Preparing for NYC's art high schools
Admission to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, the High School of Art and Design and similar programs is based on a portfolio of original work and a drawing assessment. Many of our students have been admitted to LaGuardia, and others to Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Hunter College High School, with art as a strength in their applications.
Requirements change from year to year, so we follow each school’s current guidelines and plan your child’s portfolio around them.
What students work on
- Observational drawing of still life, figures and spaces, the core of most art high school assessments.
- Technique in pencil, charcoal, watercolor and oil.
- Original ideas and a personal style, so the portfolio doesn’t look like everyone else’s.
- Timed drawing practice to get comfortable working under assessment conditions.
- Scholastic Art Awards entries, where our students have won national gold and silver medals.
For students from all five boroughs and Long Island
NYC’s art high schools admit students from every borough, and Long Island families apply to them too. Our Flushing studio is next to the 7 train and the LIRR Port Washington Branch, so it’s a direct ride from Manhattan and western Nassau towns like Great Neck, Manhasset and Port Washington. From the Bronx it’s a short drive over the Whitestone or Throgs Neck Bridge, and from Brooklyn it’s a drive up the BQE or a transfer to the 7 train. Routes from each area are listed below.
Students who live farther away, including in Staten Island and Suffolk County, can take the same classes live online.
How the classes run
Next step
Questions parents ask
When should my child start preparing for LaGuardia?
Most students start in 6th or 7th grade so they have time to build drawing skills and a portfolio of original work before applying in 8th grade. Students who start later can still prepare with a focused plan.
Do you help with the LaGuardia portfolio and drawing assessment?
Yes. Students build the portfolio pieces and practice the kind of observational and timed drawing used in art high school assessments, following each school's current requirements.
Do you prepare students for Art & Design High School too?
Yes. We prepare students for LaGuardia, the High School of Art and Design and other NYC programs that review art portfolios.
How much is the tryout?
The Portfolio Builder tryout is a 3-hour class for $93. If your child continues, $90 goes toward the first term.