Instructions and Guidelines
If you would like faculty members to provide the Office of Admission with a formal review of your visual art, music, or theatre work, please submit an Arts Portfolio in your Wellesley Applicant Portal. Please note, you receive access to your Wellesley Applicant Portal shortly after you submit your application. Portfolio submissions must be received by the dates listed below in order for our faculty to have sufficient time for review.
| Decision Plan | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 5 |
| Early Decision II | January 5 |
| Regular Decision | January 15 |
| Fall Transfer | March 8 |
- All Arts Portfolios must be submitted via your Wellesley Applicant Portal. Please do not mail any CDs, DVDs, slides, screenplays, etc. to the office. They will not be evaluated or returned.
- Please do not send dance portfolios, short films, or creative writing samples. If submitted, they will not be reviewed.
- If you wish to provide letters of recommendations from music, art or theatre teachers, they should be submitted online by your teacher via the Common Application or the Coalition Application powered by Scoir. You should invite them under the “other” recommender category.
- Be sure to test your files/links before submitting.
- Do not use sites that require a password or account login.
Portfolio Requirements
Required Materials:
- A visual arts portfolio; the most useful portfolios include examples of freehand drawing, both as finished works and quick process sketches.
- An arts resume detailing all related activities, such as lessons, classes, workshops, art shows or exhibitions, and honors or awards won.
Number of Images:
Your visual arts portfolio should consist of 10 to 20 images, which may include some detail views. Please do not send a visual arts portfolio if you have fewer than 10 works to show us. Short (three-minute) animation or video projects may also be included in the portfolio.
Submission Details:
As you upload each image, be sure to indicate title, medium, and dimensions (height x width x depth). Please also indicate whether the work was made as part of a class assignment or under the direction of a particular teacher. Also, please indicate if the work was collaborative or if it was installed within a particular context.
Required Materials:
- A music resume detailing all related activities, including lessons, ensembles, course (music history and theory), summer programs, performances, awards.
- A good quality recording with a list of pieces. As you upload each piece, please indicate the composer, title of the piece, and accompanist name (if any).
Recording:
Submissions should consist of a solo performance of approximately 10 minutes of performance. We prefer that there are at least two contrasting pieces or excerpts. These can be of any style or genre.
Helpful Tips:
- Choose pieces that show you at your best, while keeping in mind that contrast (different styles, varied tempos, technical variety) is important.
- Sound and video quality must be good to excellent for our faculty to properly assess your work.
- Vocalists may be accompanied instrumentally.
What Not to Send:
- Recordings of ensembles of which you are a member;
- Recordings of instruments that Wellesley does not teach (e.g., erhu). View instruments taught at Wellesley;
- Poor quality video: make sure we can see and hear you clearly and that you take up most of the screen.
Required Materials:
- For actors and/or directors: A video recording of your performance(s) and a document detailing your role in the production, date of production, theatre ensemble group, and other relevant information for each performance.
- For playwrights: A short script
- For set designers: Working drawings and color photographs
- For all: A resume detailing all related theatre activities, including lessons, ensembles, courses, summer programs, performances, and/or awards
Materials for Review:
Actors and/or Directors:
- Submissions should consist of approximately 10 minutes of performance.
- You may submit excerpts from different shows.
- Choose selections that exhibit your range of skills and offer contrasting views of you as a performer.
- Video how-to’s: Pay close attention to the background of your video clip. Any distractions such as random behind-the-scenes crossings or overly busy backdrops can detract from the focus, which should be on you. Also, be sure to "slate yourself" with your name, selection, and author before beginning. You may introduce both pieces at the start rather than interrupting them as you segue from one to the other. Lastly, please take the time to find someone with good camera skills to help you create and edit the video. For Theatre Portfolios, quality definitely outweighs quantity.
Playwrights:
- Submit a written sample of your work, such as an excerpt of a larger production or a one-act play. Select a piece, or a portion of a piece, that shows you at your best while keeping your submission to a reasonable length.
- Any supplementary journalistic support material is also welcome. For instance, if a publication covered you and your writing, it is relevant to this application.
Set Designers:
- Please submit both working drawings and high-quality photographs of the sets you have designed.
Costume Designers:
- Please submit both working drawings and high-quality photographs of the costumes you have designed.