Applicants to Parsons submit the Common Application and then upload a visual portfolio: eight to twelve slides in any media, with process descriptions for at least two pieces. The Parsons essay is 300–400 words on what drew the applicant to the programme; SAT and ACT scores are not required and play no part in the review; English is IELTS 7.0 or equivalent. Deadlines are 1 November for Early Action and Early Decision and 15 January for Regular Decision. Undergraduate tuition is $31,174 a semester, or $62,348 a year (2026/27).
- City
- New York
- Status
- A design school within The New School
- Programme
- BFA Fashion Design, 4 years
- Application
- Common Application + portfolio in the Admission Hub
- Deadlines
- 1 November (EA/ED), 15 January (RD)
- Tuition
- $31,174 a semester ($62,348 a year)
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How the application works
- 01
Common Application
The main application, the school transcript, and recommendations from a school counsellor and a teacher. The Common App essay is not required. The application fee for first-year international applicants is $75.
- 02
The Parsons essay
One essay of 300–400 words on what drew the applicant to The New School’s programmes or community, with attention to the college and programme applied to.
- 03
Visual portfolio
Uploaded to the Admission Hub after the Common App is submitted, ideally as soon as the link arrives. Eight to twelve slides; several images or process materials can go on one slide.
- 04
English
IELTS 7.0 or an equivalent TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo or Cambridge C1/C2 result. SAT and ACT scores are not required and play no part in the review.
- 05
Deadlines
Early Action and Early Decision: 1 November; Regular Decision: 15 January. The school treats other deadlines as priority dates and accepts later applications if places remain.
- 06
First year
All Parsons undergraduates start with a shared first year (drawing and imaging, space and materiality, time, sustainable systems) and move to fashion studios from the second year: Womenswear, Menswear, Fashion Product and Fashion Textiles.
The Parsons portfolio: rules and limits
The school assesses technical and conceptual ability and openly encourages experiment: drawing, painting, sculpture, fashion design, animation, sketchbook pages, even a video of the applicant leafing through a sketchbook.
For two favourite pieces, the applicant describes the idea, sources of inspiration and materials.
Any use of AI in the work or the written application must be described, naming the tools. The school advises against work created entirely by AI, copies of other artists’ work, anime drawings, and styling of ready-made or purchased clothing.
Links to personal websites are not accepted: only images or slides.
How much Parsons costs
Undergraduate study at Parsons in New York (BFA and BBA), 2026/27: $31,174 a semester for a full-time load of 12–18 credits, or $62,348 a year. University fees, housing and insurance are extra.
Parsons Paris (BBA, BFA): $21,308 a semester.
For comparison, FIT in New York is a public college: $8,685 a semester for an international student on an AAS programme.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the portfolio until the deadline: the school asks for it as soon as possible after the link arrives.
- Showing styling of purchased clothing instead of original work.
- Not describing the use of AI: it is a requirement, not a suggestion.
- Writing a general essay about loving fashion instead of answering what drew the applicant to this programme.
Who it suits
- Applicants who want a broad art and design foundation before specialising, on a full American university campus.
- If construction and sewing from day one matter, look at FIT, whose portfolio includes garments the applicant has made. If observation and drawing matter most, look at Pratt.
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