About

The Summer Pre-College Program at Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts is a three-week residential program running July 12–31, 2026, in Richmond, Virginia, for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. VCUarts is one of the most highly ranked public art schools in the United States — its graduate programs in painting, sculpture, and design are consistently placed at or near the top of national rankings — and its Pre-College program gives high school students direct access to that faculty and infrastructure for three weeks on the university's urban campus in downtown Richmond.

Students select one course from an offered list and spend the three weeks working in that discipline with a named VCUarts faculty instructor. The 2026 course offerings span an unusually broad range and include several that are rarely available at this level: Animation Workshop (2D animation in Blender, instructor Jared Duesterhaus); The Art and Business of Fashion (design process, forecasting, branding, and garment making); Ceramics: 3D Portfolio Development, which notably incorporates ceramic 3D printing alongside wheel throwing, coil-building, slab-building, and slip casting into vintage molds (instructor Rice Evans); Character Design, moving from character suites through production refinement to gallery and digital portfolio organization (instructor Jason Bennett); Digital Filmmaking, a full production arc from scriptwriting through editing resulting in an original short film — students must bring their own DSLR or mirrorless camera with full manual control (instructor Brice Goldberg); Drawing Portfolio Development, working through observational exercises, figure drawing from live models, and perceptual color theory (instructor Brian Barr); Fundamentals of Working in Metals and Jewelry, covering soldering and fabrication techniques for rings, pendants, and related forms (instructor Sarah Parker); Intro to Comics & Graphic Novels, producing a fully realized 6–10 page narrative work in sequential form (instructor Kelly Alder); Graphic Design, exploring design methods, materials, and process through iteration and risk-taking; Musical Theatre & Acting Preparatory Program, a triple-threat intensive preparing students for college auditions with coaching in singing, acting, and dance, culminating in filmed audition materials with college-style slating (instructor Joshua Denning); and Painting Portfolio Development, working with gouache illustration, live figure drawing, and conceptual research (instructor Andrew Norris).

The program does not award college credit — the primary page explicitly notes this — and Virginia 529 College Savings Plans are not accepted. Students may choose to live on campus (residential, $4,300) or commute (commuter, $2,900 for students who can arrange local housing independently). A limited number of partial scholarships are available. Applications after the February 1 priority deadline are reviewed on a rolling basis until spots fill; the program notes classes are filling quickly as of the current cycle. A $500 non-refundable enrollment deposit is required upon acceptance. Full program fee is due by June 1.

VCUarts is the right institutional setting for a student who wants serious arts instruction in an urban environment without the price tag of a private conservatory. The course list is more varied and more specifically described than most comparable programs, the named faculty are working artists and designers, and Richmond's own arts scene — centered on the Broad Street corridor where VCUarts sits — provides a context that extends past the studio walls. The Musical Theatre & Acting Preparatory Program is worth naming specifically: a three-week college audition intensive of this specificity, taught by a VCUarts faculty member and culminating in professionally filmed audition materials, is not commonly available at the pre-college level.