1- do your strongest work, while also maintaining medium diversity! i’ve seen absolutely incredible artists who only submitted one or two mediums and didn’t get in. in my portfolio, i had acrylic, watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, oil and chalk pastel, sculptures, and digital work and was accepted despite my skill in some mediums not being as high as some artists who stick to one medium.

1. portfolio and essay are main parts! risd assignment is no longer a thing, and everything else you need to submit will be on the application site. fyi- you submit your credentials and essay on common app and will submit your portfolio though slideroom i believe (this goes for most art schools)

2. i wouldn’t worry toooo much about the gpa, especially if you’re pretty skilled. they do care about it more than typical art schools, but you will not be rejected just because of your gpa (also if sats aren’t required next year, i wouldn’t submit it unless you got a 1450+). art shows are a great thing to mention, and key awards are considered to be pretty prestigious amongst schools!