2023 uni applications for those pursuing art and creative routes

[Duchessofmuchness]

The other thread discussing Uni applications for RG and academic routes isn't so relevant for DS. He's considering Art Foundation year or direct entry to uni for fashion design.

Anyone care to join a thread on similar creative paths. (Not just fashion!)

He's looking at art foundation at Kingston, Central St Martin's, UCA,

For Fashion BA looking at Central St Martins, London College of Fashion, Manchester Met, Nottingham Trent, Liverpool John Moores, Leeds Beckett.

Most seem to accept without art foundation but he would need one to Central St Martin's so if he wants to try for that will need foundation.

Lots of open days coming up and hopefully school will give him some more advice next week. No start on his PS yet!!

@TizerorFizz you are of course right. Kingston has quite specific requirements and have spelt it out (other than the ten 'up to you to interpret' pieces that tell them something about the candidate not in the rest of the application). In all 30-40 slides for foundation application.
For degree applications, University of Hertfordshire has extremely helpful guidance on their website, including recommended resources.
UAL rather less so, I can't see any specific requirements and the 'guidance' video is just several staff saying 'we want to see you on the page' over and over.
But I think you watch a few 'accepted portfolios' that are all over YouTube and the similarities are clear: Lots of drawing from life, use of different media, progress and idea sketches, a few finished pieces. Try not to be too cliché; include backgrounds; no fan art; 3D pieces if you have them shot from different angles; make sure work is photographed well and consistently; include a brief description including size and materials. Start well and end well.
I think the struggle is WHICH work that falls into those categories to include - and how. A slide of sketches and progress images then the finished piece next? Or a slide that has both on the same page? That one piece everyone loves but is from three years ago? Also allow plenty of time. My daughter had to submit a portfolio as part of her sixth form application and it took much longer than expected to photograph, edit and format.

@mondaytosunday
DD went to a one to one portfolio advice session for LCF. Not sure if UAL offer it at other colleges. Basically they won’t went to wade through pages and pages to see progression. DD did hers so each step was logically presented but easy to talk about without having to go to the next photo and the next photo. So I would group processes and experimenting snd inspiration as far as possible. You have to see this as a presentation which will generate a conversation.

Thank you @TizerorFizz. I don't believe there is an interview at Kingston. The info about USL Camberwell also says no interview for home applicants.
They do offer a foundation portfolio prep course, but at £600 and over several weeks really not viable. I've found some portfolio advice - maximum of 30 pages, but not as prescriptive at Kingston.
Just proofread EPQ essay (she has an artefact - a school magazine). Still has written almost 5000 words! It's a 1500 word minimum 😬

Home from visiting DD in Cambridge! She has discovered parts of the city I never knew existed; she misses the countryside but the Botanic Gardens are a decent substitute. She also gave us a great little tour of the art school (her swipe card is 'access all areas.') She is so happy there although she seems to spend all of her cash on nice things from craft markets, and charity-shop vintage-clothes. Food? who needs food?

For what it's worth, her portfolio had for ARU Illustration had to be 15 slides. It broke down as:

2 slides: pages of current work from her A-level annotated sketchbooks
2 slides: one each of 'process' and 'research' supporting the first two slides
1 slide: two life drawings of the same model
2 slides: each with three examples of her wildlife photography
2 slides: initial thoughts, development, and final piece for a commissioned illustration of a poem
2 slides: 3D work (fimo models and ragdolls, of original characters)
2 slides: finished digital illustrations for a fantasy story, with backgrounds
1 slide: 3 sketches showing the same original character in different situations
1 slide: a "worldbuilding" page with sketches and notes for characters and clothing in a fantasy story

I don't know if that's at all helpful to anyone, but it worked for her and gives an idea of range/scope. She got nice personal feedback from the course leader with the offer email, suggesting that the tutors did actually look at it carefully.

@mondaytosunday Dont submit 5000 words. 1500 means 1500.

I find it odd they no longer interview. It’s a chance to talk about their portfolio and explain! I’d still err on it being easy to follow snd concise. Logical progression towards the finished pieces.

I know @TizerorFizz, but I've discovered many universities in general don't seem to interview in this country for whatever degree (in the US I was interviewed at all of them, but that was a few decades ago)!
They do say to write a brief caption for each slide. I guess the volume of applicants makes interviewing difficult, and now it's all digitally submitted portfolios, which again isn't really the best way to look at art!
The EPQ is a MINIMUM 1500 words - she'll pass in her second draft to the supervisor this week and assume she will be able to advise her! She has to do her presentation soon too (and get the second issue out).
That's great @PhotoDad, seems like your daughter is having a fantastic experience, and thank you for the portfolio breakdown.

@mondaytosunday
I do realise most degrees don’t interview but art was always different. It’s sad there isn’t the interaction between lecturers snd students. I’m not sure the numbers are that higher then pre COVID. You submitted on line for a shortlisting at some places then you went for folio interviews if shortlisted. So they didn’t interview everyone . However good luck to DD. Minimum 1500 sounds better!

I'm just popping on to say how much I ❤️ this thread. And what a breath of fresh air it is from all the academic heavy threads. Our creative kids (with or without their neurodiversity) and their alternative views of the world are just fab.....

I'm sad to hear that the latest KSA. Prep courses are disappointing. DD confirmed the change to me when I asked. I don't know if it would be different for students doing it in December as the tutors may have more availability then....

DD continues to love KSA. They are just starting their specialisms and will have a weekly project assigned every Monday up to the end of term.

"Back in the day" when I first started helping with uni admissions at a school, art applications had to be listed in order of preference, with a very early deadline... and each school would post the portfolio to the next one on the list!!! What could possibly go wrong?

So digital portfolios aren't ideal... but a skype/zoom/teams interview would probably be good? (I always thought "jump on a train for an interview next week" was deeply unfair to those who can't afford it, and the uni never paid.)

I'm just nosing around procrastinating about doing my own work - but the art part of DMU campus is lovely (I was right over the other side away from most of the bloody facilities). Only drawback is the fucking deliveroo / uber eats cycle hoodlum gauntlet that come flying through and actually knocked one of our lovely lecturers over and broke her arm!

@Acinonyx2 how did the visit to Falmouth go? Is it a contender?
My daughter started writing her personal statement today: 300 words for Kingston, 500 for UAL. So far she has written 1800....🤦🏽‍♀️

I found out today that Falmouth also accredits degrees from Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts, not to be confused with the Cambridge School of Art. (I know, right?) CSVPA looks... interesting. It offers a foundation, and degrees, but is teeny-tiny and charges an arm and a leg for compulsory accommodation! The cheapest self-catered is £10k pa! Anyone know anything about it? Looks like a sixth form art school aimed at overseas students which has grown.

Meanwhile, DD (at CSA, not CSVPA, and paying £4.8k for her self-catered room right next to the art school) has been to the Botanic Gardens with her class. She already knew it as her favourite spot in Cambridge; she misses the countryside.

Oh well done to your DD on making a start. DS knows he has to and that's as far as he's got!

@mondaytosunday Well the course looks good (although the presentation about it was rather insubstantial) and the campus is nice. The open day was extremely busy. But my it is a long old drive (6-7 hours) and I wouldn't want to do that too often. I'm not as up for the long drives as I used to be. I think I'd be opting for the train.

Distance is the main issue - dd just doesn't want to be so far away.

I think she's done her personal statement (just one version) - just following the school schedule for it. I haven't actually seen it yet - I must have a look.

@Acinonyx2 yes distance is a consideration for sure, though she was at one point considering Edinburgh too.
I found that AUB has very informative YouTube videos by the leaders of each of its courses. Goes into quite a lot of detail about the modules in each year. I got the impression its very much geared toward getting the students job ready, as opposed to being experimental 'just be creative' without regard to what the marketplace is looking for. Getting an actual job in the field is a particular concern for my daughter (I know it is for everyone, but she is stressing about it now).

@mondaytosunday They were definitely very jobs oriented which I liked. I'm the one feeling stressed about that - I do worry about her getting work in such a niche, competitive area. Each place has been clear that most of the jobs are in the 3D game end of the market - not the 2D concept art which is dd's interest. I'm very keen that she gets the 3D skills. I really worry about her being financially self-sufficient.

DMU, Herts and Falmouth all do interviews.

Has anyone had experience of changing courses at Uni without having to go through UCAS again?
DD has a deferred place at NTU to study Textile Design. She's currently doing her foundation year. She's discovered that she absolutely loves 3D design and is now considering requesting a switch to Furniture & Product Design (also at NTU). Do you think they'll request a new UCAS application and portfolio?? She's not keen to do it all again 🙄

I've no direct experience of a swap like that, @Localher0, but there is absolutely nothing to lose by phoning NTU next week and asking. I suspect that they would be able to make the swap without going through the whole procedure; on Results Day, unis can change offer details including courses without any further input from the applicant so I know it's technically possible!

@Localher0 no direct experience either (in this country) but surely they will have all the info from her application so what would be the point? I know someone who did change from footwear design to product design (don't know actual course name) at Brighton without reapplying.

It's absolutely possible to switch without going through UCAS again, but it will be at the discretion of the new Course Leader and potentially Head of Department (or equivalent role) depending on if they have space for her on that degree. She'll probably have to have a discussion with both, and demonstrate not only why she wants to switch, but why she specifically wants to switch to that specific course offered at that university.

We are at the Brighton open day today - the wind and rain is not dampening DD's enthusiasm for the whole Brighton vibe! I'm a little concerned about employment opportunities post degree for the more crafts focused (as opposed to product design) courses she's looking at now both here and MMU so encouraging her to research that before making a final course choice..

When you say crafts focussed do you mean practical practice focused such as printmaking or photography? There’s lots of employment opportunities for graduates from all creative courses though although it’s true that fine art is a less clear path than the path from an editing and post production degree.

Mostly it’s a case of getting work experience/internship and then going from there - the degree is just a chance to develop creatively. You can get the work experience just from having a great Instagram feed or TikTok channel and don’t need a degree at all. So I wouldn’t stress too much about what degree she chooses - the creative industry is more about showing what you can do and not so much about qualifications so she should just choose something she loves.

I'm exhausted by it all now. I've had some advice about PS and extenuating circumstances as I think dc's grades won't reflect potential. Portfolio should, and they have had a small independent commission which is very exciting for them (and not family/friends, so they feel very cheery).
I just feel a bit overwhelmed,

@OneFrenchEgg Hang on in there! DD's grades definitely didn't reflect potential for all sorts of reasons.... but if portfolio is strong, there's a lot of leeway (she got a couple of Unconditionals but still completed her exams). So; onwards!

Interesting @DesignDD my daughter went to Brighton a few years ago on an art trip (nothing to do with the university) and hated the place. Nothing bad happened, so it just goes to show that people like different things (thank goodness).
I also think most do not require that much by way of grades (UAL requires C or above for example), it seems the unis with a more academic reputation require the highest grades (ABB for university of Edinburgh and University of Dundee). But it's the portfolio that counts!
When are your kids thinking of sending in the applications (be it Foundation or through UCAS)? I think my daughter is going to need the Christmas break to finish her portfolio. Next weekend she has a music exam and final EPQ (essay now back to over 5000 words) then her magazine and EPQ presentation by end of the month. The original goal was to be ready by Christmas break!