MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – High school students interested in a career in the art industry can gain feedback and insight from universities and colleges from around the region when West Virginia University plays host to National Portfolio Day on Oct. 28.

National Portfolio Days are annual events held across the United States, Canada and Europe and provide a unique opportunity for students to meet individually with professional representatives of accredited colleges and universities to receive feedback before submitting their portfolio as part of their application for admission.

This is WVU’s first time hosting the event since joining the National Portfolio Day Association three years ago.

“This will be the first year that a National Portfolio Day event has been offered in West Virginia,” said James Froemel, coordinator of undergraduate recruitment. “We wanted to give area students the opportunity to have their work critiqued by top programs, including WVU School of Art & Design, to increase their chances of not only acceptance but of talent scholarship opportunities as they pursue an arts education.”

Each student in attendance will have the opportunity to meet with a representative from the attending schools which include WVU, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Virginia Commonwealth University and Columbus College of Art & Design.

“National Portfolio Day cuts right to the core of the art and design school admissions process,” Froemel said. “Students will find out where the strengths of their portfolio are and where they might have room to improve or build.”

According to Froemel, NPD also takes the stress out of planning multiple college visits.

“To try and schedule this type of interaction with 12 different schools, going campus to campus, would be nearly impossible,” Froemel said. “With a National Portfolio Day event, students get a variety of feedback, and pointers, and can also talk with college representatives about their schools’ program offerings to help discover where the best fit will be.”

National Portfolio Day attendance is free. High school students, parents, teachers, guidance counselors and college transfer students are encouraged to attend. More information on National Portfolio Day, and what to include in a portfolio, can be found at artanddesign.wvu.edu/national-portfolio-day.