<p>My daughter would like to apply to colleges as a graphic design major which requires the submission of a portfolio. However, due to conflicts with other classes, she has taken little art to date. She will be a senior this fall and although she is taking a graphic design class at community college and a few art classes in high school, she will not have enough pieces ready to submit with her application in the November timeframe. Can she apply undecided and try to get into this program later, or does anyone have any ideas?</p>
<p>Try the Visual Arts and Film Majors forum available from the main page.</p>
<p>The process for switching majors or schools within a college will vary by college. It’s easy to do in some schools, and in others, the barriers are pretty high for popular and/or selective programs. Sounds like an important aspect of your daughter’s college search will be identifying strong programs for graphic design and then figuring out what the application requirements are for freshman and transfers (from within school or from different college altogether). </p>
<p>I am currently a undergraduate student at UCLA and I am in their art program. For almost all schools with art programs, the portfolio plays a huge part in the application process. </p>
<p>I advise that she does not apply undeclared. The portfolio is worth one third of the application alongside grades and essays. I recommend that you attend National Portfolio Day to help you daughter get a portfolio ready. Most art schools (ex. Pratt, School of Visual Arts, OTIS, Art Center and etc.) get together and go around the US and have big conventions so that budding student artists can receive feedback and advice from admissions officers. </p>
<p>Although some of her top schools might not be there, most art programs use the same process when selecting their freshmen class. </p>
<p>During the week of National Portfolio day, you can schedule a meeting with an admissions officer in private. Thousands of people attend National Portfolio Day so I recommend getting as many one on one sessions as you can to avoid the lines that wrap around the block. I know Pratt does this, you’ll have to research what other schools do this as well.</p>
<p>Here is link to the site. ----> <a href=“http://www.portfolioday.net”>http://www.portfolioday.net</a></p>
<p>I’d be more than happy to review what she has now and answers any more questions you or she has. Feel free to PM me</p>
<p>ED: Edited to remove contact E-Mail for privacy</p>
<p>Most programs only require about 10-15 pieces.</p>
<p>She should have some works if she has an interest in designing. She can redo some works she’s already produced to present them as part of a portfolio. We had to do that for my S with a few digital pieces because the originals were in MSPaint which is a far inferior program than Adobe Ilkustrator so he re-illustrated the work to enhance the quality.</p>
<p>Also, there is time for a serious artist to create a few works and it’s summer right now.</p>
<p>If she has an interest in graphic design but has no works to show and energy to get cracking on producing some pieces, I would question her drive and energy to pursue this career. Not all graphic design majors get jobs and find success. There needs to be some passion and determination and a no-excuses attitude to be successful.</p>
<p>If she is currently taking a graphics arts design class this summer, she will have portfolio pieces when she is one with the class.
She then can take those pieces to national portfolio day for feedback whereby she can create more portfolio pieces based on the feedback.</p>
<p>How many pieces does she have finished? </p>
<p>There are many universities which do not require a portfolio for admission as a freshman (UCincinnati DAAP, for example.) Many do require a portfolio review before the student can start junior level courses.</p>
<p>If your daughter is seriously interested in graphic design, why hasn’t she taken more graphic design classes in high school? Did they not offer it? What classes did she take instead of it if it was that important to her? What I know is that most companies look for a BFA minimum for graphic design in order to be competitive.</p>
<p>Most art schools, and many university art programs, have February 1 application deadlines. This is plenty of time to get a portfolio of 10-15 pieces together. A handful of schools require portfolio submission by December 1 for merit scholarship consideration, but most don’t. Most portfolio requirements are very general, and they do not expect you to have heavy graphics in it even if you are a prospective graphic design major. They want to see drawings from life and other things that show basic talent and who you are as an artist. It really is not as daunting as it seems. </p>
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<p>Companies look first and foremost at an applicant’s portfolio and job experience. Degree is of little importance. Would you overlook a brilliant portfolio of an applicant without a design degree in favor of a mediocre portfolio with a design degree? </p>
<p>Take a look at University of Cincinnati’s Communication Design major. They don’t require a portfolio. HOWEVER, they are very academically focused in admission.She needs to have a decent GPA ( at least a 3.4) or top 20% of class and very decent SAT or ACT equivalent . The median SAT for (M and CR) is just under 1300.</p>