Students attending college for the first time and pursuing their first associate or bachelor’s degree or diploma must complete the following in order to begin the enrollment process:

1. Personal interview. Students are required to meet with an assistant director of admissions. A telephone interview can fulfill this requirement under certain circumstances. The purpose of the interview is to explore the student’s background and interests and how they relate to The Art Institute’s programs, to assist the student in identifying the appropriate area of study consistent with his or her background and interests, and to provide information concerning the curriculum and support services at The Art Institute.
2. Application for admission, including essay and enrollment agreement. (See application form, booklet, or Web site.)
3. High school transcript or General Educational Development (GED) test scores. Transcripts must show grades for all years of high school attended and date of graduation. An applicant still in high school will be considered for early acceptance contingent on proof of graduation. Transcripts should be mailed or faxed directly to the college. Before a student may begin studies at The Art Institute of Tennessee- Nashville, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, he or she must have received a diploma from a regionally accredited high school or a state-approved home school program, demonstrating satisfactory completion of state high school equivalency requirements, or earned a General Educational Development (GED). A certificate of attendance or completion is not acceptable.
4. Official report of COMPASS test scores. SAT, ACT, or ASSET test scores can be used in place of the COMPASS test. The ASSET test is preferred at The Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville. If the applicant has not taken any of these tests prior to application, the COMPASS test may be taken at no charge  at The Art Institute of Atlanta or any of its satellite or branch campuses. 
5. The Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur and The Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville receive SAT and ACT test scores through the student’s high school transcript. A U.S. $50 non-refundable application fee and a U.S. $100 refundable tuition deposit. 

NOTE: A portfolio of the student’s artwork is not required for admission, but is required for high school seniors entering the annual scholarship competition. Work experience in the foodservice or hospitality industry is not required for culinary arts applicants. Students applying for the food & beverage management or wine, spirits & beverage management programs must provide proof of age to show that they will be 21 years of age or older before matriculating in the program.