That is YOUR school’s requirement, not California schools’ definition of ART.
No, it will not suffice because the UC’s spell out Visual and performing arts. They want students to be exposed to ART. ART in a nutshell.
So, you either perform for a year with a musical instrument, in an orchestra/band, and get a grade, or you take a class in drama or dance for a yearlong grade. You can also take an art class for a year (drawing, painting, ceramics) or AP Art History.
It is the responsibility of applicant students to read the requirements before applying. The UC’s get hundreds of thousands of applications-especially at LA and Berkeley. If you thought you were intelligent enough to get into LA or Berkeley then you should have been responsible enough to read the requirements and not make assumptions about completing the requirements, i.e. “fine arts” vs. “visual and performing arts”. Your school counselor is not responsible for knowing the specifics of each OOS school.
Students in California are also responsible for taking a class in computers/engineering that covers the
“practical arts”, so the California kids must take more requirements than many states.
Every applicant from California has taken a “dumb arts” class. The UC’s want students who are aware that VPA are crucial to cultural development. The UC’s were developed for residents of California so priority goes to these students. The UC’s have hundreds of thousands of OOS applicants, with great stats, who have met the VPA requirement, and being more than willing to fork over $250K over 4 years to attend. If you have a narrow view of this requirement, then the UC’s are really not for you.