<p>I'm currently a junior in high school, so by the time fall rolls around I'll be applying to colleges. I was reading the requirements for students who want to apply to Cornell's school of Art, Architecture, and Planning, and for Architecture I need a file portfolio with "photographs, photocopies in a notebook". Can someone explain to me exactly what that means? Photographs of what? Should I be drawing now? Should I take a course for putting together a portfolio?</p>
<p>Photographs of drawings of basically anything that shows your artistic talent. Yes, start drawing now. I did submit a visual art portfolio to some of my colleges and I would advise you to start during or before the summer. I redid a lot of my work because I wasn’t satisfied with them and I basically speed to the post office before it closed the day it was due. The answer to the rest of your questions is in the guidelines. Don’t take a portfolio class, just ask your art teacher and she’ll know what to do (usually). </p>
<p>[Portfolio</a> Guidelines](<a href=“http://aap.cornell.edu/arch/admissions/portfolio.cfm]Portfolio”>http://aap.cornell.edu/arch/admissions/portfolio.cfm)</p>