Pre-College

UPDATE 2021:

We are thrilled to announce for the first time in Pre-College history a brand new major exclusively available to our ONLINE Pre-College students! We are collaborating with the Salt Institute for Documentary Storytelling to bring you PODCASTING! Salt alum Carly Peruccio '19, will join us as your online faculty in this new program, which will make use of readily available recording equipment (such as Smartphones) and open source software to get you ready to produce your first professional podcast!

Our in-person and online Pre-College program is open to students who have completed their sophomore, junior, or senior years of high school. Students customize their individual Pre-College program by choosing two majors. Our Pre-College majors choices for 2021 are:

Animation*~
Illustration: Comics + Graphic Novels*~
Painting*~
Printmaking*
Drawing~
New for 2021 Salt Institute presents: Podcasting!~

Each major is given equal time. All in-person students take a figure drawing class.

~ Available to online students
* Available to in-person students

Please note: Our major choices have been reduced for Pre-College 2021 to accommodate COVID-19 social distancing regulations. We typically also offer Ceramics, Fashion & Textile Design, Metalsmithing & Jewelry, and Black & White Photography.

Additionally, please note: As of March 17, 2021, our in-person program has limited space.

Starting in July 2021, MECA is now also offering an online Pre-College option.

Online students receive equivalent education as our face-to-face students, but don't have access to our studios or residence halls. Both In-Person and Online Pre-College students can earn up to 3 college credits while developing new skills and the start to an art portfolio.

Online Option Details

All in-person Pre-College students choose two majors. Online Pre-College students have the option to choose either 1 major for 1.5 college credits, or two majors to receive the full 3 credits.

Online students can select one of four Majors: Animation, Comics and Graphic Novel, Painting, or Drawing.

Comics and Graphic Novel (Illustration) or Animation: Are offered in live, interactive video broadcast. Online students join their in-person classmates in the classroom by teleconference.

Drawing and Painting: Are offered in Zoom-based video conferences for exclusively online students. Live class meetings occur in web-based video.

All online students are also enrolled in a self-paced, Interdisciplinary Studio Workshop course, which teaches students how to create a home studio, develop a personal brand and artistic identity, begin developing a portfolio, read and write about art, and how to be an Art College student.  Online students also have the option to join in a series of student life events to get to know classmates and college life at MECA. Each major is given equal time.

Online Option Schedule

Both the in-person and online schedule:

Monday-Friday (Eastern Standard Time)
9am—12pm: Majors courses
12pm—1pm: Lunch
1pm—4pm: Majors courses
4pm—9pm: Events, portfolio reviews, Interdisciplinary Studio Workshop~ and Student Life programming (three evenings per week).

~Online only

Online students have access to their online instructors, program coordinators, and teaching assistants through office hours (both scheduled and on-call) for support with technique, college life questions, and their experience with MECA.

Faculty

Pre-College faculty members include dedicated professionals who are practicing studio artists, instructors at Maine College of Art, and other faculty from institutions across the nation. The education and experience of MECA’s instructors reflect the College’s national reputation, its dedication to a solid studio foundation, and the strength of its studio majors.

Pre-College Portfolio Scholarship

Maine College of Art offers a merit scholarship of $1,500 for all in-person and online Pre-College participants who completed the full 3-credit Pre-College program (2 Majors) and who are accepted to MECA’s BFA program. Pre-College students who complete 1.5 credits (1 Major) are eligible for $750 in scholarship funds once enrolled in our BFA program. All Pre-College students are invited to participate in the Pre-College Portfolio Day--both online and in-person--which is held during the last week of the program, as well as our Digital Art Show. Recent high school or personal work may be included. In addition, all participants will receive an application fee waiver to MECA’s BFA Program.

2021 Program Dates

July 2-24, 2021*.

*Please note: Due to Covid-19 testing protocols, we have changed our move-in date for in-person students to July 2. Student life activities for both online and in-person students will begin on July 2, and the program's curriculum begins July 5 as originally planned. 

2021 Application Deadline

Priority Deadline (in person program): February 1, 2021 

Priority Deadline (online program): March 15, 2021

General Deadline (both programs): April 15, 2021**

Certain majors fill up quickly. Admitted students whose applications are postmarked by February 1, 2021, will have a better opportunity of getting their major(s) of choice and will be given priority consideration for need-based financial aid.

Following the February 1 Priority Deadline, preference will be given to applications received by April 15, 2021, or until the program reaches maximum capacity. Need-based financial aid (in-person Pre-College only) will continue to be awarded as funds remain available.

**Online applications may continue to be accepted until June 1, 2021 so long as we have openings.