<p>My daughter was accepted into SVA and UArts for photography. She prefers SVA but UArts is significantly less expensive and also seems to be somewhat "easier" in terms of the liberal arts aspects of their program- subjects like math and history are not her strong points and I am concerned that she'll struggle. Does anyone know anything about how these schools differ in terms of their "non-art" required courses?</p>
<p>from what I know SVA only has non-art required courses if you apply to the honors program, if not all you do is art related. (i'm pretty sure but not 100% sure though)</p>
<p>If a school is NASAD accredited, they have to have a certain amount of required liberal arts. From what I can tell, however, most stand-alone art schools( with the exception of MICA and RISD) simply give lip service to the liberal arts requirements. They do require these courses,but they aren't too tough from what I can ascertain.</p>
<p>My daughter is a senior at SVA in the Honors Program. She, also, spent a semester at Smith College. She seems to portray the academics at SVA as pretty easy compared to Smith. There is no math or language requirements; as a matter of fact, SVA wouldn't even accept credits from the intermediate level french class she took at Smith. There was a science requirement for Honors, but it was basically a series of seminars at the Natural History Museum. Bottom line is academics at SVA maybe interesting, but not difficult. BTW, a pretty sure each major has academic requirements. Honors is just a tad more challenging.</p>
<p>Check out the website YELP and read the reviews on the schools.</p>
<p>Unsoccer mom,</p>
<p>After several years on this board, daughter is about to graduate! She has been accepted at SVA and considering the honors program. She very much wants some challenging academics and students who enjoy learning but she has heard from other students that the paper writing/extra workload aspect of the program is huge. She wants to make sure she has the time to devote to art and improving there as well. Can you share any feedback your daughter has given on the load, ability to complete the art work and whether the program was worth it. Do the honors kids ONLY have classes with honors kids throughout all four years? She also expressed concern about being isolated in that way. Wow, can't believe your daughter is a senior since I started reading your posts when she was a freshman just moving in. Sad to hear about the french credits since my daughter will leave hs with six college credits in french.</p>
<p>As work loads go art school in general is intense. SVA is less intense than say Cooper Union and RISD even in the honors program, but still fairly intense. Is the honors program more intense? They are likely more serious about the academics, but most of the honors students want that to begin with. The honors program is designed to produce a close knit group of students. Freshman year all students register for a block of classes with the same entire group of students for the year. So freshman year is the same that way whether or not they are in the honors program. Beginning with sophomore year, honors students will continue taking academic honors classes with each other, but branch out with their studio classes with other students in their majors. By senior year they only have honors meetings and not separate classes. Freshman year my daughter had a lot of friends in the film department simply because that was who she met and connected with in the dorm. Since then, she has seemed to be closer to other fine art majors not necessarily in the honors program. </p>
<p>As far as the french credits are concerned....don't go there!</p>
<p>I guess my daughter can’t have her cake and eat it too. her gpa is a 5. something she is all AP as a high school senior and 5th in her class with 750 sat’s…then the battles began. she did not want to live in providence, no way no how. she refused to apply to an ivy and wait on declaring an art major until junior year in a class of 5 persons or somethng and she was rejected at cooper. welcome sva. first she tells me that she has done “all the right things for 18 years” and now it’s all about the art art art art. next i hear that she wants the honors program which makes me flinch because the svaers themselves in ramblings that I have read depracate their own honors program. i guess you can’t have super strenuous liberal arts core requirements and a fairly well paced art foundation year in the NYC that you blah blah about all the time unless a sacrifice is made. i’m feeling her ambivalence. she’s an academic and an artist and I am not so sure about this sva thing for her. i hope it works out but there’s always a transfer if she didn’t hit the right fit</p>
<p>wgs5504,</p>
<p>Help me out here because I can’t tell if:</p>
<p>a.) this is a joke post;
b.) you’re serious and you want an honest response;
c.) you’re serious and you want a placating response;
d.) you’re just venting.</p>
<p>Sincerely,
Wheaty</p>
<p>NYU’s studio art program might be an option if SVA doesn’t work out. It offers a BFA and a balance between art and academics. The Barney Building is almost just up the block from Cooper Union…</p>