National Portfolio Day

National Portfolio Day (NPD) events are held annually in locations all over the country to help further the artistic development of young artists by bringing together experienced college representatives to review artwork and offer feedback. National Portfolio Days are about the exchange of information about prospective students’ work, college plans and concerns.

Acclaimed faculty in RIT’s College of Art and Design travel each year to dozens of cities as part of NPD, allowing prospective students to meet one-on-one with nationally-renowned artists, photographers, designers and filmmakers. Faculty at these events share information about our range of programs in the arts and sciences while reviewing and critiquing portfolios. 

*Due to ongoing health and safety concerns about COVID-19, the National Portfolio Day Association has decided to host all of its NPD events virtually during the 2020-21 academic year. Faculty members from RIT’s College of Art and Design look forward to connecting with students and reviewing portfolios in a reimagined way. As more information from the NPDA is known, details will be shared here.

Those interested in having their work evaluated by an RIT representative can best prepare for a review by observing our portfolio requirements. Any questions about RIT’s participation at National Portfolio Days can be directed to portfolios@rit.edu. 

Portfolios should include your best and most recent work, but it can also include works in progress, sketchbooks, tear sheets and creative writing. No admissions decisions or scholarship awards will be offered at National Portfolio Days, but RIT’s College of Art and Design can accept your portfolio as the visual portion of your application.

A drawing current RIT medical illustration student Tirzah Pilet presented at a National Portfolio Day event several years ago.

RIT hosts a National Portfolio Day event every two years, welcoming representatives from top art and design schools from across the country. In preparation for the college application process, students can receive constructive feedback on their portfolios and learn more about academic programs and potential career paths. RIT is next scheduled to host a National Portfolio Day in 2021. Previously, optional tours of the College of Art and Design and an Admissions and Financial Aid presentation have been offered as part of RIT's National Portfolio Day.

RIT has a coast-to-coast presence during the NPD season, from fall to winter. Typically, our faculty are in many cities across the U.S. each year for both undergraduate and graduate NPD events. 

However, due to ongoing health and safety concerns about COVID-19, the National Portfolio Day Association has decided to host all of its NPD events virtually during the 2020-21 academic year. Faculty members from RIT’s College of Art and Design look forward to connecting with students and reviewing portfolios in a reimagined way. As more information from the NPDA is known, details will be shared here.

Any questions about RIT’s participation at National Portfolio Days can be directed to portfolios@rit.edu. For more information about the National Portfolio Day Association and its events, visit nationalportfolioday.org.

The National Portfolio Day Association was created in 1978, solely for the organization and planning of National Portfolio Days. The association consists of representatives from regionally accredited United States colleges and universities that are accredited institutional members of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and Canadian colleges and universities that are members of Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) or that hold NASAD Substantial Equivalency status. NPDA is the only organization of its kind and membership represents the highest standard of visual arts education in the U.S. and Canada.