DS is a rising high school senior who wants to major in Photography and/or Graphic Design. While he excels in his high school art classes, his overall GPA is a 2.82. He has taken the new SAT twice, highest score is 1000, and will take it again later this month and October. I don’t anticipate he will do that much better, but he faithfully does his Khan Academy prep. His high school is a private one that is very demanding academically and he does not take Honors or AP classes.
With his low GPA and SAT scores, I’m fully aware that his college options will be limited. His dream school is SCAD, so he will apply there, but we are also seriously considering traditional colleges that offer BFA programs because, quite frankly, I’m not sure how many Art colleges will consider him. Most Art colleges seems to want higher GPA and SAT scores. I’m wondering if he would put together a great Portfolio if that would give him a better chance at admission.
The other issue is money. If he would get into SCAD, we would have to see what kind of talent scholarship would be offered. He will apply to VCU Arts since that is in-state tuition for us, but I don’t think he would get in there because they want a lot of drawing from real life, and honestly, DS is more of a digital Arts kid, not a drawing/painting kid.
Any feedback or personal experiences that you can share would truly be appreciated. I’m already researching BFA programs that he can get into at traditional colleges but I’m concerned about what he will do with his degree once he would graduate. SCAD seems to have so many connections, whereas graduating from a school such as Ole Miss may not have those same connections.
Consider Ringling College of Art and Design also for graphic design (#1 in south) .
It is expensive (as are all dedicated art schools )
In my experience the dedicated art schools are more interested in strong portfolios over grades. Ringling does not require SAT for admission. However a strong GPA does help often in gaining scholarship money.
Check out the portfolio requirements specifically for Graphic Design and Photography–digital work, photos, projects are accepted–not necessarily drawing from life (which is crucial for illustration and CA majors)… On their website are examples of accepted students work from their portfolios. You can get feedback on your portfolio before applying. They are very friendly–don’t be afraid to call and ask!
Contact VCU (excellent graphic design school) and ask if drawing from life is absolutely required for a graphic design or photography major portfolio… They have a foundation year which will probably include drawing–but just because your son doesn’t draw now (or it’s not his forte) doesn’t mean he can’t learn. Art is about the ability to see and observe.
I think they also have an SAT optional application.
If he leans towards photography, check out the type of work that students do–is it more experimental or commercial?
If you can make it to a National Portfolio Day, go! (There is one in Richmond at end of Oct)
Get him keeping a sketchbook ASAP. Decent drawings are the art school equivalent of decent SAT scores.
Just as some colleges are test optional, you can find art programs that don’t require drawings in the application portfolio, but he will have a bigger set of choices if he has some drawings.
The #1 concern of all colleges is retention (students return to the school for the second year) and graduation rates. Returning and graduating students = money in the bank. The best predictor for retention and graduation is GPA because the data says that students with higher H.S. GPA scores are more likely to return to the same college for their second year and graduate within 4 to 6 years. This is true for art and design, bio-engineering, nursing, writing, etc programs.
“but I don’t think he would get in there because they want a lot of drawing from real life, and honestly, DS is more of a digital Arts kid, not a drawing/painting kid.”
Most BFA programs will not only require some drawing from observation in the portfolio but will include the discipline as part of the first year foundation program. Even if he prefers digital arts as a medium, he will need to learn drawing and even some painting (to experiment with light and color). Art/ design school not just teaches a skill - it also helps the student learn how to visually communicate ideas (whether it be on his/her own behalf, or on behalf of a client).
Your son’s GPA and test scores are low but they aren’t necessarily a deal breaker for admission to a good art school as long as the portfolio is of high quality. If possible he should take some outside classes in drawing and portfolio prep. (Not sure where you live in VA but if there is a private art college nearby he might be able to take advantage of a non-credit community ed. program). A visit to the various visiting schools during National Portfolio Day is a must - he needs outside feedback on his work. (FYI SCAD won’t be there as they aren’t NASAD-accredited. They do their own admissions visits to various cities so best to catch them when they are in your area. Check the website for details).
SCAD is great - I have a kid there - but you should know that any scholarship received will be taken away if the student does not earn at least a 3.0 cumulative average beginning first quarter - sounds easy but not quite. The faculty give you a percentage score which translates into A (90-100); B (80-89); C (70-79), etc. No plusses or minuses. Therefore, every 79 or lower must be offset with a 90 or higher in order to keep the 3.0. Good news is that it automatically re-instates once you are back at a 3.0. If your son is a high 80’s performer on every single class (both studio and academic) he should be OK - otherwise he’ll lose his scholarship for at least bit. My daughter knew lots of kids in this boat (some stayed and worked their butts off to bring the average back, others transferred).
Check out MICA as well - they have tended to be a bit more forgiving about lack of developed drawing skills. They also tend to hit a good number of portfolio events, especially in the VA/MD area. Also SAIC in Chicago which is a more conceptual school but one which takes in creative students of all types (including those who don’t have traditional art/design training).
One final thought: has he considered a gap year? If he uses this year to work on academic and test score improvement, as well as drawing and starting to put together a portfolio, spends next summer at a BFA studio program of some type (there are many, including SCAD’s Summer Swarm) and then applies during fall of 2018, he might stand a better chance of admission and scholarship. Colleges love getting kids who are a bit older and more mature and art schools in particular are used to students of all ages and backgrounds. And the extra year might really help him with admission to VCUArts. If this option makes sense, then give his schools of interest a call and ask them whether they admit students who are post HS but haven’t had any college yet. And then just be aware that if he takes some number of CC courses for credit during his gap year, he’ll end up as a “transfer” and not a “first time in college” applicant.
Thank you for your replies. We have so much to consider. I’m definitely going to look at sample portfolios, and will attend the National Portfolio Day in Richmond. There is a part of me that thinks he may be better in a non-art major, but he his heart set on it for now. He starts school in 10 days so we will have a very busy fall with lots of heart-to-heart conversations.
sbgal2011 our D attends VCUARTS and is a graphic design major. You should know a portfolio is required for admission to the Art school. Once admitted ALL freshman are enrolled in the foundation year. Thats two semesters where they have courses that touch on everything art. They are expected to create a portfolio from their classwork and then in the spring of freshman year they apply to their major. I can tell you Graphic Design is one of the more competitive majors and last year many had to go with their second choice. The admission to major is based on the quality of work throughout ALL of the foundation year, and the grades obtained. This is truly competitive. Having said that, if you get all A’s for example there should be no problem.
@sbgal2011 while most schools list GPAs and SAT averages, the BFA students are often the outliers when it comes to admission decisions. There are also art schools that are not nationally known but have excellent programs. My D attended New Hampshire Institute of Art for a summer session her junior year and when she applied, they were very interested in her. Ultimately she wanted a larger university, but they called her directly and offered her additional money. There are also 2 year programs (Pratt Utica and Delaware College of Art and Design) where students can transfer to complete their BFA degree after the first two years.
Feel free to DM me if you want any additional info. We traveled coast to coast looking for a good fit for my D and learned a lot!
@veehee 's recc’d of NH Institute of Art, and Pratt Utica are both good options.
Also take a look at The Sage Colleges in Albany, NY. They have an art department within a small liberal arts college with a strong Graphic Design major and also a new “Art and Extended Media” major. The college and art dept is great fit for students who might have struggled academically but want to pursue art. There’s small class sizes & a really involved faculty. Portfolios are now required but a student can enter without one as a general arts major and then apply via various avenues (much like some state school BFA programs).
Feel free to DM me also if you’d like more info (disclaimer: I’m a part-time instructor in a different art major there).
Also don’t forget to look into your state schools or CCs. My state school system has many great art depts and we have several CCs with solid foundation year courses that help a student get their bearings before heading off to a larger college.
Thanks to everyone who responded. We are compiling a list of bigger universities that have a BFA program that generally accept students in his score range. We are considering Ole Miss, LSU, and Alabama. Some of these schools offer merit awards based on portfolios. Does anyone know anything about any of these programs? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciate. We are looking at other Art schools as well but they are all very expensive, even more so than OOS tuition for the schools I just mentioned.