Portfolio & Admissions Mentorship
Expert Kingston School of Art Portfolio Preparation & Application Help
One-to-one Kingston School of Art portfolio preparation with practising artists, for the Fine Art BA (Hons) and MFA: a digital portfolio of 15 to 20 pages, the four values Kingston looks for, and a UCAS application by 13 January 2027.
From an overwhelmed Foundation year to a first-choice Fine Art offer
Kingston’s preferred route into Fine Art is a Foundation Diploma first. Nawal’s is a good example of what that year can produce. So here is what it took.
Nawal built her portfolio from scratch to secure a place on her first-choice BA Fine Art & Art History programme at Goldsmiths.
How Cadmium approaches a Kingston School of Art portfolio
Kingston School of Art asks for a digital portfolio of 15 to 20 pages, and suggests a PDF. A project can be spread over several pages or take up just one, and Kingston asks you to think about the order. The typical offer is 120 to 136 UCAS points from art and design subjects, and the preferred route is a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design first.
Kingston says there is no single way to approach the submission. Instead, it looks for evidence of creative potential, ideas and a willingness to explore and experiment, through four values: questioning, curiosity, technical ability and enthusiasm. So a Kingston School of Art portfolio is not strengthened by polish alone. It is strengthened when every page shows thinking as well as making.
Every applicant begins with a diagnosis. From there, we build the support around what will make the biggest difference before 13 January, and again before the upload.
Diagnose
First, our Kingston School of Art portfolio preparation begins by assessing your work against the four values Kingston says it looks for.
- Does the portfolio show questioning and curiosity, or only technical ability?
- Is there self-directed work and experiment, or is it a folder of school assignments?
- Is the route right? For instance, Kingston’s preferred route is a Foundation Diploma first, and its typical offer is 120 to 136 UCAS points.
The aim is not to guess a house style, because Kingston says there is no single way to approach the submission. Instead, it is to find the strand of your work with the most questions in it, and build the 15 to 20 pages around it.
90 minutes · online · £250
Develop & Edit
Then we develop the work and edit the PDF, page by page.
- First, we push the self-directed strand of your work further, because Kingston wants to see ideas and a willingness to explore and experiment.
- Then we select and order the 15 to 20 pages, giving a project several pages only where it earns them.
- After that, we build the PDF and check that any film, website or Instagram links open on any device.
Articulate
Finally, we help you explain the ideas behind the work, so the portfolio and your personal statement tell the same story.
- We help you say what each project asks, what you tried and what you would try next, in your own words.
- In addition, we make sure the personal statement and the portfolio point to the same interests, so the application reads as one practice.
In short, every page should show questioning, curiosity, technical ability and enthusiasm, not just one of the four.
What Kingston is actually looking for in a Fine Art portfolio
Kingston publishes the values it wants a portfolio to show, and most applicants never read them. In our experience, four things separate a Kingston School of Art portfolio that stands out from one that does not.
Four values, not a house style
Kingston says there is no single way to approach the submission. Instead, it looks for questioning, curiosity, technical ability and enthusiasm. In other words, a portfolio that only shows skill is covering one value out of four. Work that asks questions, and takes risks to answer them, covers the rest.
Fifteen to twenty pages is an edit
The portfolio is a digital document of 15 to 20 pages. A project can be spread over several pages or take up just one, and Kingston asks you to think about the order. As a result, what you leave out matters as much as what goes in. Links to film, a website or Instagram can sit inside the PDF, as long as they open on any device.
Experiment, and show it
Kingston is interested in your ideas and your willingness to explore and experiment through your practice. So tests, sketchbook pages and unresolved pieces belong next to finished work. Moreover, the course itself spans sculpture, painting, printmaking, installation, film, photography, performance and sound, so range is welcome when it serves an idea.
Foundation is preferred, not required
Kingston’s preferred route is a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design or a recognised equivalent, and a Distinction on that diploma meets the typical offer. BBB or A*CC at A level meets it too. Above all, the Foundation year is where the self-directed work gets made. For that year, see our Foundation portfolio preparation.
Kingston School of Art Fine Art requirements by course
Kingston’s BA and MFA differ in who can apply, what you submit and when. Below is a concise overview of the published requirements for 2027 entry, as well as how Cadmium helps at each stage.
Fine Art BA (Hons)
What the application involves
Apply by 18:00 on 13 January 2027, course code W100. Three years, full time; international students can also apply directly to Kingston.
A digital portfolio of 15 to 20 pages, ideally a PDF, with links to film or a website if needed. Kingston sends upload guidance once you have applied.
Typically 120 to 136 UCAS points from art and design subjects: BBB or A*CC at A level, DDM in a BTEC Extended Diploma, or a Foundation Diploma Distinction. IELTS 6.0, no element below 5.5.
Evidence of creative potential, ideas and a willingness to explore and experiment, through four values: questioning, curiosity, technical ability and enthusiasm.
How Cadmium helps
Choose the route first
First, we look at your qualifications and timing, and whether a Foundation Diploma, Kingston’s preferred route, would strengthen both the offer and the work.
Edit the pages to the four values
Then we select and order the 15 to 20 pages so questioning and curiosity are visible alongside skill, with the strongest work where it will be seen first.
Check the PDF before it goes
Finally, we check that the PDF reads in the order you intend, and that every film or website link opens on any device, before you upload.
Applying to Kingston Fine Art this year? Start with a consultation.
We assess where your work is against Kingston’s four values, and then give you a tailored plan to 13 January.
1 hour · online · £150
Fine Art MFA
What the application involves
No fixed deadline. Kingston encourages you to apply as soon as possible, and applications close when the course is full.
15 to 20 landscape pages as a PDF, one or two images per page, each captioned with title, date, medium and dimensions. Moving image up to 2 minutes in total, on Vimeo or YouTube.
A separate statement about yourself and the work presented: up to 600 words, or a short film of up to two minutes.
A 2:2 or above honours degree in Fine Art; other backgrounds are considered individually. Two years, full time. IELTS 6.5, no element below 5.5.
How Cadmium helps
Edit for development, not a retrospective
First, we choose the 15 to 20 pages so they show the development of ideas through your practice, and a growing understanding of contemporary art.
Caption with care
Then we check every caption and the optional 50-word notes, so the context is clear without explaining the work away.
Write or film the statement
Finally, we coach the 600 words, or the two-minute film, so it explains your practice and why the MFA is the right next step, in your own words.
Applying for the Kingston MFA? Start with a consultation.
We assess where your practice is, and then give you a tailored plan for the portfolio and the statement.
1 hour · online · £150
Entry requirements, codes and dates come from Kingston University’s and UCAS’s published pages for 2027 entry, and they change by year. So we verify current requirements as part of your planning. All support is feedback and guidance on your own work; we do not make work or write statements on your behalf.
UCAS portfolios that turned into offers.
The Slade (UCL)
“My tutor helped me with my Fine Art portfolio when I was applying to art school and she was honestly brilliant. I was looking at UAL, Central Saint Martins, Goldsmiths and Slade, and she really helped me understand
Read the full review →
what these places are looking for. Before working with her I had a lot of work, but I didn’t really know how to put it together or what to leave out. My tutor helped me edit everything down, think about the order of the portfolio, show my research and development properly, and make the whole thing feel much clearer. She also gave me really good artist references that actually related to my work, not just random names. Her feedback was direct but very encouraging, and I felt much more confident afterwards. I’d really recommend my tutor to anyone applying for Fine Art, Foundation or art school courses. She knows the process properly and really cares about the work. I got into my first choice btw (Slade!) so very grateful”
M
May
★★★★★
Goldsmiths · BA Fine Art
“My tutor’s support was extremely helpful in preparing my BA Fine Art portfolio and interview. She looked at my work very carefully and helped me choose the strongest pieces for my portfolio, while also showing me how to explain
Read the full review →
the hidden ideas and layers behind my paintings more clearly. Her guidance made me feel much more confident in presenting my practice at interview, and I am sure it helped me communicate the essence of my work properly. I was very happy to receive a place on BA Fine Art at Goldsmiths, and I am very grateful for her support.”
A
Alina Sementsova
★★★★★
Goldsmiths · Glasgow · UAL
“I worked with my tutor throughout high school while developing my Visual Communication Design and Art folios, as well as during my university applications. Her feedback helped me strengthen the direction and creativity of my work, and she
Read the full review →
also supported me with my personal statement and an art analysis essay for UAL. With my tutor, I was able to articulate my interests in curation and art history much more clearly, and the Programme Leader for Curating at Goldsmiths even emailed me to say they were impressed by my personal statement. With her help, I received offers for Curating and History of Art at Goldsmiths, History of Art at the University of Glasgow, and Culture, Criticism and Curation at UAL. What I found more valuable was my tutor’s ability to help me clarify and communicate my ideas more confidently, and I’d definitely recommend my tutor to students applying for competitive art and humanities courses.”
J
Jessica Shang
★★★★★
Edinburgh · UAL · Glasgow
“I worked with my tutor while preparing my portfolio for UK art school applications, including university of Edinburgh and UAL. Her feedback helped me clarify the direction of my work, identify which projects needed further development,
Read the full review →
and present my portfolio much more clearly for submission and interviews. I received offers from Edinburgh, UAL, Glasgow, and I’d definitely recommend my tutor to students applying to competitive art and design courses.”
А
Анастасия Левенцова
★★★★★
Goldsmiths · CalArts
“My tutor completely changed how I approached my art school application. I came in with a scattered portfolio and zero clue how to talk about my work. She helped me shape everything, from sketchbook pages to my personal statement,
Read the full review →
and helped made it feel like me instead of just ticking boxes. She’s honest, sharp, and actually cares. I got into my first-choice schools (Goldsmiths and Cal Arts) and felt confident going into the interview, which I never thought would happen. If you’re applying to art school or university in general, just book her.”
A
Adam
★★★★★
UCL · Art & Technology
“My tutor was extremely helpful during my university application process, specifically regarding my personal statement and art portfolio. He provided structured guidance on brainstorming new artworks and offered practical advice on how to tailor
Read the full review →
my portfolio to meet the requirements of my chosen course. Throughout our sessions, he was patient and demonstrated a thorough understanding of the admissions process. He is an effective guidance counselor and teacher who provides clear, professional support. With his help, I got into all the courses that I have applied for, and I will be heading to UCL to pursue Art and Technology.”
Annika Tsang
★★★★★
of Cadmium admissions students to date have secured an offer from one of their top-choice institutions.
90 minutes · online · £250
Know exactly what to prioritise before you submit.
Our Mentors
Our mentors are Internationally exhibited, practising artists with proven experience navigating competitive foundation, BA and MA/MFA Fine Art admissions.
Cyrus
Artist & Filmmaker
- LONDON, UK
- ALSO Speaks: mandarin, CANTONESE
Amélie
Artist
- london, uk.
- ALSO Speaks: french
Hazel
Artist
- London and Newcastle, U.K.
Sean
Artist & Draughtsman
- LONDON, UK and Bangkok, Thailand
Enrica
Artist
- london, uk.
- ALSO Speaks: Italian
Carlotta
Artist
- London, U.K.
- ALSO Speaks: Italian
Choose your next step.
Whether you need focused feedback on an existing portfolio or broader guidance on your work, applications and next steps, choose the support that fits where you are now.
1-Hour Consultation
Broader advice on your work, goals and next steps.
Best if you need help deciding what support you need, how to approach your application, or what direction to take next.
1 hour · online · £150
Portfolio Review
Existing portfolio. Focused expert feedback.
Review your current work and get clear direction on what to keep, change and prioritise before you submit.
90 minutes · online · £250
Looking for ongoing support? Explore Portfolio & Admissions Mentorship →