Top Reasons F.I.T. can (and will) REJECT your portfolio

1. Poorly Constructed Garment Test

I define poorly constructed in a couple of ways. The first comes down to bad sewing, jagged seams, an outfit that just doesn't make sense etc. It can also be something extremely generic.

I posted this at number 1 because I believe F.I.T. values sewing skills more than sketching if you are applying for to their Fashion Design Apparel Concentration course. My sketching has always been pretty good, and I got rejected TWICE for having a shitty garment test.

You also have to be careful that you don't try to sew something that's clearly beyond your skill.

2. Novice sketches.
F.I.T. does allow computerized sketching, if you are not an artist and your strength is more in sewing, I'd suggest you take advantage of this just to have clean looking drawings.

Stuff that doesn't really matter after the jump

Post Rejection: Cry, Throw Your Sketchbook Against the Wall, Curse Everyone that DID get excepted, now, Strategize

Okay, this post is dedicated to all the people who, like I did in the past, instead of that great big packet you got that shitty form letter, which basically told you you're not good enough to learn how to be better. Yes, say it with me, you're not good enough to learn how to be better. Let off all your steam, some of you make take longer than others, but, if you want it bad enough, you're going to get to this point.
Reapplying, putting 3000% into your next portfoilio, and getting that big acceptance packet.

Dealing with Rejection

I spent a lot of time with this blog talking about how to get IN to FIT, but nothing really about how to deal with the painful aspect of not receiving that big white magical acceptance package.
It sucks. Big time.
I cried the first time I got mine. I think I cried harder the when I got the second one.
I promised myself I would take my time, start my new portfolio six months in advance and this was going to be the LAST TIME I applied to this damn school.
Mind you this resolve came after my second rejection letter.
Tidbit of note: There was actually a 5 year break between my first and second application.
I don't think I can even find the words to express the anguish I felt when I got rejected from this school. This is something I've wanted to do since I was seven years old. I actually have sketches that date back to the early 90's and here these people were telling me I wasn't good enough. In a shitty form letter no less.
Well here's a lesson I wish someone would have told me the first time: Get back on the damn horse and apply again. This is why I say it's SOOOO important to go to Portfolio Day. It can be pretty brutal, the line for F.I.T. was horrendous, but if I hadn't gone, I know for a fact I probably wouldn't have gotten in. Seeing their 'standard' accepted portfolio allowed me to see what they wanted and scrap what I was currently doing to tailor my portfolio to that. Something you might not know is that there is a formula for getting into this school; a very commercial, boring formula, and it's all over this blog. But it's a small price to pay for cheap education (compared to Parsons). As Ralph Rucci says: "Once you know the rules - it's easy to break them." -- Good Luck