Art Major?

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
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<p>Alright so ive been excellent at art since a very young age, but im not quite sure whether I should go for an art major, as the application process is different?</p>

<p>I go to a very prestigious boarding prep school in New england. ranked in the top 10 nationally. I have great grades/great scores/decent EC's. </p>

<p>My art has always been my "hook", as I believe I am the top artist at the school. With my status/grades, I should probably be able to get into middle/lower ivies etc. But some of these schools dont offer art majors. </p>

<p>Therefore, I am quite stuck, whether I should go for an art major or not?</p>

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<p>I would advise against it. You should only go into art if you are passionate about it, and simply by asking the question, it’s pretty obvious that you are not. Studio art (particularly the BFA route) is a very intense major and making a living with art is very difficult, so you really have to love it.</p>

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<p>I think most schools offer a visual art or studio art major. It would be a BA degree which means roughly 1/3 art and 2/3 humanities and sciences. If you went to a school with a BFA degree, the proportion would be reversed and you could choose specifically which type of art (painting, illustration, photography, etc) to major in. </p>

<p>It’s true that the ivies and most other schools don’t offer a BFA although many of them offer an MFA in their graduate schools. It’s also difficult with some schools to see what the student work is like. </p>

<p>It’s a big decision and you should visit as many schools as you can and pre-arrange to tour the art studios as well. If you’re still not sure about your major, you could still enroll in a college or university and take some classes and decide during your sophomore year. Sending in a portfolio as a supplement, whether or not you declare yourself to be an art major, is always a good idea. I don’t think it rises to the level of “hook” but it should help.</p>

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<p>**[Cornell](<a href=“http://aap.cornell.edu/aap/art/programs/undergrad/index.cfm]Cornell[/url][/b”>http://aap.cornell.edu/aap/art/programs/undergrad/index.cfm)[/b</a>] offers BFA concentrations in Combined Media, Electronic Imaging, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. There is also a BFA/BA in conjunction with other schools within the university.</p>

<p>Which doesn’t change your point at all, but . . .</p>

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<p>check out Carnegie Mellons combined degree…</p>

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<p>^ compare first two moms’ reply and you can not help but wonder which one actually cares about OP or art or life or humanity in general.</p>

<p>worried_ , I know you don’t wanna hear from me
but
you don’t know a thing about this kid except what s/he says in here and the kid’s other posts I am sure you’ve already checked up on.
why must you put down every youngun’ 1/3 of your age- just because you don’t like what been said or how it sounded in few paragraphs?<br>
It is not this kid’s fault that being able to attend super nice brain prep school, bit different from a-typical art major wannabes, self assured and over confident. </p>

<p>OP kid, you might come off biiitt too priveraged and arrogant which upset good ol’ worried_ here.
she had done the same to other poor kids in the past when they hinted interest in certain high caliber art school or its next door Ivy, without, how dare you, knowing your place!!(which, of course, according to worried_ 's very own hard earned -literary !!- gate keeping opinion) </p>

<p>^^ greenwitch knows Ivy deals first hand, I’d think she meant Cornell is not much of art-y ivy wannabe’s destination.
it is a shame, the school is viewed as sort of safety-ivy, dull, remote, too spread out, misty and musty should not reflect what kids could/should do there.
often CMU or Cooper arch kids do cross apply or admit to Cornell, maybe that sort of explain feeling of the school culture, since art-art kids are not doing it - for them it is either Yale or Columbia, maybe Brown.
long ago I wrote in somewhere about liking Dartmouth and gotten ridiculed by some ivy parent.
I think it is all up to the kid.
“wanting to do ivy” already distinguish what you are looking for in college experience, but by no means you should not major in art nor nessesary prove you have less or wrong kind of “passion”.
how do you weigh this magic “P” formula of college apps anyway? could possibly be the same as craving for chocolate or cheesecake? don’t eat alot everyday does not mean you love it any less.
are you gonna brag by saying, " well, my DS eats chocolate for every meal for every day, live, breathe in chocolate 24/7, therefore, more passionate than you, I see you eat only twice in the week between your piano lesson and physics experiment, poooh !! "
go on ahead worried_!! you the mom. </p>

<p>OP, read up what’s in this forum since you seem relatively new. you will find answers to many questions.
and “eating” is not the only thing you can do with degree in art, you can study about them going back to history and culture, sell them, serve them, compare and rate them, learn how to preserve the best, deliver them with special care, export them, import them.
studying art is as good as fine chocolate for enriching your life, downside of it is of course, it costs big money and could make you fat or sick in the stomach and for regular folks, not considered as one of the basic main food group.</p>

<p>but we just love it, don’t we?</p>

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<p>Defining passion is hard, I understand what B&D is saying. D’s friend wants to major in creative writing, but her mom says she doesn’t have the “passion” for it like my D has for art. The mom sees my D sketching all the time, and she doesn’t see her D writing constantly. That might be true, but after visiting colleges for CW, I can see her doing OK. Just to be on the safe side tho, she’s telling her mom she’s going to double major in CW and Psychology, because Psych is an “approved-by-mom” major. Boils down to how you measure a non-quantifiable thing as passion.</p>

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<p>worried_mom:</p>

<p>I think your take on “passion” is overstated. Some people live and breathe what they are interested in or talented at (to an obsessive amount, at times) and some don’t.</p>

<p>I really don’t think that is the key to determine whether or not someone is talented or will be successful. It is not so black and white.</p>

<p>Some artists are talented at more than one thing and some are just more well-rounded than others.</p>

<p>I have 2 daughters who are talented in both art and music. Either could have gone either way in terms of picking a major.</p>

<p>Older D has chosen musical theatre. She was concerned about her passion level because she was not one of those kids who lived and breathed musical theatre, she did not know every musical score ever writtten and has never seen a bdway show multiple times.</p>

<p>Surprisingly, she has found along the way that she is more talented than some of those kids with intense passion and is doing quite well. </p>

<p>Younger D is a rising junior and is choosing to go the art route. She, too, is concerned that she might not be “artsy” enough and was concerned with how she would fit in with the “artsy” kids at a pre-college art program she is currently attending. Reports, so far, are that all is going well. She thinks her talent level is fine and she is fitting in despite her previous concerns based on the fact that she is more involved in acapella music, choir and the school musical (she gets leads) in high school than the art club. When she has free time, she sketches and sings at the same time!</p>

<p>Remember that John Lennon went to school for art and that Tony Bennett’s art work is hanging in museums. </p>

<p>People can be talented, but not one-dimensional.</p>

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<p>uskoolfish, I think you misunderstood my post. I was not making any judgment whatsoever as to the OP’s talent or likelihood of success. Perhaps I did not make myself clear, but I was trying to convey my impression that she (he?) did not seem to be that keen on an art major per se and she was leaning towards strong academics/prestige (i.e., Ivy-caliber schools) instead:</p>

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<p>Certainly art seems to be a large part of her identity (“excellent at art since a very young age,” “art has always been my hook,” and “top artist at the school.”) but if she is not sure about the art major and has Ivy-worthy stats, I think she should be looking at a broader range of schools and not restrict herself to schools with art majors only. She may or may not decide to pursue art studies in college, but she does not have to decide now. </p>

<p>Having gone through the art/design school process with my own son, I was advising the OP against the BFA route in particular, as that is very intense and I do think requires extraordinary commitment to the subject.</p>

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<p>OP- I was originally skeptical about whether or not to major in art. I have the talent, as you do, and I had anxiety about whether or not it would be worth it. After much thought, I’ve decided to double major in Art and Psychology and pursue an Art Therapy career. There are ways that you can incorporate it into your life but still not rely on it; I suggest you look into other majors that you would be interested in that you might be able to use creative thinking and art. And the good news is that you can always change your major if you decide it’s not for you. If you choose not to major in the arts, there are many excellent scholarships for art that will both help you pay for college and help you get admitted and you can continue art as a hobby. :)</p>

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<p>worried_, so then what’s wrong with this kid going to Yale Brown Columbia Penn Dartmouth (yay) which offer art major BA or AB “AFTER” soph year, except the fact that s/he just touches your nerve?</p>

<p>^ Tony Bennett!!
He is one of the bigshots graduated NYC’s voc. art HS in its hayday, he should be able to doodle fine.
my kid was a student there but no famous alm in its almost 80 years history ever visit or donate anything… in fact Tony created new up and coming visual/performing art HS elsewhere in the city and named it after his BFF Sinatra.
One would wonder why? Is his old HS THAT awful now that he had to ditch it???
well, falling apart facilities, nuisance of old folks in moneyed residential neighborhood for sure, just about OK anime manga graf innercity kids and few diamonds among them that would get polished if one is lucky… but then they’d forget about his/her HS era in bio but mention only where they did grad study or hi power fellowships, eh?</p>

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<p>Angry Dad - thanks for the heads up about Cornell’s BFA program. I had no idea. That might be bad enough but my H, who grew up in New York, was surprised to hear that Cornell was in the ivy league. “No seriously, it’s not”, he would insist. It took me awhile to convince him. He said the same thing about the plastic island in the Pacific until I showed him things on Google. </p>

<p>I’m a very happy gardener (even though everything is scorched these days) so I always mentally drool over Cornell’s horticulture department and forget about the rest. Maybe they’ll inspire other schools to be equally multidimensional. If my D had known about the BFA/BA I’m sure she would have looked there.</p>

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<p>^greenthumb greenwitch
you are just too darn honest and polite</p>

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<p>off topic edit
I looked up
if wikipedia is right, Tony Bennett dropped out of HS when 16 and did not graduate, thou school brag sheet always list him as an alm.</p>

<p>the school he founded is now located in his birthplace with new building with the state of the art (how often we do hear this about any art schools) facilities, it might explain his motive, like, Dali gave entire museum to his hometown when asked only to give a painting or two.</p>

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<p>D has close friend who went to the school. She said it was pretty awesome. Tony has set up a whole charity to fund schools like this and to provide programming for others. He and his wife are very involved with fund raising for the arts. He gets my vote!</p>

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<p>[Exploring</a> The Arts: - Tony Bennett and Susan Crow Benedetto’s Non-Profit for Arts Education in Public Schools](<a href=“http://www.exploringthearts.org/]Exploring”>http://www.exploringthearts.org/)</p>

<p>This is his organization</p>

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<p>Wow thanks for the link.
now I am more curious, because other two partners are performing art only schools. his thing is more of performing art I am sure, but how did he liked (or disliked) his old visual art HS?
and I can see that now how much they wanted to create another/ better LaGuardia for Queens’ kids. yet the HS is in un-cool borough and its name being " Frank Sinatra " especially young visual art kids across the river are not crazy to apply despite of its high academic/ college op/ graduation rates for public HS.
my kid intentionally threw audition for Sinatra (which I made him do, awwww those middle school days I still had some say) by adding “kick me” sign on the figure drawing model’s back.
fate has it, when he applied to citywide summer art institute, his reviewer was an art teacher from Sinatra who remembered what he had done since she was then an exam proctor.
make long story short, during that freshman summer -she accepted him after all that- and beyond, even though he was not Sinatra kid, she became one of the greatest mentor/ adult art figure who is really adult inside out and taught him important lesson he really needed.
If your D’s friend is recent art grad, she would know the teacher. If other teachers are like her, it got to be really really great school.</p>

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<p>Sorry to take two months to get back to this thread, especially after the awesome Tony Bennett/NYC art high school twist it took at the end.</p>

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<p>I hope I didn’t come off as rude, b&d and greenwich. I was just trying to clarify.</p>

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<p>OK, so I’ve been thinking about this wrong?</p>

<p>My daughter has been looking at five year dual degree BFA/BA programs. She has other academic interests she wants to pursue, but doesn’t want to give up the intensity of the BFA route and wants to “choose specifically which type of art” she majors in (painting). Yet this approach limits one’s college options a lot!</p>

<p>Art-art students consider Yale and Columbia prime destinations for undergrad in spite of the absence of a BFA at those schools? Hmm. Do Yale and Columbia grads tend to take a year to work on their portfolios after they graduate and before applying to MFA programs (if they go in that direction)? Or do they not find their portfolios lacking at all?</p>

<p>More to the point, what is it that makes Yale and Columbia the choices, and do those traits exist at universities someone could actually get into? </p>

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<p>And, of course, where do the vast majority of Yale aspirants go when they’re not accepted there, if Cornell is too dull and remote . . .</p>

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<p>. . . and Dartmouth is somehow laughable?</p>

<p>Again, I’m not being snarky. I’m honestly confused by the basics here. Back before my daughter turned her interests away from the mainstream college majors, I found the whole “lower Ivy” and “safety Ivy” thing to be preposterous. Now that she’s in the tall grass, I may be turning into a hardcore prestige freak. </p>

<p>Anyway, sorry to necro this thread, and thanks in advance on the off chance someone wants to take the time to explain what I’m missing here. ;)</p>

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<p>sorry dad, that’s ^ all what I said and I feel responsible. I don’t know your background so well and it seems I don’t get along very good with dad. no, I don’t get along with certain moms either, forget that.
first off, it is none of Cornell’s fault.
It is mostly just the location. Ithaca is just not cool, hip, happening or admired.
I am Japanese who wondered around quite bit then lived and raised kid in NYC, you know the type, don’t have to listen to us. I walked around there myself and it is depressing - waterfall, gorge and suicide bridge, intentionally left overgrown eco grassy area, deserted art dept, fab museum noone’s visiting, the army of fluorescent lights in the library, bad coffee, bus trip from port authority go winding thru had-been towns, having to deal with rowdy SUNY Bing bunch… I can go on and on but it has NOTHING to do with what your D or this certain mom heli’s D (voted best dressed, so she brags) could do at Cornell.</p>

<p>About greenwitch and BFA, knowing how thru greenwitch have been, I assumed her D crossed out Cornell from the list and did Columbia instead-she got in but ditched for MICA, you know.
Columbia’s MFA was sort of “thing” in the recent boom years, kids are mislead to believe UG. BA could get some of that residue, besides it is in NYC!! thou I personally don’t have any feeling toward the school. to me, it is nicer version of NYU what and real estate havoc they are causing in poor (really) people in uptown and all. </p>

<p>Yale is, well, Yale. There were time in the past they offered BFA and still do summer thing for chosen UG kids.I am trying to figure out what happened and when, but now their site is one of wiki and even harder to navigate than before, I don’t need it anyway, just nosy.
UG kids could, however take classes at Yale school of art, share some of the classes and facilities.
not all BA art majors are necessary wannabe practicing artists. it is good start to go on to high powered MFA (eventually phD) to become intellectual, curator, auction folks or director of anything. You need all that to be taken seriously and Yale UG just could not beat as a first step.</p>

<p>Dartmouth is just my personal fav. when I said that before, there was this Ivy hater art poster pointed out it is not good place to go for art, which I do agree if you are looking for what your D was looking for.
I have been around there every summer and really like Hanover and whole air of the school. nice size, got everything but low key. Dr. Seuss went there, few artists I like live and work near by… sort of thing. </p>

<p>I read a book called “artschool” and it confirmed my theory that what you do UG is important but no way telling hi name BFA is better way than nowhere BA.
as a parent I understand wanting to be sure of kid’s choice and hope to get your money’s worth, needing some yard stick to see how good or not.
there isn’t any. something works for one kid won’t do the same to the other. time changes and so is art, so is teaching and learning should be. you do your part, kid do their bit. rest is up to art fairy.</p>

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<p>day job done, re-read and reflect time.
I forgot to answer for " where Yale rejects go if not Cornell?"
more likely those art-art kids did not apply to Cornell for the reason I listed and often heard, or did not know its value- like greenwitch’s D or her H and most NYC folks.
assuming they did Yale seriousely, not as of “let’s just see” or “well why not for the occasion” but what you meant by - do those traits exist at universities someone could actually get into- I guess, you mean that the kid might had shot at Yale for real?
in that case they’d be applied and accepted from some of these depending on kids’ personality, grades, test scores and style of artwork.
RISD
MICA
SAIC
SMFA/Tufts
Wash U
CMU
Wes
Bard
Vassar
Cooper by some miracle
plus their art-y state school of choice from UCLA to SUNY, reach to safety</p>

<p>they’d be more likely offered chunk of merit money from MICA SAIC SMFA WashU. plus often enuff they are decentry rich or covered by need based aids-poor, so CMU Wes Vassar and could be RISD Bard are doable as well. Cooper is free but if not local become expenssive to attend and it is up to their family value.
all they have to do is take a pick. nice, no?</p>