How to apply to art and design at SAIC: the BFA in Studio with no declared major and an interdisciplinary curriculum, a 10–15-piece portfolio that also decides merit scholarships, Early Action and final deadlines, and portfolio requirements and timelines for students in China, Canada and transfer applicants

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is in downtown Chicago; its website calls the Art Institute of Chicago “our museum” and says the school has been affiliated with it since the museum was founded. This guide summarizes the official undergraduate requirements for students at high schools in China (including A-Level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. Degrees and structure

• Degrees (undergraduate FAQ): BFA in Studio, BA in Art History, BFA in Writing, BA in Visual and Critical Studies, and an art education degree. Its name differs between pages: the FAQ lists a BA in Art Education (BAAE) while the portfolio page lists a BFA in Art Education; check the current listing.
• No declared major: the FAQ says the undergraduate curriculum is interdisciplinary and students don’t declare a major; you can combine sculpture, ceramics and film or concentrate on painting only. You choose a degree program in the Common App, and you can take courses in an area even if you were not admitted to that degree.
• Design pathways: design areas such as Visual Communication Design and Fashion Design are studied within the BFA in Studio. The Fashion Design page says BFA students can concentrate in fashion through one of two pathways after completing Contemporary Practices. Visual Communication Design requires specific courses and a department portfolio review before intermediate courses.
• First year: all BFA students share the Contemporary Practices foundation studios. Every first-year student has an assigned academic advisor who is part of the Research Studio I course, and students meet their advisor at least once each semester in the first two years.
• Credits: 120 credits, normally 15 per semester (up to 18) over four years; about a quarter are liberal arts and sciences courses.

2. Deadlines and materials

• Fall entry (no year shown): November 15 Early Action and priority merit scholarship deadline (non-binding; a larger merit pool, priority housing and priority first-semester registration); January 15 final merit scholarship deadline; April 15 final application deadline.
• Spring entry: November 1 priority merit deadline and January 1 final deadline. Later applications are reviewed case by case. On-time applicants typically hear within 3–5 weeks of the deadline.
• Application and fees: apply through the Common App. The fee is USD 65 for US applicants and USD 85 for international applicants; Common App fee waivers apply if you meet its economic benchmarks.
• Essay: a Common App essay of up to 650 words (minimum 250); SAIC recommends the prompt about a topic that makes you lose track of time. BFA in Writing applicants also address how a studio arts environment will shape their writing. The FAQ also lists an artist’s statement, while the freshman page lists the personal essay; follow the application itself.
• Transcripts: a high school diploma, GED or equivalent is required. Non-English documents need official translations, and SAIC recommends NACES member evaluation services. Final transcripts are due by August 15 for fall and January 15 for spring.
• Recommendation: one letter from an instructor or professional who can assess your motivation, commitment and potential.
• Testing: ACT/SAT are optional.
• The FAQ says about 6,500 students apply each year and about 3,600 are admitted (around 57%); admission and merit selection are need-blind.

3. Portfolio

• Size: 10–15 of your best and most recent works.
• Content: one medium or many, observational to abstract; no media limits and no assignments. For the BFA in Studio and art education, work may include drawings, prints, photographs, paintings, film, video, audio, sculpture, ceramics, fashion, graphic design, furniture, architectural designs, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, zines and more.
• SAIC discourages work copied from photographs, magazines or other artists; for collaborative work, list participants and their roles.
• Merit scholarships: the portfolio you submit for admission is the one evaluated for merit; nothing extra is required.
• Submission: upload through SlideRoom from SAIC’s Portfolio section in the Common App. Images .jpg, .gif or .png (72 dpi, no more than 600 pixels in any direction); video .flv, .wmv or .mov and audio .mp3, five minutes total; text must be PDF, up to 1MB each.
• Other degrees:
  • BFA in Writing: up to 10 pages of poetry, prose, scripts or graphic novel, plus up to 5 optional visual pieces.
  • BA in Art History: a 5–7-page writing sample for first-year applicants plus a visual portfolio of 5–10 works; TOEFL 5 or equivalent is required.
  • BA in Visual and Critical Studies: a studio portfolio with a critical writing sample, or an alternative portfolio of collected images or objects with critical writing that contextualizes it.
• Admissions counselors review portfolios one-on-one on campus, online and at events, and SAIC encourages meeting before you apply.

4. English requirements

• No English test needed if English is your first language, you attend a US-accredited high school abroad, you studied in an English-language school for 4+ years, or you earned 12+ semester hours at an English-language university.
• Other international applicants submit one of: TOEFL iBT 82 (tests before January 2026) or 4.5 (January 2026 and later), TOEFL Essentials 9, IELTS 6.5, PTE 55 or Duolingo 110. The BA in Art History requires TOEFL 5 or equivalent.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Include official English translations of Chinese transcripts; NACES evaluation is recommended.
• How the Gaokao or provincial art exams are used is not published; ask undergraduate admissions (ugadmiss@saic.edu).
• Credit: first-year students can bring up to 15 credits (five courses): 3 credits per AP score of 3–5 (academic areas preferred, or studio art), 6 credits per IB Higher Level score of 4–7, CLEP, and college courses taken in high school with C or better. A-Level credit is not described on the pages we read.

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC)

• Canadian citizens also enter in F-1 status on SAIC-issued documents but are exempt from the visa application process.
• BC grade requirements are not published; English requirements follow the exemption rules above. Ask admissions.

7. Costs and scholarships (2026-27)

• Undergraduate budget (30 credits): tuition USD 59,460, technology and facilities fee USD 1,000, U-Pass USD 310; estimated off-campus housing USD 7,000, food USD 3,850, books and supplies USD 1,830, personal USD 3,220 and transportation USD 2,100, for a total of USD 78,770 (laptop and health insurance not included).
• New undergraduates need an SAIC-approved laptop (about USD 2,400). Health insurance is USD 3,940 unless waived for comparable coverage.
• All students pay the same tuition regardless of residence. International students show this budget plus health insurance for the I-20.
• Scholarships: every applicant is considered for merit scholarships at admission based on the portfolio, essay and other materials, including international students, with no separate application. Admitted full-time first-year and transfer students who visit campus for a tour or qualifying event can receive a visit grant of USD 1,000 a year for up to four years (USD 4,000).
• International students are not eligible for US federal aid; private loans are possible with a creditworthy US citizen or permanent resident co-signer.

8. Transfer students

• Fall: November 15 priority merit, February 15 final merit and June 1 final application deadline. Spring: November 1 priority merit and January 1 final deadline.
• Materials: the Common App (USD 85 international fee), a 10–15-piece portfolio (also used for merit), essay, official transcripts from all colleges and high school, and one recommendation; English requirements match first-year.
• Credit: up to 60 transfer credits with C or better. The BFA, BFA in Writing and art education allow up to 30 studio credits; the BA in Art History and BA in Visual and Critical Studies allow up to 15. Art education credit cannot be transferred. Studio credits are judged from transcripts and the portfolio; health, nutrition and physical education credits don’t transfer.
• Transfers are exempt from Contemporary Practices Core Studio Practice and Research Studio 1 and 2, but may take the transfer versions. Students with fewer than 36 transfer credits must complete three credits of off-campus study.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare 10–15 recent works; apply by November 15 for the larger merit pool
• Take TOEFL (4.5), IELTS (6.5), Duolingo (110) or another accepted test
• Submit the Common App (USD 85 fee), portfolio, essay, translated transcripts and one recommendation

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Apply as an international applicant and check whether you meet an English exemption
• Ask admissions how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Apply by June 1 for fall, or by November 15 or February 15 for more merit consideration
• Include work from studio courses you have taken so studio credits can be assessed

Sources: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Undergraduate admissions; How to apply as a freshman; Portfolio requirements by degree; Info for international students; How to apply as a transfer student; Undergraduate FAQ; 2026-27 undergraduate student budget; Visual Communication Design; Fashion Design. Deadline pages show no year and costs are 2026-27 figures; check SAIC’s website for the latest.