<p>I recently discovered the whole "a-g" thing, but I have a few questions about the visual/performing arts" (f) requirement. </p>
<p>First of all, they say that you have to take a yearlong approved course for this requirement. All art courses at my school are semester-long, however. I took Ceramics freshman year, and I'm currently a senior. I'm not an artsy person, so I used that class and Speech to fulfill the art requirement at my HS, but I see that Speech doesn't count at UC. Basically, I'm sitting on 1 semester of artsy stuff.
What should I do? Would taking another semester-long art class at my HS second semester of senior year count? </p>
<p>I'm an otherwise qualified applicant, (4.0, 35 ACT, 800 Spanish SAT 2, 760 Physics, 740 Math II) but should I just dismiss UC Berkeley from my list of colleges to which I'm applying?</p>
<p>This art requirement is stupid.</p>
<p>p.s. Would any of the following classes count: Woods, Welding, CADD, AP Literature, Computer Applications?</p>
<p>Woods, Welding, CADD, AP Lit, and Computer Applications do not count towards an art credit. They want to see that you are a well-rounded student. I never knew that I was artistic until I took a class. I’m now in AP Art. My school requires a minimum of 1 Art credit to graduate.</p>
<p>Intro to Drama or something similar is an easy credit/half credit. </p>
<p>When you report your senior year schedule, they should see it on there, and see that you have met the requirement.</p>
<p>I’m applying to Berkeley. I don’t have the test scores you do, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up. Do I plan on getting in? I probably won’t. But it couldn’t hurt to try. If you take the class your second semester, I’d imagine you should be fine.</p>
<p>Does the fact that it says “1 yearlong course” matter? Because at my school, that is impossible. (unless you’re in choir or band I guess, which I’m not. I fully admit that I’m not an artsy person.)</p>
<p>I also just read something about “eligibility by examination alone,” but the information is pretty convoluted. Does anyone (maybe someone who got in this way) know more about it?</p>
<p>That would be a crying shame if you didn’t fulfill the “art” requirement. I would find it hard to believe that your GC would let this happen IF you met with them as most students do in the CA HS system. Go see your GC ASAP as crizello suggested. My S, now at Cal, took a semester of Photography (and a semester of another class that satisfied the req. but I don’t remember what). It’s possible that you satisfied it as well. Good luck.</p>
<p>Of course, being eligible in no way guarantees admission; it would just avoid automatic rejection.</p>
<p>Go to the Berkeley web site and put “financial aid estimator” in the search box to make sure it is likely to be affordable. What prospective major?</p>
<p>Actually, I went to the link about “eligibility by examination alone” and found my score to be a 475. It says that the minimum is 425 for OOS applicants, so I shouldn’t worry about the art stuff, right?</p>
<p>Premed is not a major. You can major in anything, taking the premed courses alongside. Of course, since many or most premeds do not get into medical school, consider your other academic and professional interests when selecting a major.</p>
<p>And make sure it is affordable. UCs give little financial aid to out-of-state students, and the list price is expensive.</p>
<p>OP, I see from another thread that your EFC is $20k, which is too expensive for your family. Berkeley OOS is going to be $50k+ a year. As ucbalumnus said, there’s little to no aid for OOS students. That means that even if you’re accepted at Berkeley, it’s going to be unaffordable. </p>
<p>You’ve got great stats and you’re from an underrepresented state, you should certainly be able to find colleges that will give you merit money to lure you into attending. :)</p>
<p>If you feel so strongly about it, then perhaps the University of California is not for you. (That requirement has been around for at least 10 years.)</p>
<p>That being said, should you not want to take a VAPA course (because it is “stupid”), you can qualify for admissions by examination (testing) alone. But since you need finaid, consider schools like USC which just love high test scores and offer full need.</p>