I’m most likely going to be going into college as an art major, but as of right now, I’m not too sure which universities to apply to. I don’t have enough works to constitute a portfolio, so I’m hoping that my GPA (around 4.2 weighted) and SAT score (higher 1480) will get me me in. I know for sure that I’m going to apply to UCLA, CSUF, and CSULB (since they’re relatively close to me, and I would prefer to not dorm), maybe UC Santa Cruz. As for Cal Polys, I have absolutely no insight on which one is good for art majors.
Any information about art departments in Cal Polys and UCs would be great. Thanks!
Saying “art major” is very broad. Is there a specific area or medium you want to study? Fine arts? Graphic arts? Or are you more exploratory at this stage? The Cal Polys could be good for very specific applied fields but maybe less so if you are wanting a more broad arts education.
Another option, if you would prefer not to dorm anyway, might be to check out the programs at the better community colleges in your area. A good CC program would give you access to faculty who could help you build a portfolio and identify the best UC or CSU for your interests. Since you live in the LA area I would imagine that the arts departments at some of the community colleges there are pretty strong.
Otterma, thanks for your reply! I’m split between animation and illustration right now. My portfolio as of right now is very much geared towards studio art/fine art since I take a program called Ryman Arts. What kind of applied fields do the Cal Polys offer? I think I would be much more interested in those as it might make me more desirable in the job market.
Going into CC is not an option for me, according to my parents. It’s a whole complicated mess–they’d rather not send me off to CC considering that I’ve had a much better academic record than my older sibling.
SJSU has a good animation program.
The Cal poly’s are more focused on STEM rather than the Arts.