Art School vs Traditional School Art Major?

Dad of rising junior, who attends good suburban HS on Long Island, NY.

Excellent grades (101.3 average weighted) and LOVES art. She takes multiple art electives and forgoes a lunch period. She is legit talented (as per her teachers and the eye test).

She’s voluntarily taking a summer pre-calc course over the summer so she can take AP Calc as a junior to have more art elective options senior year.

I am seeking advice on the following:

  1. Is art school foolish as an option? Ought we to push her to a traditional school and major in art?
  2. Any experience others might have with art schools?
  3. Any traditional schools with strong art programs?
  4. Will she have any chance at a decent financial aid package if she pursues art?

My wife and I are solidly middle class and both work in education, but I am not sure FAFSA will feel the same way!

Thanks for any insight.

Hi, my D was debating art school vs a LAC this past cycle and ultimately ended up choosing a more traditional program. She ended up deciding that she has more options at a LAC and isn’t 100 percent sure she wants to be an artist (but hasn’t ruled it out either). She did a pre-college program at an art school b/w junior and senior year (at Pratt in brooklyn). That experience helped her solidify her choice. It of course costs money but for us it was a worthwhile experience. As for financial aid, at a LAC her major won’t have an effect (or at least I think it won’t) on how most LACs calculate aid - that is all done based on income. But I don’t know about art school financial aid. If she does really want an art school, there are some that are connected to or affiliated with universities - Pratt has other non-art majors, RISD students can take classes at Brown, SMFA at Tufts can take Tufts classes, so maybe one of those could help straddle the interests. Good luck with the process!

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A more generalized college may offer more opportunities to combine art with in-depth study of some other subject. For example:

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I have an MFA in studio art and currently teach art at a small state university. I spent a few years teaching at an Art Magnet high school. My advice is always to avoid debt if you can. She will be much more likely to continue making art if she is not worried about paying back huge loans on top of making a living. I considered art schools, but ended up going to my flagship state school where I got a great education and a decent studio art department. Art schools do not often have that much aid. Most have a few big merit scholarships, but not great financial aid.

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Will also add that I went to a highly ranked graduate program and non of my fellow grads had attended an art school for undergrad.

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