My daughter is considering UArts. We visited this weekend for accepted student day and after spending the day there she is concerned about not “fitting in” or feeling she belongs. It is obviously an art school full of very creative type art students. She is a bit more conservative and comes from a small private school background. She wasn’t your typical student there, but isn’t quite the art student type. Please know this isn’t meant to cast judgement, but only that she does not want to feel like a complete outsider.
Any input from someone who has attended?
Hi mdw1207, my daughter is a dance major at UArts, so I asked if she had any insight to offer. I’ve pasted her response below, and I hope it’s helpful to your daughter as she makes her decision!
The new student admissions days are great for learning about the school but tend to connect you with people outside of your major which can skew your perspective of what it truly be like to attend. The dance department does not reflect the average “creative type” here. There are a variety of people but some of the girls definitely come from private school, small town backgrounds. I wouldn’t worry about “fitting in” because with around 80 freshman dance majors, everyone tends to find friends they’re comfortable with. The general population of the dance program is that of an undergraduate dance BFA more so than people that specifically wanted to go to an arts school. The dancers also tend to socialize mostly within their major, so all the “creative types” you encounter at admissions events won’t usually be in your main group of friends unless you happen to connect with them.
That being said, it is important to note that the education you receive especially in classes outside of the studio with be extremely reflective of an arts school environment. You will be exposed to many things you have never seen before that you may find shocking, strange, etc. so if you do not consider yourself to be a very open minded person, it’s probably not the right place for you. You will inherently become more creative in your dialogue and general approach, which can be great but may be off putting if you’re someone that is easily tired by abstract discussions and artistic conversations. It is definitely not a typical college experience, but you may find factors of that more desirable than a more common university.
It can be intimidating to meet a lot of different kinds of artistic people, but if you like the dance program and are excited to see and try new things, you will most likely enjoy your time at UArts.
@mcpennerson thanks so much for you daughter’s thoughtful reply!