlideRoom to Pratt’s admissions office to be confirmed for entrance to the B.F.A.  Entrance to the BFA is for Fall Only.

A cumulative Pratt GPA of 2.7 by the end of the fall semester of the sophomore year is required. Your acceptance is contingent on you maintaining your grades in your final semester and completing the requirements/courses for the degree. 

Your submission will be in the “AAS to BFA Transfer Application (CURRENT PRATT STUDENTS ONLY)” folder. You will be required to fill out a brief form and submit five (5) images from your time in the AAS program through SlideRoom.

See AAS transfer scholarship information.

Current AAS students who do not meet the minimum 2.7 GPA require or are changing their major; OR students in the AOS program applying to the BFA: You are required to complete the transfer student application as outlined at the top of this page and will be considered for admission among the general application pool. Please email transadm@pratt.edu to request a fee waiver code for the application or if you have any questions.

Students in the AAS program who decide to change their major upon entering the BFA or students applying to the BFA from the AOS program will need to take at least an additional year’s worth of coursework to make up the coursework they missed in the sophomore year. Students in the program who wish to change their major in the second year of the program would have to take additional coursework to make up the classes missed in the new major. We do not encourage AAS students to change majors either in the program or after transferring to the BFA because of the additional time needed to make up the sophomore required courses in the new major.

Changing Your Major

Students in the art and design associate’s degree who decide to change their major upon entering the BFA will need to take an additional year’s worth of coursework to make up the coursework they missed in the sophomore year. Students in the program who wish to change their major in the second year of the program or after would have to take additional coursework to make up the classes missed in the sophomore year of the new major.