We're continuing to review applications! You're going to love being a Saxon, and we would be so happy to have you.
This program has reached the maximum number of participants. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you would like to be placed on the wait list, please contact Isaac Matson. If not, consider registering for another Pre-College Program.
July 5 to July 10, 2026
This is an intensive pre-college program for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors preparing portfolios for art school admission and for those about to enter an art school program. Each day will include a morning and afternoon session. The week will begin with emphasis on drawing and move through design and printmaking. Most college art programs require a portfolio that includes drawing. Drawing demonstrates a range of skills and reflects how an artist sees and thinks about composing the rectangle. Drawing requires the artist to see the whole composition and quickly go through a series of comparisons while having their hand keep pace. The workshop will break those steps down, helping students build portfolios that reflect a more advanced approach to drawing. Building on the language of drawing we will transition into a design project. Using collage, students will be challenged to create dynamic and well- organized images. We will discuss the basic design elements to consider when making an image. Those images will be the basis for a block print which will be printed by the students in our printshop.
High School; Beginners Encouraged
Program Cost: $1,000
Program Deposit: $100
This pricing includes tuition, materials, meals, and housing. All housing and meals will take place here on Alfred University’s campus.
We are pleased to offer a $100 discount off tuition for students whose primary residence is within a fifty-mile radius of Alfred, New York, as well as for children of Alfred University Alumni and returning students from any Pre-College Program at Alfred University. Please contact Pre-College Programs Coordinator Isaac Matson for details.
Professor Kathryn Vajda was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and her MFA from Indiana University in Bloomington. In addition to her print work, she has taught printmaking and drawing for over 25 years. Her Snow City and Ice prints have been exhibited in numerous exhibitions including “Flickering at the Edge of Anthropocene,” Blockfort Gallery, Columbus, OH (2020); “Mounds Piles and Massing,” Walsh Gallery, Seton Hall University (2019); “Fractured Habitats,” AC Gallery, Beijing, China (2019); “Indigo Celebrates 10 Years,” Indigo Art, Buffalo, NY (2018); The View in the Vandervort Gallery, Old Forge, NY, (2018); and the 6th Guanian International Print Biennial, China 2017. The series was shown as part of “Configuration: Recent work by Kathryn Vajda and Bryan Hopkins" at Indigo Art in Buffalo, NY (2016). She was interviewed by “Hello, Print Friend” in 2023 and has given numerous talks.
"This program allowed me to experience campus by living in the Brick, spending time in classrooms, outside, and at the dining hall, and meeting Alfred students and staff. Through this experience I learned principles of art and design and I created two pieces which I used to apply to Alfred, helping me to receive admission and scholarships. Staying on campus and exploring the area gave me the perspective on the school which I needed to make an informed decision on where I want to go to college, and the impression it left on me encouraged me to decide to attend Alfred University. I am thrilled to have gotten this opportunity and found out where I want to go." - Faegh, First Year Student, Alfred University
Alfred University is located in the peaceful village of Alfred in Western New York State, where summer days are warm and nights are cool and comfortable. Surrounded by rolling hills and beautiful meadows and valleys, Alfred University is the perfect place to spend an enjoyable week learning more about your favorite subject and meeting other students who share your passions!
The campus, a 6-hour drive from New York City, 2 hours from Buffalo and 1 1/4 hours from Rochester, is easily accessible by car or bus from all directions and is located just five miles south of Interstate 86. The nearest major airport is the Rochester International Airport (about 65 miles north). Transportation to and from that airport can be provided for an additional charge if we receive your request by the date indicated in your acceptance notification. After that date students must make their own arrangements with an airport limo service.
The University may cancel any course or activity at any time because of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If a program is canceled or postponed, the University will refund registration fees, but cannot be held responsible for other costs, charges, or expenses, including cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines or travel agencies.
Whether considering candidates for admission or financial aid, applicants for employment or the management of its policies and school-administered programs, Alfred University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, age, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, or disability. Alfred University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.
