Ringling College of Art and Design

How to Apply:

Ringling College is currently accepting applications for the following majors: Advertising Design, Business of Art and Design, Digital Filmmaking, Fine Arts (General, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture), Graphic Design, Game Art & Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Motion Design, and Photography & Digital Imaging. Admission is closed for the Computer Animation major for the 2013-14 academic year.

Applying for the Fall of 2013:

Ringling College of Art and Design is a member of the Common Application, and we use the Common Application form exclusively. The Common Application is a not-for-profit organization that streamlines the college application process by allowing students to apply to any number of its 400+ members by completing only one set of forms. Visit the Common Application website at www.commonapp.org, and find Ringling under "Search for Colleges" to get started. Please follow the directions below, and note that you must complete the application process by March 1, 2013, to be considered for merit-based scholarships. The Computer Animation major has an application deadline of January 15, 2013; all other majors are on rolling admissions. 

Here are our requirements:

First-year (freshman) applicants:

1. Submit a completed Common Application Form*, along with a nonrefundable $70 application fee. 
2. Submit the Ringling College of Art and Design Supplement* to the Common Application.
3. Ask your high school counselor to submit the Secondary School Report*, OR ask one of your high school teachers to complete a Teacher Evaluation Form*, OR submit a letter of recommendation.
4. Ask your high school to send an official copy of your transcript. We also accept GED certificates. If you took any college courses, whether or not you received credit, request that the college send us the transcript as well. A minimum 2.0 academic grade-point average is required to be considered for admission.
5. Submission of an art portfolio to www.ringling.slideroom.com is required for all majors except Business of Art & Design. Please refer to the instructions below, under "submitting your portfolio."
6. SAT and ACT scores are not required for admission. If you take either the SAT or ACT, we encourage you to submit your scores since they can be helpful in academic counseling.

*Available at www.commonapp.org under Download Forms.

Transfer applicants:

1. Submit a completed Common Application Form*, along with a nonrefundable $70 application fee. 
2. Submit the Ringling College of Art and Design Supplement* to the Common Application.
3. Ask one of your instructors to complete a College Instructor Evaluation Form*, OR submit a letter of recommendation.
4. Ask your high school and each college you have attended for credit to send an official copy of your transcript. You must achieve a minimum 2.0 academic grade-point average at your last college attended to be considered for admission. A high school transcript is not required if you have earned 24 or more semester hours credit at a regionally-accredited college.
5. Submission of an art portfolio to www.ringling.slideroom.com is required for all majors except Business of Art & Design. Please refer to the instructions below, under "submitting your portfolio."

*Available at www.commonapp.org under Download Forms.

Transfer Credits and Placement

All of Ringling College's studio courses are sequential and have pre-requisites.  Students have to complete the 1^st-year studio courses before taking 2^nd-year studio courses; 2^nd 'year studio courses before taking 3^rd-year studio courses; and 3^rd-year studio courses before taking the 4^th-year capstone/thesis courses.  

If you have taken Liberal Arts courses at another college/university, those courses will be evaluated by the Academic Advisors in the Office of Advising, Records, and Registration Services to determine if they meet the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Arts Degree. The number of Liberal Arts classes completed has no bearing on your class level. Only studio classes determine your class level.  Students enrolling with an Associate of Arts or a Bachelor of Arts degree from a regionally accredited college or university will be considered to have met the Liberal Arts requirements for the BFA degree. 

Please make sure you have requested a final transcript from all colleges/universities that you have attended so that you can receive the appropriate transfer credit. 

Please note that admission to upper-level studies is contingent on space availability.

International Students

Ringling College students come from 42 countries! We welcome applications from international students. Because Ringling College does not offer English for Speakers of Other Languages courses, you must be proficient in English to be considered for admission. If you are a citizen of a country where English is not a common language, please submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of  61 (internet version) or 500 (paper version) on the TOEFL; or 6.0 on the IELTS is required. In addition, please submit the International Supplement* to the Common Application.

Homeschool Students

Homeschoolers must achieve a standard diploma, recognized by their local school district, or a GED.  In addition to the admissions requirements above, home-schooled students must submit the Homeschool Supplement* to the Common Application.

Ringling College will consider for transfer any liberal arts or studio art credit that meets our academic requirements and where a grade of C or better was earned from a regionally-accredited college or university. Studio art credit will be awarded based upon the criteria above and a portfolio review.

International Baccalaureate Credit

Ringling College recognizes the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.  Students with IB coursework may be given credit for individual liberal arts courses if they score 5 through 7 on the IB Higher-Level Examinations.  No credit is given for Subsidiary-Level or Standard-Level work. 

Advanced Placement Credit 

Ringling College will award up to six semester hours credit for advanced placement examinations in art history with a score of 3, 4, or 5.  Advanced placement examinations in liberal arts courses with a score of 3, 4, or 5 will be considered for credit toward the BFA degree.  Advanced placement examinations in English Language and Composition and English Literature and Composition require a score of 4 or 5 to be considered for credit toward the BFA degree.  Advanced placement examination/portfolios in studio art with scores of 4 or 5 will be evaluated by Ringling College for credit and/or placement. 

Applying for the Spring Semester

In order to be eligible to enroll in the Spring Semester, you must have previously completed specific college-level studio art courses. These course requirements vary by major. Please note that spring semester admission is NOT available for the Department of Computer Animation. For information about spring semester admission, please contact the Admissions Office at 941-351-5100 or admissions@ringling.edu

Admissions Office

Ringling College of Art and Design

2700 N. Tamiami Trail

Sarasota, Fla.  34234-5895

941-351-5100

admissions@ringling.edu

Non-Discrimination Policy

Ringling College of Art and Design does not discriminate the basis of age, gender, color, race, national or ethnic origin, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, veteran's status or any other basis prohibited by law, in its programs or activities. 

Submitting your portfolio:

Submitting your portfolio is free and easy! Upload your portfolio to the website http://ringling.slideroom.com. There is no charge to use Slideroom with payment of your application fee. Please submit between 10 and 20 images (a minimum of 15 if you are a transfer student seeking studio art credit) of your recent work, following the directions for portfolio requirements for your chosen major below.  Please note that we cannot accept original artwork mailed to us. 

We encourage you to gain valuable feedback by presenting your work to an admissions representative, either during a visit to Ringling College or at a National Portfolio Day. Visit www.ringling.edu/admissionsevents for information and a schedule. Please keep in mind that you'll still need to post your portfolio at http://ringling.slideroom.com for formal review as part of the application process.

Portfolio requirements by major:

The purpose of the portfolio is to allow you to show us your creative ability and visual arts potential. Submitting an art portfolio is optional for applicants to the Business of Art & Design major. See instructions below.

Computer Animation (January 15 deadline.)

Fine Arts

Game Art & Design 

Illustration

Painting 

Printmaking 

Sculpture 

Since representational drawing is an integral part of the curricula for the majors listed above, you should show examples of drawing from life in your portfolio. This may include interior or exterior environments, human figures, animals, hands and feet, and everyday objects. Portfolios may also include class assignments, design projects, animations, photography, paintings, sculpture, etc. Please do not copy directly from another artist, or include such things as anime, tattoo designs, dragons, unicorns, etc. At least half of your portfolio should consist of drawing from direct observation.

Advertising Design

Digital Filmmaking

Graphic Design

Interior Design

Motion Design

Photography & Digital Imaging

For the programs above, the Admissions Committee reviews portfolios in the context of your chosen major. Although recommended, examples of drawing are not required. You may include work in any media - including class assignments, design projects, logos, flyers, websites, photography, film, quicktime movies, drafting, and multimedia. The work may be created by hand or digitally, but must be original.

Business of Art & Design 

While Business of Art and Design students are not expected to measure up to the level of artistic achievement required for admission to Ringling's other studio programs, they must demonstrate strong interest in the arts, a creative attitude, and an eagerness to work tolerantly and enthusiastically with other creative individuals. Potential students should demonstrate (1) general education competency, (2) a strong interest in business and (3) a history of creative activity and accomplishment. General education competency will be demonstrated by your academic record and letters of recommendation. Business potential can be shown through an essay describing your interests and experiences in business, by a personally created business website, or by a business-related portfolio that documents your interests and previous activities in a business setting. Creative accomplishment can be shown by an art/design portfolio or other means of demonstrating your creative interests and activities (writing, performing arts, attendance at museum/gallery shows, etc.). Evidence of leadership and organizational skills, such as involvement in sports, student publications or organizations, volunteer work, etc., is also considered.

Please note that if you are accepted to the Business of Art & Design major and later decide to change to a studio-based major, you will be required to submit a portfolio.

If You Haven't Had Formal Art Training:

Don't worry-many of our incoming students each year haven't had studio classes.

If you don't have samples of artwork to submit, you can complete the following exercises. We understand that applicants have varying skill levels. We've designed these exercises to uncover your artistic potential in the areas of drawing, color, composition, and creativity.


The Five Exercises:

1. Select three to five objects that are familiar to you. Arrange them together, then draw them using line and tone.
2. Make a free-hand drawing of one corner of a room in your home. Include at least three pieces of furniture.
3. Create a self-portrait in any medium. Do not refer to a photograph.
4. Using "nature" as a theme, create a collage by tearing images from a magazine and pasting them on a sheet of paper.
5. Visually interpret and express the word "connection" in a drawing of any medium.

Once you have completed these exercises, please upload them to http://ringling.slideroom.com following the instructions above.

After You're Accepted

Congratulations!  Your acceptance letter functions as an invitation to join Ringling College of Art and Design. It is your responsibility to respond if you plan to enroll. We will not hold a space for you until you follow the steps below:

1. Complete and submit the Acceptance form, which was included with your acceptance letter. To confirm your space at Ringling, you must complete and mail the form to us along with a $500 confirmation fee. This holds your space in the incoming class. Acceptance alone does not guarantee that a space will be available to you.

2. Once we receive your Acceptance Form and confirmation fee, we will send you information on how to request on-campus housing. We guarantee housing to all new students who request it my May 1 for the following fall semester.

3. If you are still enrolled in high school at the time of your acceptance, you must graduate with a standard high school diploma or GED. Home-schooled students must also achieve a standard high school diploma (recognized by their local school district) or GED. 

4. Whether you are enrolled in high school or another college at the time of your acceptance, you must complete any coursework with a minimum grade-point-average of 2.0 or higher.

We're here to help if you have questions, and we hope to see you here!