Preparing a portfolio for Art and Design. Deadlines (and whether you need to meet them). And a classic thought from Mark Twain
😊 Welcome
This week we have a look at preparing a portfolio for Art and Design - and all those other related creative courses. We check the UCAS deadlines, and discuss whether you need to meet them. And we finish with a classic thought from Mark Twain.
✍️ Preparing a portfolio for Art and Design
Firstly, I’d better make clear that I am not a specialist in art and design. While I have been at the sharp end of making admissions decisions on applications for a variety of subjects, I have not been an admissions tutor for art or design subjects.
What I have had, however, is the opportunity, to work with some amazing art teachers and lecturers (most notably at Loughborough University and the University of South Wales). I have listened to them talk about what they like to see in portfolios, and watched them discuss individual portfolios with the students who created them.
I have attempted to distil what I have learned into a simple guide to preparing your portfolio. You’ll soon realise, however, that it will take more than a short article on a website for you to fully understand what an amazing portfolio will look like specifically for you. So take this article as just the beginning, a jumping off point if you like; a solid platform from which to start your journey.
💡 Did You Know?
Monday 16th October (6pm UK time) is the UCAS deadline for any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry.
Wednesday 31st January 2024 (6pm UK time) is the deadline for the rest of the courses on UCAS.
We learned last week that you can apply for some courses now and leave some til later, but what about applying late?
Well… don’t even think about applying for Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, veterinary or dentistry courses late. You won’t be considered and you’ll have wasted an application.
For all other courses with a January deadline, if you are reading this now (in September 2023), you should 100% meet the deadline.
And remember that for both deadlines, your school or college will have set an earlier deadline so that they have time to check your form and add the reference.
So really, you need to meet their deadline, not just the UCAS deadline.
If, however, you are reading this after January 31st, then you may still be able to apply. Many popular courses will be closed, but others will remain open (in particular for international students). Just check the UCAS website to see if the course is still taking applications, and if it says ‘yes’ then go ahead and apply.
Under these circumstances, the university does not commit to treating your application equally with others, but the reality is that if the course is open on UCAS, your application will be considered.
If the course is not open on UCAS, don’t waste your time applying. Simple!
📢 Quote of the week
“A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.”
Mark Twain, Writer and Humourist
So true that its almost not funny!
Early subscribers will know that I’m a big fan of youtube, social media and short-form content for helping you to pick up small tasks and make small changes.
But if you really want to learn, change your approach to something challenging, and ultimately improve your life, there is nothing quite like a really good book!
Thanks for reading!
Jonathan
🎯 In case you missed it
What exactly are super-curricular activities, and why should I be bothered?
📅 Next week
Next week we’ll have a look at one of the most difficult things to predict: the future of jobs. Which jobs are on the rise, and which are on the wane? And which skills are most in demand? We’ll do this with the help of the latest World Economic Forum insight report.
