I’m a parent of a 10th grade son who makes average grades in high school. While he makes A’s and B’s in English, foreign language, and his art classes, but when it comes to math and science, he makes low B’s or C’s. It’s not for a lack of effort, believe me. He gets tutoring, stays after to get extra help, etc. It’s just a struggle for him. Having said that, he has a real gift for photography and graphic design. He loves these areas and wants to pursue this in college. Whether he goes to a traditional college or an art-focused school, such as SCAD, will depend upon what he wants after we take tours. I fear his SAT scores will be very average, maybe below, because of his math struggles. His GPA is around 3.0. Will it be a challenge for him to get into a good school because of his grades?
You can actually look up all his schools of interest online and see what the stats are for the freshman admitted class. That will help you and your son figure out what will be a reach, a match, a safety, etc. University programs tend to admit more on grades and test scores than do dedicated art colleges, of course, but there are varying levels of selectivity for both so a lot depends on what you find during the research and where he sees himself going.
If it’s his portfolio rather than stats which will wow the ADCOM then something like a dedicated art program might fill the bill because they tend to look for talent in the unique individual. Rec letters, personal statements, etc. will allow him to shine along with the portfolio and stats may not be so much an issue. Having said that, he should still try his best academically during junior and even senior year in order to keep his transcript as strong as possible and to convince the ADCOM that he can handle the coming workload (even intensive art programs include academic courses).
If he takes a practice ACT test shortly after taking the PSAT next year he’ll be able to figure out which test works better for him (SAT vs. ACT). And if he plans out his prep time in advance that will probably help a lot toward getting the strongest test score possible. Shoot for a spring SAT/ACT with a prospective re-take in May/June if necessary so he can spend fall of senior year visiting an NPD or two, putting finishing touches on his portfolio and writing his application essays. With the proper planning it’s amazing how much can be accomplished.
Good luck to him!
Some people say it’s but normal that people who have a great eye (and hands) for arts struggling in the academical stuff like math and such. I think if you could send him out on a good school who could deal with his academic issues as well as his artistic skills