What should I do if I didn’t get accepted into Sheridan College’s animation program?

First and foremost, you are not alone. It is very common for applicants of Sheridan College’s Animation program not to get in the first time they apply, especially those who are applying straight from high-school. In fact, if you do actually get into Sheridan from high-school, you are in the minority! Most students take some kind of introductory College-level art program for a year or so, such as Art Fundamentals at Sheridan, or even take a year off to build up their skills on their own. As a company dedicated to helping students close the knowledge gap between many high-school art programs and what’s required to be accepted into Animation, we feel that we’ve created a better way to proceed, and that’s what this blog post is about.

It’s really worth concentrating on the fact that thousands of students apply and only a small fraction are successful. Keeping this as your mantra whenever you feel low about your art should keep you from being too discouraged. As with any skill that’s worth learning, if you show up, and put in the consistent time to improve your art, you’ll see the results. This isn’t rocket science — that comes later!

If you did not get accepted it most likely means you are not ready for the course yet, or perhaps didn’t read the portfolio requirements properly. If you were accepted despite not truly being ready for the program, you will fall behind, at best. At worst, you’ll constantly feel unable to do the assignments. It would end up being far more frustrating to be in the program sooner than to take some time to improve your skills beforehand. You want to minimise your stress as much as possible for your first College experience.

The Big Question: Is Animation Right for You?

I find that there is a distinction between people who are primarily fans of animation, versus those that actually want to develop the skills to work in the animation industry. There is also a distinction between the characteristics of animation students and what they’d be best suited to specialising in within the realm of animation.

I’ve made a simple graph to help illustrate this point:

Now, as with all graphs of this type, understand that this is a spectrum and also that you will likely oscillate between different modes at different times of your life. The two archetypes circled on the right of this graph are those who will typically ask more questions, and express their curiosity in a broad sense about the craft and technique involved in the creation of animation. They want to get under the hood of the processes involved. The archetypes on the left are also incredibly interested in animation, but are happy to remain some distance away from it. They also are likely to care more about the finished product rather than the process; they typically view animation from an outside perspective, however immersed they may be in the moment of watching.

I recommend that you think deeply about these distinctions, however simplified they are above. If you’ve still decided that you’re on the right side of the graph…

…You can re-apply!

Once you’ve weathered the emotional storm of not getting in the first, or second, or even third time, and you still know you want to study animation, then you should reapply. Several of our students had previously applied twice and, with our guidance, finally got accepted the third time. We have also had students who studied something completely different in University but wanted to switch gears to animation, and they have also been accepted. If you stay dedicated and are persistent, you will drastically increase your likelihood of getting in. Compare the artwork you create for the next year’s portfolio with other successful students’ work. Many students who are just starting out as artists would like guidance from professionals, and this is the role that PortPrep can play. If you struggle with creating consistent work, improving your skills regularly, and keeping on track to complete the required portfolio assignments, we can provide a level of accountability and feedback for you. With passion and drive, you can do it on your own - but sometimes you need to put the hours in first, and then the passion and drive comes once you feel more confident in your craft, and we provide some varied pathways for you to grow as an artist.

1. Use your previous portfolio’s feedback
   If you had applied previously, you’ll also have received a score for each assignment. Use this feedback; reflect on how you can apply it. Create a study plan to improve your weakest areas and practise as often as possible. The worst thing you can do is to repeat the same mistakes.

2. Practise every day
   Practising every day is a lot for almost everyone. Everybody prefers making original stories or characters than simply practising to improve their skills. However, it is incredibly valuable to have time for practice solely for the point of improving. Even if you draw just 30 minutes per day, it is so much better than not drawing at all. Create a routine where you will draw consistently. When you wake up, before bed, after work/school, watching TV. Just practise.

3. Watch Tutorials
   There are millions of free tutorials out there. Pull up the ol’ distraction central, YouTube, and use it productively by finding a helpful tutorial, and follow along. I have linked several in my Animation Resources page. There are incredibly detailed and specific tutorials out there. You can even get good short tutorials on TikTok and YouTube Shorts!

4. Get more feedback!
   Ask a friend, family, or people online. Even if you ask a non-artist for feedback, they will probably find something you missed. Just make sure you don’t ask someone who is too nice with feedback and will just love everything you do. Conversely, be careful about asking someone who will give you too much feedback and will melt your self-esteem. I recommend our PortPrep Discord channel - everyone is there to improve, grow. They’re very smart and kind. Our Discord has so many good resources for improving your art. You can learn a lot just lurking from afar.

5. Look at other animation portfolios
   There are so many portfolios on Youtube. In fact, there is almost an endless supply of animation portfolios. Some brave people even post their rejected portfolios. If you need some inspiration for reapplying I recommend watching some videos about students who get rejected one year but accepted the next. Our YouTube channel also has a ton of portfolios that we discuss with our students in-depth. Much to the average high-school art teacher’s dismay, we encourage you to frequently compare your own progress to the quality of the successful portfolios you find.

6. Take art lessons or get an art mentor
   Hey, that’s our cue! A big part of what PortPrep does, put as simply as possible, is to fill the role of underfunded, overly expansive high-school art courses, and the high-level of skill and proficiency with classical art traditions desired by programs like Animation at Sheridan College. We help to properly prepare students for this rigorous discipline by letting them in gently, and without some of the bad practices that can be picked up by peers in an introductory art program, such as burnout and time management issues. Garth is our primary animation instructor, and he both graduated from Sheridan College, and is currently a full-time animator when he’s not teaching our students! If you’d like to have a call with him any time, just click here and book a time. Or if you’d like to explore on your own, you can check out our Online Animation Classes, our Personal Mentorships, or come meet us in-person in Guelph during on of our annual Summer Camps.

Thanks for reading, and we hope this has been helpful and encouraging - please let us know in the comments below!