Transcript for a student wanting to go to art school

[bluebonnetgirl]

Would anyone be willing to share their transcript plans for a high schooler with their sights set on art school -something like SCAD - Savannah College of Art and Design?  The school was not that helpful in telling me their requirements - they are extremely flexible and there are not set course requirements like for other majors.  Of course they will look at ACT/SATs and an art portfolio, but other than that there is no set courses that they require for admission.

 

I am wondering how many art electives would be normal for a homeschooler, and how much emphasis to put on things like foreign language, science,, history, and math.

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My niece went to an art school in manhattan, a pretty good one and I think the big thing was really the portfolio :)

[katilac]

The transcript for my potential art major looks like a typical college prep transcript, with electives strong on the arts. I think they need a strong variety of classes simply to be an informed person (and artist), and it really is all about the portfolio. SCAD doesn't offer much guidance on the portfolio because they really are very open to any education that results in average ACT scores and good portfolios. 

 

Unless you have a lot of money, I urge you to look at the financial reality of SCAD and similar schools. They tend to be both quite expensive and skimpy with aid of any kind. You can get an excellent studio art education at many, many 'regular' schools, and it's easier to change majors if you wish. My dd is on board with a double major for practical reasons, and because she may want her art to be just for herself, rather than her job. 

 

Getting jobs in art is really just like getting into art school: it's all about the portfolio. And it's hard enough to get by in the arts without having debt to pay off.

 

This is an interesting article that talks about not going to a four-year art school, and about what do do instead: 

https://medium.com/i-m-h-o/dont-go-to-art-school-138c5efd45e9#.tsji9afxz

 

 

 

 

[Amateur Actress]

My artist background is theatre (my daughter), not visual art, so maybe my experience is different, but...in the acting world, the college/conservatory you attend is important. Casting directors pay attention to that...they want to know what kind of acting education you received, as different schools teach different types of acting methods. So people from better schools often get preference. And in my daughter's case, her audition was the main thing...academics were secondary. Good thing, because she also attended a performing arts boarding high school, which was very arts focused, as opposed to academically focused. So she graduated with only 2 history and 2 science credits, for example. If your daughter is really committed to an art major then I would load up her transcript with art classes.

[wapiti]

From poking around over at CC, I get the sense that the academics aren't important except that high grades and scores are more likely to yield scholarship offers to help defray the high cost.  I don't know how much rigor might play a role there.

Edited March 23, 2017 by wapiti

[katilac]

My artist background is theatre (my daughter), not visual art, so maybe my experience is different, but...in the acting world, the college/conservatory you attend is important. Casting directors pay attention to that...they want to know what kind of acting education you received, as different schools teach different types of acting methods. So people from better schools often get preference.  

 

And the known schools also have the advantage of professionals attending their senior showcases, giving students exposure to agents and so on. 

 

I don't know if a similar idea comes into play at art schools. It's not something I've seen highlighted or discussed much, but that may be bc we took our focus away from straight art schools pretty early on. 

[MariaT]

With DS18, who is going to School of the Art Institute, we focused on a very strong academic high school curriculum because we wanted to keep the door open for him to switch from art. Up until last fall, he wasn't sure whether he wanted an art school or a regular school with a strong art program.  The strong academics fed his art. A super strong portfolio can outweigh average academics, but a great portfolio AND strong academics can bring merit aid.

He and I went to National Portfolio Day every year, starting in his freshman year, so that he could get feedback from various art schools about his portfolio. This gave him a sense of whether he was on the right track. National Portfolio Days are held in the fall, all over the country. They are free for all high school students-- you can show your portfolio to reps from almost every art school in the country, from RISD to CalArts.

www.portfolioday.net/

Maria

 

[bluebonnetgirl]

Thank you all for your feedback.  Lots to think about.  DS is not sure exactly what branch of art he will focus on, so he will be exploring different media over the next few years.   We will continue to build a strong academic as well as art portfolio.   His current areas of interest are in *themed entertainment design*, concept art, cinematography, and theater arts.

Edited March 23, 2017 by bluebonnetgirl

[MariaT]

Another way to boost the portfolio is to look at national arts competitions. SAIC gives $2000 automatically to students who place at a certain level in these competitions--other schools may be similar.

Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards

www.artandwriting.org/what-we-do/

 

National Young Arts Foundation: deadline each year is Oct. 15. You can start submitting sophomore year. Top students are named either finalists or honorable mentions. (there are also 10 students named National Finalists, which is a really big deal) DS wasn't accepted until his senior year, when he received an honorable mention, and that was enough to trigger one of the automatic awards at SAIC. And he gets to participate in a week-long masters'-class program in either NYC, LA, or Miami. He chose LA. Young Arts pays for everything--airfare, room and board, plus masters' classes. He just has to bring his own art supplies.

youngarts.org

 

Good luck!

Maria