<p>Hey guys, Is it tough to get into Columbia If you are planning to major in the Visual arts (undergrad) ?</p>
<p>why would you go to Columbia for Visual Arts? If you are looking for a solid liberal arts background to further strengthen your conceptual abilities as an artist, then that is a different story, but if you are looking for a genuine art program, there are other universities, with better Visual Art majors, programs departments etc, than Columbia to look at...to name a few, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, NYU(Studio Art), Washington University St. Louis, University of Michigan, UCLA etc.</p>
<p>I am also following the replies to your post cr201. We were in NYC this past week on vacation and walked around both NYU and Columbia. My s is also very interested in a visual arts degree, although he doesn't want to go to a stand alone art school (his thoughts right now). He liked the more college-like setting of Columbia. NYU was too spread out for him. It is my understanding that most art majors tend to go on to grad school for specialization. Is that true? Wouldn't having to a great undergrad degree from Columbia (along with a great portfolio) be beneficial in the long run, especially if you went on to grad school? I guess we, too, want to know how Columbia measures up in its reputation in the visual arts to other colleges that aren't "art schools". (NYC is a big draw, though, to him and he wants to swim in college if he can)</p>
<p>In all honesty, Columbia does not "measure up" in the visual arts. Columbia, academically is an incredible school, and that is where its reputation stems, the liberal arts. However, if you are looking for both, NYU has an incredible Visual Art or as they call it, Studio Art department. If you go on the website you can read about the program's emphasis on conceptual value in the arts rather than on product or aesthetic value. Columbia happens to have an incredible Graduate program for Studio Art, however, that is Graduate school, and has nothing to do with Undergraduate art. I recently was accepted to both Columbia and NYU, in addition to Cooper Union for art. It was an incredibly tough decision, and I originally was going to go to Cooper Union, however I felt NYU's Program was the best of all three because, it offered a very similar approach to Cooper Union, based on the same ideas, and it had the resources of a University, and because it has so many areas of study and academics I felt I would have more room to grow and "swim" as a thinker and someone who loves to learn. I think another thing to understand, is the fact that the NYU art major (recently made into a BFA degree track) allows for an outstanding amount of flexibility in your education. The first year is the only year which is cemented with requirements. During this first year, you, as a student, are required a heavy workload in terms of art ( 18 credits or a full schedual). It is very intensive and this year is meant to separate the men from the boys. Basically it will tell you whether or not art is really for you. This first year is comprised of 75 percent studio time, and 25 percent academics. You will be taking Fundamental classes or Foundations classes. These classes may be ignorantly considered "art classes" however, what they really do is teach you to think. They teach you a different method of problem solving and communication and conceptual development, and this type of knowledge can be applied to any disapline, not just art. This method, is the same one used at Cooper Union, and several other schools with a more innovative approach to art. Other universities which value this approach include, Carnegie Mellon(which despite using this type of learning also emphasizes a more classical, academic artistic approach, in the beginning, meaning more technical development), and Cornell, which has a great program however it is very small. </p>
<p>Finally in terms of NYU's campus...many visitors feel it is very spread out, however it much be noted, that NYU owns all of the real estate around Washington Square Park. As a result, Washington Square Park, truly serves as NYU's main campus. It is true, that it is not enclosed like Columbia's which has a gate, however to call it scattered just shows a lack of Knowledge for NYU's buildings. Around the perimeter, or " on the park" as many people like to say, you can find, NYU's Kimmel Center, which was just built last year. This center is enormous and serves as the University's Center for Student Life. It also houses, the Student Resource Center, Health Center, NYU Ticket Central, The Office of Student Activities, and various auditoriums and club centers etc. In addtion, you will find, NYU's eleven story Bobst Library, three Freshman Resident Halls, (Goddard, Hayden and Weinstein Hall). The NYU Spiritual Center, the famous "Row" where both faculty and Graduate Students live along. In addtion, there is the NYU Law School, Silver Center(College of Arts and Sciences), Pless Hall(The Education Building), the Information Center, the Book Store, the Security Center...All of these buildings are on and around the perimeter of the park. Most are facing the park and some have side street doors. </p>
<p>The only thing that might be considered scattered, are the upper classman residents halls which can go as far as Water Street, and Union Square, and finally, the Barney Building.</p>
<p>The Barny Building on Stuyvasant Street, houses NYU's Studio Art Department. The building is very old and very historical and despite being located off NYU's main Campus, it remains in an approapriate location, which is considered the East Village and Heart of the Art World and Art Scene. The Barney Building is about a five minute walk from Washington Square Park and despite seeming far is really not. If you are that concerned NYU has shuttle buses and trollies that circle the area all day and night. Another thing to keep in mind, is that almost all of NYU's buildings, even those on the park, are flagged with NYU's Purple flags, that say "NYU" with NYU's synonymous Torch. These flags further enhance the feeling of community or NYU ownership/dominance in the area, and really, believe it or not, compensate for the lack of gates or enclosed areas. </p>
<p>I am not trying to sell you on any one schools' department, however, when making a decision it is important to have the right information and the right ideas about different schools' programs. You can not just go based on what other people believe to be true. As someone who has done their research and homework on these same schools I am just sharing, with you, the knowledge that I have. </p>
<p>Best of Luck</p>
<p>Mikestrman, I really appreciate your taking time to share all of this information. We are in the very early stages of looking at schools and any information garnered from actual students about various schools is very important to consider. You shed a lot of light on NYU that we did not know about before. For the brief amount of time we spent walking around there, it seems that some of the perceptions he had may have been incorrect, especially in terms of the locations of the campus buildings. Thanks again for your reply and I am sure as the college process continues, I will have more questions for you and others!</p>
<p>Since you're in the early thinking stages, your son should think about a BFA vs a BA. My daughter majored in art at UCLA and got a BA. It was a good way to go to UCLA, since it gave her a niche and small classes in a huge school. But it didn't give her much technical training in painting. I suspect it is closer to Columbia than NYU in that regard -- although she had lots of studio art classes, she actually got taught very little craft. In fact, she says she learned more about how to talk about art than how to make it. Lots of known artists teaching, but very theoretical. Very big on exposing the students to many different media, without advancing them far in any of them. So, your son might think about that. (My son, by the way, goes to Columbia, and it's a great school for him but he didn't get the visual arts gene.)</p>
<p>Hey, i want to clarify, NYU's art program does not teach technical training, i do not know any art programs that do that...an art school with the exception of Cooper Union, is where you can find training like that, however not at NYU or another university. Similar to was sac said about UCLA, NYU teaches a similar method. Because admission into the studio art major is so competative they expect those who do get admitted to already have the technical skills needed for the conceptual and "theoretical" nature of the program. Like UCLA, NYU forces the students to explore various materials, most they have never even used before...It is also very Art History intensive, and there is a specific class, built into the schedual required for all freshman called, Art in Contemporary Culture I and II, I deals with Art History from antiquity to 19th century and the latter deals with 19th Century on. In addition to this exposure students are encouraged to take all of the classes available to them in the College of Arts and Sciences, and all of the available classes found in NYU's Institute of Fine Arts (The Graduate School). NYU is by no means a technical school, like I explained, they will teach you how to think, not paint a still life, if your son wants to still life, go to an all art school.</p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification, Mikestrman. It's great that NYU allows undergrads to take grad school classes in art. That would be another aspect the poster might want to check out. I remember at the UCLA orientation, the head of the art department was asked where students should think about grad school and she said Columbia was excellent for painting, but that doesn't mean undergrads necessarily get access to those classes and instructors. NYU certainly has a wonderful reputation for undergrad art.</p>
<p>That is good, yes, I know on a Graduate level, the top three for art are Yale, Columbia and UCLA...UCLA Graduate Art was very hot a few years ago, the new thing now is Columbia's program...the fact is, it changes every five years or so and it really depends on what you want. Yale's best program is Painting, NYU has the best Production Design Graduate program and the second best Art History or Fine Arts Department in the world (after Columbia), UCLA is known for its Graduate level Painting department, and Columbia is known for both their Art History Department (Considered first) and their Visual Arts Program on a Graduate level. For Undergraduate art, NYU and UCLA are definitely the best programs, I would say the only difference is that NYU's is rapidly growing and is relatively new. As a result, it is changing, getting better every year. It really has an emphasis on the Avant-garde and innovative. Carnegie Mellon is also excellent, but they stress techinal training in the beginning, far more than NYU or UCLA which are both more about concept and theory.</p>
<p>Mikestrman, I really appreciate you for taking time to share your information. Thank you for replying to my message. The schools that I am highly interested in are Columbia, NYU, and Cooper Union. I really admire you and congrats to your acceptances. I am in the process of making my portfolio and had recently decided to take the AP studio art. </p>
<p>Do you have any advice on the portfolios, and AP studio art?</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>yes, my advice for AP studio art, is to not take it very seriously. Just use the class's guidelines to produce as much work as possible. If it is not too late, you really should consider taking AP Art History, which is the best AP course and the hardest test, however it is also the most rewarding and is beneficial to any student interested in the arts.</p>