Art School Options

One of my students who loves studying anthropology and literature, discovered in an art class that she also has real artistic talent. Her dilemma now is whether to go to a liberal arts college or university, where she could pursue her academic interests as well as art, or to head for an art school, where she would concentrate on developing her talent.

If she goes to an art school, like California Institute of the Arts or Art Center College of Design, she’ll find a community of people who share her passion for art. She’ll be exposed to intensive, high-level training, and an exchange of ideas among creative people. These schools have valuable alumni networks and a great reputation in the art world. My student would miss the opportunity to study anthropology and literature with great professors, but she could continue to study those subjects on her own.

In addition to the basic question of talent, students considering art school need to ask themselves if they are passionate enough about art to spend at least 15to 20 hours a week on it in addition to studio or class time. Art students are more likely to be successful if they have a clear creative vision, an ability to discuss their technique, and a healthy ego, as they will be expected to give and receive feedback.

After four years, my student would graduate with a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree. While about 30 to 35 percent of her curriculum would be non-art courses, even courses in history or politics are likely to approach their subjects from an artist’s perspective.

The BFA trains students to be professional artists, and would probably not be acceptable for professional graduate schools such as law school, so this option is best for students who are sure about their commitment to art.

Since my student has passion for academic subjects as well as for creating art, her best bet might be a college with an excellent art department, such as Scripps, where she would have access to the resources of all the Claremont Colleges. She would graduate with a bachelor of arts (BA) degree, and at least half of her coursework would be in the liberal arts and sciences. If she changed her mind about studying art, she could choose from dozens of other majors.

Another option would be to attend a university, like Washington University, which has a School of Art offering majors in painting, sculpture, and ceramics, among others. She could switch majors if she changes her mind about art, or even earn both a BFA from the School of Art and a BA from the College of Arts & Sciences or a BS in business administration from the Olin School of Business.

With so many possibilities, making a good match is just as important for students who want to study art as those who plan to major in history or political science.

Whether they decide to apply to an art school or a university with a competitive art program, students may need to submit a portfolio. Even schools that don’t require portfolios for freshmen admission may use them in awarding art scholarships.

While students should ask admissions officers at each school about portfolio requirements, a typical portfolio might consist of 10 to 15 slides of work completed in the last two years. A great way to get feedback is to attend a National Portfolio Day, where representatives from art programs across the country review student work and offer critiques. For more information on locations and dates, go to www.npda.org.

Art school graduates may find jobs in advertising, illustration, publishing and other fields that utilize artistic skills. Even in non-art related jobs, these graduates have much to offer, including self-discipline, confidence, critical judgment, creative problem-solving, and the ability to give and receive feedback.

Audrey Kahane, MS, is an independent college admissions counselor in West Hills. She can be reached at (818) 704-7545 or at audreykahane@earthlink.net.