Undergraduate Application Requirements: Transfer Students

• Transfer applicants apply only through the Pratt Application
• 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.
• If you have received over 48 college credits and earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, the official high school transcript requirement will be waived.
• 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.)
• International applicants must submit official transcripts for all secondary and postsecondary studies, along with official results of any required external examinations. 
• Pratt strongly recommends a credential evaluation of international high school transcripts. Evaluations must be completed by a NACES member and should be course-by-course. Official English translations are also required and should be completed by a certified translation service before evaluation
• The Office of Admissions reserves the right to contact your school directly for any questions or additional verification of documents needed.

• In order to receive the most accurate placement evaluation, please ensure you submit transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended.
• Students who have enrolled in other institutions of higher education should upload mid-year transcripts from each college or university showing in progress coursework.

The required Pratt essay should be 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.

In addition to the standard essay requirement, transfer applicants are also required to respond to the following prompt in 250–500 words:

Why do you want to transfer to Pratt Institute? What makes Pratt the right fit for you at this point in your academic journey?

Optional Prompt:

Is there anything you would like us to know about your previous college experience, including their academic performance that would assist in our review?

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?

Within 48 hours of submitting your Pratt Application, you’ll receive an email from admissions@pratt.edu with instructions on finishing your account creation and uploading your portfolio.

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 5 in the new 1-6 scale
  • Submission code: 2669
  • MyBEST TOEFL scores not accepted
• Submission code: 2669
• DET Duolingo English Test: minimum score of 125
• 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 2027, tests taken on or after August 2025 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

For home-schooled applicants who have taken university courses as dual enrolled students (simultaneously while in high school), a university transcript may substitute a GED so long as it complies with all the following requirements:

• The student has taken dual enrollment in a regionally accredited college or university
• The student has taken 12 to 15 credits throughout their dual enrollment, which is equivalent to a full-time semester worth of credits
• The student has taken all classes within the humanities and social sciences and has obtained a grade no lower than 3.0 in a scale of 4.0 in each class. Studio-based classes will not be considered or accepted
• The university transcript is sent to Pratt directly from the issuing university

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 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. 

International Students need an NACES evaluation for college transcripts coming from international colleges/universities as well. 

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 and all Writing Components of portfolios, including the descriptions of your work in your portfolio.

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.