Applying for Admission to American College of the Building Arts

Online applications for the Fall 2026 Semester will be open on September 1, 2025 and close at the end of May 2026.

We encourage you to tour in person to experience the uniqueness of the college firsthand. During the tour, you’ll have the chance to talk to other students and faculty members to learn their take on this unique educational experience. ACBA hosts Open House monthly. Please join us for breakfast 8:45am with followed by the Open House tour running from 9am to 12.30pm. To register for an Open House date, click here.

Spaces are limited within each trade specialization, therefore we recommend submitting your application as early as possible in the trade of your choice. Please complete all of the requirements for admissions as outlined below.

Click on the image at right to view or download the Student Prospectus. To see our work in action, check out our most recent impact here.

Requirements for admission

Application form and $50 application fee (non-refundable)

Personal essay of 250-500 words outlining your educational and career goals
Creative portfolio (digital or print in word/pdf format) of at least five photos of your creative work, with a short explanation of each one
Official signed transcript(s) from all schools attended sent directly to ACBA from the school(s)
Official SAT, ACT or CLT scores directly from the examining board
Personal Interview (in person or via GoogleMeet)
Letters of recommendation- optional

Transcript(s) from all schools attended

Students preparing to graduate from a public or private high school should have their school send an official copy of their most current official high school transcript directly to ACBA
Students who have graduated high school should ask their previous high school to send a copy of their final transcript with graduation date.
Home School applicants should ask the parent(s) to send a transcript showing successful completion of all course requirements for graduation, which vary by state and organization used to establish the curriculum.
Those who have been enrolled in college before (whether completing a degree or not), ask your college to send official transcripts to determine which classes might transfer to ACBA.

Please ensure all completed documents are sent to admissions@acba.edu.

ACT, SAT or CLT scores:

To apply to ACBA*, our Admissions Committee relies on a variety of considerations to put together a complete picture of the applicant. ACBA’s goal is for you to succeed inside our building and in life beyond. All measures are taken in to account for each individual applicant. Test scores are considered as one factor among many, and the Admissions Committee reviews each applicant holistically, considering GPA, portfolio, essay, interview and other factors. Put together an application packet that reflects why one test doesn't define you!

*Test scores are not required if you graduated high school more than five years ago.

Creative Portfolios

ACBA’s Admissions Committee is interested in seeing your artistic and creative side. Applicants are therefore required to submit a portfolio of at least five photos demonstrating artisan/craft experience and completed work. Each piece of work should include a short description. Please show experience in your desired craft specialization if available, however, is not always a prerequisite for admission to the college.

The portfolio can be a representation of you through photos of work, videos, drawings, sculpture, photography, written works, miniature models, or guild/club participation.

Portfolios become a permanent part of your admission file and will not be returned.

Letters of recommendation

Letters of recommendation are recommended as part of your application package, but not required. Up to three people (not related to you) with the knowledge to assess your potential as a candidate for admission should submit via email their letter directly to the Office of Admissions.