<p>Hey, so i'm considering applying to AAP at Cornell.</p>
<p>Mainly because several people have mentioned that the portfolio is by far the most important thing when it comes down to accepting you.</p>
<p>I have decent grades, but nothing that would get me ivy league. 4.0 regular classes,
33 ACT, 4 years of soccer (fresh,soph,JV,then Vars) decent amount of volunteering time...etc. Nothing exceptional</p>
<p>However, just for this hypothetical situation, assume i'm the best digital animator in the country - and its displayed as such in my portfolio. Would i get into AAP? or do grades and everything else matter equally?</p>
<p>You look eligible for Cornell AAP. (i.e., your stats do not preclude you from Cornell) However, the portfolio is the deciding factor, as you have been told.</p>
<p>In such a hypothetical scenario you would be competitive for admissions. But, of course, only you know the true quality of your portfolio.</p>
<p>Why do people think they couldn’t get into schools with 4.0 and 33 ACT? Do you think everyone in the top 15 schools has a weighted 5.0 and perfect scores?</p>
<p>Just put together a great portfolio and you’ll have as good a chance as any.</p>
<p>even if you have great scores, a mediocre portfolio will probably not grant you admission. the portfolio is the most important part (if you are doing the city and regional planning program, there is no portfolio needed, however) it really shows when you spend a long time on each piece versus slapping a portfolio together last minute</p>
<p>for the programs that do need a portfolio, they are looking for hand done pieces. no computer work, really. especially with architecture, you should have NO cadding examples or drafting.</p>
<p>The portfolio is arguably the most important part of AAP admissions. Your classes will be centered around your artistic ability and experience…so you need to have a lot of that. Your portfolio is your way of proving that you do.</p>
<p>They tell applicants that the Committee’s decision is weighted 1/3 on your academics, 1/3 on your portfolio, and 1/3 on your interview. Because of how competitive the accepted students’ portfolios are, it does seem that more weight is placed on your portfolio.</p>
<p>I was admitted as a freshman, yet I included a significant amount of computer work along with the usual hand done pieces. I had two photo-realistic architectural renderings done in Autodesk 3dsMax of a restaurant I designed, as well as two fliers I designed in Indesign/Photoshop. Everything was work done in high school. I took a big risk by including these pieces, but I felt it was justified because of the the artistic merit (Friends and teachers thought my renderings were photos pulled out of a magazine). However, I had no 2D drafting work. Avoid it like the plague.</p>