creating a winning portfolio for admissions into art & design school

Building an art or design portfolio is simple.  But, building an effective art or design portfolio takes more than just throwing in some samples of your work.  Admissions requirements for each school can be very differnent, so make sure you are aware of the specific requirements for the school you are interested in.  However, there are some basic guidelines you can follow to ensure your portfolio is impressive.

Your portfolio should clearly represent your talent and skills in the best possible way. This means using paring down all of your work to your best pieces and having a clean and simple approach. 

A prospective school will be going rapidly going through your work, and so you have limited spaces to fill in a portfolio.  So, make sure your images are strong representations of your skill base.  Don't just place your favorite pieces in your portfolio; you need variety.  Sequence your pieces in the portfolio in a way that lends to a smooth flow when moving from image to image.  Start strong and end strong. Put your best two pieces at the very beginning and the end of the portfolio. 

Do not include any torn or poorly cared for work and be sure to label your pieces clearly.