Art student applying to an Ivy League

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So, I am a senior. I go to an art magnet high school and had planned on going to Cooper Union, SMFA, or SAIC next year (all art schools). However, I believe studying other disciplines is important as an artist. I recently became a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist and I am a Hispanic Scholar as well, which prompted me to consider an Ivy on a whim just to see if I could get in (and I would go if I got in). When I say "on a whim", I mean to say I will take the application process seriously like any other candidate, I just wouldn't be devastated if I didn't get in.</p>

<p>here's the problem: i am very hyper-specialized in fine arts, is this a problem? And should I send the schools disks of my work? My classes are not as strong as they could be, but my extras are very very strong.</p>

<p>SAT - 2110
GPA - 3.7, 4.6 weighted</p>

<p>Attended pre-college at School of the Art Institute of Chicago</p>

<p>Freshman:
Computer Applications
Team Sports
Drawing and Painting 1 Honors
Sculpture 1 Honors
Spanish for Speakers 1
Honors English
Honors Geometry
Honors World History
Honors Chemistry</p>

<p>Sophomore:
AP Art History (student of the year award) - 5
Honors Alg 2
Honors English 2
Biology
Spanish for Speakers 2
Fashion Production 1 (student of the year)
Graphic Design 1
Honors Drawing and Painting 2</p>

<p>Junior:
AP US History - 4
Honors PreCal
Honors Integrated Science
Honors English 3
AP Studio Art - Drawing and Painting - 4
Graphic Design 2
Web Design
Drawing and Painting 3 Honors</p>

<p>Senior:
AP Psych (on my own)
AP Studio Art - 2D
AP Studio Art - 3D
Graphic Design 3
Graphic Design 4
Performance Art (Dual Enrollment)
Honors English 4
Honors Govt/ Economics (I am taking the AP on my own; my school doesn't offer it)</p>

<p>Athletics:
I was the team captain of my Jump Rope (lol) team, and I placed 10th at the Junior Olympics. First place in my region. I had to stop mid-11th grade due to injury.</p>

<p>Awards:
Scholastic Arts and Writing - National Silver Key, Regional Gold in Computer Arts
National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist
National Hispanic Scholar
University of Virginia Thomas Jefferson Book Award (for achievements in Art, Academics, Leadership, and Service)
School Spirit award freshman/junior year
Student of the Year - AP Art History and Fashion Production 1</p>

<p>Club things..
National Honor Society
National Art Honor Society
Fashion Club (Junior Model Coordinator)
Excellence in Education School Advisory Committee (EESAC) Student Representative</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>I participated in the Apple Junior Internship Program. I was one of 40 students selected to participate in the US to intern at an Apple store and participate in lectures and meet company execs. I was offered a job afterwards and currently work at the Apple Store</p>

<p>I am the founder and chief curator of my school's first ever student-run gallery. I put on the shows from start to finish, host the opening receptions, and design the promotional material. It's a big thing. I am making a book documenting the shows to send to colleges.</p>

<p>Lastly, I have a very strong portfolio, though it is more conceptual than technical (walterlatimer.com). Is there a way I can include images of my work? Does that matter?</p>

<p>I would want to major in Gender and Sexuality Studies, minor (or double major?) in Fine arts. I'm mostly worried because I didn't load up on APs other than Art, and my senior year has next to nothing in terms of academics.</p>

2

<p>I think you might have a shot at some of the “lower ivies” such as Dartmouth or Cornell and maybe a reach at Yale and Columbia if you submit an arts supplement, raise your SATs, and say you’ll major in visual/fine arts. You have a pretty strong portfolio but I dont know if coming from an art school would hinder you. I’d say give it a shot! But definitely include your portfolio in your application</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>It’s Cornell and Penn that are the easiest to get into, they are certainly worth a try with an arts supplement.</p>

4

<p>Thank you for the feedback, I am going to do some research to see which visual arts programs are to my liking…</p>

<p>And on a side note, I was just notified that my work was selected to be part of a traveling show with an opening at the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center and the Miami Art Museum</p>

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<p>WOW, excellent resume. I would suggest applying to at least 2 ivies, probably one out of HYP and then maybe one out of Brown/Cornell/Dartmouth, unless you want to throw Columbia or Penn in there. As a URM with a very good GPA, good SATs, and a really well-developed hook, I think you have a good chance anywhere. Good Luck!</p>

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<p>Oh and last thing I promise… I am also gay. Do colleges take that into consideration? I don’t think they should but if it is something I can use in my favor… idk college applications are so strange and stressful</p>

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<p>A gay hispanic…it may give you some diversity points, but I think the URM status will matter MUCH more than sexual orientation. Especially given your interests and talents, it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise.</p>

<p>PS: How was pre-college at SAIC? (that was my second choice behind MICA Tuscany)</p>

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<p>Yeah that is true sirensong…</p>

<p>SAIC was fantastic! The course was challenging conceptually and I really feel like I got my money’s worth and grew as an artist. But that was only in the course I took (Advanced Projects) which was an interdisciplinary class. The painting courses (from what I observed) also did a lot of work and got some good portfolio pieces out of it, but I’m not sure how conceptually challenging it was.</p>

<p>How was tuscany? One of my friends went last year and loved it; I’m not much of a painter though so I’m not sure how much I would have gotten out of it.</p>

<p>In terms of my grades though, I do have a quite a few B’s and I believe two C’s, and I didn’t take the ACT or any SAT IIs, is that something I should be concerned about/ do something about?</p>

<p>gahh i’m so confused about this stuff. plus, columbia and yale are the only two that seem to have a decent arts program, and those are both at the graduate level. I think I may just stick to art school and try for Yale for an MFA</p>

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<p>lolbump…</p>

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<p>Take two SATII subjects. Math and a subject of your choice.</p>

<p>You have an outstanding resume for college. You definitely outshine most of the applicant pool who are against you. Imo</p>

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<p>I would definitely at least try 2 SAT IIs as ChristianWu suggested, it will allow you to apply to schools such as Yale and Columbia where you would have a very good chance of acceptance. Of course, art school is definitely a good option, but it’s always nice to have a few more choices, and you seem to like the idea of going to an Ivy.</p>

<p>I just looked at your website, and you have some really cool pieces. I’m really not a painter either which made Tuscany difficult, and I didn’t really get too many pieces out of it, but it was an AMAZING experience, and was definitely worth it.</p>

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<p>Here is this repeated fable.
This kid send in supplement the adcom could not fathom and bring it to art professor. The proff looks at it and BEGGED to let the kid in. Kid got in Harvard.
I think your works are those normal non-art people won’t get. Unless you won MWS or scholastic or NFAA thing, it is hard to convince them they are “good”
I have seen some supplements got in Yale but those are goody goody technical arts that you seem not really care. Do you have more drawing, paintings of, you know, photocopied-sh pieces?
You should sign up now if you are doing Oct. SAT II or have to pay extra. Try taking max three. Some Ivy used to ask for three of them, better to have choices assuming you won’t bomb any of them.
Cooper ED is not really ED time frame so you should def. cast widest net possible RD wise. Good luck! I will root for you. I mean you’d be against my kid but if they chose you over him, I totally get it.
Sirensong, Tuscany changed everything for him. Treasure the experience rest of your life.</p>

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<p>PS ask same thing in visual art forum. There will be earful info, I am sure there will be people recommends top LAC Wes, Williams, Reed, Bard, have you ever heard of those? Academics/ gender/queer study thing could be better than Ivy, and some of them got huge endowment. You’d need SAT II or ACT and writing.</p>

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<p>you have a shot at bottom ivies, like cornell</p>

<p>@some above poster, Penn is one of the top ivies, not low ivies…</p>

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<p>@bears and dogs, i did win scholastics, but I do understand what you are saying about my non-traditional art. I do have technical pieces but if I had to use them to get into an Ivy then I probably would not want to study arts in that school anyway. I know the Yale MFA is one of the (if not the) most prestigious MFA programs and is extremely conceptual, but from what I gather the undergrad and grad schools share little…</p>

<p>I am deciding to stick to only my arts schools, though, since the Yale MFA (which is ultimately my goal) requires an BFA for your undergrad, while the Ivy arts programs are BAs. I am going to apply to Columbia anyways, because of location, and Stanford and Tulane (I know theyre not ivies) because I am legacy (but I also hear that doesn’t matter much either)</p>

<p>Thank you bears and dogs for your support with cooper, I wish your son good luck as well, who knows we may end up best buddies!</p>

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<p>So in conclusion, my list is:</p>

<p>Cooper ED
SMFA / Tufts
SAIC
Columbia
Tulane
Stanford
MICA</p>

<p>and UF as my florida safety school</p>

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<p>PPS. noted you won some but what I meant was portfolio gold thing, which is stupid because you won’t know until about most apps are done and gone.
again, good luck. I will make wish to the Peter Cooper sitting in the park for us.</p>

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<p>Really nice list, good luck!</p>

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<p>3 years later, I wonder what school he choose…? If you see this message should give us a update, very interesting post.</p>

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Did you get in to any of your college choices?