Counseling your high school art seniors on higher education.

Many of your senior and junior level students may be considering continuing their education in the visual arts. They will look to their art teachers for guidance, counseling and recommendations.
In 2006 ArtPoints will inaugurate a featuring profiling art schools and art departments.

One very helpful resource for colleges of art and design is the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design http://www.aicad.org , the 37 member colleges of AICAD represent the accredited organization providing the most authentic opportunities for a both a studio education and a liberal arts education where the degree will be recognized by other academic institutions. In addition to the 37 member institutions of AICAD in the US there are an additional 4 members in Canada, these can be found at http://www.aicad.org/international.htm.

As a rule, if a private art school is not a member of AICAD, a student should be counseled to avoid it.
Of course there are around 2000 four-year colleges and universities offering a B.F.A.’s and M.F.A.’s in visual art majors and many more community colleges with fully transferable credits in the visual arts. ArtPoints hopes in the months to come to shed some light on some of the strengths of these institutions.

What are the issues in determining what to recommend to your high school art students?

Colleges of Art and Design are private schools without government support. While this is true of many universities as well, some state universities with more modest tuition and expense requirements have outstanding art departments. Without a scholarship or financial support, a College of Art and Design may not be affordable for lower income students.

Colleges of Art and Design are more focused on portfolios than on academic records. In fact some accredited schools of art do not even consider SAT scores in their admission process. Students without stellar academic performance are more likely to be accepted at a College of Art and Design than they are to a conventional college or university.

Nevertheless, the usefulness of 2-year schools should not be undervalued. These allow a student to acclimate to the culture and expectations of college, gain some real experience of the demands of an art education and earn necessary transfer credits at a very economical cost. To go from the one hour-long class sessions in high school to the 3-hour studio art classes typical at a college is one of the greatest challenges for the new student. The 2-year college gives the new student time to evaluate their choice and determine , in a very forgiving environment, the choice of a career in art.

The College of Art and Design is more likely to provide opportunities for specialization not available at even the largest universities. A good example is the Automobile Design program at Art Center in Pasadena, California. California is the center of the world’s automotive design and Art Center provides one of the very few opportunities to concentrate on this subject.

The last issue for the student to consider and request information from the school they are considering is to what extent does the school’s museum provide an opportunity for students to show art, how many art shows does the school curate and present. The student should inquire as to the extent the school has contacts with community galleries and provide opportunities for the student to have their portfolio reviewed by professionals.

Read our December essay: Why Teaching Visual Art is now a Necessity
Read our November essay: Teaching Collage as Social Critic
Read our October essay: The Place of the Body in Education
Read our September essay: The Ways Artists Support Themselves
Read our August essay: Why students should copy the great works
Read our July essay: Hidden Clues in Works of Art
Read our June essay: The Mathematics of Art
Read our May essay: The Importance of School Art Competitions
Read our January essay : Art History and the Internet
Read our March essay: Ink Jet Printers and the Color Wheel:
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