Advice for visual arts "late bloomer"

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

<p>Hi...</p>

<p>My daughter comes from a family with a generations history of involvement in visual arts. That having been said, she has basically avoided "art" like the plague. That is until this year. Now, in her junior year of high school, she has discovered thet she truly loves her studio art class. Her instructor feels she has promise in spite of her short involvement. She feels she would like to pursue art studies at the college level... perhaps a dual major or minor. Sufficed to say, she has not taken steps to assemble a portfolio and is really up in the air regarding consideration of a summer precollege experience.</p>

<p>From my perspective, she seems quite sincere. She now spends much time exploring local work, taking evening classes, perusing works by students at our local art institute (CIA). It just seems that this realization has come somewhat "late in the course." I'm not sure what paths or options may be available to her in the absence of portfolio, and given her somewhat limited training. I am however certainly willing to support her endeavors and would truly appreciate any insights, observations or suggestions you may offer.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance... drd</p>

2

<p>Prior to attending graduate school, and having very little experience in fine arts, I took a drawing course at a local community college which required a drawing a day. I was lucky and had a fantastic professor. </p>

<p>There is nothing wrong with starting out at a liberal arts college and taking classes in their art dept., and then transferring into an art school. Good professors can be found at liberal arts colleges, but yes, how to ascertain the quality of instruction may be somewhat difficult. I would look at the tenure and experience of the profs. Are they exhibiting? In what industries are they working?</p>

<p>I would begin with drawing courses, and photography courses. Photography offers the opportunity to very easily explore composition, as well as light and color (value). Drawing courses will teach you to observe form, proportion, perspective, as well as how the quality of line can express energy and emotion. 2-d design classes are important per gestalt principles.</p>

<p>One thing I do not like about digital photography is the loss of traditional contact sheets. Contact sheets allow the photographer to observe their reactions and responses to an environment or event, and to discover/learn what makes an image/composition/illustration successful or not. Still, applications like photoshop can create digital contact sheets, and I would encourage digital photographers NOT to delete "bad" shots from the camera as they shoot.</p>

<p>I hope you find this information to be useful.</p>

3

<p>I'm currently a hs junior, and these are my two cents for what they're worth...</p>

<p>Though I've been artistically involved all my life, I never seriously considered an art/design related college major until more than halfway through my sophomore year when I basically had an epiphany and changed my intended course of action completely. I decided I wanted to major in fashion design, and ever since have been researching such colleges, preparing my portfolio, and am going to be attending a precollege summer intensive (at Parsons) this summer. To keep my options open, I'm applying to both professional schools and liberal arts schools this fall.</p>

<p>However, it seems like your daughter (based on the whole "double major or minor" thing) would do well to apply to a traditional university/college with a strong art program. Most of them don't require a portfolio, or it's only an optional supplement. That way, she'll be able to study the fine arts without completely commiting herself either way to a non-art path or vice versa. It's why I'm also applying to liberal arts schools- just in case.</p>

<p>If she does want to create a good portfolio, though, it shouldn't be too late if she's willing to work hard. I'm currently taking open studio classes at my local community center, and your region should have similar opportunities out there.</p>

<p>Regarding summer programs, many of them are already filled/the deadlines are past, but a few may still be accepting applications. I think the one at UArts is still open, though I might be wrong. Keep in mind these are all rather expensive, and scholarship deadlines might be past by now.</p>

<p>Finally, I know some professional art schools will accept academically-strong applicants with weaker portfolios, or accept them on the condition that they complete a summer intensive previous to arriving in the fall. I know RISD and Parsons in particular look for strong academics, so that might be an option as well.</p>

<p>Good luck!
<3Tessa</p>

4

<p>Also consider surprisingly University of Cincinnati for Fashion Design too. They are a very well-known design school and, to my surprise, have a strong fashion design program that is integrated with a strong coop program. They also don't require a porfotio for most design subjects,but you need to check out the fashion design admission standards. </p>

<p>They are, however, very academically oriented. This means that you need a very decent GPA and good SATs, although the GPA seems to be the more important of the two elements for admission.</p>

<p>Go to <a href="http://www.uc.edu%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.uc.edu&lt;/a> and check out the School of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning.</p>

<p>For what it's worth, my daughter was also a late bloomer. She never considered art or design as a career until early in her junior year when we noticed some doodling and drawings that she made. She took some art and design classes and decided this was the area for her.</p>

5

<p>My son never took a studio "art" class at his high school until senior year, after having taken a few "media arts" (computer graphics, architectural drawing) courses his junior year.</p>

<p>Long story short, he banged together an excellent portfolio between September and February and is now very happy studying at MICA.</p>

<p>Most schools advise recent work in portfolio submissions anyway, so it isn't that unusual to have a portfolio with only senior year work represented.</p>

6

<p>DGB presents a situation similar to mine. My entire portfolio was constructed from july '06 to february '07. To make a VERY long story short, I was always inclined but never able to pursue any sort of art class due to financial $. </p>

<p>I worked my ass (I pretty much gave up all social life) off from September to March and now have a 75% scholarship from MICA.</p>

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<p>drd, I would really second RainingAgain's suggestion to focus on drawing (life drawing especially) and photography. And if she hasn't already done so, she should start using a sketchbook. It also may not be too late for her to enroll in a summer pre-college course, and take a foundation course there. CIA may have such a program. But are you talking about California Institute of the Arts or Cleveland Institute of the Arts? Or another CIA? Given her interests, she really can accelerate a lot if she gets a good foundation course or two in summer. That would also show her commitment.</p>

<p>She doesn't need a portfolio with a wide variety of media. She needs one that shows her ability to draw what she sees and to be creative. A few items can even come from her sketchbook. Her drawing should be based on "life," and not from photos.</p>

8

<p>

drd, I may be misunderstanding you but my impression is that your daughter is not necessarily thinking about ART school per se, but rather she is thinking about studying art -- maybe in addition to some other discipline -- at a "full service" college or university. </p>

<p>If that's the case, she most likely won't need a portfolio for admissions. She'll just need to apply like thousands of other undeclared majors and her acceptance will be based on the usual complement of grades, scores, recommendations etc. Once she's matriculated she can enroll in art classes and based on her ability and interest expand to a major or a concentration.</p>

<p>Now having said that, if she's interested in more selective liberal arts colleges or universities, having art as an EC with a strong portfolio to back it up can be a hook in admissions.</p>

<p>So, please let us know what types of colleges/universities she's interested in. If both art school and liberal arts school are options right now, then she should do some visiting to determine which is the better route for her.</p>

9

<p>Sorry for the hiatus but I had to be away...</p>

<p>In speaking further with my daughter, it seems to me that she is looking for a probable major in art, but without forsaking fully her "academic" studies with which she has had some success. And so I believe that she is looking for a university or LAC setting rather than an art institute (such as our local "CIA" ... Cleveland Institute of Art). She has mentioned UMich and Syracuse as possible considerations.</p>

<p>In reading your (most appreciated) replies mention was made of programs not requiring a portfolio. My question then would be, how in the absence of actual examination of art works are acceptance decisions determined.</p>

<p>Taxguy, I really was intrigued by your mention of UC DAAP's focus on academic achievement (D has that with ~4.0GPA and ACT 32). And yet, how will she be received without art work in hand.</p>

<p>My understanding of these issues is obviously incomplete, so please keep your input coming.</p>

<p>Thanks again... drd</p>

10

<p>drd, Cincinnati does NOT require a portfolio, period! She should get accepted based on what you have noted. Check out <a href="http://www.uc.edu%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.uc.edu&lt;/a>. Also check out:
<a href="http://www.daap.uc.edu/admission/academic_standards%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.daap.uc.edu/admission/academic_standards&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Although the UC web site notes that you need to be in the top 20% or a 3.75 overall GPA, many students exceed this minimum for admission. Your daughter will feel right at home and should be accepted with no problem. She will also qualify for the Cincinnatus scholarship,which provides a minimum of $5,000 a year for out of state kids and $2,000 for instate kids. They also have a terrific coop program that provides kids with one and one-half years of PAID experience. </p>

<p>I highly recommend that your daughter check out this school. It is very highly ranked and has a very strong reputation among design and architectual firms,which is why they get so many coop opportunities all over the world.</p>

<p>By the way, my daughter did have a strong portfolio. She turned down Carnegie Mellon and Syracuse and other schools for Cincinnati.</p>

<p>Also, I don't know if your daughter is into music, but Cincinnati has a superb marching band, and kids can take some courses at Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music with the permission of the instructor. This is one of the top music conservatories in the county certainly on par with that of Oberlin, New England Conservatory, Peabody etc.</p>

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<p>//Taxguy, I really was intrigued by your mention of UC DAAP's focus on academic achievement (D has that with ~4.0GPA and ACT 32). And yet, how will she be received without art work in hand.//</p>

<p>Because there is a difference between the fine and applied arts. For example, there are many many strong graphic designers that cannot draw, paint, or sculpt. </p>

<p>Good design begins with a good idea. To design is to think. Craft is important, but the tools change as technology evolves. I've always felt that good writers ought to make good designers, because they can tell stories, explain complex topics, and construct convincing arguments. A graphic designer does the same, but the writer must adapt to the components of a visual language instead of a written one.</p>

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<p>drd, For small liberal arts colleges that have strong art studio departments -- plus good academics in general -- I would look at Williams, Wesleyan, Hamilton, Vassar, Kenyon, Conn College, Smith. These are roughly in order of selectivity. Your daughter's grades and scores would qualify for her for admissions, but for LACs, particularly the most selective, other factors like recommendations, essays, and extracurricular activities are equally important.</p>

<p>A portfolio would not be a requirement for admissions at any of these LACs; however, it would be helpful as involvement in art as an EC can be a valuable hook. She wouldn't need to declare a major until the end of sophomore year. At that point she would have taken some art courses at her college and would know if she were interested in choosing art as a single or double major.</p>

<p>I'm not so familiar with the admissions requirements into the art department of large universities like Umich and Syracuse. I happen to be a Michigan grad myself (though in art history, not in art studio) and know that they have a very good department. </p>

<p>Good luck and let us know how she does.</p>

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<p>A friend of mine attends Art + Design at U Mich and needed to develop a portfolio for admission. Not absolutely sure if it was optional, but I'm sure they look more preferably upon those who submit a body of work.</p>

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<p>Funny, I have not heard anything about Michigan for design. Yes, I believe that they have a good art department and good art history department. However, I do wonder about any design training.</p>

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<p>taxguy, this is purely anecdotal, but when we snooped around the UMich art department on our campus visit, we felt the student work was actually stronger in design than fine art. Just an observance.</p>

<p>Here's the procedure for admissions to UMich School of Art & Design:
Undergraduate application to the University of Michigan School of Art & Design is a two-part process. Prospective students submit an application to the University Office of Undergraduate Admissions and submit a portfolio to the School of Art & Design for review. After the Admissions Office reviews academic performance and the School of Art & Design reviews the portfolio, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions notifies students regarding the admission decision. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.art-design.umich.edu/Admissions.php?aud=u&menucat=ad%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.art-design.umich.edu/Admissions.php?aud=u&menucat=ad&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>I just checked out the Michigan web site for undergraduate art and design courses. All I saw were courses in fine art such as drawing, clay, sculpture etc. Unless I missed a lot, I didn't see a lot of offerings in design, graphic design etc. I certainly didn't see any major in communication design, industrial design, interior design, digital design etc. There are majors, however, in film and visual studies and theater design.</p>

<p>Maybe the design majors are located in another school or area.</p>

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<p>Most state universities do not require a portfolio prior to admission to the university. However, most do require a portfolio after a year or two of foundation courses before the student can begin higher level design classes. Schools with this requirement include Ohio State, Purdue, Penn State, and Iowa State. U of Cincinnati is the only one I've heard of that does not require a portfolio at any time.</p>

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<p>AdvMom, I have asked a Dean of the College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning at Cincinnati why they don't require portfolios for design. They noted that having high academic accomplishments tends to be more indicative of success for design than having a strong portolio. Moreover, many kids don't have access to good art classes in high school. Thus, requiring a porfolio for design is questionable when it comes to predicting success. This seems to be confirmed by other designers such as RainingAgain, who posts here from time to time.</p>

<p>You are right in noting that many schools, such as Towson University that don't require portfolios for admission, do require one for continuation into the upper level art and design courses. I don't know if this is true for Cincinnati. I think that they use the grades in the courses. If someone does well, they probably have a strong portfolio. However, as I said, I am not sure about their policy.</p>

<p>I do know that if kids aren't making the cut and producing good enough work, they may be "counseled" out of continuing with the program. Most of these kids know "where they stand." For the most part, these kids are very determined, driven kids. UC has a lot of subtle ways of weeding out weak performing students or weeding out those that aren't really determined to succeed.</p>

<p>HOWEVER, with that said, sending in your portfolio won't hurt you. It might even provide admission for borderline cases. </p>

<p>My daughter had a unweighted 3.45 GPA in a very well-known, academically tough high school. Since UC wanted a minimum 3.5 for admission, she probably wouldn't have been accepted. However, she had a very strong portfolio and had taken some college art and design courses while in high school and did very well. This probably gave her an extra edge for admission, which got her in.</p>

<p>Be advised that Cincinnati doesn't not weight the grades or use weighted averages. Thus, someone who gets a 3.6 unweighted GPA, taking all regular courses from a regular school will be accepted over someone who gets a 3.4 from a top magnet school taking mostly honors or AP courses. UC's argument for this is that" they can't evaluate the quality of honors courses compared to that of regular courses." </p>

<p>I should note that Cincinnati does require a portfolio as does every other art program that I know for a fine arts major.</p>

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<p>Taxguy, thank you for the information. I have started looking at Cincinnati based on information posted by you. I have no concerns with their not requiring a portfolio, but its good to know that it can help. My daughter will most likely have just under a 3.5 when she finishes her junior year. She is at a competitive public high school and has taken a difficult courseload. I don't know if she can get accepted there due to her GPA. We thought we were doing a good thing by suggesting she take the most demanding courses, but it may hurt her in this case.</p>

<p>I have not had a chance to talk to her about Cincinnati's program. It is very different than others we have looked at since it is a 5 year program with co-op. I also noticed that it requires a very heavy courseload in many semesters (18 hours).</p>

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<p>Advmom, Yes, they have a very heavy course load,which is one of the ways that they weed kids out. I would STRONGLY suggest that your daughter take two courses in history from the local junior college. Grades of "C" or better will meet the one year of history requirement,which will reduce her freshmen course load,which is what my daughter did.</p>

<p>Cincinnati is very good at accepting credit from college courses and in accepting AP credit.</p>

<p>I will tell you that Cincinnati is worth it! It is a fabulous school for Design, Architecture and music and for some other disciplines. Cincinnati is akin to a major conservatory/art school for music and design. It doesn't get much better than Cincinnati for these disciplines. However, having less than a 3.5 GPA will be detrimental to your daughter's chances. I have to be honest. Sadly, when the schools push our kids to take these tougher courses, they leave out the fact that many schools use unweighted GPAs for both admission and for scholarship consideration. Only the very top tier schools such as Harvard, MIT etc. might want and consider the toughness of the courses.</p>

<p>For what it's worth, even though my daughter probably was near the bottom of her entering class as to her unweighted GPA (which was a 3.45), she is in the top 20-25% of her class ( maybe even higher up)based on her current college GPA. You would think that schools like Cincinnati would change their admission policies when they see this,but sadly, this is not the case.Welcome to the world of egalitarianism at many state universities.</p>