Degree in the Fine Arts

[Anonymous]

If she is really interested in working in fashion as a real career, she should go to FIT. I have several family members who went there and all are successful fashion executives or buyers or marketers. The school was founded by the industry and is all about training to work in industry- not to be a Project Runway star or "artist" in the traditional starving sense, but to get a job and work in one of the world's largest industries. There are absolutely solid career paths out there in fashion. I think VCU and SCAD also have good fashion industry programs, but really if she can get into FIT just go straight to the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If any of my kids ever want to major in a fine art I will send them to VCU. I know tons of grads from there who are working in their fields.

+1

[Anonymous]

Julia Louis-Dreyfus doesn't regret studying theatre at Northwestern

Follow your passion.

[Anonymous]

She's also an heiress. So the risk was pretty low for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does she know how to froth milk properly?

This will be an important skill for her after she graduates.

It's sad that this is the attitude always about art degrees. As a engineering major I wondered about my art major friends.

One owns her own dance studio, does what she loves, is energized everyday by her students and makes an above average living.

My other friend runs a "strathmore hall" type of place in another city and knows all kinds of famous people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She's also an heiress. So the risk was pretty low for her.

I guess pursuing one's passion is a luxury.

The proliteriate needs to find jobs. Yet thousands of gen xers are leaving the workforce.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Parsons interior design grad. There is a wonderful BBA program: design + management. It's essentially a business degree but you may focus in fashion, graphic design, interactive, industrial etc. You shDef check it out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she is really interested in working in fashion as a real career, she should go to FIT. I have several family members who went there and all are successful fashion executives or buyers or marketers. The school was founded by the industry and is all about training to work in industry- not to be a Project Runway star or "artist" in the traditional starving sense, but to get a job and work in one of the world's largest industries. There are absolutely solid career paths out there in fashion. I think VCU and SCAD also have good fashion industry programs, but really if she can get into FIT just go straight to the best.

I'm a Parsons interior design grad. There is a wonderful BBA program: design + management. It's essentially a business degree but you may focus in fashion, graphic design, interactive, industrial etc. You should certainly check it out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she is really interested in working in fashion as a real career, she should go to FIT. I have several family members who went there and all are successful fashion executives or buyers or marketers. The school was founded by the industry and is all about training to work in industry- not to be a Project Runway star or "artist" in the traditional starving sense, but to get a job and work in one of the world's largest industries. There are absolutely solid career paths out there in fashion. I think VCU and SCAD also have good fashion industry programs, but really if she can get into FIT just go straight to the best.

OP here. I just looked at the FIT program and it looks perfect for her. They also offer sports and dance, both activities that she is enjoying now. We will definitely be making a trip there this summer. She's doing a program at Parsons this summer, so she will really see if this fashion design thing is for her. Thanks for all the great advice so far.

[Anonymous]

A degree in the arts for truly artistically gifted kids can be fantastic.. My DD wants to major in screenwriting, creative writing and /or film. She is a very gifted writer and as creative as a 17 yo can be with film and writing. She can't even imagine doing anything else. I am very nervous about job prospects after college but I know she will never be a business major, engineer, lawyer, etc.. She simply is not wired that way. She is very hard working and I will support her. I understand the haters on this board. I would probably be one as I am very business oriented but living with a truly creative kid who beats to her own drummer changed my mind completely . So yes, I will be supporting her BFA degree and keeping fingers crossed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A degree in the arts for truly artistically gifted kids can be fantastic.. My DD wants to major in screenwriting, creative writing and /or film. She is a very gifted writer and as creative as a 17 yo can be with film and writing. She can't even imagine doing anything else. I am very nervous about job prospects after college but I know she will never be a business major, engineer, lawyer, etc.. She simply is not wired that way. She is very hard working and I will support her. I understand the haters on this board. I would probably be one as I am very business oriented but living with a truly creative kid who beats to her own drummer changed my mind completely . So yes, I will be supporting her BFA degree and keeping fingers crossed

OP here. Please keep up updated on her progress. What year of HS is she currently in?

[Anonymous]

She is a junior and focusing her college search at Emerson, tisch,chapman, USC , etc

[Anonymous]

Community colleges give associates degrees. You can do 2 years there and then transfer to a degree program

[Anonymous]

If you want to try and mix arts with employability, consider graphic design and/or user interface design. The jobs are in tech companies = good pay, but it also allows for a lot of creativity.

For me, my hobby was computers so now I make a very comfortable living profiting from my "hobby".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I used to teach graphic design on the college level. One thing everyone should know about graphic design today is that it is highly computer oriented. That is, at a computer all day long. So if you want to be a graphic designer, you need to LOVE your computer, and be able to pick up computer programs easily. The days of doing anything by hand in graphic design are long ago over.

I currently teach graphic design at the college level and echo this. It's all eye-strain, all day long. Can be creative, but it is mostly just very mind numbing and spec-heavy.