Aspiring Photo Major: Where to go/What are my chances?

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

<p>Hey guys. </p>

<p>I'm a Senior in High School right now and I am planning on studying BFA Photography in college. As the days go by, I keep getting more and more nervous about my applications just because I don't really know where I stand with my grades and portfolio.</p>

<p>I have a 3.69 GPA (weighted) and a ACT composite of 27 (taking it again in October and December). I'm in a few honors and AP courses, but my school doesn't offer that many. I attend an all-boys Catholic school in Louisiana. My school's main focus is sports, so I don't have too much in-school arts involvement. (Photography Club President, I do a lot of Theatre, and I've won some awards in my school's Literary Magazine for my work) - We barely have anything. I've got more out of school arts achievements, though. (photographed Fashion Shows, shoots for local designers, published work in newspaper, contests, and shooting New Orleans Fashion Week). </p>

<p>Where I'm applying:
Parsons (top choice)
SVA
FIT
NYU Tisch (I don't think my grades are strong enough, though)
SCAD
RISD
possibly MICA, SAIC, and Pratt. </p>

<p>In-state Backups:
LSU
Tulane
Loyola New Orleans </p>

<p>I'd really like to hear from students in my situation or from any of these schools studying photography. </p>

<p>I've been starting with the application over the past few weeks and I've just been getting nervous on how I stand with my portfolio and grades. </p>

<p>I do a lot of portraiture but I want to focus on fashion/editorial in college. Here's some examples of my work: Flickr:</a> Graham Blackall's Photostream</p>

2

<p>Super Graham,</p>

<p>I’ll have a bunch of stuff for you by tomorrow afternoon. Sorry not enough time right now.</p>

<ul>
<li>Wheaty</li>
</ul>

3

<p>Tyler School of the Arts, Temple University</p>

4

<p>Super Graham,</p>

<p>Okay kid let’s get you sorted out. I want to break this down into 5 parts and then work through each part. In my mind your five parts are: GPA, SAT/ACT, Portfolio, essays, list of schools.</p>

<p>GPA
Your 3.69 (weighted) is right at a break line for many of the top university art programs. An example is that it’s sort of the bottom of approved applicants for NYU-Tisch. So your 3.69w is a good number, it brings in some reach possibilities and also means that you’re a real strong candidate at your backups. No school is a slam dunk but I’d have to think you’re at least 75% likely approved at LSU. So we know you are going to go to a wonderful school, we just don’t know which one yet.</p>

<p>SAT/ACT
Your ACT 27 is a little low. I’d like to challenge you a little to really try to bring that up to a 29. More doors will open with a 29. For help search the College Confidential site for ‘Xiggi’s Method’.</p>

<p>Portfolio
Okay you have lots of good stuff here but you have to organize it into a portfolio that will grab attention. First thing I want you to do is develop 2 or 3 series of pictures. There are many reasons for this but mostly it’s because this is how most college photographers work. You get an idea and you work through your idea and the pictures show your thought process. College kids do it so we’re going to do it. </p>

<p>Obviously one of your series will be portraits. You have a lot of good ones so lets pull them all together in one pile. Then sift through to get your best 20 portraits, once there we’ll cut it down to 5 to 7 images. I like the face pressed against glass, the back of two people at the airport, ‘Mad Ziggy :0’ (although this breaks a ‘Wheaty Rule’), and Alex in front of the ball sculture b&w.</p>

<p>Another series could be ‘texture’. Here I would include your 3 pears, N.O. mailboxes (but needs to be straightened), that b&w weeds pic, and so on. If you like that series idea then same thing: pull your best 20 and then pare it down to a final series of 5 to 7.</p>

<p>In the end I’d like you to submit 2 or 3 series of 5 to 7 pictures. Some schools have a max of 10 images so then we’ll go with 2 series of 5 images each. Other schools offer a higher limit so we might add another series of 5 images.</p>

<p>Essays
I can’t offer much help here. Check in other forums on CC, ask a guidance counselor or your valedictorian for help. Essays are very important for arts majors so I encourage you to work on this.</p>

<p>Schools
I like your list. I might argue that you move MICA and SAIC higher on your list. If fashion is your goal then New York City is where you want to be. The internship connections alone would make NYC a target for you. Don’t forget that there are many ways to get to NY. Undergrad is just one way… for example, you could get a solid degree at LSU and an MFA from SVA or Pratt or Parsons. </p>

<p>Also consider adding a few more ‘LSU-like’ schools. Maybe Georgia or U of Texas? Solid photo programs and good schools.</p>

<p>Those are my initial thoughts… happy to answer any questions.</p>

<p>Best of Luck,
Wheaty</p>

5

<p>Super Graham,</p>

<p>Also check out my NYC sleeper pick school for photo: St Johns/ICP
[Photography[/url</a>]</p>

<p>I don’t know a whole bunch about this program but I like the tie with ICP. [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.icp.org/]Home”&gt;http://www.icp.org/]Home</a> | International Center of Photography](<a href=“http://www.sjuart.com/page2/page5/page5.html]Photography[/url”>http://www.sjuart.com/page2/page5/page5.html)</p>

<p>Just a random thought.</p>

<ul>
<li>Wheaty</li>
</ul>

6

<p>Wheaty, </p>

<p>Thanks so much for all of the information.</p>

<p>My backup schools are only for if I don’t get in anywhere else. I really don’t want to go to any of them. Already got accepted to LSU and I received full tuition + $800/month from the TOPS programs. So, those are …extreme backups. I need to get out of state. Also, I really don’t want to go to any big universities (outside of NYU, of course). Not my scene. </p>

<p>As for the ACT, I’m taking it again next weekend and then once more in December, possibly February. I’m really hoping for a 29 as well. I’m pretty sure I can get it if I prep hard enough. </p>

<p>I have one area of concern. I go to what seems like a pretty smart school. Definitely above average in the state, etc. After discovering these forums, I’ve been getting more and more uneasy with my standings. Here, many people see a 27 ACT to pretty damn good and a 3.69 to be great, but on these forums, everybody is 4.2, 36 ACT, etc.
Are my grades really not good enough to get into Parsons, FIT, SVA? I honestly thought that I had a bit of an advantage, but I guess that’s not the case.</p>

7

<p>hey kid
I am not a photo person but if you can help me on this, great
I live in NYC and this is our (note plural) biggest mystery
you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.
if you don’t want big impersonal university, why NYU?
have you visited? how many times?
Is it the citY?
Is it the reputation?
when do you become interested in it, and why?
what exactly is that kids outside of the city see in that huge THING that you can not get from any other fine colleges?</p>

<p>ACT scores
I think you are fine for art schools. My bet is if they did get ACT, (more do SAT) 23-4sh is the higher side of middle. other kids in chance me forums are crazy.
if Wheaty somewhat approved your portfolio, and with your GPA, you are in.</p>

8

<p>Super Graham,</p>

<p>Remember the golden rule of college applications: Love thy safety. Don’t have backup schools on your list that you wouldn’t want to go to. Find safeties that you love. I understand your desire to get away but at the same don’t overlook the value of a free ride to a good school (LSU). I had a hunch about that one.</p>

<p>CC has a lot of over achievers trying to squeeze every ounce out of their application season. So yeah a lot of the stats here are way up there but hey, who cares? Your numbers are fine and they are plenty good enough to get you into most of the schools on your list. Good work. But really you will be judged on the strengths of your portfolio. </p>

<p>Your parents are good with the price of these private schools and with you going to NYC?</p>

<ul>
<li>Wheaty</li>
</ul>

9

<p>Re: NYU. While it is a big impersonal monster for the most part, Tisch Photo is a little gem in the midst of it. Maybe too much of a gem. ( I know because I went there). I think the enrollment might have grown since I was there but the whole department is probably around 150 students. It really does become a bubble unto itself. I met lots of people in other majors through my dorm but after I moved into my own apartment it was all photo all the time. This is both good and bad. With hindsight I think I could have benefited from more interaction with people working in other mediums. (The department shares the building with Film and Theatre(still???) but there was a real division between worlds). On the plus side it was great to have such a focus and nurturing environment in the midst of the hulking monsters that are NYU and NYC. NYC…what can I say. It was the BEST and the WORST. I feel incredibly blessed to have had the youth that I did. What I saw and experienced, people I met…art all around, music…incredible, but at the same time intimidating. Not so easy to be a young person forming themselves in that setting. You need to be internally strong and self possessed to feel YOU in that setting, to remain confident and stay on track. For picturing taking, again INCREDIBLE. You will never run out of subject matter, especially if you gravitate toward documentary or street photography. The last factor…cost. If NYU can’t find a way to make it worth it, reconsider. Studying photography does not have to cost so much. There are more affordable places that you will get just as much out of. If NYC is important to you check out St. John’s as Wheaty said…I have a feeling they would offer you a better price. So probably would SVA, Pratt and FIT.</p>

<p>Another consideration is going to ICP, though it really seems more oriented toward the older student who has some previous schooling and life experience. Also you wouldn’t have a degree…just a certificate. An expensive certificate but lots of skills to go along with it.</p>

10

<p>As I think about it more…what do you want this next period of your life to be? Are you a pre-professional focused on gaining skills? Are you looking for a memorable, college experience meeting interesting people. Do you need intimacy or are you very independent? Are liberal arts classes important to you? Do you want to be a good writer as well as photographer? Do you want to read great books and be exposed to IDEAS? Do you not give s****t?</p>

<p>What are your photographic goals…fine art…conceptual?? Commercial…catalog?? Fashion?? Weddings??? Portraits??? Documentary…Photojournalism??? Photo Editor??? Don’t know at all??? </p>

<p>All of these questions play into what the best school for you is. Aslo destiny. Maybe your greatest love is waiting for you in Savannah and g-d is helping you find your way there.</p>

<p>In other words…stop worrying if you have the goods to get into these schools and start asking if these schools have the goods for you.</p>

11

<p>hi again…ah excuse my rambling above. I did not notice your last paragraph where you mentioned fashion/editorial and linked to your portfolio.</p>

<p>Your work is great and you should feel confident moving ahead. Follow Wheaty’s advice on organizing it all.</p>

<p>As for NYU in relation to your goals…the program is not so centered on fashion/editorial work…more traditional fine art/conceptual/documentary work. That is not to say that students interested in more commercial work don’t come out of there but NYU has more of a teaching/gallery artist kind of vibe to it. </p>

<p>For you SVA, Parsons and FIT would be a better fit. And being in NYC would be an advantage if you are ready to work it. I don’t know about Pratt these days. That could be a good choice too though I think they might be more in line with NYU in terms of how they position themselves. But remember with all of these choices you will not have the traditional college experience. You will have a NY experience. (My son’s GF dropped out of Parson’s due to the fact that there was no a cohesive social life/campus/support system) Get a good internship/become an assistant. Connect with young fashion people and offer to work for little or no money and you will get your career going. And consider ICP if you feel you don’t need the college experience at all.</p>

12

<p>And if you do decide you want more of a community, don’t want to enter the rat race so fast and are into fashion/editorial I would say SCAD.</p>

13

<p>Back in the days… (LOL - when you get to be as old as I am, you start forcing your back-in-the-days stories on others) When I was in grad school, I was in love with photography. My “high” point was to have - briefly - a few pieces in the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, as well as “semi-permanant” shows in a couple of restaurants. I used photography to support myself through grad school and learned that no matter how much I loved doing it on my own, I <em>hated</em> commercial photography.</p>

<p>Weddings? Good grief - the pressure to get things right was way too much for me. My wife and I tried doing composites (photos and layouts) for the local modeling school, but that was so boring as to be mind-numbing. School photos? Meh… it made a few bucks.</p>

<p>I thought I might love local fashion gigs, but just a couple of jobs made me dislike that as well. Shoots would start sometimes after midnight, the client would want to supply models (BIG mistake), they’d want to see proofs 8am the next morning, you never had any control over what you were doing (the client had ideas that I didn’t necessarily agree with), and it was not a pleasant job.</p>

<p>Two thing I did like: black-and-white “mood” portraits (not the usual studio-type shots) and architectural shots of buildings. Sounds boring, but especially the facial portraits were extremely interesting to me. One day, a woman came in to get some portraits done. She was a very plain-looking person, not one who would turn heads on the street. I got her seated and the lighting set up and when I looked through the viewfinder, I couldn’t quite believe what I saw. She was beautiful in such an intriguing way that just pulled you into that photo. I lifted my head and looked again directly at her and saw the plain-Jane face, but through the viewfinder again, it was something special. And the final prints captured that specialness.</p>

<p>I took the final portraits to a friend of mine in the talent business and showed him. He got so excited and wanted to meet her and explore the possibility of setting her up to talk with others about modeling. When I brought it up to her, she refused to even consider it. Her view of herself couldn’t admit the possibility of having the inner beauty that the camera so easily captured.</p>

<p>Anyway, the moral of the story (for me) was, just because I loved to do something didn’t mean I was cut out for it as a way of making money.</p>

14

<p>Wheaty, </p>

<p>My parents are really pushing for me to go to NYC for photography. Cost isn’t really that big of an issue.</p>

15

<p>Super Graham,
Alright that’s good news - it makes a world of difference when your parents are behind you.</p>

<p>I really like Drae’s comments in post #10. I agree, you should be looking at all of these schools thinking ‘how are you going to make Super Graham more super?’. Which school offers the best chances for your future in fashion photography?</p>

<p>I also completely agree that you can make big schools feel small and that is especially true for arts majors.</p>

<p>So let’s zero in and look at 3 potential paths for you: NY City, LSU+MFA, Central St. Martins. The last one is a curve ball I’m throwing out there.</p>

<p>NYC
Lots of really good choices here. Columbia, NYU, SVA, Parsons, St. Johns/ICP, Pratt and so on. Bears brings up a good point in that it would be a good idea to visit NYC to get a feel for the city and to see these schools. Some random thoughts: a 29 on the ACT brings NYU into play and I see NYU as a really good option for what you have described. A 29 also means that you would have a maybe 10% chance at Columbia - worth a try in my opinion. Your pared down portfolio plus your stats makes you very likely to be accepted to all of the others so I would visit them to see first hand what they have that would help you realize your goals.</p>

<p>LSU+MFA
I know you don’t want to hear this but I like the idea of going to LSU for your undergrad. It’s free, or nearly free, and it’s a good school. NYU is something like $57k per year so you’d be saving $228k by going to LSU first. With the money saved you could then go to NYC for your MFA for 2 years at 57k so you’re still 114k ahead AND you now have an MFA. To sweeten it further I would add summer art schools anywhere you want and I’d spend a year studying abroad. Still money ahead.</p>

<p>Central St. Martins
Perhaps the number one school in the world for fashion photography is CSM. Here’s their website –> [Central</a> Saint Martins](<a href=“http://www.csm.arts.ac.uk/]Central”>http://www.csm.arts.ac.uk/)
This is a wildcard pick but it’s a really good one. London is a fashion hub and CSM is right in the middle of it all. Just throwing it out there.</p>

<p>I know how you feel about leaving LA and moving forward but my best advice would be LSU+MFA in NY or London.</p>

<p>Best,
Wheaty</p>

16

<p>Wheaty,</p>

<p>Thanks for all of the advice. My next ACT is on Saturday and I’m hoping to get a 29! Wish me luck!</p>

<p>As for Central St. Martins, I’ve heard of the school, but never really thought of it as an option. Definitely looking more into it now. I told my parents about the suggestion and they told me to apply and see what happens. Luckily, they just want to see me happy doing what I love.</p>

17

<p>Super Graham,</p>

<p>Well try hard on the ACT but either way you’re doing fine. </p>

<p>Cruise around the CSM website. They have a lot to offer and they meet a lot of your requirements. Pay close attention to their application instructions and deadlines as things are a bit different for this one. If you have any questions just call them via Skype. They don’t get that many Americans and I’m sure they would take a long look at your application.</p>

<p>You are very fortunate to have LSU in your hip pocket - that takes all the pressure off. Have fun and let us know your progress as you get your yes’s and no’s.</p>

<p>Best of Luck,
Wheaty</p>

18

<p>Checking back in to say that I am DEFINITELY not going to LSU.
I visited last week and I absolutely hated it.</p>

<p>I felt like such an outcast and I kept seeing people from my school that had graduated. Even in the Art + Design building, I was very unimpressed and felt really oppressed. </p>

<p>Checking that one off the list!</p>

19

<p>Hi! Random post here, but I found this interesting because I am a current student at Parsons. </p>

<p>I am not a photo major, I am a Design and Management major, but my roommate and many of my close friends are photography majors. In fact, I’ve modeled for many of their shoots. </p>

<p>There are tons of things to know about this school, for one we don’t have a cohesive campus, but many of our buildings are in very impressive locations on Fifth Ave, and have state of the art labs and studios. As far as a social life goes, if you live in the dorms you’re fine, I’ve had not a single problem in that matter, the kids here are super nice and fun. You also socialize with kids from other New School branches, such as Eugene Lang and the Jazz school. Another thing I’ve noticed here is that acceptance is largely talent based, grades and scores won’t guarantee you anything, they help for sure, as long as you have a strong portfolio. Portfolio and talent come above all. It is also very expensive, but manageable. The photo program is strongly, STRONGLY, based on fashion, but you can still venture out into other fields, but Parsons is mostly known for it’s fashion in the end. </p>

<p>If you have any other questions about the school you can just send me a message. :)</p>

20

<p>Hi,
Im a photographer based in Mumbai, currently looking at doing my MFA in Photography.
I considered Parsons, Sva, Pratt, Risd and Icp as my options intitially but I think I may settle for SVA now for the following reasons.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I havent got the chance to speak to many students from the Mfa program but from the Bfa program, who highly suggest SVA as a great option.</p></li>
<li><p>It is cheaper compared to the other schools mentioned above.</p></li>
<li><p>Is a one year program.</p></li>
<li><p>Hoping to meet people from different galleries and agencies and figuring out a way to tie up with them or keep contact with them for future projects, exhibits, collaborations etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Meet students from different walks of life and learn from them.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Now my sole motive to study at these schools is to learn more aesthetically, have guidance from experienced professionals, open my mind to newer ideas and guidance to utilize these ideas. Basically to bring the art out of me, which has been happening for years now but only recently I realized that I can be better if I attend one of these schools.I have assisted a well established photographer in Mumbai for 2years where I got a great exposure to learning the commercial side of photography that has eventually helped me get a good sense of business. But I HAVE to learn a lot more than just the business and make sure my personal projects are given equal or more importance.</p>

<p>I am open to suggestions in terms of other schools, I hear there are some great schools who offer full scholarships?</p>