Join the Beating the Odds Video Blog Contest at PortPrep.com and automatically get a free 1/2 hour consultation for your artworks from experienced art instructor Karen Kesteloot. The best video entries will win six 2-hour coaching services from Ms. Kesteloot at her studio in Guelph, Ontario or through video chat. Contest is eligible to current or former students of an art or design program in college. By participating in this contest, you not only help upcoming students prepare with their college art applications, but also receive coaching to help improve your portfolio.

1. Student Success Stories video blog
contest

2. IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS TO
FOLLOW
• Choose a category:
– Interesting & Compelling (Category One)
– Entertaining & Creative (Category Two)
• Create a 1- 3 minute video highlighting your journey of how you
got into your dream post-secondary school. All art and design
programs that require entrance portfolios welcome.
• Upload your video onto YouTube with the name: “BEATING THE
ODDS Student Success Stories” In brackets include your chosen
category and the school you applied to.
• Email info@portprep.com with the following information:
– video link to YouTube
– your name, and where you are from
– name of program and post-secondary school you applied to
• Wait for an e-mail back because EVERYONE WINS SOMETHING!

3. CATEGORY ONE- Interesting &
Compelling
This category demonstrates the great efforts that
you went through to get accepted into the school
of your dreams. It shares a story of human
triumph of beating the odds and overcoming
some unusually challenging life circumstance like
illness or disability, lack of opportunity for
training, dramatic turning point in your life, or
overcoming financial/social/political
barriers, winning a scholarship to a prestigious
school via your talents, etc.

4. CATEGORY TWO- Entertaining &
Creative
This category gives you a chance to have some
fun and show off your creative genius through
stunning artwork, graphics, animation or
other creative presentation ideas. This
category challenges you to wow us with your
wit and ingenuity. It’s your chance to entertain
us and maybe even have a video that goes
viral! Think of how you can show your story of
success in a funny, clever or beautiful way.

5. WHAT YOU WILL WIN!
Every entry will get a minimum of ½ hour of
instruction and helpful tips about how to
prepare for college by PortPrep Portfolio
coach, Karen Kesteloot. This valuable training
will help students prepare for post-secondary
school and give them an extra step above
their classmates before the classes begin.

6. WHAT YOU COULD WIN!
• Runners-up:
– Two runners up from each category (Interesting & Compelling, Entertaining & Creative) will
receive 2 full hours of college preparation tips, drawing instruction or portfolio appraisal and
recommendations for summer study.
• Fan Favorite:
– The fan favorite is based on the number of YouTube views and likes the video gets. The entry
with the most views will receive 4 hours of instruction or portfolio appraisal and
recommendations for summer study. The fan favorite will also receive two limited edition
portfolio preparation videos from the series The Proven ARTS Answer.
• Grand prize winners:
– The grand prize winner from category one (Interesting & Compelling) and from category two
(Entertaining & Creative) will receive a full course of summer study to prepare for college in
the form of six 2 hour classes over 2 months of the summer. The instruction can be received in
whatever mode is most convenient to the winner. The grand prize winners will also receive
two limited edition portfolio preparation videos from the series The Proven ARTS Answer.
For more information about The Proven ARTS Answer, visit this link
http://portprep.com/wp/proven-arts-answer/

7. THE JUDGING PROCESS
• The top 20 will be selected based on the number of views
of their video. The top 20 entries will then be reviewed by
Karen Kesteloot with a board of 3 other art instructors from
various fields of specialization. These judges will select the
4 winning entries.
• WHAT JUDGES ARE LOOKING FOR?
– Humorous, clever or entertaining—something that would get
attention on YouTube
– Highly creative with interesting
artworks, graphics, music, acting, dancing, or other
performance art, etc.
– Creatively edited and presented well with great artwork or
graphics in the editing
– Do something that makes your story stand out
– Make sure you own the copyright of all images

8. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE
IDEAS LISTED BELOW:
• What odds did you beat?
• What made your acceptance so important to you?
• What was the biggest contributing factor to your acceptance?
• Who supported you through this process?
• What was your biggest challenge during this process?
• Did anything odd or funny happen during your application
process?
• How has your life changed since you have been accepted?
These are all possible ideas you can use for your video. However, feel free to be creative and express yourself!
CREATIVITY AND HUMOUR WILL HELP YOUR VIDEO STAND OUT AMONG THE REST!

9. WHAT TO EXCLUDE
• Artwork that is not your own
• Images of or inclusion of people that have not signed the attached waiver
form
• Cursing or coarse language
• Profanity of any kind
• Nudity other than possible examples of life drawing that were in your
portfolio
• Disturbing and inappropriate visuals or content; keep in mind that while
we are creative sorts that do often push the boundaries, that this is an
educational site and needs to follow societal propriety
• Content that is derogatory towards any peoples, groups, and institutions
including PortPrep
Any video that does not respect these guidelines will be disqualified and will not receive the
1/2hour Skype or other web call or live chat consultation, nor will you receive the portfolio assessment.

10. DO YOU DISLIKE MAKING VIDEOS? NO PROBLEM!
Just send us a written blog with your photo or self-portrait and
receive an email of advice based on your personal portfolio.
THANK YOU for participating! Can’t wait to view your entries!
Feel free to email Karen Kesteloot at info@portprep.com
Follow us on Twitter: @portprep
Click here to view
contest guidelines in
PDF form.