I plan to major in communications/graphic or industrial/product design in college, however I don’t want to go to an art school. I want to go to a school that has both good academics and a good art program, however the majority of schools that fall in that category are extremely selective.
I’ve taken (including my senior course load) 14 honors courses, 6 AP courses (including 2 AP art classes), 2 college prep (normal) classes, 2 CP art classes, and 2 mandatory gym/health classes.
My unweighted GPA (freshmen - junior year) is 3.48
GPA including current/projected senior grades is 3.6
SATs (taken once without studying, waiting on Oct. 3 results): 1990
CR: 660
M: 640
W: 690, 10 essay
ACTS (light studying, no practice tests previous to the test): 29
My scores aren’t good enough to get me into the colleges I’m considering for art so I’m wondering if anyone had any suggestions for schools with good art programs that I’ll have a better chance at. Also how do you think I’ll do with the combination of my scores and art?
Schools I’m looking at for art:
UMich Penny Stamps and LAS dual degree
Wash. U in St. Louis Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts** - Early decision
USC Roski
USC Iovine and Young Academy
UCLA DMA
Syracuse University
NYU Studio Art
RISD
If you’re thinking about Industrial Design definitely look at RIT. My son was accepted into their illustration program with roughly the same GPA but slightly lower ACT scores. They also offered him some $$. He decided to stay closer to home and is at Tyler in Philadelphia. I was very impressed with RIT’s ID program.
I second DAAP at the University of Cincinnati. They have a very strong ID department and a strong Communication Design program that has several concentrations. Frankly, I like both RIT and DAAP about equally ,but DAAP has a great internship program that RIT doesn’t quite measure up to.
At most of those schools, your portfolio is weighted at least as heavily as grades. We talked to Stamps at Portfolio Day this month. They are 100% in charge of admissions, and they stats are lower (though not by a whole lot) than UM as a whole. She said that 4.0 GPA and bad portfolio doesn’t get in. 3.0 and great portfolio does. Their averages are 3.7 GPA 1300 SAT. My daughter is applying there early action, but she’s applying to RISD early decision.
We visited Syracuse, and I think your scores are right in line.
My D is a freshman Industrial Design major at RIT. Her stats are similar to your (95.6 GPA, 1280/1930 SAT, 30 ACT).
Her school only offers 2 AP classes (Calc AB and Art) and all classes are considered honors classes. She took AP Calc.
She also did not want an “Art School” as she has varied interests - astronomy, bio, math - and was looking for more intellectual diversity than she thought an art school would provide. The only other school she applied to was Drexel in Philadelphia.
She applied EA at Drexel, ED at RIT. She was accepted to both schools and invited to be in their honors programs and received merit money at both.
RIT requires a portfolio to apply for ID. Drexel did not require a portfolio for ID applicants, they do for graphic design.
So far, she is loving school. She has 3 foundation courses, 2D Design, 3D Design, and 2D Drawing, Art History and an Honors Seminar.
You’re a junior now? That gives you time to flesh out your plans. I’d highly recommend going to a National Portfolio Day. D wishes she’d done it much earlier than October of senior year.