Hello everyone! My name is Julia and I have been looking for current threads regarding UCLA’s DMA program for the 2016 applicants! I literally just made this account to start this discussion board! Here is where I would like to open up discussions about any upcoming questions anyone might have, what kind of portfolio you have, or just simply tell your story and why you applied for fall 2016. I have a lot of questions myself! I am a CA community college student, my portfolio had an emphasis on typography and graphic design. What are your average gpa’s (community or transfer students)? Also, I heard that if you get an open house invitation as a CA resident, that it is an informal acceptance? Is that true? I’m so anxious to find out decisions!
I applied for DMA as well (as a first year applicant though)! My portfolio is all fine art, so I’m not sure how it’s going to go over… I’d love to see other people’s work, here’s mine: shreyabpatel.■■■■■■■■■■
I saw from last year’s DMA thread that an open house invitation for transfer students is what they call an “informal acceptance”
@spatel16 Your portfolio looks great! Each piece of art is so unique. I don’t have mine posted online yet! When I do, I will post it here! @qnblue That’s really cool. I wonder when they send those out!
@imabejulia i believe they will be sent late march / early april… after freshmen decision are out.
My son also applied to the DESMA program at UCLA, but as a freshman. He has been accepted to other UC’s, Cal Poly SLO (graphic design) & LCAD. He is patiently waiting for UCLA decisions that are supposed to come out this Friday for freshman. Then decision time for him!
@samsamg Awesome! Did he get in?
Sadly, he did not. My heart is broken as I felt sure he’d get in. He received the invite for the Alumni Scholarship and so we thought that was a good sign. We were told there are only 40 spots for the program and twice as many applicants as last year. He is fine now and is seriously considering Laguna College of Design. We are also going to tour Cal Poly SLO on Tuesday. Best to the rest of you on this thread!
@samsamg I’m so sorry he didn’t get in! Thank you, and good luck to him and his future!
how would you compare Cal Py SLO to LCAD for graphic/communication design?
I would not recommend LCAD unless you’re coming straight out of high school or you are specifically geared towards action sports emphasis for graphic design, which I personally think is limiting as a designer. As much as the school boasts about it being the only school that offers a degree in action sports, I think it’s a lacking degree to have if you can’t find a job in the sports industry.
The school is too small and you’re pretty much stuck with the same people in all your classes. The students at LCAD don’t know their competition and thus can’t compete with big schools like ArtCenter or Calarts for competitive jobs. A lot of students are full of ego when they’re just a big fish in a small pond.
The chair of the department even calls LCAD the art school of Julliard. I laughed. LCAD has trained their students to think they are the best when most of the recent graduates have not even found jobs to support themselves. And for their IOH show for recent grads to get hired by potential employers, the companies don’t even send their important people (art directors, senior designers, etc) to come look at work and most of the time, only half of the guests on the list shows up. The school is a total fail.
The only jobs that school can offer are the ones in OC, thus stating they have a 90% job placement rate because they can’t even compete with bigger schools whose students are working at Google, Microsoft, Disney, Universals, Intel, NASA and other big names.
I barely made it out to a big company because I took night classes at another school that was more well-known, which costed me 6k so I could feel better about myself. Oh and don’t be surprised by how good their program is in the catalog. 90% of the work is by a certain pick of students that they keep recycling to lure students in. I was fooled by it.
And LCAD, where’s that cafeteria you said you needed to increase my tuition for? It’s been three years! You must be spending on your Fine Arts program again.
This is just my two cents as someone that graduated from there. If you feel it’s the school you’ve been dreaming about, go for it. The school night be the one for some and might not be for others. I just happened to be in the others. Good luck!
I know this topic is from last year, but in case anyone else is interested in the subject, I will share our son’s experience.
Our son was accepted to Cal Poly SLO , LCAD, & several other colleges & universities. He was an honor student in high school and did very well in STEM classes, but his heart was set on working in the field of graphic design. Knowing he’d be making much less money in this field, we really did research on some of the best programs in California. Cal Poly SLO would’ve been an excellent place for him to get his degree and I was pushing for this school over the others, but our son just felt a connection at the accepted students luncheon at LCAD. After that visit, we all knew he would be attending this school. He said he would still attend Cal Poly if it was more affordable, but with his scholarship offer from LCAD, LCAD & Cal Poly were about equal in cost as we didn’t qualify for any other aid.
Our son did end up attending LCAD and the work he is producing is more than we ever expected as a first year student. The work is challenging and critiques he receives are constructive. He has already been offered work on some small projects through an interaction with a local business. He really loves the small campus, the small class size, his teachers, his peers, and the networking opportunities. He has made some great friends and is sure of his decision to attend this college. LCAD is definitely not for everyone, but it has turned out to be the right art school for him.