<p>I'm wondering what level the photos in your portfolios were/are. It'd be great if you also listed the schools you were accepted to. </p>
<p>I'm currently a junior and extremely worried I'm not good enough and to add on to my worries; I haven't taken any photography classes because I didn't realize that I wanted to major in photography till really this year. I have been on newspaper for two years as a photog/photog editor so I guess that gives me some experience, but I've never been in a classroom setting with a teacher giving me advice. I'm so afraid of not being accepted to schools like RISD/SVA/Pratt/RIT/SAIC...</p>
<p>Let me make one thing very clear: most colleges require drawings from direct observations and NOT just photography. We know of a student who applied to CMU with some really nice photos and got rejected. Some photos are great,but they shouldn't be the bulk of the portfolio.</p>
<p>As for the schools mentioned, just start working on your portfolio NOW. Don't wait till your senior year, or you will run out of time. Even starting in the junior year isn't enough time. My daughter started in her junior year and almost didn't have enough time to finish everything.</p>
<p>Concentrating in one medium or "style" is okay, but this also means you must show a significant degree of mastery in that medium/style/form of expression. </p>
<p>In a way, I think it is better to be really strong in one or two areas then to be scattered in a bunch of others. </p>
<p>I feel the portfolio is a thing you should WANT to make and should honestly reflect what you are feeling instead of some mad rush to get 20 slides. Remember that they are looking for your voice and preferably when you are hitting your most beautiful notes. Adding a single average piece can bring down the portfolio a whole lot. </p>
<p>If you follow your inner artist, I don't think you'll have anything but acceptance letters to open. :)</p>
<p>I'm not a photgraphy major, but I can tell you that your photos look good. I would try to take a photography class if you can, so that you can learn some basic techinques like open exposure and have some more dynamic photos to add to the collection (like the fall semester of your senior year) Also to be able to have some black and whites that you have developed yourself (or that you can make it seem like you did). I think your photos are good, but work on some more dynamics in them.</p>
<p>I was accepted to Pratt, Uarts, Parsons, and Tyler School of Art. Some people think Pratt is hard to get into, but its not really as long as you have talent. Pratt was the first school I heard from, and the most generous with scholarships. Just make sure you have very good finished drawings and well polished pieces in addition to your photos.</p>
<p>oh thank you! actually my flickr doesn't have all of my photos and a lot of them are just uploaded there for hosting purposes. I uploaded some more better ones. <em>whew</em></p>
<p>I'm currently working on my portfolio and it's just so weird, because I don't know anybody else that is a photographer. I'm not sure what colleges want I guess and also like I mentioned in my first post, I don't know what level my peers are at.</p>
<p>taxguy: will it be hurtful to my application if I'm not too good at drawing? I know that most colleges will require foundation classes including the basic drawing techniques along with art history in freshman year regardless of major, but how are drawings judged? I'm hoping more for a creative side and definitely not realistic!</p>
<p>college-ish: I think a majority of my portfolio will eventually become an assortment of photos I've taken for newspaper. I'm not too fond of a photojournalism major, because of day-to-day deadlines and the emphasis on what's faster vs. quality. I'll be sure to remember your advice on the mastery of one style and how one average piece could weigh my chances down!</p>
<p>MrKrik: I'm actually going to take my first photography class next year, which I'm estatic about. I just wish I knew about majoring in photography earlier in high school.</p>
<p>To answer your drawing questions, conventional drawing is less appreciated by schools like SAIC where they appreciate the conceptual side of art more. At the same time, I'm pretty sure schools like Memphis College of Art and some others push for a little bit more realism/less conceptual perhaps--not that you can't be both real and conceptual. So, it sort of depends on which school you end up choosing.</p>
<p>Another thing worth mentioning is that basic drawing exists moreso to teach/goad you into drawing and not so much to have you display a wide range of drawing ability right from the start. </p>
<p>It's about learning different techniques and eventually forming your own way of depicting with pencil. :)</p>
<p>Don't obsess too much about the drawing. It's certainly important, but your drawings don't necessarily have to be "gallery quality." My son had a very limited background in art (just the 6-week pre-college summer program @ RISD), because he decided the summer between his junior and senior year that he wanted to go to art school. (So you're ahead of his schedule!) He's a freshman at RISD now and the required drawing studios in the foundation year have definitely been the most challenging classes for him. He spends lots of time on his drawings and he is getting better, but it's still hard for him. He's an Industrial Design major, and drawing is something he knows he has to do but doesn't really like. So my son is proof that you can get into RISD without being the greatest "drawer." (smile!) </p>
<p>Can you take an art class or even just some drawing lessons this summer? Perhaps at your high school or a local community college? It would give you a head start on your portfolio and give you a lot more confidence.</p>
<p>Look at some of the websites for art schools you are interested in applying to. You'll be able to see which ones require drawings in addition to a general portfolio. I know that RISD requires 3 pencil drawings of a certain size and of specific subjects. and that Cooper Union has a "home test." Other schools may have similar requirements.</p>
<p>sixteenseries, I forgotto mention that RIT photography does NOT require a portfolio for entrance. You will need a portfolio of observational drawings for the other colleges that you mentioned.</p>
<p>My daughter is into design. She has done some great design projects for her high school courses.She comes from a family who is design oriented too. However, she really isn't a fine artist nor does she like to draw. After working VERY hard on various portfolio quality drawings, she was admitted to: Syracuse, RIT School of Imaging Arts, Cincinnati, which doesn't reqiure a portfolio etc. She was priority waitlisted at CMU and waitlisted at RISD. This really isn't bad for a gal who really isn't a fine artist and doesn't love drawing.</p>
<p>If you are really into photrography, stick to your passion. Take courses outside of high school ,which is what my daughter did.Take pre-college courses. If you want RISD or SAIC, develop your drawing skills or apply to schools that don't want an observational portfolio for photography such as RIT or SCAD.</p>
<p>SAIC, as I alluded to in my earlier posts, isn't really interested in the traditional observational drawings/portfolio. </p>
<p>So no worries there.</p>
<p>If you're not really into pencil shading and what not, why not try some contour drawings? Blind, modified, and blind modified contour drawings are always great additions to the portfolio.</p>
<p>I looked through your photographs and as a photographer myself (who just finished the graduate school application process) I think what you really need to do is find your focus. Your best work is byfar the portraits, particularly the unposed ones. Remember to think about what your photos are saying, not just how they look technically. If you were one of my students I would tell you to start shooting more strangers and take more risks.</p>
<p>Cloeabear: thank you for your advice, I have done more people oriented shots since I'm on newspaper and I think it's a wonderful/a little scary idea of photographing strangers. </p>
<p>worried_mom: I wanted to take RISD's summer program but it was a little too expensive for my family, so I'm taking a Houston Chronicle Journalism program that I hope recieved my application!</p>
<p>taxguy: congratulations to your daughter! I hope I do just as well. </p>
<p>gosh I love this site, you guys are so helpful!
=]</p>
<p>I just found out yesterday I was waitlisted at Parsons. I flew out there and interviewed with them after sending the exercises, essay etc. I'm thinking of sending a letter, my spring semester grades from this semester, and maybe another exercise to let them know that if I was accepted, I'd definitely enroll asap! Any opinions? Please?</p>
<p>I just found out yesterday I was waitlisted at Parsons. I flew out there and interviewed with them after sending the exercises, essay etc. I'm thinking of sending a letter, my spring semester grades from this semester, and maybe another exercise to let them know that if I was accepted, I'd definitely enroll asap! Any opinions? Please?
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<p>Hi slygrl,</p>
<p>May I ask what you included in your portfolio (drawings, paintings, etc?) and did you pick a major on the app? </p>
<p>Did any of your friends apply to Parsons, also? If so, were they accepted?</p>
<p>I'm surprised they waitlisted you, as I didn't think that happens much at any of the art schools 'cept RISD.</p>
<p>At any rate, I think definitely calling them and expressing your desire to enroll would be a wise first step. In addition, I would probably get another letter of rec from an art teacher or someone else who might be in the position to comment on your work. Aside from that, you should send them any new work that you might have completed and keep pestering them until they relent.</p>
<p>I can't see why they would reject you, because most art schools are very open about admission. Sorry to hear of your situation and wishing you best of luck in getting a better decision. :)</p>
<p>Collegish,
Thanks for commenting. I don't have much experience with this! The person who interviewed me was very positive about my portfolio. It included various drawings, oils, pastels, a 3-D project and graphic art. I really am thinking my problem may be my exercises. I think I will go ahead and send some of my new work and a letter expressing my desire to attend. the letter stated that they had an unbelievable amount of applicants this year to consider. I'm filling out housing for my other choice (a state university), tomorrow just in case. The two schools will be night and day different.</p>
<p>btw Collegish. Spoke with Parsons and they mailed out their decisions this week. I'm not feelin good about this. don't you think I would have received a call or email if I were accepted?? AGHH!</p>
<p>I don't want to prejudge their decision, but I don't think many schools email or like to reveal information over the phone. For instance, I was in direct communication with SAIC's Director of Admissions for a couple of months and before the scholarship results were announced (although he had said he was looking at my work outside of just the scholarship competition), he was reluctant to inform me of my results on the phone.</p>
<p>So, it really could just be their policy. You might be able to get more out of them by calling and hounding or being nice on the phone. It just depends on the disposition of the person you get over the phone.</p>
<p>Email with admissions is always highly formal, from my experience. And if it is rather informal, that means the person on the other end might not be taking you seriously. </p>