Showing your personal work can feel vulnerable, but include everything you have made in your portfolio. Don’t throw anything away. The things you might consider not good enough often carry a meaningful story. Try not to focus too much on what you think the lecturers want to see. Instead, let your own style and personality shine through in your work.
Experiment with different materials and formats. For example, combine watercolour with charcoal, or analogue techniques with digital work. Challenge yourself. A diverse portfolio allows you to show many different aspects of who you are as a maker. It can also be useful to describe your interests and motivations.
You will not only create a portfolio, you will also present it. Prepare this well. There are different ways to present your portfolio, so explore which approach suits you best.
Speak calmly about your work. Be aware of the motivation behind your work and why you made certain choices. When you are clear about this for yourself, it becomes easier to explain it to others. It shows that you are seriously engaged with your work and that you have a clear vision of your field.
Try to enjoy your admission day, even though it can be exciting and nerve-racking. Remember that you are also there to discover whether the programme suits you and whether it makes you feel enthusiastic. It works both ways.