This page details all the application materials and admissions requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Game Design, a degree program focused on player experiences and compelling interactive systems. Read all sections carefully — particularly the submission of a design portfolio, which is unique to the program — and please contact admissions@digipen.edu if you need clarification on any of these requirements.
Requirements at a Glance
Application for Admission
You must submit an online application to be considered for admission. You can start your application, save, and return to it as many times as needed until you’re ready to review and submit it. Your personal statement and portfolio can be uploaded after submission. We recommend submitting your application and application materials two to four weeks after starting. Please review the application instructions on this page and prepare the necessary materials prior to beginning the online application.
Application Fee
You must include a $60 application fee along with your application. This can be done via the application portal. Application fees can also be paid by credit card, cash, check, or money order (made out to DigiPen Institute of Technology).
DigiPen provides application fee waivers to applicants who visit us for an on-campus admissions outreach event or who attend an online information session or virtual admissions meeting.
Optional ACT/SAT Scores
Submitting SAT or ACT scores alongside your application is optional. Applicants will not be disadvantaged if they are unable to submit a test score. We evaluate applicants holistically and consider all qualifications and circumstances in our admission decisions. Applications will be reviewed once all required materials have been received, regardless of whether SAT or ACT scores are included.
There is no minimum score requirement for either test, and we do not prefer one test over the other. SAT II Subject Tests are not required for admission but may be considered during the evaluation process if included with your application. If you would like your scores to be considered for your application, they must be sent directly to DigiPen by the issuing organization or included on your official high school transcripts. You can order your ACT scores at www.act.org and your SAT scores at www.collegeboard.org. To have your official SAT or ACT scores sent to DigiPen, include the college program code 4138 on your SAT form or 6659 on your ACT form.
Transcripts
All applicants must submit official transcripts from all educational institutions attended before they can be enrolled at DigiPen. Because requests for official transcripts take time to process, in addition to courses needing to be complete, we will accept unofficial transcripts during the application process. Unofficial transcripts can typically be obtained yourself and can include in-progress courses.
High School Transcripts
To meet the minimum requirement for admission to DigiPen, all applicants must have completed grade 12 or the equivalent. We recommend applicants have a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale in their most recent studies. Applicants must report their entire academic history from grade nine or equivalent and onward.
Type of transcripts you must submit depend on your situation:
Current high school seniors should submit their most recent in-progress high school transcripts with their application.
Students who have earned their GED should submit transcripts for the time that they attended high school, along with GED test scores. GED score reports may be requested via the GED Testing Service website.
Homeschooled students should submit transcripts from an accredited curriculum and official GED test scores, as applicable. See the For Homeschooled Applicants page for more information.
International students must submit transcripts of their academic records. See the For International Applicants page for more information.
College Transcripts
If you have completed a bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution, you are not required to submit your high school transcripts, but you must submit final and official transcripts from the college or university attended along with transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.
College and university transcripts are required for all applicants who have taken coursework at the college or university level. This includes college credit earned during high school. Applicable coursework includes high school concurrent enrollment programs, Running Start, community college, and university courses.
Can I Submit Unofficial Transcripts?
Although we will require official transcripts before you can be enrolled, we will accept unofficial transcripts during the application process. Unofficial transcripts are often easily accessible and can be incomplete if you are still in the process of attending and completing courses. They do not require a pre-approved digital courier service and can typically be downloaded from your educational institute’s website. You can also ask your counselor to send a copy to us at admissions@digipen.edu.
How to Submit Official Transcripts
Please request official copies of your transcripts from each high school and/or college you attended. Students typically need to request official transcripts from the institution’s registrar’s office or website. Please order your transcripts early to allow time for processing.
The documents can be either mailed to DigiPen directly from the school or mailed personally if they are sealed in an envelope with the issuing institution’s registrar stamped across the seal. Transcripts should be mailed to:
DigiPen Institute of Technology
Attn: Office of Admissions
9931 Willows Rd. NE
Redmond, WA 98052
DigiPen also accepts transcripts via the following pre-approved digital courier services:
Personal Statement
The personal statement gives us a chance to learn about your aspirations, your passions, and your story. What do you want us to know? Any successful accomplishments? Why DigiPen? In three pages or less, tell us all about yourself and your career goals through an open-ended personal statement.
Submission Guidelines
Spelling, grammar, and sentence structure are all considered. Proofread your personal statement carefully.
Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, is a tool that can help brainstorm and build written pieces. If used, please include a paragraph at the end of your personal statement that explains what prompts you used and how AI helped inform your written piece. DigiPen students must cite their sources, including any use of generative AI.
Your personal statement should be submitted by uploading directly via the online application.
Design Portfolio
Applicants to the BA in Game Design program are required to submit a portfolio focused on two tasks: writing a response to our writing prompt and providing two examples of previously created works with written explanations on the processes used to create them. Your entire portfolio must have a total of three written works.
Design Writing Prompt
Design requires thoughtful considerations of your audience and how those considerations apply to the goals of your project. For this prompt, please outline how and why you would use park benches to change people’s experience to make the park more social. Consider the materials, placements, and other aspects of the benches. Be sure to explain your design choices.
Your answer to the prompt should be at least one paragraph in length. Spelling, grammar, and sentence structure are all considered. Proofread your response carefully.
Creative Examples
Your two examples of previously created works may be in any medium or platform and are not limited to games. Sample work can include board or video game content, costuming, musical performance, poetry or prose, artwork, or other created works.
Carefully read the full requirements for your creative example. Your submission should include:
Written documentation for each creative work. Your response must include:
One paragraph that describes the work and provides background information.
One paragraph describing your role in creating the work. Classwork is permitted. Team projects are permitted as long as details on your specific role in the team and the tasks for which you were responsible are provided.
One or more paragraphs describing your process for making the work in detail; this should also explain the reasons behind design choices.
(Optional) Up to three supplemental digital files for each work. These digital files should help illustrate your processes and help evaluators understand what you reference in your essays. These digital files may include the work itself or other media representative of the work. Do not submit web links or executable files.
Please note that the portfolio will be reviewed and scored based solely on the documentation about the work and process, not on the quality of the work itself or any external content.
Students are encouraged to display a diverse portfolio demonstrating their process across a variety of different media and audiences.
Portfolio Submission Guidelines
Upload your design portfolio via the application portal. The application portal can support media files as large as 5GB, but please be advised that larger files will take longer to upload from your Internet connection and may stall if you are on a wireless connection or one that cannot sustain a connection for the necessary period of time. Uploaded documents may contain no more than 75 pages. We support the following file formats:
Other Materials
How optional materials factor into your application
Please note that your application will be evaluated once it meets the minimum requirements, even if optional materials are expected to be received.
Optional Letters of Recommendation
All undergraduate applicants (including international applicants) may submit two optional letters of recommendation. Letters must be from individuals familiar with your academic background or work ethic (e.g., an instructor, school counselor, or employer). Recommendation letters from family members will not be considered.
You should ask your references for recommendations before including their names on your application. Ask them to add @digipen.edu to their safe senders list or address book, then tell them to expect a reference request via email. Enter the contact information for your references in the online application, and each reference will receive a link to an electronic recommendation form.
If your references do not receive an electronic recommendation form, they may send their letter of recommendation to admissions@digipen.edu.
For International Applicants
In addition to the typical requirements for undergraduate applicants, international applicants must also provide additional information to be considered for admission to DigiPen. Visit our International Applicants page for details about Academic Records, the Financial Responsibility Form, and providing Proof of Proficiency in the English Language (for non-native English speakers).
For Homeschooled Applicants
We welcome applicants from all types of educational backgrounds and encourage homeschool students to apply to any of our degree programs. All applicants are evaluated on an individual basis, and all aspects of application materials are considered.
Please visit our Homeschooled Applicants page for specific application requirements.