<p>My daughter is half way through her junior year at a liberal arts school and taking a semester leave of absence. She was working on a double major in Art and English. She now feels she needs to transfer to a school with a more intense, cutting-edge art program (Parsons, Museum School, Bard, NYU, Wesleyan). This late in the game, should she finish where she is and look at grad schools? Try to transfer? Should she submit letters of recommendation from Art and English professors for her transfer? Or just Art?</p>
<p>Yes, she should finish where she is and take the extra courses in grad school. Keep in mind that all schools have residency requirements in order to obtain a degree from the school making it extremely difficult to transfer as a senior. Should someone give her a transfer, are you willing to pay full freight for the 5th year that she will need to fulfill the residency requirement?</p>
<p>Thank you sybbie719. Lots to think about… I think she feels like the (art)world will be passing her by if she finishes where she is. I believe she needs to apply for transfer to work through this. Any advice on the letters of recommendation? Art only or English and Art?</p>
<p>I think she should try to make the most of the school that she is at and then look at grad schools. If she is not planning on going to grad school it might make sense to transfer even if it adds another year, which more likely will. As far recommendations the focus needs to be Art, but it would not hurt to have English. Is she planning on double majoring at new school, if not she might as well secure the Art recommendations. What is she going to do during her leave of absence from her old school? </p>
<p>All very good questions indeed Yenmor. I agree with your first statement, she should make the most of her current situation. She is planning on going to grad school so I’ve encouraged her to use this leave of absence period during which she is applying for transfer, to look into grad programs simultaneously. I think she still wants to double major if she transfers so getting letters of recommendation from Art and English makes sense. -The part of this whole situation that hasn’t been explained here yet is that we, as parents, have asked her to get a BA at a liberal arts school and then go in whatever direction her interests take her for her next degree etc. Now, 2/3’s of the way though la school, going for her double major, she seems to have had a major epiphany and a change of heart. It seems she is now ready and chomping at the bit to be in a dedicated art school or at least a la school with an intensive art program…thus the leave of absence for a focus on applications, plus time to do some independent art projects. hmmmm, not well timed, nor well thought out . </p>
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<p>Agreed. Plus, unless things have changed, some colleges won’t accept applications from students who have completed more than 2 years of full-time undergrad studies with the equivalent transferable credits. </p>
<p>LovetheJoe…</p>
<p>Are you prepared to pay full freight for two more years at one of the listed schools (probably about $120k)? If not, how will those costs get paid? How will grad school get paid?</p>
<p>". I think she feels like the (art)world will be passing her by if she finishes where she is."</p>
<p>oh please…we’re talking about 3 semesters…not a decade.</p>
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<p>I sincerely hope she’s spending her time on where her focus should be, building up a credible art portfolio and networking with artists and others associated with the art world. </p>
<p>What area of art is she working in?</p>
<p>Thanks mom2college kids and cobrat! She paints and sculpts. We’re going to make sure she contacts the schools before applying to determine her transfer eligibility 
To your point cobrat, she is concentrating on her portfolio, which is a good thing anyway. Her decision to try to transfer seems to be fear fueled, it’s about getting connected in her field through her undergrad school and she thinks she’s missing that boat…ugh this is torturous!</p>
<p>My son is in a College of Design at a major research school that includes studio arts, graphic design, etc, etc. They only accept general education credits for transfers to the studio art program, no studio courses. You would also be required to take the freshman core design classes. Our other big research university does a portfolio review to determine which studio classes will transfer.I would guess that many studio art programs will require at least another 2 years to finish after a transfer for a total of 5 years undergrad. </p>
<p>Why do that? Graduate, do a 2 year MFA in studio art at a great school. She might even get funding to pay for the MFA through a TA/RA position.</p>
<p>Shes only figuring out she wants to transfer now?
I agree, she should stay where she is and work on portfolio.</p>
<p>Boy, does this sound familiar! My D was a double major (studio art-painting & East Asian studies). As a second semester junior, D struggled with the reality that she had not developed as an artist as fully as had her peers at MICA, SAIC, etc. She had to remind herself why she chose a liberal arts education and a double major over art school/BFA (in her case, she believed a broader education would feed her art). D graduated in May, with the double major. She felt she had done some good work as an undergrad, but still sensed that her portfolio was not what it “could have been.”</p>
<p>Fast forward to last night. D is having an awesome experience as a Fulbright scholar in Asia. But she was saying just last night that she is still conflicted about the relatively slow pace of her growth as an artist. She knows she will have to put in some serious time, post-Fulbright, to build a portfolio that will get her admitted to a top graduate program.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that this is what my D would say to yours:
- Overall, she is still happy with the path she took. It seems slower now, but in the end, she will be a better artist for having taken this somewhat meandering path.
- The unrelated double major was a bigger impediment to her development than not being at art school. It has worked out for her, but she said again last night that the divided time and divided focus (and two senior theses!) really hurt her art in the short term. Only 8% of undergrads at her school double major, and virtually no studio artists do, or their second major is art history. There’s a reason for that!</p>
<p>If it were my D, I would question the value of transferring to a school like Wesleyan if she sticks with the double major. D’s university has a top painting program, but that didn’t mean so much when D didn’t have time in her schedule to take advantage of those terrific instructors. I would question the net gain of transferring with a double major versus finishing where she is and then using the time & money she will save to get into a good MFA program more quickly. That’s where the real action is!</p>
<p>If she is worried that her current program won’t prepare her for acceptance to a top grad program, I would urge her to consider what she could do to develop her portfolio with the time & money saved by not transferring. 1-2 years, $60-$120k-- she could study individually with a well-chosen mentor, paint plein-aire n France, rent studio space and create for a year–so many possibilities!</p>
<p>Lots to think about, and no one right answer. Her semester off may really help clarify her path forward. Good luck to your artist!</p>
<p>Another thought…you might also have her consider a 1 year post bac intensive art program. Lots of people do these after ugrad and before MFA. Don’t know what state you are from, but check at your state flagships.</p>
<p>In my state, Iowa State U offers a post bac program. The post bac program doesn’t have to be in NYC, Chicago, etc. It just needs to be somewhere with a big enough group of art students to challenge and support you. Iowa State is not known as an art mecca, but it was good enough to help develop the ‘hottest’ artist in Chicago. I’m not recommending the Iowa State program, just look for something similar in your state.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.design.iastate.edu/integratedstudioarts/certificate.php”>http://www.design.iastate.edu/integratedstudioarts/certificate.php</a></p>
<p><a href=“Chicago’s Opportunity Artist - The New York Times”>Chicago’s Opportunity Artist - The New York Times;
<a href=“Theaster Gates: The Rise of an Unconventional Art Star – Chicago Magazine”>http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2013/Theaster-Gates-The-Rise-of-an-Unconventional-Art-Star/</a></p>
<p>A post bac success story…</p>
<p><a href=“http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramics-monthly/the-other-option-post-baccalaureate-certificate/”>http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramics-monthly/the-other-option-post-baccalaureate-certificate/</a></p>
<p>Thank you Haystack, Emerald kity and Lone star mom, all verrrry helpful. I’m conferring with D regularly This will work itself out one way or another. One thing is for sure, the acceptance rate at almost all these transfer schools is nearly nil. She will need to develop a back up plan soon and has many options and great suggestions from y’all. Thank you!</p>