Optional Arts Portfolio (Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Studio Art, Theater only)
Applicants who intend to make a significant commitment to creative writing, dance, music, studio art or theater are welcome to submit a portfolio as part of the application process. Faculty members make every effort to review portfolios and provide feedback to the Admission Office.
Once your Common Application is processed by the Admission Office, you will receive an email with login credentials to your Connecticut College applicant portal. Log into your portal and upload the portfolio materials designated below. You must complete this process within 7 days of your application deadline.
Creative Writing: Select either a narrative piece (fiction or non-fiction, no more than 15 pages) or 3 poems that best represent your creative expression.
Dance: You're invited to dance with us each fall! We host two Welcome Days during which you can visit and dance with us in person. Learn more about them here. If you aren't able to visit in person, you can submit video of a solo, from 1.5 to two minutes in length and in any style you'd like, for your Arts Portfolio. In your portfolio, please indicate that you're interested in the Dance Major. (You don't need to declare a major until the end of your sophomore year—and it's fine if you change your mind—but it's helpful to know of your interest during the portfolio review process.) Learn more on the Dance Department webpages.
Music: Our faculty welcome all students to the department who have an interest in deepening their engagement with music. We are committed to helping students discover their inner creative impulse and translate it into live performances, original compositions, sound recordings, technology projects and in-depth studies of music from a range of perspectives. Students with musical experience are encouraged to submit a portfolio containing one or two video/audio files that illustrate your background and accomplishments so far. This may be a solo performance on an instrument, a vocal demo (art songs, opera arias, musical theater numbers or pop songs), or your own original creative work. We value original composition of all styles and media.
Composition submissions can be submitted with a recording, a score or both.
Please include information about your submissions (the title and composer of each piece, for example). Applicants are encouraged to reach out to members of the music faculty throughout the application process to discuss their musical journey at Connecticut College. Contact details and more information about our course offerings, ensembles and lessons can be found on our website.
Studio Art: Upload 5-10 files that showcase your experiences in art-making. Our faculty want to see your technical ability, your creativity — regarding use of materials as well as ideas — and your independent drive. You may submit work done in class and/or on your own.
Theater: Our faculty are interested in your creativity, commitment and passion for theater in whatever form it may take as an actor, director, playwright, designer, technician, scholar, or activist. If you can't visit campus, consider submitting a video (up to five minutes long) where you speak directly to the camera and describe your theater activities, your special interests, and how you find purpose and/or creativity through theater. This is not required for admission, but helps us better understand your theater background and interests.
Please do not submit recordings of live performances.
Portfolio reviews are not required as part of the admission process and enrolling students do not need to declare a major until the second semester of sophomore year. Please contact the department of interest to you for further details about the process for declaring a major.