I have always been interesting in fashion, and overall just creating. However, in high school I never pursued this and instead went more into science. I currently am a sophomore in college as a pre-med student, and I finally have decided that I want to go for what I really want to do. I have a little bit of background in art, as I am an art minor and I do sewing projects on the side. However, I am afraid that transferring to an art school now with no current portfolio(have to get on that) is not possible… I feel that I am doing something that is never done. I am wondering if my better option is to apply to a University that has a fashion design major/program. However, I want to know if I have a chance in transferring to an art school? I know that I will not graduate on time at either an art school or University… I am just curious to see if both are possible?
Of course both options are possible. However the process will be somewhat different for each of them.
Contact the admissions teams at the places that interest you, and ask how to start the process. If you have not yet begun your second semester of sophomore year at your current university, you could consider taking a leave of absence for this term to save yourself some money and give you time to focus on the transfer applications.
So you’ve already taken art classes in college - do you have work done from life? Still life, landscape drawings, figure drawings would all work. If you do, then you have a good chunk of your portfolio done. Pull out your best 8-10 pieces. Then, for the rest (for a total of about 15 or so), pull out your best work of any nature. Do not include anything you did from photos, any copies of other people’s work, or any manga/anime types of work. You may very well have enough for a portfolio now, and if you do, you should start on the transfer applications now. You may be able to start art school this fall, if you get going on this.
There are art schools at all levels of difficulty to get into. You’ll get in somewhere. There are even some amazing, very very very strong art/fashion programs that aren’t terribly hard to get into. For example, Mass Art, which is a very good art school and has a strong fashion program, admits 70% of applicants (that’s normal undergrad, not specific to transfer students, so you can check their transfer admit rate - but this does give you an idea.) SVA admits nearly 75% of applicants. Columbus College of Art admits more than 75%. Ringling admits nearly 80%. This high admit rate doesn’t mean these aren’t good art schools - they are. It just indicates that you may realistically have a shot at some of these schools, so take heart. (There are reasons why the admit rates are so high, including the self-selecting nature of art school applicants, etc.)
Many people transfer from unis to art schools. Likewise, people graduate from unis, and then go to art school for a second undergraduate program.
Apply both to pure art schools and to some unis with good fashion/art programs. See where you get in, see what the costs look like after non-loan financial aid, then decide.
Is there a suitable art major at your current school?
Talent out ways everything else. So the question is… Are you talented in art and your thought process?
Do you have enough samples of your work as suggested above? What kind of design?Theater, retail clothing etc?
Take some art classes with the idea of using the work for your portfolio.
Look up some colleges and see what they want in their portfolio. After reviewing a few schools you will start to see a patten of what they are looking for.
You need to understand both the admissions requirements and what happens if you’re admitted. You’d be among other juniors who have been taking courses for two years already. Some art colleges will make you take a semester or two to make up for th basics you missed. It’s a lot more than doing sewing on the side.