By the time you read this, I will be half way through my second to last term of the masters program at York University. All going as planned, my thesis artwork will be well underway, my support paper will be more than a glimmer on the horizon, and I will be switching the first year sculpture students I am teaching from working in plaster over to wood.

For a number of these students, this will be the first time they have worked in three dimensions. At this point in the term there are bound to be a few struggles and perhaps even a few revelations: those who wear their yoga gear to school may realize that it's not the best attire to wear when mixing plaster; while others, with or without the gear, may begin to discover that art reaches far beyond painting and drawing.

Around this same time last year, I volunteered for National Portfolio Day at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) where I received a good overview of the artwork of many grade 11 and 12 students. Most of this work consisted of painting and drawing. For those students fortunate enough to attend fine arts focused high schools or to have enjoyed extra-curricular art classes, their experience was a bit broader.

For those not in the know, National Portfolio Day is a fantastic opportunity for budding artists to check out post-secondary programs in visual art and design. Generally, a school that organizes National Portfolio Day hosts several schools and their representatives from across Canada and the United States.

If you or someone you know is considering post-secondary education in art there is a website devoted to National Portfolio Day through which you can check for upcoming dates and locations www.npda.org. According to the site, OCAD will host National Portfolio Day this year on November 20th and Emily Carr Institute on December 3rd.

At National Portfolio Day you can get feedback on your portfolio from different school representatives before you actually apply. Last year, York representatives present at the OCAD event spent about 10 minutes with each student. Many students I spoke to though received only 5 minutes on average from other schools. Given these brief interview times, I have a few tips for those who are interested.

To get the most out of your interview, do a bit of research on the schools that will be present ahead of time. Find out their approach to contemporary art practices and areas of specialty. When getting feedback on your portfolio ask the interviewer if they foresee any gaps in your portfolio or areas you might strengthen for the formal application. In this regard, the advice I most often gave to students was to include some independent artworks in addition to their school assignments and to get out there and see some art. Showing some independence can go a long way.

Many schools are also interested in your sketchbook. As a book for recording your preparatory sketches, notes, doodles, observational drawings, and any clippings you might collect it provides great insight into your creative process. The National Portfolio Day website also has a few tips of its own.

National Portfolio Day is not the only place however to get feedback and information on post-secondary art programs. Look for portfolio workshops and consultations through your local arts council and consider attending open houses and facility tours hosted by colleges and universities. In addition, the Internet and good old fashioned library research are also good places to look, as is meeting with students who are already attending schools you are interested in.

Showing your portfolio and sketchbook to a complete stranger is a big risk, let alone taking the next step to actually apply for art school. Just remember that regardless of your experience or abilities, if you are willing to pursue this particular creative path, you have just as much potential as the next person. As I venture into the realm of teaching, this potential is an important reminder for myself—no matter what revelations students may or may not have in their first term of school, each one has the potential to be an artist. As for me, I hope to continue to have a few revelations of my own.

Alison MacTaggart is a Vancouver-based artist completing her MFA in Visual Art at York University in Toronto. This is her second year in the cultural hubbub of Toronto where no matter how hard you try to see everything you possibly can, you are always missing out on something.