Application Requirements and Portfolio Guideline

Applicants to PrattMWP must apply using Pratt Institute’s online application. When you click on “apply online” below, you will be redirected to Pratt Institute’s application, where you may select PrattMWP in Utica.

First-year Online application

Transfer Online application

Application Requirements:

All required application materials for high school applicants (first-year) and transfer applicants are listed below as well as instructions on how to submit them. All materials must be sent to Pratt’s admissions office by the application deadline. Mailed materials may be sent to:

First-year Application Requirements:

1. Online Application:First-year online application
2. Official transcripts from each high school attended or official GED scores
3. Test Scores: SAT or ACT scores (optional); Students for whom English is a second language must still submit test scores. International students may also choose to submit TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores.
4. Two letters of recommendation
5. Pratt Essay
6. Common App Essay
7. English Proficiency Scores
8. Visual Portfolio uploaded to pratt.slideroom.com

Detailed descriptions of each material can be found below. 

1. Online Application (online required) with a fee of $50 for domestic applicants and permanent residents and $90 for international applicants. The online application is hosted on Pratt Institute’s website, so please note that you will be redirected to Pratt Institute’s application. If you intend to apply with an application fee waiver, see below under “More Information”.

2. Official High School transcript(s) from each high school attended. A high school diploma or the equivalent is required for enrollment in Pratt Institute’s undergraduate program. In order to complete your application transcripts from all high schools attended are required. Applicants who have received high school equivalency diplomas are required to have official High School Equivalency Examination (GED) scores sent to the Admissions Office in addition to official transcripts from all high schools attended. Pratt receives documents through Naviance, Parchment, BridgeU, EScript, Scrib, National Student Clearing House, or CIALFO.

International Transcripts: must submit official transcripts (academic records) of all secondary school studies as well as any post-secondary studies. Applicants also must submit official results of all external examinations, for example, General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), Hong Kong School Certificate of Education, Israeli matriculation or Bagrut, Secondary School Certificates, and Baccalaureate Part I and Part II. All transcripts must be translated into English. 

Credential Evaluations for International Students
While we do not require credential evaluations for first-time high school applicants, Pratt strongly recommends it. College transfer students who have studied outside the US are required to submit a credential evaluation of their transcripts. These credential evaluations must be completed by a NACES member. Options for evaluation services include Span Tran for Pratt, WES, ECE, IEE, Global Credential Evaluators, or another acceptable service, e.g.: your embassy. Credential evaluations do not typically include translations, so documents must first be officially translated into English by a certified translation service. Pratt asks for a course-by-course evaluation.

3. Test Scores: Optional: PrattMWP is test-optional for high school applicants (US citizens and permanent residents only); we do not require the SAT or ACT tests. Applicants who do not submit test scores will not be at a disadvantage in the admissions process. 

International students and those for whom English is a second language must submit proof of English proficiency. They may choose to submit one of our accepted English proficiency exams (see #7 below), or may submit either the SAT or ACT instead. 

To ensure that we receive scores by our posted deadlines, students should take the tests as early as possible but no later than one month before the application deadline. Please be sure to have your scores sent directly to Pratt. 

• SAT code is 2669
• CLEP code is 2669
• AP code is 2669
• ACT code is 2862
• TOEFL code is 2669

4. Letter of recommendation: Two letters of recommendation are required; one from a teacher, and the other from either a teacher, counselor, or employer with the ability to assess your preparedness for undergraduate study. Letters should be submitted through the Common App for high school applicants and through the Pratt application for transfer applicants. 

See details on our Apply page

5.  Pratt Essay: Write about a piece of work (visual art, musical performance, piece of writing, architecture, or design) that has influenced you and describe the impact it has had on your perspective OR write about a piece of your own work and the impact that creating it has had on you. The essay should be 250-500 words or two pages maximum. Make sure your essay is complete before uploading because you will not be able to make changes after you submit your application.

6.  Common App Essay:  First-time, high school applicants should write a 250-500 word response to one of the essay prompts in the Common App and submit it to the Common App. Make sure your essay is complete before uploading because you will not be able to make changes after you submit your application. Essays submitted in other forms will not be accepted.

7.  English Proficiency:  All students for whom English is a second language must submit one of the following accepted exams: 

• TOEFL and TOEFL Home Edition (minimum 71)
• TOEFL ITP Plus (minimum 527)
• PTE (minimum 48)
• IELTS or IELTS Indicator (minimum 6.5 for 4-year programs or 6.0 for 2-year programs)
• SAT or ACT (no minimum) 

Please have official scores sent by the testing company. Pratt accepts the TOEFL My Best Score and super scores SAT and ACT tests. Scores must be received by our deadlines.

English Proficiency Waivers: International applicants who have studied at a high school in the U.S. for at least three years with academic success may waive the test requirement. Those who have studied in another country where English is an official national language and the mode of instruction may also waive the test requirement with official transcripts that demonstrate at least three full years of academic success. 

Pratt does NOT waive the test requirement for students who have attended an English-speaking school in a non-English speaking country unless the school is the US accredited (e.g. American schools) or an English-speaking IB World school. 

If you intend to waive your score requirement, select this option on the Common App, and waivers will be issued after your application has been submitted and reviewed for eligibility. Waivers are issued at the discretion of the admissions office.

English Placement Exam: Although we may waive the test score to apply, this does not necessarily waive the Pratt English placement exam requirement, which may still be administered if you enroll. Depending on the results of your exam, you may be required to take additional courses in the Intensive English Program. Questions may be directed to admissions@pratt.edu.     

8. Portfolio: portfolios must be uploaded to pratt.slideroom.com by the application deadline. See details below.

• Include 12 to 20 images of your best work.
• 2-D, 3-D and time-based media
• Observational/life drawings. Examples may include landscapes, self-portraits, life drawings, still-life, etc.

The visual portfolio should consist of a variety of media and approaches. It can include assignment-based projects, self-directed work, or pieces of a collaborative nature. The portfolio does not need to be specific to the discipline to which you are applying. Applicants should avoid including work that copies photographs, uses the grid system, or directly replicates any other artist’s work (including replicating anime drawings, cartoons, or video game character designs). Please indicate in the description section for each image on SlideRoom if the work is your own or was done by a group. 

First-year high school applicants will submit their portfolio to Slideroom through the Common App and must include their Common App ID in their Slideroom submission.  

College transfer students must submit their portfolios directly to Slideroom at pratt.slideroom.com by the application deadline. You will be able to edit your portfolio online until you press the “submit” button, and you will receive immediate confirmation that we received your work. 

Please submit by the application deadline. Do not send originals. All submitted materials, including the portfolio, become the property of Pratt Institute. Portfolios in any format will not be returned or held for pickup. We do not review personal websites. There is a $15 charge to submit your portfolio on SlideRoom.

Admissions advisement sessions and reviews that are done during National Portfolio Days or by appointment do not fulfill the applicant’s visual requirement; they are for guidance only.

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Transfer Requirements:

Who is a Transfer Applicant?
If you have attended a university or college full time (twelve semester hours or the equivalent) for at least one semester or term or will do so prior to enrollment, you are considered a transfer student. If you have or will accumulate at least twelve semester hours (or the equivalent) after graduating from high school and prior to enrollment, you are also considered a transfer student. If you earned college credit while still enrolled in high school (summer school, pre-college programs, advanced placement, dual enrollment between your high school and a university or community college, etc.), you are a first-year applicant. Applicants who are transfers but apply as first-year may have their offer of admission rescinded because of different criteria for acceptance. The scholarship will be rescinded and the applicant will be reconsidered for admission and a transfer scholarship.

1. Online Application Transfer applicants apply online ($50 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents; $90 for international applicants) through the Pratt online application. Fee waivers are available for students who qualify, instructions are included in the last page of the online application. 
2. Transcripts: all transfer students except those who have completed 48 college credits or more must submit high school transcripts. College Transcripts: Official college/university transcripts from all schools attended (no exceptions). Official transcripts must be uploaded when you complete your online application. Request an official student copy from your school, either digitally or physically, scan it, and upload it. It must have your name and the name of the school on the transcript. Transcripts from all institutions attended should be uploaded when you complete the application. Although we prefer to receive them online as they will immediately be recorded as received in our checklist system, you may mail them to Pratt Institute at the address below if you are not able to submit them online. Although official transcripts are not required until you are accepted and deposited, they may also be mailed in a stamped and sealed envelope directly from your university. All transcripts uploaded to the Admit system are considered unofficial. If you are accepted and decide to enroll, you must then submit your final official transcripts. Students who have enrolled in other institutions of higher education should upload official mid-year transcripts from each college or university. Students who have completed a four-year degree and are applying as an undergraduate for another program must submit their final official transcript with the degree and date of degree noted. International college transcripts (other than Japan and Korea): international students are asked to submit an evaluation of their post-secondary (college) transcript(s). This evaluation may be done by World Education Services (WES) or any other evaluation agency recommended by NACES.org. WES evaluations do not include translations. The document must be officially translated into English before submitting to WES or any other reputable education evaluation service, e.g., your embassy.
3. Test Scores: Pratt is test-optional for transfer applicants (US citizens and permanent residents only); we do not require the SAT or ACT tests. Applicants who do not submit test scores will not be at a disadvantage in the admissions process. 

   International students and those for whom English is a second language must submit proof of English proficiency. They may choose to submit one of our accepted English proficiency exams (see #7 below), or may submit either the SAT or ACT instead.

   To ensure that we receive scores by our posted deadlines, students should take the tests as early as possible but no later than one month before the application deadline. Please be sure to have your scores sent directly to Pratt. 

   SAT code is 2669
   CLEP code is 2669
   AP code is 2669
   ACT code is 2862
   TOEFL code is 2669

4. Letter of Recommendation Two letters of recommendation are required; one from a teacher, and the other from either a teacher, counselor, or employer. Letters should be submitted through the Pratt application for transfer applicants. If you have been out of school, we welcome a recommendation from anyone with the ability to assess your preparedness for undergraduate study.
   
   
5. Pratt Essay Write about a piece of work (visual art, musical performance, piece of writing, architecture, or design) that has influenced you and describe the impact it has had on your perspective OR write about a piece of your own work and the impact that creating it has had on you. The essay should be 250-500 words or two pages maximum. Make sure your essay is complete before uploading because you will not be able to make changes after you submit your application.                            
6. English Proficiency All students for whom English is a second language must submit one of the following accepted exams:

• TOEFL and TOEFL Home Edition (minimum 71)
• TOEFL ITP Plus (minimum 527)
• PTE (minimum 48)
• IELTS or IELTS Indicator (minimum 6.0)
• SAT or ACT (no minimum)                                

Please have official scores sent by the testing company. Pratt accepts the TOEFL My Best Score and super scores SAT and ACT tests. Scores must be received by our deadlines.

7. English Proficiency Waivers: Applicants who have earned a four-year Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the US are exempt from submitting the English proficiency exam. Pratt will waive the test requirements for international transfer students whose first language is English.  You must have studied your most recent four years in a high school, college, and or university in the U.S. or other nations where English is the official language. Please note that Pratt does NOT waive the TOEFL/IELTS/PTE test requirement for students who have attended an English-speaking school in a non-English speaking country. 

If you intend to waive your score requirement, select the reason for waiver on the application, and you will be reviewed for eligibility after submission. Waivers are issued at the discretion of the admissions office. Questions should be directed to the transfer counselor at transadm@pratt.edu. 

English Placement Exam: Although we may waive the test score to apply, this does not necessarily waive the Pratt English placement exam requirement, which may still be administered if you enroll. Depending on the results of your exam, you may be required to take additional courses in the Intensive English Program. Questions may be directed to transadm@pratt.edu. 

8. Portfolio: Transfer students may submit up to 45 images. If you haven’t taken studio courses, please submit self-initiated work. Pratt accepts 2-D, 3-D, and time-based media. Portfolios must be submitted by the application deadline. Pratt requires a minimum of two observational drawings or paintings.  Observational work offers insights as to how you interpret and translate the 3-dimensional world onto a 2-dimensional surface.  Because Pratt’s Foundation year utilizes life drawing as one of the ways to explore and create within the picture plane, it is important to see some evidence of this work in a portfolio to evaluate your placement. If you are a lens-based artist or fashion designer, the observational work you submit acknowledges that you are open to exploring the picture plane through 2D and 3D studio work.  

College transfer students must submit their portfolios directly to Slideroom at pratt.slideroom.com by the application deadline. You will be able to edit your portfolio online until you press the “submit” button, and you will receive immediate confirmation that we received your work. 

Please submit by the application deadline. Do not send originals. All submitted materials, including the portfolio, become the property of Pratt Institute. Portfolios in any format will not be returned or held for pickup. We do not review personal websites. There is a $15 charge to submit your portfolio on SlideRoom.

Admissions advisement sessions and reviews that are done during National Portfolio Days or by appointment do not fulfill the applicant’s visual requirement; they are for guidance only.

Apply Online Now!

More Information
Details about fee waivers, checking your application status, home-school applicants, applying undecided, and AP and IB credits are listed below.

Fee Waivers
Fee waivers for high school applicants are available through Common App.

Undergraduate transfer applicants may request a college application fee waiver on the basis of family financial hardship using either the NACAC form or the SAT Fee Waiver form. Please follow the instructions on the College Board or the NACAC website to obtain either form and bring it to your guidance counselor. The criteria are listed on both sites.

Applicants who have already received an application fee waiver code from the College Board do not need to request a fee waiver code from the Pratt Institute admissions Office. The College Board code can be entered directly onto the online application by clicking the “Save, Pay, and Send” button at the end of the application once it is complete. This will take you to the application fee payment screen where you will choose the option to enter the College Board application fee waiver code to submit your application.

Applicants who have not received an application fee waiver code from College Board must first email a scanned copy of their waiver form to apphelp@pratt.edu or fax it to 718.636.3670 with a cover sheet saying "Attention: Application Fee Waiver Request" before completing your online application. You will be emailed a one-time use waiver code to use on your online application once your fee waiver request is received and approved. Please let your guidance counselor know that we do not recommend mailing the fee waivers. They may email or fax us. Make sure you print information clearly and legibly on the forms. If faxing the form, you must include an email address to which the fee waiver code can be emailed. Failure to do so will prevent the processing of your request. Please allow up to five business days for the emailed requests and ten business days for faxed requests to be processed. The data you provide may be checked against the FAFSA. Please email apphelp@pratt.edu if you have questions about fee waivers. The application fee waiver code can only be used once and will be assigned to a specific applicant. Attempts to share the code will result in loss of fee waiver and possible withdrawal of your application. Please note that only the online application fee can be waived; we are not able to waive the Slideroom visual portfolio submission fee.

International students are not eligible for fee waivers.

Please email apphelp@pratt.edu if you have questions about fee waivers.

Checking Your Application Status: You may check your status online to see which materials we have received and which are outstanding. You will need to enter your email address and the password you created when you submitted your application. Please note that it can take up to two weeks for documents you recently sent to display as received on the checklist. If your documents do not show as received and you sent them within the past two weeks, please do not worry, and continue to check back. Note that letters of reference will not show on the checklist as they are no longer required.

Home-Schooled Applicants: PrattMWP welcomes applications from home-schooled students. In the absence of conventional high school records, submitting the following items will help us to evaluate your readiness for the programs that we offer: Home school transcript that includes: Course titles; Course grades; Units of credit for courses; Grading Scale (if other than A-F letter grades); and Signature of the home school administrator (the parent or other person who organized, taught, and evaluated your home school coursework) In the absence of a traditional transcript, you may present a portfolio of the work you consider most indicative of your academic achievements (This is in addition to the regular visual portfolio requirement). This may contain records such as grades from community college or other post-secondary level courses that you may have taken, scores from AP tests (these are also administered independently of schools), recommendations from qualified tutors or teachers, examples of independent research, or descriptions of books and other curricular materials used in preparation for college-level work.

Upon Deposit: Proof of high school graduation must be sent to PrattMWP before you arrive. This requirement may be satisfied by supplying any of the following: 1. Official scores from the official High School Equivalency Examination (GED). 2. A letter from your local superintendent of schools as proof of your readiness to enter college and that your homeschooling was conducted in accordance with state laws. 3. Certificate of graduation from a diploma-granting organization or non-traditional school. Failure to provide will result in a registration hold.

Advanced Placement Credit Policy (AP)
Pratt accepts up to a maximum of nine (9) total AP credits with a score of four (4) or five (5) in all subject areas.

AP credits will be applied, in the degree audit, to all-Institute elective credits only, with the following exceptions.

1. Students who score a four (4) or five (5) on the AP Art History exam will receive credit for HAD 111
2. Students who score a four (4) or five (5) on either the AP English Language and Composition exam or on the AP English Literature and Composition exam will be awarded credit for HMS 101A.

IB Credit: International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma recipients may receive transfer credits for courses in which they earn a score of five (5) or higher. Pratt Institute does not award transfer credit for IB Visual Arts courses or exams.

Additional Required Application Materials for Permanent Residents: Applicants who are Permanent Resident Aliens, refugees, and other eligible non-citizens must provide a photocopy of their alien registration card.

Questions? e-mail or call (800) 755-8920