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[quote=Anonymous]My DD applied to Parsons specifically for fashion, but that is the only art school she applied to. She still has not heard from them since they lost her transcript and a few other things. We have since found out from the school counselor that they are notoriously disorganized…unfortunately, it gives a bit of an idea of what attending school there would be like...We looked at RISD and it's incredible and I have several family members who attended, but she was so on the fence about art school that she did not complete an application. She has now decided to attend a liberal arts school she was accepted to because she came to the conclusion that she wanted a more typical college experience than an art school would provide. She has a few friends who are going to art school, though, and she is keeping it in her thoughts for graduate school. The liberal arts schools she applied to were ones that had design/art programs She will be studying some sort of design - just hasn't determined the exact focus. Some of the things that we discovered during the process:

-You don't say how old your DD is, but she should consider doing a summer program at an art school, whether in DC or somewhere else. Corcoran School has a summer program, but so do all of the other schools. She will get a feel for what will be expected of her and whether she really wants that environment.
-Visit the schools she is interested in attending. Also, speak to kids who attend to get a good feel for the program.
-She should know that art schools are very competitive in nature and she will need to have a thick skin…my concern for my DD was that she would not be as confident in dealing with this until she has matured a bit more, hence graduate programs. However, that is a personal "thing" - some kids are perfectly capable of handling the continuous critiques and working with them. You will know your child better.
-Does she take a higher level art class in school now  (i.e. IB Art, AP Art or something close to it)? If she doesn't now she should definitely plan to add that to her schedule. Most good art teachers will know the process of applying to art schools and may have contacts at the schools.
-There is a Portfolio Day at the Corcoran School where art programs visit - end of November/December (confirm dates, though). Art schools and liberal arts schools that have art programs come and have a table. The kids bring their portfolios to show and get feedback. It is also a place to make contacts with schools she may be truly interested in attending. It is very crowded and it pays to get there early since there is a line out the door to get in! There are also long lines at each school…it's a long day...
-The process to apply to art school is very long and labor intensive. She will need to have a portfolio of at least 15 items (some schools may require more, some less). My DD worked all fall of her senior year to complete her portfolio. In fact, her art teacher held special Saturday classes at her school for the kids who were applying to art schools to complete their portfolios. Your DD should speak with her art teacher about this possibility. She will need to photograph each item in her portfolio and download them to the application - it's a specific slideshow program each school will have on its website. In addition, each school will have its own "challenge" - a specific idea that they will want a few pieces. This year for Parsons my DD had to use an everyday item and transform and interpret it into something different.
Also, she will need to write several essays. For the Parsons application my DD had to write 7 essays…some were short paragraphs describing her pieces and others were longer essays. It she is applying to several schools that will be a lot or writing. She may or may not be able to use some of the essays for each school application - it will depend.
-One thing she will want to consider is expanding into other mediums other than drawing. The feedback she may get from the art schools is that they will want to see a bit more than one medium. However, that is something she should talk with her art teacher about - maybe her drawings will be good enough. However, she should know that she will be expected to use other mediums once she is at art school.

That's all I think of now, but if I think of anything else I will let you know. Applying to art schools is not for the faint of heart and, frankly, neither is attending art school…if your daughter is not truly an "artist" at heart then she may be better off considering another option for school. It can be a lot to deal with and taking history may not seem so bad after all…I know someone who was in the fashion industry for many years who attended a liberal arts school, but ended up working with many people from art schools. This person indicated to me that she actually had an advantage in her job because she was able to write well after the years at a liberal arts school. It was something that tended to hold back some of the others she worked with who did not have that training…of course, that is totally anecdotal and her personal opinion, but it is something to think about in terms of long term career options.

Good luck with the process! Again, if I think of anything else I will let you know. Hopefully, others whose kids have applied and/or attended art schools will reply also.[/quote]

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