How to apply to Montserrat College of Art for art and design: 11 BFA concentrations after a foundation program, a 12–15 piece portfolio with two observational drawings, Early Action on December 1 and the scholarship priority date on February 15, and portfolio requirements and timelines for students from China, Canada and transfers

Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts, is a dedicated art college that offers only the Bachelor of Fine Arts at the undergraduate level. This guide summarizes the concentrations, portfolio and application requirements from the college’s official website, for students at high schools in China (Gaokao, A-Level, IB, AP), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Concentrations and foundation

• BFA concentrations (11): Animation; Art Education; Games, Toys, and Play; Graphic Design; Illustration; Interdisciplinary Arts; Painting; Photography, Video, and Film; Printmaking; Sculpture; Writing & Visual Narratives.
• Minors: Art Education, Art History, Art Therapy, Creative Writing, Curatorial Studies, Entrepreneurship in the Arts.
• Foundation Program: a first year of intensive studio courses in observation and drawing, color and 2D design, 3D form and space, time-based work and experimental contemporary practice.
• Liberal arts: one-third of every student’s courses are liberal arts and two-thirds studio.
• Montserrat encourages experimenting within and across concentrations; the admissions pages do not set out rules for choosing or changing a concentration.

2. Portfolio

• Size: 12–15 of your strongest finished works from the last two years, including at least two from direct observation (from a model or still life, not a photo or imagination). Observational drawings can be in traditional materials or drawn digitally with a stylus.
• Optional writing: up to two pieces of creative writing, each under 1,000 words.
• Media: animation, sculpture, video, drawing (traditional or digital), painting, installation, fiber art or wearables, performance documentation, photography, printmaking, graphic design and more.
• Do not include: fan art (existing popular characters, cartoons, anime, unless part of your own original world), celebrity portraits, theatrical performance samples or photo-only portfolios. The same “do not include” list also names video, which does not match the media list above; both appear on the site, so ask admissions before submitting video.
• Original work only, with title, size, medium, year and the idea behind each piece. Use bright, even light, clean backgrounds and high-resolution images; a smartphone is fine.
• Submission: log in to the applicant portal (apply.montserrat.edu) and upload. Common App applicants get an email the next business day with a link and PIN to upload the portfolio.
• Preliminary review: Montserrat strongly encourages an informal portfolio review by Zoom with an admissions counselor before you apply; email admissions to book.

3. How to apply and deadlines

• Application: Common App or Montserrat’s application; USD 50 non-refundable fee (waivers available), waived for complete applications submitted before December 1.
• Rolling admission for fall and spring. Fall entry:
  • Early Action December 1: materials submitted or postmarked by then; decisions and scholarships postmarked by December 15.
  • Merit scholarship priority date February 15; after that, first-come, first-served while space remains.
• Spring entry: December 1.
• The page does not state a year; check the site for 2027 entry.
• Materials: portfolio, official transcripts, an essay (300–500 words, preferably on who you are as an artist and why Montserrat fits), recommendations.
• Recommendations: the apply page says one is required and two encouraged, ideally one from an art teacher or professional artist; the international page asks for two. Both appear on the site; international applicants should prepare two.
• Tests: SAT or ACT required only for homeschooled applicants; optional for others.
• AP: scores of 4+ in subjects that parallel Montserrat’s program may earn credit.

4. International applicants

• Materials: application, USD 50 fee, portfolio, translated official high school transcripts, two recommendations, essay and English proof.
• English (if not your native language): TOEFL iBT 79 (paper 520, computer 190), IELTS 6, Duolingo 100. TOEFL may be waived if you completed university-level English Composition I with a C or better at an English-medium institution.
• Translations: all documents in English; submit the original transcript (or a certified copy) with the official translation. Photocopies are not accepted.
• I-20: after full acceptance, submit proof of funds for nine months of study and living (bank statement in English, sponsor letters); by May 1 for fall and November 1 for spring. Montserrat says I-20 delivery usually takes three to six weeks.
• Tuition deposit: USD 250, refundable or transferable if you notify the college by May 1 for fall; it is not required for I-20 processing.
• Montserrat’s English Language Program offers art-related English courses and strongly encourages them for international students below the minimum scores.

5. Notes for students from China and Canada

• China: whether the Gaokao or art exams are considered is not published; submit originals or certified copies of transcripts with official English translations.
• Canada (including BC): BC diploma or grade requirements, and whether students taught in English in Canada can skip English tests, are not published; ask admissions.

6. Costs (2026-2027)

• Tuition: full-time (12–18 credits a semester) USD 42,595 a year (USD 21,297.50 a semester); part-time USD 1,775 per credit.
• General fee: USD 1,855 a year.
• Health insurance: USD 2,738 a year, required without exception for international students.
• Housing: double USD 14,075, single USD 18,455, triple USD 11,930 a year.
• One-time charges: orientation USD 230, art supply starter kit USD 1,170, housing damage deposit USD 300 (refundable), tuition deposit USD 250, housing deposit USD 275 (non-refundable). There is also a required laptop program; see Student Financial Services.

7. Scholarships

• Merit scholarships: considered automatically with your application; the international page says international students are considered for merit awards but not need-based aid.
• Student Financial Services says the vast majority of applicants receive a merit award; amounts are not published.
• For priority consideration, finish by February 15 (Early Action applicants complete by December 1 hear about scholarships by December 15).

8. Transfer students

• Application: the same materials as first-year applicants plus official college transcripts, through the Common App.
• Credit: studio and liberal arts courses with a C or better that parallel Montserrat’s program, up to 90 credits (no more than 60 studio or 39 liberal arts); coursework older than ten years may be declined.
• Studio credit needs a portfolio showing college-level coursework; detailed course descriptions are advised.
• Residency: at least 50% of coursework at Montserrat and at least 120 credits in total.
• Articulation agreements: with 12 institutions (mostly community colleges, including Niigata College of Art and Design in Japan) that guarantee admission to students who earned an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science there.
• Transfer scholarships: based on previous college GPA and the portfolio, renewable with good standing.

Checklist

Students from China:

• Prepare 12–15 works from the last two years, at least two from observation, each with title, size, medium, year and idea
• Prepare TOEFL 79, IELTS 6 or Duolingo 100, two recommendations and certified transcript translations
• Finish by February 15 for priority scholarship review; a complete application before December 1 waives the fee
• After admission, send I-20 financial documents by May 1

Students from Canada (including BC and Vancouver):

• Prepare the same portfolio; you can book a Zoom preview first
• Ask admissions whether you need English scores and how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Send all college transcripts; for studio credit, prepare college coursework and course descriptions
• Keep in mind the 90-credit limit (60 studio, 39 liberal arts)

Sources: Montserrat College of Art, Apply; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Portfolio development; BFA programs; Student Financial Services; 2026-2027 cost of attendance (PDF). The filing dates on the site do not state a year, and costs are 2026-2027 figures; check the college’s website for the latest.