Portfolio

As a student applying to a BFA program, or a campus-based undergraduate certificate program in art and design, you'll submit a digital portfolio of your strongest and most recent work as part of your application.

Exception: If you are applying for the BA in Art, you do not need to submit a portfolio.

• Submit your portfolio.

  What to include:

  • 10–15 images in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, collage, photography, or other media (traditional or digital).
  • Or, 12 minutes of video clips for a digital filmmaking portfolio.
  • Review our portfolio tips to see what we're looking for.

  First-Year BFA Program Applicants

  Create your Common Application account before you upload your portfolio to Slideroom.

  Transfer and Advanced Professional Certificate Applicants

  You won’t use the Common Application, so you can upload your work to Slideroom at any time.

  Upload Your Portfolio

  1. Create a Slideroom account.
      
  2. Select the type of applicant you are:
     1. Common Application First-Year
     2. Transfer Undergrad Application
     3. Advanced Professional Certificate (2-year program)
         
  3. Upload your work.
     
     Slideroom requires you to upload a minimum of 12 submissions. For example, if you submit 2 films to be considered for our Digital Film BFA program, you’ll need to submit 10 other forms of work (such as still frames) to complete your portfolio.

   

Artist Statement

This 1-2 page statement is required for transfer BFA students and certificate students, but optional for first-year BFA students.

• Submit your Artist Statement.
  1. Write a 1-2 page essay that describes your progress as a visual artist. The format may follow a chronological account of your progress through high school (and college if applicable) and how that progress relates to Lesley University's College of Art and Design as your next destination.
  2. Upload the essay to Slideroom when you submit your portfolio.

• Activate Account

  You must do these steps to be able to log in to your Lesley accounts.

  1. Go to the Password Management page.
  2. Click "Activate/Change Password" to change your temporary password.
  3. Enter your Lesley credentials, as communicated to you in your application acknowledgment letter.
  4. You'll be prompted to create a Password Profile.
  5. After creating your Password Profile, you'll be able to change your temporary password to one that you choose, or you can let the system generate a password for you.

  Account Issues

  If you have password problems, visit the Password Management page and choose "Reset my Password."

  If you have any difficulty using your Self-Service account, contact Information Technology at 617.349.8770 or it@lesley.edu.

• Review Status

  To view the receipt of your application and financial aid documents and materials:

  1. Log in to Self-Service.
  2. Enter your Lesley credentials in the form of username@lesley.edu and the password you chose when you activated your account.
  3. In the Notifications section, select "View required documents." To see more than outstanding items, click on "View All". If you do not have a Notifications section, go to the User Options area, and select "Required Documents."
     
     View the status of your application materials. "Received" or "Waived" indicates the completion of an individual requirement.
      
  4. For Financial Aid-related information, select Financial Information > Financial Aid from the navigation bar or go back to the Home page and click on the Financial Aid tile.