A graphic illustration displays a physical art portfolio. Seniors pursing art majors for college have begun curating portfolios, with the help of the college guidance team. (Graphic Illustration by Lola Thomas)

For Archer seniors pursuing college programs in the arts, the fall semester brings an extra layer of pressure: preparing and submitting art portfolios. Whether for acting, visual arts, music or fashion, the portfolio process demands time beyond regular applications. 

Students applying to Bachelor of Fine Arts programs or art-based majors must submit a collection of work that represents their skills, identity and artistic growth. The requirements vary widely by school and discipline. Some require filmed auditions, while others require original compositions, visual projects or other assessments. Many art schools often have different deadlines from traditional applications.

To support students through the process, Archer’s college guidance team recently partnered with the art department to offer specialized resources, including portfolio workshops and one-on-one guidance with former Archer art teacher Carolyn Janssen. Associate Director of College Guidance Shalyn Tharayil spearheaded the start of this new program last year. 

“This is a relatively new thing that we started partnering with the art department,” Tharayil said. “Prior to that, what we had was a lunch and learn session focused on the arts.”

This year’s seniors are the first to benefit from the expanded support. After attending an initial presentation about an overview of portfolio requirements, students could sign up for individual sessions with Janssen this fall. Tharayil said Archer’s art department also plays a key role in helping students refine their work and understand the portfolio requirements.

“We felt like we wanted to do more for art students because there is a whole outer layer that they need to do that can be confusing and time-consuming,” Tharayil said. “We have such a great resource with our art department and our teachers here that we thought by having them have an idea of what we’re doing and collaborating with them, it also helps them better advise our students.”

Senior Sofia Capanna has acted professionally for several productions, most notably “Extended Family,“ during her freshman and sophomore years. Capanna said the portfolio expectation complements her existing professional experiences. 

“I’m really grateful because I have a lot of experience filming self-tapes all the time, but I know a lot of people who have applied to BFA programs before are surprised with the rigor of the application,” Capanna said. “Had I not had the background to do so, that would be much more stressful.” 

Balancing her fashion business, Disregulation, with Advanced Study Studio Art, senior Olivia Boehm said she views the portfolio process as a form of self-expression.  

“If I were to curate my own solo show in a gallery, that is what my portfolio is making up,” Boehm said. “Your portfolio should be able to stand alone and represent you and your skill set.” 

The application process is particularly complex for musicians, often including pre-screening videos and in-person auditions. Senior Emerson Cohen is a member of choir and a cappella, runs a music arranging workshop and is a singer and guitarist for her band, Resident Tourist, outside of school. 

“Each college has a different system for submitting portfolios and auditions, and a lot of the portfolio deadlines are very different from the actual college deadline,” Cohen said. “Organization has been a big thing about [creating a portfolio], having different audition materials for each school.”

The college counselors bring valuable knowledge and support, Cohen said, but students also play an active role in moving the process forward. 

“I feel like, especially in one-on-one meetings, that’s been very helpful, and they’re super informed and ready to help students,” Cohen said. “For at least music, it has taken a lot of inner motivation and intrinsic motivation to get that done.” 

Tharayil said she hopes portfolio programming will expand to reach younger students in future years, not to begin the college process early, but to help them understand the range of opportunities an arts education can offer.

“Ideally, we could maybe have more workshops specifically for ninth and 10th graders, just speaking even about art-based careers,” Tharayil said. “I think sometimes students don’t realize that an art school or an art-based major can be applicable to so many careers.”