The College Preparation Program (CP Program) is for Junior and Senior high school students. The CP Program is geared to help students prepare a portfolio to apply to university art programs and art schools, we have also helped students prepare award winning portfolios for high school Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Utah State Sterling Scholar, and other scholarships.

While we do not guarantee that every student who goes through this program will receive a scholarship or entrance into the school of their choice, this program has been helping students obtain entrance and scholarships to institutions of higher education for the past 30 years. Scholarships have come from over 25 different highly respected art colleges and universities.
Visit Awards for a full list of the colleges and awards.

This program works in conjunction with the other courses taught at VAI, but is primarily done during hours other than regular classes. Tuition for this program is $200 (non refundable). This program requires great dedication and effort by the students, but it will provide them with the best professional assistance available.

Register for the CP Program

How to Begin

Students begin VAI's CP Program by sitting down with a faculty member and their parents for an informal interview. The purpose of this interview is to discuss goals, assess their portfolio, and go over a detailed checklist of over 30 steps that will be apart of the process. This interview will help students determine how to accomplish their goals in preparing for college. It is important to understand that college admissions procedures can begin as early as December of the student's senior year. We recommend students start this process at the beginning of their junior year to give them a full year to prepare, however, we take students at anytime during their Junior and Senior years.

After the initial interview, students will register for the CP Program. This program is not intended to replace the other courses at VAI; it is meant to work in connection with them. This program will require additional time over the course of the next 12 – 18 months but it is designed to be flexible around students' schedules. The first interview will outline the full checklist of the steps that we will mentor students in during this program.

How to Prepare

An essential part of the CP Program is the attendance of two regular semester classes in addition to this program. This helps the student have an ample amount of artwork to choose from for their portfolio. This means students will take two classes per week to create artwork, gain a better understanding of concepts and techniques, as well as expand their knowledge of art history and contemporary art. To learn more about the classes that VAI offers, visit: About our Classes, Current Classes or Upcoming Classes.

Assembling a Portfolio

Each student will learn to tailor their portfolio to fit their needs, interests, and talents. Portfolios generally require 12-25 pieces of their best artwork. Portfolios will also be customized to fit the admissions and scholarship requirements for each school a student applies to. Portfolios generally demonstrate multiple media, the student's competency, proficiency, and understanding of the elements and principles of art. Sketchbooks are required to show student's individual growth and changes in their personal imagery. Examples of personal interest and direction are included. Portfolios are usually presented in a format of professional quality digital images or slides of artwork.

Academic Requirements

Students who pursue art related fields are generally accepted to art programs on the basis of a portfolio, although a GPA of 3.0 or better is often required. Students working toward a scholarship generally need a 3.5 to 4.0 GPA and a unique portfolio showing personal interest and direction. In many cases an exceptional portfolio will compensate for a lower GPA.

Attending a National Portfolio Review Day

Students enrolled in the CP Program are encouraged to attend a National Portfolio Day their junior or senior year of High School. Portfolio Days are held at 30 events throughout the country every year, with over 100 participating visual art and design programs. Attending any one of these events gives the students the opportunity to meet with representatives from colleges accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Representatives review student artwork, discuss their respective art programs and answer questions. In some cases attending a portfolio day meets the requirement that some schools have to meet applicants in person for an interview as part of the application process.

For more infomation about Portfolio Days, visit www.PortfolioDay.net.

Contact us for more information about how VAI can help you prepare to attend a Portfolio Day, or to learn more about the College Preparation Program.

Register for the CP Program