<p>Hi, </p>
<p>My son is a rising senior. We are looking for a state university that offers a BFA. He is considering illustration. Strong in watercolor, pen and ink, charcoal drawing, and has placed in a couple of juried competitions. Decent ACT scores, but his grades in 9th and 10th grades have weakened his GPA. (He went from public to private school and the learning curve has tough.) </p>
<p>We live in Missouri; can't afford private universities (unless he lives at home ... even then, can't afford WUSTL); can afford adjoining states with reciprocal agreements. </p>
<p>He will attend STLCC for two years to get his AA in art. (They have a very strong program.) Hoping that strong grades there will help him get into a better school. </p>
<p>We have looked at SIUE and Mizzou. We are considering Murray State, Missouri State and Truman. </p>
<p>Any input would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Northern Michigan University has reasonable tuition and offers scholarships (incoming freshman and transfer students)–cost calculator on their website.</p>
<p>I have heard they have a good art department but I’m not an expert.</p>
<p><a href=“http://art.nmu.edu/department/home.html[/url]”>http://art.nmu.edu/department/home.html</a></p>
<p>Take a look here: [Visual</a> Arts and Film Majors - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/]Visual”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/)</p>
<p>ACT/SAT scores barely matter for BFA admissions. GPA will matter more, but what really counts is his portfolio. Since his CC has a strong art program, it may be best to wait until he’s there and his professors can advise about transferring. They will know which places have accepted their graduates, and whether or not they got the kind of aid he will need.</p>
<p>Schools to Consider</p>
<p>Ohio State
UIUC
University of Iowa
UW Madison
Minneapolis College of Art and Design</p>
<p>University of Cincinnati?</p>
<p>Well if he can get some sort of scholarship, the Kansas City Art Institute is one of the best.</p>
<p>University of Minnesota as well as Indiana. My daughter has been interviewed for visiting faculty positions at both these schools and so I have spent some time looking at their websites. Both appear to be credible programs with fine facilities.</p>
<p>KCAI is a great school, but pricey … just like WUSTL. I strongly feel that he should have a liberal arts education at a university, just in case he changes his mind about his career. (Lord knows, I did.) Right now, his focus is illustration and/or teaching. His plan is to get his MFA at an art school. Good advice about letting the STLCC profs give him direction. He hasn’t gotten much direction from his current art teachers or his college counselor. Apparently not a lot of kids from his school go into fine arts. Although technically he has two more years, I do want to start taking trips this year to give him some sense of what’s out there. He will attend Portfolio Day in October at WUSTL to get input, and I have considered taking him to Indiana for Portfolio Day in September so that he can check out Bloomington at the same time. Thanks for the input! Makes me a little less anxious about it all.</p>
<p>U Cincinnati is going to be pricey for a Missouri resident and I believe requires a portfolio for the art/design program.</p>
<p>check out Grand Valley State in Michigan – strong arts curric and great film program</p>
<p>I don’t know if this helps but KCAI has a partnership with several of the other Kansas City colleges and universities. All KCAI students are allowed to take 1 class per semester at UMKC for example.</p>
<p>Boy now wants Studio Art with emphasis in Drawing and Painting. </p>
<p>He went to Portfolio Day, which was crazy. We couldn’t get NEAR the big schools, so spent our time getting as much input as possible from smaller schools. Was offered a 50 percent scholarship a day later from RMCAD, but it’s far away and STILL pricey. Local CC said he had a chance at a full scholarship based on his portfolio. </p>
<p>Went to a special SAIC presentation; they liked his work, told him to apply for Merit. </p>
<p>He has toured Truman, which he hated. (Too rural, hardly any diversity that we could see … even the art students looked preppy!) Toured Mizzou. He liked the campus, but wasn’t sure the program was strong enough in drawing and painting. Toured SIU Carbondale. He liked the campus AFTER he saw art students (wow, they look like me!). SIUC also recommended Merit for portfolio, but said it isn’t a lot of money. Toured Webster, which he liked a lot. Chance at Merit with portfolio, and they have a campus in Vienna for art students, which I find very exciting. Touring KCAI in two weeks. </p>
<p>Any other suggestions?</p>