Parsons School of Design (The New School)

Parsons is a private art and design school within The New School in New York, with 116 countries represented across the university's student body. Its scholarships weigh the portfolio explicitly: 'All admitted students are automatically considered for partial tuition scholarships based on a holistic review of their application, which includes the review of auditions and portfolios when required. These scholarships are merit-based and do not take financial need into consideration.' For Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates the central visual requirement is the Parsons Challenge, an online portfolio exercise Parsons 'holds in high regard' alongside technical and conceptual ability. Two limits a Kazakh family must plan around: 'most international students are not eligible for need-based financial aid', and 'students are required to buy most of their own art materials.' Parsons does not interview.