FAQs for Prospective Students

I’m thinking of applying to Wellesley. Can I see the studio facilities? Can I sit in on a class? 

When the building is open, you are welcome to walk through the art department and speak with students who are working independently in the studios or staffing the Art library. Our primary facilities are located in two buildings, the Jewett Arts Center and Pendleton West, which are connected by a bridge. If the art department office is open when you drop by, please introduce yourself, as we may have someone available to answer questions specific to your interests. If you would like to sit in on a regular class, please check with the Admissions office to find out which instructors have indicated that they can accommodate visitors on the day of your campus visit.  

Do I need to submit a portfolio when I apply to Wellesley? Can I show it to you now? 

The faculty does not conduct personal portfolio reviews for prospective applicants, but works closely with the Admissions office to identify our most promising visual arts applicants as applications are received. Please check the Wellesley Admissions or Common Application website for guidelines about submitting a visual arts supplement with your application.  

If you submit a visual arts supplement, a member of the studio art faculty will review your images and advise the Admissions team reading your file. While an outstanding portfolio may strengthen your application, it is but one of many factors that the Board of Admissions considers when making final decisions about each entering class. So if you have less than ten strong pieces to present in a visual arts portfolio, it may be best to concentrate on other parts of your application to Wellesley College. 

Since many talented individuals are undecided about a major when they enter college, we welcome all interested students into our introductory courses, whether or not they have taken art previously, or have a portfolio in hand. We find that many academically gifted students do excellent work in the visual arts once they have an opportunity to engage with the subject seriously at the college level.  

What are you looking for when you review my portfolio? 

In terms of visual skill, we look for dexterity, flexibility, and inventiveness with whatever materials and tools you have available. We notice how you handle basic visual considerations such as color and space.  As we look at your work, we notice what kinds of subjects you have been exploring and whether your approach appears to be shaped by a particular teacher or teaching method. We like to see examples of some projects that were time intensive, as well as some that were produced in a more intuitive manner, so freehand drawings are particularly helpful to find in a portfolio. Regardless of the tools or media utilized, we’ll be paying close attention to the way that you compose an image, balance an object, and/or construct a sequence of vantage points. We’ll be interested to know whether you have already had some exposure to art history or contemporary art. Basically, we’ll look for cues that you will be open to learning new approaches and that you will be able to take advantage of our offerings. It is not particularly important to us that you have a consistent body of work  at this time. 

I submitted an AP portfolio and got a high grade, so can I skip ARTS 1XX? 

We do not maintain a ranking of the visual arts supplements reviewed nor keep any of the material sent to us during the college application process. So once you are here, if you have images of recent work that you think might help us advise you individually as you register for classes, please bring a portfolio to campus to discuss with a studio art instructor and/or the Director of the Studio Art Program.  

While some AP coursework may be credited towards your Wellesley degree, AP credits will not be applied towards the units that comprise a Studio Art or Architecture major. When it comes to the question of where you should be placed in the studio curriculum, we’ll advise you based on our own assessment of your past projects, as well as your demonstrated abilities in the classes you take at Wellesley. We’re most interested in the work that you’ve completed in the past 3-6 months, but when you first arrive on campus, your portfolio may include work produced in the context of AP classes.  

I’m not sure I can take art every semester since I think I’ll be majoring in another subject - how can I keep art in my life when I’m busy with other requirements? 

Once on campus, keep an eye out for announcements of our gallery receptions, guest lectures in the Art Department, workshops, and more. Check out the rotating exhibitions in our Jewett Galleries and see what’s happening at the Davis Museum next door. 

Note what the various student art clubs are hosting and organizing. A quick walk through the hallways of Jewett and Pendleton West will keep you informed of the range of projects and special events unfolding here each semester- some of these are very spontaneous and not listed in the formal Arts at Wellesley calendar booklet. You don’t need to be enrolled in a class or planning an art major to take advantage of these opportunities. 

Is it possible to audit a class in the art department? 

Some Art History courses allow auditors. Email the instructor just before the semester begins to see if they expect to have space available for auditors. Opportunities for auditing courses are more limited Art History seminars due to the size of the classes and the nature of the assigned work. We do not allow auditors in Studio Art courses.

I’ve done a lot of art in high school. Would it be ok for me to work in the studios on my own? 

Studio Art facilities-- including classrooms, studios, and specialized shop spaces-- are only for the use of students currently enrolled in Studio Art classes. We cannot accommodate students who are not taking Studio classes in the current semester. But if you have a specific project that requires technical equipment, please be in touch as we may be able to suggest other resources on campus that you might utilize, and we are always happy to hear about emerging creative projects!