<p>With regard to the essay in the common app, when applying to art schools: Is it suggested to write about something art or "non"art related? I’m not talking about any extra essays required by specific schools, but the one that’s part of the common application.</p>
<p>Any input on this would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>My daughter had about 8 schools she was interested in and getting her to write the essay was the hardest part. Some schools have set prompts such as Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, [MIAD</a> - 1st-Time Freshmen](<a href=“http://www.miad.edu/content/view/198/65/]MIAD”>http://www.miad.edu/content/view/198/65/) ,and some tell you what they are looking for, ie “In one or two pages, describe what brought you to apply to MCAD. What are your plans in five and ten years after graduation with a BFA degree?” (Minneapolis College of Art & Design, [MCAD:</a> BFA Deadlines](<a href=“http://www.mcad.edu/showPage.php?pageID=1106]MCAD:”>http://www.mcad.edu/showPage.php?pageID=1106). ) Others are a little more general, altho they do tell you what they are looking for in a “Statement of Purpose” (School of the Art Institute Chicago, [How</a> to apply : SAIC - School of the Art Institute of Chicago](<a href=“http://www.saic.edu/admissions/ug_admiss/apply/index.html#process/SLC_627]How”>http://www.saic.edu/admissions/ug_admiss/apply/index.html#process/SLC_627)). She could not and did not use one “blanket” essay for each school, but wrote according to what the school was asking for. I think that’s why she only ended up applying (and being accepted) to the 3 on her short list. Only 1 of the schools she was considering used the common app.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply. Oh… I thought all the schools used the common app PLUS their own thing. Which school was it that your daughter considered used the common app? Where is she studying?</p>
<p>My S applied to 5 school MICA, SMFA, VCU, WashU STL, Cooper Union. The only one of these that used the common app was WashU in St L. He didnt write about art for the common app essay, he wrote about music.</p>
<p>My D applied to several art schools and most of them had quite specific essay topics. Sometimes for a few shorter essays. It wouldn’t hurt to have a longer Common Ap type essay about art handy though. Your child could then adapt parts of it, if needed, for other essays.</p>
<p>@mom958 - I can’t remember which school used the common app, it may have been NMU, but she ended up not applying there. She is starting MCAD in the fall. Her other acceptances were KCAI (Kansas City), and NHIA (New Hampshire).</p>
<p>Thanks, redbug119, and best of luck to your daughter this fall!</p>
<p>My S really hated the very directed prompts about art and his plans as an artist (MICA, SAIC, external scholarships) because he felt he was making stuff up (has no idea what his plans are) but muscled through them and seemed to do well. For the common app, he did write about how he felt watching people respond to his first sculpture/installation…and did get into three common app schools for art but was rejected by Yale (possibly his rather random essay for the supplement doomed him and he should have gone arty for that essay–he really hated that supplement). Favorite essay prompts were vcu (imagine yourself 25 years from now and write page 87 from your autobiography) and MICA’s scholarship essaty (pick any artist to spend the day with–say who, why and how you would spend the day and what you would talk about). It may be coincidence but he actively enjoyed writing these and had fun and he also received his best scholarship offers from these two schools. These essay prompts allowed him to be very creative and enjoy the process and it came through in the writing. They were, not surprisingly, also very enjoyable to read. Advice for all students…write about something that you enjoy and give yourself 2 hours to write out your first attempt. Write it like a letter to a good friend rather than a structured 5 paragraph essay. Walk away and edit/rewrite a week later and then let go. I don’t think the essays matter t hat much overall so it isn’t worth suffering over them.</p>
<p>Hi FAM- what artist did your S spend the day with for the MICA essay? My S spent the day with Mark Rothko…</p>
<p>honestly…I had to look her up on the internet when he gave me the essay. I was, once again, somewhat concerned…Jenny Saville …think gorey surgery meets painting…but when I read his essay after he finished I felt differently…he wanted to take her to fly kites. He assumed that there would be no need to interrogate her about her art but that they would immediately establish some type of bond over kite flying and thus they would talk about everything naturally as friends and he would learn not just about her approach to art but her thoughts on kites, life and cooking, perhaps. something like that. I remember it was quite lyrical about the benefits of kite flying not a whole lot on art.</p>