So I kinda got an idea. My unweighted gpa is 3.95 maybe higher. My PSAT was a 1380, looking to get that up to at least 1400 hopefully before May when I take it for the first time as a junior. I’m taking AP physics and APUSH, have 90 and 95 in each respectively, barely studied for either though:3 I do Mock Trial, Vice President of Student Council (have one hell of a speech), French Club, Chorus, I was Class Treasurer but had to drop it for Student Council. I have been a gold medalist for the National Latin Exam 2 years (hopefully 3 soon) in a row.
No sports, not for me. Don’t ask me what happened with my subject test, it was traumatizingly terrible and so I’m not doing it again.
Now, that all seems dandy. But I’m not sure if it’s quite good enough for a school like say Columbia (particularly because they don’t request subject tests). However, I think I may have a trick up my sleeve.
Originally, I was only considering applying as a math major. But recently, I care up with an idea. My math skills are good, some would say great even, but my art skills are even better. I was looking a some accepted art portfolios for big name art schools like RISD and stuff and I was just thinking, “I think my stuff is definitely comparable if not better.” Then I thought to myself,
Would I have a better chance at being accepted into a very prestigious school if I applied for an art major with my awesome art skills rather than a math major?
You should assume that any “trick” that a 17 y/o thinks they are the first person in the history of the universe to think of has been seen hundreds of times by an experienced AO.
Most “prestigious” schools of the Columbia example do not admit by major. Their experience has shown that ~half change their majors along the way anyway.
Unless you apply to a school that accepts by majors (in which case you will likely be “stuck” with the major you apply to), admissions officers are well aware of the fact that you can apply for one major and change once you are at the college. I’ve heard college admission officers say that they don’t pay much attention to intended major in the admission process since about half of the applicants apply undecided and about 50% of those coming in with a designated major end up switching it while they are at college. There could be an exception if a student has a long standing and strong demonstrated history of interest/aptitude (perhaps through ECs, research, classes etc.) in some obscure major – but that does not seem to be the case for you.
Keep in mind that any ploy you come up with to try to get an edge in admissions, college adcoms have seen thousands of times over. IMO your time would be better spent searching out a group of reach, match, and safety schools based on your academic stats that appear affordable and that you would be happy to attend.
However, if your artwork is of exceptional (art college level or very close to it) quality you might consider submitting an art supplement to colleges that accept them. You can ask an art teacher or other professional to honestly assess the quality of your work and you would need to check each college’s policy, if/how each school accepts art supplements etc.
If the college admits by major, then you will find it more difficult to change major to a more selective major after enrolling in the less selective major.
The same can apply for colleges that admit by division (e.g. Columbia College versus School of Engineering and Applied Sciences).
Our S19 will probably be a math major but he’s an artist and wants to continue to take some art classes. Maybe he would minor but really not sure. He didn’t apply to any schools that accept kids by major but the common app does ask for an idea of what you may want to major in. For his schools, there were drop down menus that asked for up to three ideas of what you might like to major in. He said math and physics and art. He was being honest.
But I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t glad he put art as a possible major. I looked into how may art majors each school has and, to keep a program going, schools do need art kids. Many of his schools didn’t have that many and I’m hoping that his listing art as a possible major actually could help him. His list is primarily LACs. He also sent portfolios.
One other thing: there are colleges where art is oversubscribed but math is not. UCB is one example, although it does not matter at the frosh admission level (both are in its College of Letters and Science, which admits undeclared). But the art practice major requires a 3.3 overall college GPA, a portfolio, and letter of recommendation to enter the major, while math requires only C grades in the lower division math courses (though they recommend that students consider the major only if they have B- or higher grades in the sophomore level math courses).
Like others who’ve responded, I wouldn’t recommend you do this as a way of trying to game the system. However, if you have a serious interest in art as well as math and are genuinely interested in continuing your art studies, this could well be helpful in presenting yourself as a multi-faceted individual. My experience is with LACs rather than large universities, but at least with the LACs (and I believe with many larger schools as well), you do not apply for a specific major. The schools my son applied to all asked him to identify three fields of interest, in which case you could certainly include art as well as math. Almost all of the schools he applied to also permit applicants to submit a supplementary portfolio. He submitted a theater supplement, and in several cases, the schools followed up with an offer to apply for an arts-specific scholarship.
I suggest you learn more about the schools you are interested in and what their applications look like (i.e., whether applying as a math major is even a thing) and also think about what you actually hope to accomplish in college. The best sources are the Common App itself and the school websites. From your interests and activities, you seem like a smart, interesting kid with some speaking and communication skills - why not go with that rather than coming up with clever “tricks”?
I don’t see where OP says he offers any more in art than his own confidence. That won’t cut it.
And yes, a tippy top can vet by major, even when you’re not locked in by an admit to a specific program. After all, you need to be prepared and competitive. They have more than enough candidates who are. You don’t get in by sleepwalking through various questions.
Agree. You should be entering art contests. Scholastic Art, etc. And maybe take some art classes over the summer. Are you taking art classes at your high school? Top schools want an art resume, a portfolio, and some want a recommendation from an art teacher even when not applying as an art major.
As others have indicated, many top schools do NOT admit by major and, at those schools that do, changing your major is not necessarily easy. Many serious visual and performing artists apply for BFA and/or conservatory programs rather than BA or BS programs.
Will having a good arts portfolio help in admissions? It certainly can’t hurt (unless it’s not a strong one…your portfolio will need to be outstanding for it to give you a leg up in admissions). Unless you’ve taken a lot of studio art classes or done summer arts immersion programs, it’s going to be hard to show a true interest in and commitment to the arts.
Any college can look at the lines in the common app related to what you want to study and then review you in that context. This is not restricted to schools with committed programs you apply for. They do not have to have some “college of xxx” to do this.
It’s safer to be able to show relevant strengths and experiences than to assure kids they can write down anything they think up. OP mentioned an Ivy. Not a free choice summer program where you pick whatever. It has to make sense. The record needs to underscore it.
I’d apply just as you are. Many times, colleges ask a generic “why x major?” and when you’re really applying to the college for all the things you could do to take your passions to another level, I think that really shows in your writing.
What you’re “good” at =/= what you’re passionate about. I’m a LOT better at math than I am at the life sciences, but let me tell you, writing about science, research in science, and doing anything science makes me jump because I’m just super excited for that…and that’ll hopefully show in my writings…and hey, if you don’t get in, maybe you weren’t the right fit…and you can move one…like I did from UChicago ED Rejection lol.
No, it will just be considered an EC unless the college admits by school, and that doesn’t sound like that’s what you want. If you have a very strong portfolio and the college accepts that as part of the admissions package, by all means submit it.
I’ve been told that what happens at most schools is that the admissions committee will often forward the portfolio to the Studio Arts department and they will let admissions know the quality. A few schools went out of their way to say that if the quality isn’t quite there, it won’t hurt your chances but a very good one is viewed positively. How much that actually helps is up for interpretation. I’m sure it’s a little (or sometimes a lot) different at each institution.
BTDT and I don’t think contests or awards really matter. It’s helpful to have a website IMO. Many schools did visit it when my child went through admissions, sometimes multiple times.
My child did have better results at schools that allowed a portfolio. However…special shoutout to the school that visited the site 7 times and sent a straight up rejection!
Hm.
Well, even though in some cases schools start being kinder towards admissions for art majors due to lack thereof, it doesn’t mean that all you have to be is exceptional at art and they’ll be dying to take you.
Not only do stats affect your chances, but so do extracurriculars, work experience, internships, so on and so forth.
Not only this, but your essays. To make a good art major essay, especially for a prestigious school, I’m guessing you really have to go into detail about your experiences with art and your passion for it. Telling from how you’ve written this question, you honestly sound a bit pompous so if you have kept this same tone in your essays I highly doubt you will even be considered for entry in the school at all; from what I can tell, the least qualified students for these schools are students who can’t humble themselves.
Anyways, I hope for the best in your future; if you haven’t already guessed, I don’t think you should pull this “trick”; not only is it ingenuine and probably noticeable on your application if you haven’t already done so (you probably already have); but there are so many other students who probably put in more effort into their work and are actually wanting to major in the art program at a prestigious school; me included. And you just trying to fill up that spot for your own advantage? Yeah, how about no.
Yeah I have all that except for entering art contests. I can’t find any regional ones! I’m not interested in doing national ones because I think it’s just a gamble with so many applicants:/
I’m pretty dubious about the value of art contests. You should look around at local art galleries and community art centers to see if they ever hang student art. Often this is in conjunction with AP Art classes in local high schools. I know my coop gallery puts on a show of student work every spring. If AP art class is available at your school you should take it. If there are weekend or afterschool art classes available for adults or older students you should look into them. No one is going to believe you have any real interest in art if you haven’t done something with it.
For example my kid (who ended up majoring in International Relations and applied undecided) got interested in origami. He didn’t take art at the high school because he was busy with two orchestras, but he sold origami earrings at two local galleries and at a holiday craft show. He taught a class in origami at the Senior Center. And he sent pictures or actual earrings to colleges that had ways to send additional material. He wrote his essay about what he learned from origami. He talked about how he got interested in it rather accidentally, but then got fascinated and spent a lot of time teaching himself. He’s pretty good at self-deprecating humor and I think he came off as a genuinely nice kid as well.
Having a nice portfolio is a nice addition to an application, but it’s unlikely to make a big difference. Colleges without a separate school of art aren’t generally looking desparately for arty students. And real art schools, at least the good ones, are pretty hard to get into.