National Portfolio Day at MCAD | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

National Portfolio Day at MCAD

MCAD Main Building
Admissions Event
National Portfolio Day 2024, famous artworks replaced with goats

Register for National Portfolio Day

National Portfolio Day makes its only stop in Minnesota on October 13! Get a head start on your art school application. Bring your artwork and have it reviewed by more than 20 different colleges and universities. At National Portfolio Day, you'll meet in person with representatives from MCAD and other world-class art and design schools from across the country.

Can’t make it to the Minnesota event on Sunday, October 13? Some National Portfolio Days are virtual this year. See the full schedule at nationalportfolioday.org to register or contact your personal admission counselor for a review at admissions@mcad.edu.

In addition, we invite you to join us for Morning at MCAD, which will feature presentations and campus tours from our admissions team.

Participating Schools

  • California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA
  • Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI
  • Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, WA
  • Iowa State University College of Design, Ames, IA
  • Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
  • Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Maine College of Art & Design, Portland, Maine
  • Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD
  • Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
  • Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Milwaukee, WI
  • Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
  • Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
  • Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University, Portland, OR
  • Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
  • School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
  • The Cooper Union, New York, NY
  • University of Massachusetts Dartmouth CVPA, Dartmouth, MA
  • University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
  • Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

What should I bring to a National Portfolio Day?

A portfolio of visual artwork that includes your best and most recent work! It can also include works in progress, sketchbooks, and tear sheets. Don’t hesitate to explain how you develop your ideas and where you want to go with them. It is recommended to bring no more than 15 works. The portfolio can be presented as physical work or digitally on screen. Make note that wifi may not be available at all locations.

How do I get to MCAD?

MCAD is located at 2501 Stevens Avenue, just south of downtown Minneapolis, next to the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Children's Theatre Company. A free parking lot is located at 2572 2nd Ave S, the intersection of 26th Street East and Second Avenue South.

For parking, maps, nearby hotels, and directions, please go to mcad.edu/visit. Please check out the Minnesota Department of Transportation website for road closure updates.

Important Information for National Portfolio Day Guests

This event will be held in the MCAD Main Building. Guest check-in begins at 9:30 am for Morning at MCAD events and noon for portfolio day. Check-in will be held inside the Main Building. Portfolio reviews will begin at 1:00 p.m. sharp and end promptly at 5:00 p.m.; please contact admissions@mcad.edu if you have additional questions.

National Portfolio Day guests may bring one other person with them to this event.


Please note all event details are subject to change. If you are unable to attend this event, you may schedule a future personal portfolio review or register to attend a virtual portfolio day.

How to Prepare for a Portfolio Day