I’ve been applying to college as an Art major. My portfolio is strong, but my grades are average. How does my portfolio affect my chances of admission?
It will, of course, always help. Whether you will be accepted with average grades and a great art portfolio depend on what college. It also depends on what you mean by “average” grades. At places like, say, Yale, you will need extremely high grades along with an impressive portfolio.
However, at, say, SAIC, the average GPAs of entering students are around 3.5, and the GPAs of students who are accepted at NYU Tisch are similar.
So there is no general answer, except that it depends on the factors that are important to the college in determining whether to accept you, on how your GPA compares to the other applicants, and on whether you are interested in a BA or in a BFA.