<p>"As many undergraduates fret about graduation, at least one subculture of students in the expensive college landscape is exuding a decidedly morose state of mind: art students. Like many undergrads seeking specialized humanities degrees, student artists wonder what viable place they can occupy in a tightening economy, which now is luring young people into more stable careers in government, the sciences, health care or consulting.</p>
<p>Richard Freeman, a Harvard professor and National Bureau of Economic Research director, said young artists can take comfort: Young bankers are almost on par with them in choosing risky careers. Freeman, though, is hopeful for humanities majors. "If you think of a place like McKinsey consulting, and you come with an art degree, they may prefer you because they're looking for creative thinkers," he said....</p>
<p>Nationwide, this generation of student artists, motivated primarily to work in multimedia careers, doesn't seem to care about the long odds: Among more than 30 private art schools, for instance, applications shot up 5 to 10 percent from 2002 to 2007, according to the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. At the 300-student Corcoran undergraduate college, which began granting degrees in 1966, applications were up by more than 100 this year -- the sharpest rise in a decade."
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