First-Year Applicants

First-Year applicants must submit:

• Application and application fee
• Personal Statement
• Letter(s) of Recommendation
• SCI-Arc Supplement Question (The Common Application)
• High School Transcript(s)
  
• Portfolio (optional)
• Official SAT I or ACT Test Scores (optional)

Priority Deadline: January 15, 2026

SCI-Arc operates on a rolling admissions basis. Applications received after the priority deadline will be considered on a case-by-case basis as space permits. To be reviewed for both admission and scholarship consideration, applications must be completed, and all required documents must be submitted by the priority deadline.

Application Submission Process

Applying to SCI-Arc is simple, you can choose to apply using either our dedicated SCI-Arc Application or the Common Application.

Step 1: Select one of the following application platforms:

SCI-Arc Application
(or)
The Common Application

Step 2: Submit the Required Documents

• Personal Statement
• SCI-Arc Supplement Question (The Common Application)
• Letter(s) of Recommendation
• Portfolio (optional)
• High School Transcript(s)
• Official SAT I or ACT Test Scores (optional)
• Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo Score (International Applicants)

Step 3: Pay the nonrefundable $85 application fee.

Detailed Application Requirements

Application and Application Fee

Apply to SCI-Arc in one of two ways:

The Common Application

• Select SCI-Arc as one of your schools.
• Complete SCI-Arc’s supplement question.
• Submit the $85 nonrefundable application fee.

SCI-Arc’s Application

• Apply directly through our online application.
• Submit the $85 nonrefundable application fee.

Application fee: nonrefundable $85 for either application.

Fee waivers: Available for eligible domestic students. Request through your school counselor.

Personal Statement

If applying through the SCI-Arc application, the personal statement consists of a single prompt designed to give the Admissions Committee insight into applicant’s interests, motivations, and goals. If applying through The Common Application, there are several prompts for you to choose from and the response must be submitted through The Common Application.

SCI-Arc Supplement Question (Common Application only)

The SCI-Arc Supplement Question is found in The Common Application and the response must be submitted through The Common Application. The SCI-Arc Supplement Question is an opportunity for the admissions committee to gain insight into the applicant’s interests, motivations, and goals.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants must submit recommenders’ contact information through The Common Application. Recommenders will then receive an email from The Common Application prompting them to complete the request. Recommenders may include teachers (current or former), employers, and other professionals.

Portfolio (optional)

Submission of a portfolio is optional. When submitting a portfolio, consider the following guidelines:

• Upload 5–25 individual files. Each upload counts as one image, page, or spread.
• PDF portfolios must be split into single-page PDFs.
• Showcase a range of your creative work—architectural work is not required.
• Work may come from school, extracurricular activities, or independent projects (e.g., drawing, sketching, painting, graphic design, photography, video, sculpture, ceramics, furniture design).
• Include a brief description with each upload (e.g., dimensions, media, intent).
• Do not upload multi-page files.

High School Transcript(s)

All first-year applicants must submit official high school transcripts that show all completed coursework from grade levels nine (9) through eleven (11). Undergraduate applicants who have completed any college coursework during high school must also submit these transcripts.

Applicants who have attended or are attending an educational institution outside the United States are required to have their transcripts evaluated by a NACES member organization.

Official SAT I or ACT Test Scores (optional)

Undergraduate applicants may submit official test scores from either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) or the American College Test (ACT). SCI-Arc does not require the essay section of the new SAT, nor the writing portion of the ACT.

SCI-Arc School Codes

• SAT 1575
• ACT 0423

TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo

Students who have attended an educational institution whose primary language of instruction is not English are required to submit official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores directly to SCI-Arc. Reference the International Applicants page for more details.

SCI-Arc School Code

• TOEFL 7802

Mailing Application Materials

We request that official documents be submitted electronically.

If physical mailing is required, be sure to use the following address:

ATTN: SCI-Arc Office of Admissions
960 E. 3^rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Applicant Portal

Once an application is submitted, students will receive login credentials to access their applicant portal, where they can track and view their application status.

Decision Timeline

Applicants applying for the fall semester by the priority deadline will receive their admissions decision during the months of March and April. Applicants applying after the priority deadline will be notified on a rolling basis in April. Applicants placed on the waitlist will be notified on a rolling basis as positions become available. SCI-Arc does not rank its waitlist.

Admissions decisions are posted on apply.sciarc.edu/apply/status

For any questions during the application process, contact the Office of Admissions at 213.356.5320 or email admissions@sciarc.edu.