I can talk about ArtCenter a little. It is true that it is not suitable for a a straight out of high schooler due to the fact that there’s a lot of international students there and students that already been in the big world as a artist/designer without a degree BUT there are straight out of high schoolers that are there. It’s not too rare but a lot of them have already come from an art background and know this, the school WILL NOT teach you the basics of creative programs like Photoshop or Illustrator. That is already expected when you enroll in the school.
As a freshman, you go straight into classes that are at a professional level with no fundamental/foundation classes. You will fall behind if you can’t keep up and a lot of high schoolers get in and drop out the second year. And yes, a lot of students are transfers that developed their skills from other schools.
ArtCenter is a great school. I wasn’t an official student there but I took classes from their night program for outsiders and it’s the same as the day school. Challenging and inspiring. And expect that the school will be your life for the next four years as there’s no room to slack off.
It’s a competitive school that not only focuses on design in America but is really an unofficial school that encompasses art/design around the world due to the fact that teachers come from foreign backgrounds and that most of your peers will be international students. That’s when you see what competition is. It’s not just America but the whole world.
@AskExperts if you are still interested in your finding an art school for your child (and not how one particular school compares to the others) I can offer you some insight. I learned quite a bit about the college search for a good art school over the past few years and now I’m near the end of the process. Perhaps some of our experiences will help you.
My DD began looking at art schools everywhere in the country and when we could we would visit the campus. I would have to say that seeing the schools really made the difference. She got a “feel” for the schools when she toured them. Some she thought she’d like, she left feeling nothing special. Others she really wasn’t too jazzed about, she loved. In fact, she chose a school that wasn’t even on her list initially. So my advice would be to apply to as many schools as you can afford or deal with (it’s a process!) and when the acceptances come in, try to tour the schools. My DD was almost sure she wanted to go to one school, but after touring it, changed her mind. She was accepted with a generous scholarship to one of the “elite” art schools and wasn’t interested in it after visiting, despite its reputation. People are shocked she turned down the offer, but as someone (maybe @BrooklynRye?) mentioned, it’s not about dinner party conversation, it’s about what feels right for your child. And the school she chose just felt it right.
Also, if money is an issue then keep in mind that some schools may be more generous than others. Some give a great deal of aid while some schools give practically nothing. It wasn’t a deal-breaker for us, but it’s interesting how an “expensive” art school can really be close in price to a public.
Just for your own use, these are the schools that have art programs she visited (in no particular order): CalArts, UCLA, ArtCenter, MICA, UMBC, Ringling, Pratt, RISD, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Tyler (Temple University), Hartford Art School (University of Hartford,) Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, and yes, VCU.
Feel free to message me if you’d like more info about our college search
It’s all about fit. Each student is individual and has to find their own place. D turned down a $14K per year merit scholarship at Pratt to study art at NYU.
She is graduating with a BFA in studio art with a sculpture concentration and couldn’t be happier with the choice she made. At NYU, she was able to take stage makeup and study vocal performance and use a lot of those skills in her art. She also was seeking a more academic courseload than what other stand alone art programs offer.
NYU exceeded our expectations as the program is growing and now includes an exciting honors program and brand new senior studio facilities. She is very close with her professors and the chair of the department and has had two shows she participated in while still a student have incredible press including the NYT Best of the Year and Art in America articles.
But I would not recommend NYU for graphic design. It is a contemporary, conceptual program that develops each student’s body of work with the hopes of getting gallery representation, etc.
Going back to the original poster…there is no reason to seek an “average” program. It is not about grades or SAT’s in most programs. Even at a school like NYU admissions is 50% academics and 50% portfolio.
Portfolio review is very subjective and the criteria for each school is different. You need to carefully research that. D’s current portfolio is not at all related to what she submitted as a freshman applicant. Schools are experienced enough to know that high school seniors are the product of their school’s instruction and can see past that if they see talent. They are looking for students who can grow, which is why there is a foundation year in most programs.
However, if you look at your son’s portfolio and think it does not show promise, then maybe he should not enter a field where talent and drive matters. Don’t seek average schools, seeks schools that match your son’s needs the best.
I have to agree with these last four posts. All make good points. I also would suggest your child enroll in one of the summer intensive programs if possible. A few weeks of 6-8 hours days of art will give him a better perspective of how serious they wish to pursue art, and how to improve that needed portfolio for application to his schools of choice.
Good Luck.
@veehee Thank you for the kind offer. Very appreciated ! I am not very familiar with some of the schools that you mentioned. I will definitely do some research on them!
@stones3 Thank you again. I am hoping to send my son to the summer intensive programs next summer (after junior year). Any recommendation on summer programs? are they selective? will it help the student’s college admission if the student takes the program from the same school?
I’d like to mention one more school that’s not on many people’s radar but which seems quite good, depending on what you want to do with your art career (I’m sorry but the discussion about how to discuss was a little distracting and I’m not sure if OP mentioned the type of art. Forgive me). The person who graduated from this school that I met recently worked for Vogue for several years directly out of school and then for various other notable places. She is pursuing art teaching now and still swears by the training that she received. She went to Delaware and what she liked about the program were the focuses of the two possible majors. I believe that she did “visual communication”. https://www.art.udel.edu/
She mentioned that when doing the work itself, the various artists in the room at the time had all sorts of backgrounds. People came into the field through multiple points of entry, if that helps at all. Art school was just one of them.
@AskExperts, definitely send your son to a summer program if you are able swing it financially. All the schools that my daughter applied to highly recommended attending one - they are major major portfolio builders heading into the senior year. And yes, it can help with admission to that school but other schools as well. Sometimes the program will even grant college credit. Most importantly, it will be a great way for your son to test out his interest in a studio program and figure out whether it’s truly what he wants to do. Should he decide it’s actually not for him after all and opt for a more traditional college route, he’ll at least have some great art pieces to supplement his application and demonstrate talent in a particular area. And if he emerges more committed than ever - then congrats, he really is ready to get that BFA.
Most are really not selective - you just need to submit the application and supporting materials and fees on time in order to ensure your spot. There is more selectivity surrounding potential scholarship money and that can require a separate application and the submission of a portfolio. Applications usually open up in January/February so that will give you the fall to figure out which program(s) interest him. Many choose to test out a particular school (my D1 attended RISD’s program which is one of the longer ones). The admissions offices tend to be very involved with these programs and a few of them will review your work and offer you admission before you leave - MICA is one example.
There should be some summer pre-college threads on the CC visual arts forum so that can be helpful in learning what to expect. Even if they are from a few years ago they are going to be very useful because they relate actual experiences, including pros and cons.
@AskExperts - Augmenting a bit on Mamelot’s great advice, D2 did both MICA and RISD precollege as well as precollege classes at FIT during the school year. These programs are very rigorous and will not only help your son target his interests, but also give him a realistic taste of the pressures of art school foundation year. Also, not only are these programs great portfolio builders, but in doing so under the tutelage of their professors, your son is creating works that probably fit with what the school is looking for in portfolio submissions. Admissions officers at several of the schools to which D2 applied, told us that, having gone through precollege, the message is that the student is focused, committed, and able to deal with the rigors of foundation year. Potential credit (not from RISD unfortunately), recommendations from professors (invaluable!), and living the art school life are all great aspects of the precollege experience as well. Good luck!
@askexperts - My D attended the Cooper Union summer intensive. She also was selected for the outreach program during the school year and she participated in both. Was a big commitment as the commute was over 1 1/2 hours each way. There was a portfolio review for both . At the time we were told there were something like over 1300 applicants for about 65 spots. It was totally worth it for her, its when she decided to pursue this for college. I think it helped with admission to several top art schools as it showed not only her talent but commitment. The only down side is Cooper is quite dysfunctional and dealing with them comes with its own issues. I can not recommend the actual college( its a disaster) but the summer program was a good introduction and sort of an abbreviated foundation year. I
D attended the NYSSSA Art program in Fredonia the summer before junior year. It was a good program and definitely worth the money. It confirmed two things for D–after attending she knew she wanted to go for her BFA degree. She felt that her talent level was on par with the other students. It also confirmed that she would never attend a school in a rural setting (she hated the isolation of the upstate NY campus) and instead knew she wanted a urban setting for college. She also made several pieces for the program that remained in her final portfolio. She also attended pre-college programs throughout HS at FIT and Pratt.
The following summer (as a rising senior) she attended NYU’s summer arts intensive and fell in love with the college, NYC and the program. So much so that she decided to apply ED. As it happens we just got home from attending her graduation ceremony at NYU today where she received her BFA in studio art with a sculpture concentration.
She is actually scheduled to teach ceramics and 3D at the NYU pre-college program this summer.
