Application Checklist

Dates and Deadlines

Online Application

The online application will ask for student and parent information to begin your application. Once received, an additional questionnaire will be emailed to the email addresses given.

Questionnaire

The Questionnaire will ask you to submit the following materials:

1. Short answer questions
2. Official or Unofficial Transcript
3. Portfolio (required for scholarship applications)
4. Scholarship Application (optional)
5. Letter of Recommendation (optional)

Transcripts and letters of recommendation can be uploaded via the questionnaire or sent directly to precollege@mcad.edu.

After the online application, questionnaire, and any optional materials are received, applicants will receive notification that their application is complete. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with decisions sent within two weeks of completion.

High School Transcripts

Upload your transcript via the Slideroom application or email to precollege@mcad.edu.

Request a transcript from your high school well in advance of the application deadline. Transcripts should include all high school classes taken thus far. Official and unofficial transcripts are accepted. Homeschool transcripts are welcome—please include classes, curricula, and grades.

Portfolio (Optional*)

Upload samples of your work via the Slideroom application. Submit 5 digital images of your work that demonstrate both your technical and conceptual skills. If possible, please submit work examples that relate to your chosen major. If you do not have work related to your major, please provide other 2D work examples, such as drawings or paintings.

Both still images and time-based works may be uploaded. These should be .JPEGs, .PDFs, .MP4s, or .MOVs, with a maximum file size of 10 MB per sample.

The best images are properly lit and cropped to the size of the image itself. If you do not have a camera or scanner, check with your local high school or art teacher to see if assistance can be provided.

All students who apply and submit a portfolio are automatically considered for a merit scholarship.

*Submitting a portfolio is optional unless you would like to be considered for a financial need-based or merit-based scholarship.

Letter of Recommendation (Optional)

Upload letters of recommendation via the Slideroom application or email to precollege@mcad.edu.

Request a letter of recommendation from an art instructor, teacher, guidance counselor, advisor, or employer in support of your application.

Scholarship Form

Scholarship application form will be sent to applicants who indicate in Slideroom that they are applying for either or both scholarships. Both the Slideroom and Scholarship Form must be completed by the scholarship deadline of March 1, 2026 to be considered.

If you wish to be considered for a financial need-based scholarship that covers up to 90% of your full tuition cost, you must provide a copy of your family’s Form 1040 from 2024 or 2025. The first two pages are sufficient, but the remainder may be supplied if it highlights extenuating circumstances. W-2s are not sufficient.

You may also provide a personal statement describing any extenuating financial circumstances not evidenced by the tax form. Copies from 2023 and earlier are not accepted. In order to be considered for an economic-need-based scholarship, you also apply by the scholarship deadline of March 1.

No tax information is required to be considered for a merit-based scholarship. If you would like to be considered for a merit scholarship, you will need to submit a portfolio of 5 images as part of your Google form.

See Cost page for more information about scholarships.

Mailing Address

MCAD Continuing Education: PCSS
2501 Stevens Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404