Meet SAIC Undergraduate

Stop(in), Drop(off), (en)Roll Day

Friday, January 10, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CT
RSVP

Join us on-campus for an event specifically tailored for prospective transfer students interested in attending SAIC for the spring or fall 2025 semesters. Drop off your admission materials (transcripts, test scores, and letter of recommendation), and provided that you meet our admission requirements, you will receive your admission decision and, if you choose, register for your spring classes.

ALSO ON THIS DAY:
* Receive feedback from an SAIC counselor.
* Tour SAIC facilities and one of our Residence Halls
* Meet individually with Financial Aid Counselors

See SAIC Day

Monday, February 17, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. CT
RSVP

Learn more about our acclaimed interdisciplinary curriculum, tour our state-of-the-art facilities including our residence halls, see what we look for in an admission and merit scholarship portfolio, and learn more about financial aid at SAIC.

We highly encourage you to bring your portfolio for a one-on-one conversation about your work with one of our admissions representatives.

SAIC Days are special three-hour events that take place in select cities from September to November. These events are a perfect opportunity to get one-on-one feedback on your portfolio, meet with SAIC faculty and staff, and learn more about our interdisciplinary curriculum.           

One-on-one meetings give you individual time with an admissions counselor to get feedback on your portfolio, or just ask any questions you may have!

National Portfolio Days (NPDs) take place throughout the year, and SAIC participates in all of them. Representatives from SAIC are ALWAYS available to provide 10–15 minute portfolio reviews of prospective students' work, give you valuable feedback and guidance on your portfolio before you submit it as part of your application, and to speak about SAIC's curriculum.

2024-2025 Events

Brazil

Canada

China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

Colombia

France

India

Indonesia

Japan

Mexico

Mongolia

South Korea

Thailand

Türkiye

United Arab Emirates

Vietnam

International SAIC DAY and Q & A

Friday, January 10, 11:00 p.m. CT
RSVP

Join the International Admissions Team for an overview on understanding the benefits of attending an art school over a traditional college and a live Q & A session. 

Live Chat Before the January 15  Deadline

Tuesday, January 14, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. CT
RSVP

Have a quick question about SAIC, or wondering what your next steps are? We're hosting a live chat with our counselors. Please join us during this time whether you want to know more about the curriculum, or have last minute application questions!

How to Apply for Financial Aid Using the FAFSA

Thursday, January 23, 6:30 p.m. CT
RSVP

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)'s Student Financial Services team is hosting an online information session to assist you in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), applying for scholarships and identifying other sources of funding, and understanding your award. There will be time after the presentation to ask any questions you may have.

Understanding Your Financial Aid Award and Cost

Tuesday, February 4, 6:30 p.m. CT
RSVP

Representatives from SAIC's Student Financial Services department will discuss SAIC award packages, completing the budgeting worksheet, and outside scholarships. There will be time during and after the presentation to ask questions.

Sign up for a virtual one-on-one portfolio review session. 

During these 20–30 minute virtual sessions, faculty, alums, and admissions counselors will provide valuable feedback on your work for both admission and merit scholarship consideration. Have sketchbooks, finished pieces, and your questions prepared.

You will present images of your work live via screen-share. You can also share links with the reviewer utilizing the Zoom chat box. You don't need to upload anything in advance.

All appointments are in central time, please schedule accordingly.

Virtual National Portfolio Days

Representatives from SAIC are available to provide 10-15 minute portfolio reviews of prospective students' work, give you valuable feedback and guidance on your portfolio before you submit it as part of your application, and to speak about SAIC's curriculum.

Take a live tour of our campus and residence halls with our current students and ask any questions you have! Virtual tours take place on Wednesdays at 4:00 pm CT.

•  Schedule a live virtual tour 
• Check out our self-guided virtual tour
• Take an on-demand tour of our residence halls

Brazil

Canada

China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

Colombia

France

India

Indonesia

Japan

Mexico

Mongolia

South Korea

Thailand

Türkiye

United Arab Emirates

Vietnam

International SAIC DAY and Q & A

Friday, January 10, 11:00 p.m. CT
RSVP

Join the International Admissions Team for an overview on understanding the benefits of attending an art school over a traditional college and a live Q & A session. 

Art School 101 & Portfolio Prep for International Students

Saturday, August 17, 2024
Watch Recording

Join the International Admissions Team for an overview of the benefits of attending an art school over a traditional college, and how to curate your portfolio for SAIC.

Take a live tour of our campus and residence halls with our current students and ask any questions you have!

In-Person 

Tours take place daily, Monday through Friday and select Saturdays. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes in advance for check-in. A maximum of three people are allowed per party, including the prospective student. Advance registration is required.

Schedule an In-Person Tour

We offer you the opportunity to meet with an admission counselor before or after our on-campus tours to have your portfolio reviewed or just get more information about SAIC. Reservations are required due to a strict capacity limit. 

Tour guests should arrive at the LeRoy Neiman Center at 37 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL, 60603, 15 minutes in advance of the scheduled tour time. Tours typically last 90 minutes.  

Our tours include the following:

• A brief presentation providing an overview of SAIC’s campus and curriculum
• A look inside our campus buildings (2) and facilities, including our Contemporary Practices department
• Visiting one of our residence halls
• Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago museum
• Introduction to our downtown campus—wear comfortable shoes!  
   

Virtual

How to Apply for Financial Aid Using the FAFSA

Thursday, December 5, 2024
Watch Recording

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is hosting an online information session to assist you in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), applying for scholarships and identifying other sources of funding, and understanding your award. There will be time after the presentation to ask any questions you may have.

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Watch Recording

SAIC Admissions is here to help with any questions you have leading up to our Early Action deadline on November 15. Don't panic: we're hosting this live Q+A session to help you hit the "Submit" button with confidence.

Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Watch Recording

How do you know what different schools are looking for in a portfolio? Is it the same for every degree program? Join us to learn how to research and follow portfolio requirements. We will review specific requirements for SAIC's five different degree programs.

Thursday, October 24, 2024
Watch Recording
 
Meet with admissions and learn more about what it means to study within an interdisciplinary curriculum.

Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Watch Recording
 
This online information session will provide details about our art history programs: the Bachelor of Arts in Art History (BAAH) and Bachelor of Fine Arts with Art History Thesis (BFAAHT). The Art History department will present details about the programs' curricula, admissions, and portfolio requirements.

Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Watch Recording

Have you run into a case of writer's block? You've made some awesome artwork, but how do you write about it? Join us to learn everything you need to know about constructing an artist statement. We will explain the purpose of an artist statement and offer tips for getting started and editing your statement.

Portfolio Tip Tuesday: How to Apply & Submit Your Portfolio

Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Watch Recording

You've created artwork, documented it, and made your final selections. Now, it's time to apply! We'll show you how to access the Common Application and walk you through the steps to complete and submit your application and SlideRoom portfolio.

Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Watch Recording

Applying to art school usually means providing images of your artwork in the form of a portfolio. But how do you get started? How do you know what to include and what to leave out? And how do artists use this important tool in their professional lives? Join us on Tuesday to find out!

Saturday, August 17, 2024
Watch Recording

Join the International Admissions Team for an overview of the benefits of attending an art school over a traditional college, and how to curate your portfolio for SAIC.

Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Watch Recording

Taking great photos of your work is just as important as making it! In this hour-long workshop, SAIC faculty will walk you through how to capture and edit high quality photos for your application. We'll also cover tips for using household materials and a smartphone in this process.

Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Watch Recording

Are you currently contemplating the age-old question of "Is it okay to submit anime, fan art, or comics in a portfolio for art school?" We'll do a deep dive exploring the topics of authorship, originality, and appropriation in art to help you decide how to move forward if you have an interest in this style of work.

Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Watch Recording

Sketchbooks and journals are essential companions for artists. Together, we'll look at interesting ways to use them and how they can help you build a strong portfolio.

Thursday, April 25, 2024        
Watch Recording

Join us to learn more about our renowned interdisciplinary programming, cutting-edge facilities, and life in Chicago—one of the nation’s most culturally diverse and artistically welcoming cities. We’ll be starting with a brief presentation, but have set aside much time for you to ask your questions.

Thursday, April 11, 2024          
Watch Recording

Representatives from SAIC's Student Financial Services department will discuss SAIC award packages, completing the budgeting worksheet, and outside scholarships. There will be time during and after the presentation to ask questions.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023    
Watch Recording

How can you go beyond what's expected when working on an assignment? How have artists previously incorporated assignments and prompts into their creative practices? SAIC Admissions counselors give you the inside scoop on how to approach assignment-based work so you can include it in your portfolio.

June 9, 2022
Watch Recording

Faculty representatives will discuss SAIC's interdisciplinary curriculum and how it informs the creative process as they practice it and as they teach it.