Visit
Visiting SVA
Please see below for information on events and open houses. For students who cannot make it to New York City, SVA also participates in regional Info Nights and Portfolio Days.
On Campus
Undergraduate tours are offered on weekdays throughout the year and are primarily conducted by student ambassador tour guides. Tours are department specific and typically last 1–2 hours. Please note, housing tours are offered separately, Monday–Friday from 12–2 p.m.
If you are a high school, college or portfolio prep program and wish to schedule a group tour, please email us at admissions@sva.edu. Group tour accommodations will be offered according to availability. Please note, our group tours can accommodate 20 students and 5 chaperones for a maximum of 25 total guests.
Accepted undergraduate students are invited to experience the class setting first-hand by visiting an SVA class during the spring semester. Class audits are available within Advertising, Animation (traditional), Computer Art, Design, Film, Fine Arts, Interior Design and Photography and Video.
Class visit offerings for Spring 2020 range from Digital Sculpture, Acting for Film, Designing Interiors and more. To receive a full list of available courses and to register, email admissions@sva.edu.
On three dates in the fall, prospective undergraduate students and their families have an opportunity to meet with the president of the College, the chair of each undergraduate department being showcased that day, current SVA students and members of the administrative staff.
*Prospective students who attend an SVA Open House event will receive an application fee waiver if they apply for Early Action by December 1.
Our Open House events have passed. Please consider joining us for a department tour.
SVA Portfolio Day is a unique, on-campus event devoted to portfolio development. Prospective undergraduate students will have the opportunity to view a special presentation on Portfolio Development and meet with an admissions representative for a one-on-one portfolio interview. During our presentation, we will give you tips and show you examples of how to best prepare your portfolio for admission and merit scholarship consideration. The portfolio review is optional, but is a great opportunity to show us your sketchbooks and works in progress to get personalized feedback as you prepare your portfolio and application. Campus tours will not be available on SVA Portfolio Days.
Prospective students who attend an SVA Portfolio Day event will receive an application fee waiver if they apply for Early Action by December 1.
SVA Portfolio Day has passed.
On-campus portfolio reviews are currently unavailable. Please consider submitting your portfolio work to the AICAD Portfolio Review Portal for portfolio feedback.
On-campus portfolio reviews are currently unavailable.
Please consider visiting us at a National Portfolio Day, SVA Info Night or SVA Visit Day to receive a portfolio review. Prospective students who are unable to join us on-campus, are also encouraged to submit portfolio works online via the AICAD Portfolio Review Portal.
High school juniors are invited to join us for campus tours and portfolio reviews. This is an excellent opportunity to receive portfolio feedback and application guidance prior to the summer break.
July 2020 Date TBD.
Undergraduate accepted students and families are invited to join us for SVA’s most comprehensive event of the year, Accepted Students Day. Our next Accepted Students Day will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2020. The day’s robust schedule includes meetings with academic and administrative departments, tours, course registration, workshops and more.
Looking to transfer to SVA? We’ve tailored this event with you in mind. Our Manager of Transfer Admissions will conduct an info session focused on the transfer application and scholarship requirements. While on campus, you will also have the opportunity to take a campus tour and meet one-on-one with an SVA representative for a transfer counseling session.
Transfer Days will be held on the following dates this spring:
- January 17, 2020 - Register here
- February 21, 2020 - Registration is forthcoming
Transfer Day Event Schedule
10:00am-11:00am - Transfer Info Session A (Fully Booked)
11:00am-4:00pm - Transfer counseling sessions, portfolio reviews and tours (department tour schedule below)
- 11:00am - Computer Art, Computer Animation & VFX Tour
- 11:00am - East Side Tour featuring Advertising, Cartooning, Design, Film, Illustration and Photography and Video
- 1:00pm - West Side featuring Fine Arts, Interior Design and Visual & Critical Studies
- 2:00pm - East Side Tour featuring Advertising, Cartooning, Design, Film, Illustration and Photography and Video
- 2:00pm - Animation Tour
4:00pm-5:00pm - Transfer Info Session B
Can’t make a Transfer Day? Please consider joining us for a campus tour.
Off Campus
Throughout the fall semester, SVA hosts regionally-specific events as a means of bringing the school to interested applicants. Here students can learn more about our undergraduate programs, developing a portfolio, scholarship opportunities, and the student experience. Admissions staff will be present throughout these events to review portfolios and provide feedback on works in progress.
2019 Info Nights are listed below. Click an event to reserve your spot today!
New Jersey Info Night (RSVP Here)
Monday, September 23, 2019
6:30–9PM
Montclair Art Museum
3 South Mountain Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042
Monday, October 14, 2019
6:30-9PM
Mosesian Center for the Arts
321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472
Long Island Info Night (RSVP Here)
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
6:30-9PM
Hyatt Regency Long Island
1717 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, NY 11788
Los Angeles Info Night (RSVP Here)
Monday, November 11, 2019
6:30-9PM
Allies Worldwide
1054 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Oakland Info Night (RSVP Here)
Monday, November 18, 2019
6:30-9PM
Pro Arts Gallery
150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612
SVA is an active participant in the Portfolio Days sponsored by the National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA). As a member of NPDA, representatives from SVA will join other National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accredited colleges to review portfolios, offer helpful suggestions and provide information on specific programs and requirements.
SVA travels across the country every fall to select National Portfolio Day Events. Meeting with an SVA representative is a great way to get feedback on your portfolio and find out more information about our programs.
SVA will participate in the Virtual National Portfolio Day event on Friday, December 13, 2019. Click here to learn more and RSVP for this online portfolio review opportunity.
09/14/19 Nashville, TN
Nashville National Portfolio Day
09/14/19 Atlanta, GA
Atlanta National Portfolio Day
09/15/19 New Orleans, LA
New Orleans National Portfolio Day
09/21/19 Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee National Portfolio Day
09/21/19 Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix National Portfolio Day
09/22/19 Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque Nat’l Portfolio Day
09/28/19 Austin, TX
Austin National Portfolio Day
09/28/19 Kansas City, MO
Kansas City National Portfolio Day
09/29/19 Dallas, TX
Dallas National Portfolio Day
09/29/19 St. Louis, MO
St. Louis National Portfolio Day
10/05/19 Richmond, VA
Richmond National Portfolio Day
10/05/19 Denver, CO
10/06/19 Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis National Portfolio Day
10/06/19 Charlotte, NC
Charlotte National Portfolio Day
10/12/19 Hartford, CT
Hartford National Portfolio Day
10/13/19 Boston, MA
10/20/19 Chicago, IL
Chicago National Portfolio Day
10/26/19 New York, NY
10/27/19 Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia National Portfolio Day
11/02/19 Toronto, ON
Toronto National Portfolio Day
11/02/19 Washington, DC
Wash DC National Portfolio Day
11/03/19 Detroit, MI
Detroit National Portfolio Day
11/03/19 Baltimore, MD
Baltimore National Portfolio Day
11/09/19 San Diego, CA
San Diego National Portfolio Day
11/09/19 Seattle, WA
Seattle National Portfolio Day
11/10/19 Portland, OR
Portland National Portfolio Day
11/10/19 Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles National Portfolio Day
11/16/19 Vancouver, BC
Vancouver National Portfolio Day
11/17/19 San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Nat’l Portfolio Day
01/25/20 Miami, FL
01/26/20 Sarasota, FL
Sarasota National Portfolio Day
Visit the National Portfolio Day Association website for more information about Portfolio Day.
If you will be in the NYC area, you can always schedule a portfolio review in our office. Go to sva.edu/visit to schedule an appointment or campus tour.
What to Bring:
The SVA portfolio review is a great opportunity to receive helpful feedback on your work before you submit your official portfolio submission with your application. We will review finished work as well as works in progress or your sketchbook. We will give you an informative critique of your work, as well as discuss with you how your work aligns with various majors at SVA to help you edit and curate your portfolio for admission and scholarship consideration.
SVA will review your work in any format:
- Prints
- Original drawings/paintings
- Sketchbooks
- Digital images/video on a tablet or laptop
Work that is large in scale or fragile is best shown through photographic documentation. Don’t risk damaging your work by bringing it to the event.
We will try and look at as much of your work as possible in the amount of time we have, however we recommend that you have your top 15-20 pieces tagged for easy access. We recommend showing us recent work or pieces that you feel best represent your technical and creative ability.
Make sure your devices are fully charged before the event. Do not rely on an internet connection to access your work.
Even if you don’t feel like you have a full portfolio of work to show, you can still meet with an Admissions representative to ask questions and get info on our undergraduate programs.
SVA will host the 2019 Austin, Texas National Portfolio Day on September 28, 2019 and Dallas, Texas National Portfolio Day on September 29, 2019.
2019 Austin, Texas National Portfolio Day
Saturday, September 28, 2019
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
JW Marriott Austin
110 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Griffin Hall
2019 Dallas, Texas National Portfolio Day
Sunday, September 29, 2019
12–4 p.m.
Hilton Anatole
2201 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207
Information for Participating Schools
All NPDA events are open to the public. Students and members of their communities are welcome to attend these events without registering. Attending as a member of the public is free.
Only NPDA member art and design colleges and universities may register to review portfolios and meet prospective students. Schools must register at portfolioday.net during the summer registration period, typically June through July 15.
Information from the National Portfolio Day Association:
This is an opportunity for those who wish to pursue an education and career in the visual and related arts to meet with representatives from institutions offering professional programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
What is a National Portfolio Day?
National Portfolio Day is an event specifically for visual artists and designers. It is an opportunity for those who wish to pursue an education in the visual and related arts to meet with representatives from colleges accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Representatives will be available to review your artwork, discuss their programs and answer questions about professional careers in art. High school students, parents, teachers, guidance counselors and college transfer students are encouraged to attend.
National Portfolio Day serves a variety of purposes. Most importantly, it is designed to help further the artistic development of young artists by bringing together experienced college representatives to review artwork and offer feedback. We understand that some people make certain kinds of art more successfully than others. Don’t be discouraged if you see work that is “better” than yours. A National Portfolio Day may be the first time you have seen so many people in one place who all share a powerful commitment to the arts. The experience is a small taste of what a professional art program can be like.
National Portfolio Days are also about the exchange of information about your work, yourself, your college plans, and your concerns. This is not an examination or competition. The college representatives are pleased to talk about their programs with you and can be most helpful when discussing your artwork. Your portfolio should include your best and most recent work, but it can also include works in progress, sketchbooks and tear sheets. You’ll hear many different opinions of your work. Don’t hesitate to explain how you develop your ideas and where you want to go with them. No admissions decisions or scholarship awards will be offered to you at National Portfolio Day. Some colleges represented may accept your portfolio as the visual portion of your application. Other colleges have restrictions that prohibit them from making a definite portfolio decision at the time of your review. We urge you to discuss your work with as many representatives as possible.
What is the National Portfolio Day Association?
The National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA) was created in 1978, solely for the organization and planning of National Portfolio Days. The Association consists of representatives from regionally accredited US colleges and universities that are accredited institutional members of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and Canadian colleges and universities that are members of Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) or that hold NASAD Substantial Equivalency status. NPDA is the only organization of its kind and the membership represent the highest standard of visual arts education available in the United States and Canada.
*Please note that NASAD only reviews curricular programs in the visual arts and design. For more information about specific majors please contact the college directly.
Choosing an Art College
The first and most important thing to remember in choosing an education in the visual arts is that artmaking is a special kind of learning experience. In addition to considering academic standards, extracurricular activities, housing, costs, and financial aid, there are other things to think about. Of particular concern to art students should be the faculty, facilities, and equipment, proximity to museums, galleries and other cultural resources. We urge you to thoroughly read about the art colleges in which you think you are interested. Try your best to visit them. Get a feel of the college before you make your final decision. Investigate its accreditation and transferability of credits, and be sure you understand its degree offerings and majors. Get as much information as you can so that you can choose a supportive and stimulating environment that is right for you.
We look forward to reviewing your work. We are interested in your development, and will endeavor to provide you with the information necessary for you to make the right choice for the next important step in your education.
On Campus
Graduate Department Information Sessions provide a unique opportunity for prospective applicants to tour the facility and meet with the Chair, faculty, department staff, current students, and alumni.
Prospective applicants may also contact each department directly for more information about other events and opportunities to visit throughout the year.
Please RSVP and find out more details by clicking the links below:
- MA / MAT Art Education: December 12, 2019; January 9, 2020
- MFA Design: Friday Studio Tours from September 27 to December 13, 2019
- MFA Social Documentary Film: (ONLINE) January 8, 2020
Off Campus
Join us this fall for a Graduate Admissions Forum in Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles, Austin or Miami!
Learn about our graduate programs, how to prepare an application and the Manhattan campus experience. Meet with Graduate Admissions staff, hear from a panel of graduate alumni and discuss your interests!
Please RSVP and find out more details by clicking the links below:
New York City’s population is truly a microcosm of the globe. International students, no matter where they come from, can find a slice of their home culture somewhere in the streets and neighborhoods of NYC’s five boroughs. In this way, New York is unlike any other city in the world.
SVA is committed to maintaining a global perspective and community. In the 2018–2019 academic year, more than 1,900 students from over 63 countries studied at the College. To accommodate and serve SVA’s growing and diverse international population, the International Outreach Office, a subset of SVA Admissions, was created in 2013.
The International Outreach Office consists of artists and administrators who travel the world to build relationships with students, teachers, parents and professionals, visiting high schools, colleges, partner schools, art and design fairs, exhibitions and industry events. Team members discuss SVA’s offerings and new trends in art and design, and often conduct portfolio reviews with prospective undergraduate applicants.
International applicants have the opportunity to meet an SVA representative in person in their home country. Applicants receive one-on-one attention throughout the application process.
Staff
Don’t hesitate to contact our multi-lingual staff with your inquiries.
Addresses inquiries in English
Addresses inquires in Spanish and Portuguese
Addresses inquires in Mandarin
Addresses inquiries from India
Special Information by Country
SVA has a year-round presence in China. Follow us on Weibo and WeChat using the QR codes below. Please contact Renyi Hu for more info at rhu@sva.edu.
QR code for following SVA on WeChat.
QR code for following SVA on Weibo.
SVA has a year-round presence in Seoul. Please contact the SVA Seoul Office for more info about SVA in South Korea:
Heewon Seo
Regional Coordinator / Counselor
SVA Seoul Office
Dong Soong Gil 122, Suite # 303 (Dong Soong Art Center)
Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-766 Korea
Tel: 02.742.9454 / Fax: 02.742.9455