I am an arts student that is thinking about not going to college????

College Search & Selection
1

<p>This might be long, so bear with me.
I am currently a junior in high school. I make very good grades, I had straight A's up until this year (I got a few B's in AP classes) and my will be a 4.1-4.2 at the end of this school year. I take all the most advanced classes I can (i'll be in BC calc as a senior) which is why there is so much pressure placed on me as far as college. My teachers and counselors automatically assume that I am going to college, but I am having second thoughts. Yes, college can be a great thing, but I personally am interested in pursuing a career in the arts. Since my freshman year, I have been attending a specialty center in my county, that works in conjunction with our county's schools. I study visual arts there, and art is definitely what I am most passionate about. Next year I plan on doing AP art 2D design at the specialty center, and another block of AP art at my base school, but focus this portfolio on 3D pieces. </p>

<p>Anyway, I am EXTREMELY dedicated to my work, and often find it hard to step away from it and make time for my other classes. The art director for my county said that I am the strongest artist in our county, and recommended me for our states governor's school summer program, of which I was selected to participate in as one of the top artists in the state. I mention all this only to show that I am very serious about the work I produce, but I often feel like a degree in art would not actually help me that much in pursuing what I love.</p>

<p>My parents do not have much money, so I would be relying almost solely on scholarships and financial aid for college. I've thought about bypassing college altogether, but I guess I just want some insight from people who wanted to pursue art and did not go to college. I definitely want to move out of the town I live in, it suffocates me and I feel like it's holding me back. New York City is my one true love, and I'd love to move there directly after I graduate, but my dreams often seem unrealistic. Going to college in New York would give me a place to live and a reason to be there, but i'd love to try and launch my career right away. This probably sounds terribly naive, I'm not very good at articulating my thoughts, but I just want to know if a BFA is really worth it, or if I could succeed on my own with enough drive and hard work, preferably from someone who was once in the same boat.... Thanks for sticking with me if you did</p>

2

<p>Personally, in art, I think you’ve either got it or you don’t and a college degree isn’t going to make you a better artist. In an ideal world, artists should make art and learn by doing art. But you also don’t want to starve, and a college degree can be a backup plan when your talent isn’t recognized. Some employers, fair or not, use that college degree as a screening device - no degree, no interview.</p>

<p>There are cases to be made either way, but being a professional artist is going to be a difficult road no matter which path you choose. You might try and see what kind of full ride you could get before deciding to head out on your own without a degree. No sense spending money you don’t have, but spending someone else’s money is something else entirely. It might also give you an idea of how talented you really are by competing on a national level for admission to top programs. Even if you don’t go, gaining admission would be an indication of your talent.</p>

3

<p>Thank you!! Very insightful answer. I’m definitely going to apply to a lot of colleges and see what kind of money I can get, but I guess I’m trying to prepare myself if I don’t get enough to send me. Getting a job is definitely what I am most worried about. </p>

4

<p>Given the financial constraints, you want to formulate your college application list to target or consider:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Colleges with good need-based financial aid. Each college has a net price calculator to give you a financial aid estimate. Run it for each college under consideration, since each college has different financial aid policies and generosity. The most generous colleges for need-based financial aid tend to be well-endowed private schools, and some public schools for their in-state students only. Do not expect good need-based financial aid at out-of-state public schools except University of Virginia and University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Some states’ public schools give poor financial aid even to in-state students.</p></li>
<li><p>Colleges with large merit scholarships (you probably want the full rides, not just full tuition) like those listed in these threads:
<a href=“Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - #300 by BobWallace - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - #300 by BobWallace - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums; (automatic for stats)
<a href=“Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - #50 by BobWallace - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - #50 by BobWallace - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums; (competitive)
<a href=“NMF Scholarships: An Updated Compilation - #833 by BobWallace - National Merit Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>NMF Scholarships: An Updated Compilation - #833 by BobWallace - National Merit Scholarships - College Confidential Forums; (if National Merit)</p></li>
<li><p>[Questbridge</a> National College Match](<a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/ncm-national-college-match]Questbridge”>QuestBridge | National College Match), where you can apply to up to 8 schools in a ranked early decision list. By doing so, you agree to attend one on a full ride if it admits you. But note that these schools are very selective.</p></li>
</ul>

5

<p>Thing is, some folks don’t need college for art, but some benefit from the more arduous work in college level art classes, the critiques, chance to display- and the contacts and advice you might get. Depends on the school. One thing I have learned in my area, is that you do specifically need to explore the art program, not assume. Eg, we have a local, very inexpensive college (a step up from a cc) with a super art program. Surprises lots of folks.</p>

6

<p>You can get a head start on understanding your financial options if, as noted, you would ask your parents to use a few college’s net price calculator. This will give you an idea of how much need based aid you may be eligible for. If this works for you, you can put together a fairly open-ended list. If need based aid isn’t enough, then you should start researching colleges that offer merit aid. Many colleges do not.</p>

<p>QuestBridge is a wonderful organization for low income kids and their families. Look into it.</p>

<p>My personal opinion is that art and college are not mutually exclusive. There are many routes: You can choose to go to a school that is exclusively dedicated to art, a university or a small liberal arts college. These are generalizations and I’m sure there are exceptions, but be aware: Art schools tend to be stingy on aid. The most selective private colleges are generous with need based aid, but often don’t offer merit aid. Some of the best merit aid comes from lesser known colleges. </p>

<p>Whether you get a BFA or a BA, you will benefit intellectually and socially, and your art work will benefit from formal art training and analysis plus exposure to art history, philosophy, history and many other disciplines that help you understand the world.</p>

<p>Not to mention helping you discover something that you like to do to earn money while you’re establishing yourself as an artist. Many successful working artists support themselves in fields such as teaching, graphic design. gallery work, position at arts NGOs. There are lots of different paths, but having a college degree is a definite plus.</p>

<p>Many colleges allow accepted students to defer attendance. You could apply, get admitted then defer while you try your wings for a year. I would warn you, however, that New York City is a very expensive place to live and even low level menial jobs are competitive right now. If you’ve never lived on your own, surviving on a novice artist’s income in New York would be a rough way to start.</p>

<p>Most colleges have art departments, but some are better than others, both in and out of New York City. Let us know what schools you’re leaning toward and we can help you round out the list. But first clarify your financials.</p>

7

<p>Hi, thank you all for the responses! I am currently looking at Pratt, SVA, FIT, and Parsons as my top schools, along with MICA, and VCU. I live in Virginia, so I have easy access to VCU, however I am also thinking about pursuing a BID or bachelor’s in industrial design, or meybe textile design, both of which VCU does not offer. I guess i just need to really think about what I want to do, because if I pursue general fine arts I probably will not go to college. I think that industrial design might be the route for me though, since it would include art and design, amd a hefty salary. </p>

8

<p>Art schools generally don’t have the money for scholarships so it will be expensive. Another thing to consider is how you will feel doing art 24x7 if you go to an art school. My D’s friend dropped out after two years because something that was a joy for her became drudgery. There are many colleges with good art programs. Apply widely and see how things go.</p>

9

<p>My daughter sounds a lot like you, she’s looking at a lot of the same schools. Have you read this blog post? <a href=“Don’t go to art school. The traditional approach is failing us… | by Noah Bradley | I. M. H. O. | Medium”>https://medium.com/i-m-h-o/138c5efd45e9&lt;/a&gt; A RISD grad gives his opinion on how to get a great art education WITHOUT going to art school. That post wasn’t enough to convince my kid to bypass college, but it’s something to think about, anyway. (The cost comparison between RISD and Harvard Law was a real eye-opener for me!) The last thing you want to do is saddle yourself with a ton of debt right out of the gate. There’s NO way that’s worth it, I don’t care WHAT college you go to. Especially if you hope to live in NYC some day. I second the advice to apply widely and keep your fingers crossed. A lot of those schools are 1) hard to get into and 2) unable to give a lot of aid, so for better or worse, many of those decisions will be made for you in the end. Cast a wide net and I bet the school with the right combination of program and price will be in there somewhere! Best of luck! :-bd </p>

10

<p>Here is the issue you are facing: when you apply to college right out of high school, your opportunities are at the zenith in terms of financial and merit money most of the time. Getting college funds as non traditional student, even getting acceptances to many schools, become more difficult . Quite a bit so, statistically. So it’s a good idea to see what you can net in this area, so you can see what you may be giving up. Maybe nothing or not much, maybe a lot. You don’t know until you go through the app process and the offers are on the table. As a senior in high school the momentum to apply to these schools and programs are on your side. Your teachers, your schedule, your GCs, notifications, mail all help you through the process. Not so much thereafter. You have to do it all yourself. So it’s nice to take advantage of this big push and help that you are unlikely to get yourself.</p>

<p>An old friend of mine with just one child who could have sent her child any where financially, did push her to apply to art programs and her mindset was like yours. She went to Visual Arts in NYC, found outside opportunities more enticing, dropped out and never looked back. She’s successful in her field, happy as could be and life is good. Another friend’s DD’s roommate at Tisch took leave for a Broadway role, and has been performing since. But it doesn’t always turn out that way. </p>

11

<p>I also want to say that I am continually impressed by undergraduate students who have started their own businesses and freelancing work. I attend and work at/have worked at a large research university and a small LAC in NYC, and students here have begun all kinds of businesses. One writes code for professionals; one is a bartending company that trains and then hires out undergrads; there’s a student-run volunteer EMS service; there’s a babysitting service; and there’s currently a collective at the small LAC that does analysis for companies.</p>

<p>I don’t think everyone needs to go to college. BUT I think everyone needs a marketable skill to pay the bills, and art is a saturated field with many talented folks and few positions. You could learn a skill that’s adjunct to art to help pay those bills - like computer science (lots of ways to combine them!) or journalism/editing (the fields are related), and then you could freelance in college and try to build a client base and build your own business.</p>

<p>You could also learn a skill that will pay the bills while you freelance on the side and try to build your art business - and that can either be done in college or at a technical/trade program.</p>

<p>You should also know that overall, college graduates have lower unemployment rates, higher average salaries and are healthier than high school grads.</p>

<p>On a related note, I live in NYC and it seems like New York is just about every 18-year-old’s “one true dream.” It was mine, too, and I was born here and lived here for part of my childhood. The real NYC is very different than the glossy way it’s portrayed in the media - or, to be frank, it may be that way for the very wealthy but for the average 20something Millennial (who’s probably making $40,000 or less and sharing a crappy apartment in the boroughs or uptown), it is decidedly NOT. Moreover, there are thousands upon thousands of talented starving artists who moved to NYC for exactly the same reason that you did. Don’t get me wrong - it’s a great and vibrant city with many upsides! But there are many other great, vibrant, fun cities in the U.S. that aren’t as expensive and have a lower concentration of talented starving artists waiting for their chance. Also, it’s hard enough to live here on a low salary with a BA; I can’t imagine living here on the salary that an 18-year-old high school graduate is able to make. You’d have to work so much just to pay rent that you wouldn’t have time for the art.</p>

<p>Last thing - I agree with the assessment about art schools not giving very much financial aid; you should look at colleges that have good art programs that also have good financial aid policies. If you really want to live in New York, check out Cooper Union - it’s an art and engineering school with a great financial aid policy. Cooper Union gives every admitted student a half-tuition scholarship, and needy students can qualify for more financial aid. You also may be interested in Fordham, which has a visual art program and has two great campuses - one in the heart of Lincoln Center in midtown Manhattan, and one beautiful more traditional one in the Bronx near the zoo and Botanical Gardens.</p>

12

<p>I have to agree with cptofthehouse - now is the point in your life when this process is easiest. It’s not impossible later, of course, but the world supports the high school-to-college path much more directly than other paths.</p>

<p>And, having now gone through this process with 3 kids, the last one being an art kid applying this year, I have to say: Art schools are strange unpredictable beasts. I kept hearing the “stingy with scholarships” thing, but Surprise! she has gotten in to every art school she applied to with a hefty scholarship independent of the financial aid process. It’s too early to have gotten need-based offers yet, but we already know that her schools are offering substantial portfolio-based awards. So, my two cents to you - you can’t really predict how affordable it will be until you try it. If you can find a way to apply cheerfully, without becoming too invested in a decision until you know what’s possible, I think you should do it. :)</p>

<p>Edit: One school that accepted her did not offer merit $$$: Ringling But that’s the only one.</p>

13

<p>Have you thought of moving to CA instead of NYC? Because right now, the Bay Area is kind of overflowing with “kids” like you. I meet 20-something-year-olds every day who study/studied at the Academy of Art here in SF and they all make serious bank after graduation (mostly by utilizing their skills in tech start ups, which are taking over the city like a plague). There’s also CAL Arts (or something like that in LA), which also has a really good track record. If you’ve lived in VA forever, the NYC rent prices alone will traumatize you. But if you’ve never been to the Bay Area, you should definitely check it out. Because while SF is also ridiculously expensive, I’ve heard it’s easier to live here than NYC. </p>