<p>I'm currently a junior looking at colleges. Right now, I've been trying to organize the list of colleges I will apply to in the fall, as well as building my art portfolio (hopefully I can choose one school for E.D.). My GPA is a 4.0, and my ACT composite score the first try was 31. I absolutely love art, and plan to major in Fine Arts/Studio Arts when I go to attend school. My parents want me to go to a regular university instead of an art school so I can keep my options open. However, if I do decide to follow a path towards an art career, I want to make sure I have the opportunity to succeed in the art field (not necessarily monetary-wise, but just leading a fulfilling life). These are the schools I'm looking at applying to:
Brown University
Stanford University
Duke University
College of William & Mary
University of Richmond
UNC at Chapel Hill
Vandie
Do any of these schools have a strong art programs? Are there any schools that you can recommend with strong art programs?</p>
<p>Stressing so much about the application process!!!
Thank you so much! And good luck to all of you!</p>
<p>Just a suggestion: you can find out quite a bit about the art departments from their websites, though obviously not everything. Its most helpful when the websites let you look at student artwork. Once school I was very interested in (not on your list), I visited only to find out they didn’t use oil paints at all…so it might be worth calling the departments before visiting. Also, if you want art to be your only major, you should look into schools that have BFA programs as well as BA programs.
Good luck with everything!</p>
<p>If you go to a school with a BFA, roughly 2/3 of your classes will be art classes and 1/3 will be “academic” classes. The ratio is reversed for a BA with a studio art major. Of course, with a BFA, you can major in something more specific - painting, illustration, graphic design, etc. </p>
<p>Bears will answer you about good LACs for an art major. I haven’t heard anything about the schools on your list but you will probably be able to take art classes at RISD if you’re at Brown, although their calendars don’t coincide exactly.</p>
<p>Having a portfolio may help at the schools on your list…but not much. They may have good art programs but admissions is pretty much based on academic record. The 31 ACT is a very good score but you are in the lower 25% for most of these schools making them big reaches for admission. Good news, however. There are very good universities that want strong students like you but also take into account the quality of the portfolio. I am most familiar with the ones my son applied to or considered applying to (we also hoped he would go to a university to double major or minor outside of art) and I am sure there are others.</p>
<p>Some liberal arts colleges which offer BFA but you could minor in something else
- Williams
- Bard
- Vassar</p>
<p>Universities
- Carnegie Mellon (son is enrolled…dual degrees possible, minors outside of FA definitely encouraged).
- Washington University St. Louis. Same as CMU
- Almost all large state universities (some very selective)–Ohio State, Wisconsin, UCLA,–offer world class education in dozens of majors along with strong art departments with lots of facilities. You may need to do some summers or extra semester or more to do a minor very different from FA.</p>
<p>What really matters is to take into consideration what your other interests are Is there a minor field of study that you think can go well with or enhance your art interests? For example my son likes engineering and computer science and sees those as strengthening his sculpture and/or animation work. There are universities that offer classes or minors in medical illustration? If you do graphic arts could you also do business/marketing? …so how you pick your school depends a lot on your other interests/aptitudes. If you are unsure, look to the larger universities that offer lots of options for you to explore. Make sure you have some safeties including a local/state university…it is tough out there and you want to have a good, affordable option that will satisfy you and your parents.</p>
<p>Cornell also has a BFA program.</p>
<p>no G
LAC goddess momrath will answer OP lol.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/1139119-small-selective-lacs-good-visual-arts-photography-programs.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/1139119-small-selective-lacs-good-visual-arts-photography-programs.html</a></p>
<p>fammom,^ do you mean strong art dpt.? I don’t think it’s BFA?
there are few oddball LACs do offer BFA and most state schools somewhere you’d never think they would, if that’s what you are looking for.
OP, are you from VA?
there should be lota other options. It’s funny you picked every schools not so well known for art dept except Brown.</p>
<p>Keeping your option open, attending a University is a good idea because if you found out that fine art isn’t for you(like I did, i hated fine arts), you can switch major. One notice: art taught in universities are fine arts, but art schools teach commercial art. Fine art is very different than commercial art. You may want to know the different.</p>
<p>Check out the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University.</p>
<p>For mid-sized private universities I would suggest Brown and Yale. You’d get a great education at all of the schools on your list, but I don’t think of the others as being especially noteworthy for studio art.</p>
<p>CMU and WUSTL have very good programs, but since I’m less familiar with the specifics I’ll defer to the experts.</p>
<p>You might also look at the small LAC category: Williams, Wesleyan, Haverford, Hamilton, Vassar, Kenyon, Skidmore, Conn College. Smith if you are female. These have good studio departments and great to good academics. Double majoring is common. The degree would be a BA.</p>
<p>"art taught in universities are fine arts, but art schools teach commercial art. "
That’s actually not accurate, many popular art schools are very focused on fine art with less emphasis on “commercial” so check carefully.</p>
<p>^I agree about fine arts vs. commercial art. Most art colleges that we explored teach fine art – commercial art I would associate with more technical schools rather than art colleges. The real difference, IMO, is whether or not you are going for a BA or BFA. (See greenwitch above :)) Have you looked into Bard?</p>
<p>Another suggestion is to look at accredited art schools that would allow transfer of credits to another college if you change your mind at some point. Ringling College of Art and Design does this.</p>
<p>Hello:
Actually, the information you posted is not really accurate. If you’re referring to “fine art” as painting, drawing and sculpture, and “commercial art” as any design discipline (just guessing at what you meant), there really is no strict separation of who offers what. Most conservatory-type art schools offer traditional majors, as well as many design and hybrid/overlap majors. In all, I have found more than 100 other majors in art-related fields. It’s wise to check the school’s website for their actual offerings.</p>
<p>Wow, thank you to everyone who has responded! My counselor and art teacher had suggested University of Southern California as well. A lot of people seem to be suggesting Bard. I’m still creating my list so these are all very nice options! Thank you so much for all of the advice!!</p>
<p>Smile, If you are considering USC, you may want to consider Chapman also as I had replied to your other thread. They have excellent art programs and you’ll probably get a better merit scholarship at Chapman. Good luck in your search!</p>