The personal essay you write as part of Common App will provide the Admissions Committee with greater insight into who you are as an individual. The personal essay section of Common App provides a series of prompts you can choose from to write an essay that is 500 words or longer.

Submit a selection of 15–20 examples of your strongest and most recent artwork, reflecting your interests, skills, and willingness to explore, experiment, and express yourself. Your portfolio may concentrate on a single medium or may show a variety of media. We encourage you to include work representing a sustained interest and/or development over time.

Submitting your portfolio

To complete your MassArt application, you will submit your portfolio electronically through your MassArt Applicant Portal. Before submitting your work, you must photograph any artwork that’s not already in a digital format. Ensure that your photos represent your work in the best way possible.

Review more detailed guidelines for building, preparing, and submitting your portfolio here.

High school or secondary school transcripts must be official and should include your most recent grades. If you have already graduated, please ask your high school to send us your final transcript. If you are currently in high school and have taken college-level classes, please request an official college transcript be sent in addition to your high school transcript. Transcripts can be sent in one of two ways:

• Directly to MassArt in an envelope stamped and sealed by a high school or college registrar
• Electronically through Common App

High School Equivalency 

If you have completed the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or HiSET, please send your official score report including percentages, as well as your high school transcript. MassArt’s HiSET code is MA1001010.

Home-Schooled Students

To be considered for admission, home-schooled students must submit transcripts or the GED/HiSET. The college does not consider applicants who do not have a high school diploma or equivalency.

MassArt no longer requires SAT or ACT scores, and we don’t factor them into admissions decisions. Eliminating these test requirements allows us to base our admissions decisions on a more holistic review of applications. However, we may contact students during the admissions process to further determine their college readiness.

While we no longer factor test scores into our admissions decisions, we reserve the right to use them in institutional profile reports for enrolled students. Test scores will not be used for merit scholarship consideration.

If you decide to submit standardized test scores, MassArt’s SAT school code is 3516, and our ACT school code is 1846. Reports should be sent directly from the College Board, American College Testing, or through the high school guidance office.

Students whose native language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting official TOEFL, IELTS, DuoLingo, or Pearson Test of English scores as part of the application process. 

Learn more about MassArt’s English Language Proficiency standards.

A letter of recommendation can greatly enhance your application. Choose a reference who can effectively speak to your potential as a student and your motivations, skills, background, and character, as well as your art or academic achievements. We recommend asking someone such as an art teacher, liberal arts teacher, school counselor, employer, or mentor.

You should use Common App to provide the contact information of the recommender, and they will be able to submit an online form on your behalf. We will also accept a letter of recommendation via mail, or an email sent directly from the reference’s account to admissions@massart.edu. All recommendation letters must be sent by the reference, or be on signed high school, college, or business letterhead and sent in a sealed envelope. We will not accept recommendation letters sent by a student or a family member that have not been signed and sealed by the reference.

On Common App, include a list of your activities including employment, community service, school clubs, organizations, and extracurricular interests. Specify what positions you held (if any), the length of your involvement, and awards or prizes you may have received.

MassArt requires all first-year students to provide proof of high school graduation for both residency documentation and financial aid verification. To satisfy this requirement, please submit one of the following:

• A final high school transcript from a U.S. high school or U.S.-accredited high school, including date of graduation; signed, stamped, or sealed by a school official; and sent from your high school or a recognized third-party vendor

• Graduate Equivalency Diploma (GED) or High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) results, sent directly from the testing organization

• Home-schooled students have the additional option to submit a letter from a local school district official or state education agency certifying that the student received an education substantially equivalent to instruction given to students graduating from high school in a public or private institution

Legal permanent residents of the U.S. must submit a copy of the front and back of their permanent registration card along with their application materials to be considered for admission.