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California College of the Arts [CCA] Admissions: Acceptance Rate, Deadlines ,Requirements & Application Process

Oakland, CaliforniaLocation

CollegeSchool type

Estd1907established year

1927enrollment

Private (Not for Profit)

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Admissions at California College of the Arts are accepted for the Fall and Spring semester. In the fall intake of 2018, a total of 2,292 students applied for California College of the Arts undergraduate admissions. Around 88% of applicants, equalling 2,016 students were admitted. The College Website also mentions an average acceptance rate of 88%. Clearly, it is considerably easy to secure admission, provided you meet the eligibility criteria.

California College of Arts offers undergraduate and graduate programs in around 21 disciplines, with Architecture, Design, Fine Arts and Humanities and Sciences being the core disciplines. The College also offers courses in some of the lesser-known and emerging disciplines such as Illustration, Furniture, Textiles, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Print Media, Sculpture, Jewellery and Metal Arts, Interaction Design and Ceramics.

The CCA receives applications on a rolling basis. Also, it is important to note that it does not have an open admission policy.
Although the CCA considers applications on a rolling basis, applicants seeking to avail of scholarships must apply by the priority deadline.
The priority deadline for all graduate programs (domestic and international) is January 10, post which no scholarships shall be available.
Transfer applicants must submit their post-secondary evaluation documents in a translated version, preferably translated through the World Education Services, SpanTran or IEE.
Another unique feature of the CCA admissions process is that undocumented students, or students not possessing a valid citizenship status, can also apply for the programs by clicking on the “Dreamers” Option on the College website.
An average financial aid package of 30,706 USD is available from the college, which can notably fund 59% of the financial needs of UG students.

Highlights

Application Portal	Online Portal
Application Fee (non-refundable)	70 USD
Acceptance Rate	88%
Mode of Payment	Mastercard/Visa/American Express/Discover
Payment Deadline	Within 2 weeks of receiving offer letter
Academic Calendar	Semester-based
Intake Seasons	Fall and Spring
Work Experience	Not Required for Graduate Students
Financial aid	Loans, Scholarships, Grants, Work-Study
International Helpdesk	UG: admissions@cca.edu PG: graduateprograms@cca.edu internationaladmissions@cca.edu or contact Michael Rossi (+1 510-594-3687)/ Kress McLaren (+1 323-507-2299)

California College of Arts Admission Deadlines

The CCA invites applications on a rolling basis. However, students wishing to avail of scholarships must apply by the priority deadlines mentioned below.

UNDERGRADUATE FALL SEMESTER
Undergraduate application becomes available	August 1
Undergraduate Fall priority deadline (Early Action)	November 15
Undergraduate fall priority deadline (First-year scholarships)	February 1
Undergraduate fall priority deadline (Transfer Scholarships)	March 1
Undergraduate deadlines to confirm attendance	June 1
UNDERGRADUATE SPRING SEMESTER
Undergraduate spring priority deadlines for first year and transfer students	October 1
GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
Graduate Application becomes available	October 1
Graduate Application priority deadline	January 10
Graduate deadline to confirm attendance	May 1

California College of the Arts International Admissions

California College of the Arts accepts applications from international students, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria and admission factors. Although the admission procedure is similar for domestic and international applicants, international applications must meet some additional requirements to be eligible.

Admission Requirements

International applicants must fulfil the requirements mentioned below to be eligible for California College of Arts Admissions:

Submission of the online application form
A deposit of 70 USD as non-refundable application fee
Personal Essay
High School/University transcripts
- Proof of Secondary Education, i.e., GPA or percentage obtained in the 10+2 graduation from a recognised Board,
- CGPA,
- Academic records and graduation certificate if applying for a second Bachelor’s degree/Graduate courses
Unofficial College Transcripts (Graduate)
LORS: 1 for UG and 2 for Graduate programs
Portfolio set-up
Translated Post-Secondary College Transcript for Transfer Applicants
Resume/CV for Graduate programs
Scores of Required Standardized Tests
Proof of financial support with a letter of Support from the person funding
Submission of all financial documents, demonstrating ability to pay the requisite fees
Completing the I-20 Request form, with proof of funding
Personal Information Page of Passport
Furnishing tax information of the past 2 years through the IRS Data Retrieval System
Additional documents as proof of eligibility for financial aid such as:
- Asset Net Worth Form
- Business or Farm Supplement
- Verification Dependant Worksheet
- Parent/Student Low Income Statement

Optional Requirements: Portfolio Set-up (For MBA applicants in Design Strategy), GRE Scores

English Proficiency Test Scores for International Students

International applicants must present the scores of any of the following tests: IELTS, TOEFL, CEFR, C1 Advanced, PTE Academic, Duolingo English Test.

The minimum required scores for each test are

Undergraduate

TEST	MINIMUM SCORE
TOEFL	550 on the PBT/80 on the iBT
IELTS	6.5
Duolingo English Test	110
C1 Advanced	Grade C
CEFR	C1
PTE Academic	58

Graduate

TEST	MINIMUM SCORE
TOEFL	100 on the Ibt / 600 on the PBT
IELTS	7.5
C1 Advanced	Grade B
CEFR	C2
PTE Academic	73
Duolingo English Test	120

Visa Process for International Students

International applicants must apply for a student visa to study in the USA after sending the application letter. The US Embassy has country-specific requirements for issuing a student visa, which can be viewed from the Student Visa section of the US Embassy Website. It is wise to keep records of college and school degrees, certificates, and transcripts, along with financial documents ready, in case there is any further introspection after the visa interview.

Before applying for the student visa, the applicant must secure the I-20 form from the college. The following is the procedure to secure the I-20 Form:

Submission of Financial Documents to prove ability to cover the Estimated Total Cost in the I-20 Request Form
Official Bank Statement and Letter of Support from any sponsor to be filled in the I-20 Request Form
Admission and Payment of Advance Enrolment Deposit
Personal Information Page of Passport
Completed I-20 Request Form

California College of the Arts Undergraduate Admissions

The CCA offers undergraduate courses in a variety of subjects like Animation, Architecture, Ceramics, Community Arts, Furniture, Graphic Design, Illustration, Glass, Jewellery and Metal Arts, Industrial Design, History of Arts and Visual Culture, Interior Design, and many more.

Where to Apply: Online Application Portal (CCA Application/ Common Application)

Application Fee: 70 USD

Admission Requirements: Applicants must gather the following documents for admission:

Post-Secondary/Secondary Transcripts
Personal Essay (500 words or less)
1 LOR (From a teacher or school-based counsellor)
Portfolio Set-Up (Reflecting Creative Projects and Works made)
English Proficiency Scores (Only for International Students)

California College of the Arts Graduate Admissions

California College of the Arts offers graduate programs in Design, Design Strategy, Comics, Curatorial Practice, Fine Arts, Film, Interaction Design, Architecture, Advanced Architectural Design, Visual and Critical Studies and Writing.

The admission requirements for Graduate Courses are:

Unofficial College/University Transcripts
2 LORs from academic and professional sources
Portfolio Set-Up with all Transcripts and Application Documents
Personal Essay
Resume (1-2 pages)/ CV
Interview – On-Campus or Skype Interview (By invitation)
GRE Scores (Optional)
English Proficiency Test Score (For International Applicants)

In addition to the above, here are some of the specific academic requirements for the most popular graduate programs offered by CCA:

Requirements	Master in Architecture	Master in Design	Master in Fine Arts	Master in Film	Master in Comics
GMAT/GRE	Recommended	Not Required	Not Required	Not Required	Not Required
Personal Essay	500-1000 words, submitted in PDF format	500-1000 words, submitted via SlideRoom in PDF format.	500-1000 words, submitted in PDF format.	500-1000 words, submitted in PDF format	500-1000 words, submitted in PDF format
Work Experience	Not Required	Not Required	Not Required	Not Required	Not Required
Professional CV/Resume and Portfolio Requirements	Portfolio must reflect creative achievements and may provide links to relevant external websites, videos, or other materials; maximum of 30 pages as a PDF file no larger than 10 MB.	Portfolio must be up to 25 images, video, time-based media or interactive media.	Portfolio may include images, videos and time-based or interactive media.	Applicants must submit a 5-minute sample reel, with title, date, running time and a brief description of the subject.	Applicants must submit writing samples, which may include novels, short stories, creative nonfiction, a screenplay section, or comic book scripts.
LOR	2	2	2	2	2

From the statistics and analysis stated above, it is sufficiently clear that California College of the Arts is moderately-highly selective in accepting admissions. The primary admission factors to ace up chances of selection include a creative, detailed and inspiring personal essay, an average academic record in secondary/post-secondary/university education (the class profile has an average GPA of 3.2), a strong LOR, and a portfolio set-up with past projects and work that truly stands out.

An early interest in the field of study, supported by extra-curricular achievements, along with community service and innovative initiatives are what CCA looks for in the applications. After the application is accepted, the applicant will receive a response typically within 2 weeks, and a call for an interview.

Make sure that you do not miss the priority deadlines to avail of the financial aid options! The priority deadline for the fall intake semester of UG is Feb 1 and for the spring semester, it is Oct 1. The priority deadline for all graduate programs is Jan 10.

International applicants may address all their queries at internationaladmissions@cca.edu .

FAQs

Ques. What is the Acceptance Rate at California College of Arts?

Ans. The Lawrence Technological University has an acceptance rate of 88%

Ques. Does California College of Arts refund your application fees in case I am denied application?

Ans. No, California College of Arts does not refund your application fees.

Ques. Does CCA waive of application fees under any condition?

Ans. Yes, to request for an application fees waiver, the applicant should write to the College after applying online. The College will waive of the application fees if the applicant can prove his/her financial hardships. However, application fee waiver is not applicable for International students.

Ques. What if my TOEFL/IELTS scores do not meet your requirements?

Ans. In case the applicant does not meet the minimum score the College suggests to take a retest as soon as possible. The college may review your application even if you do not meet the minimum English requirement; however, CCA will not review the application if the applicant does not have the score at all.

Ques. Are International students eligible for financial aid at CCA?

Ans.The college awards all the state and federal funds to only US citizens; however, international students are eligible for scholarships and grants which are very limited and competitive.