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!!

Has she looked at Farnham?

Thanks @mondaytosunday that's great info about UWE. The course and facs look great on online and I think the fine arts building is nearer the centre. He is spoilt with amazing facilities at DMU. And UWE looks similar. He also needs a bigger uni vibe.
We went to Newcastle Uni last weekend and although the course is great he was so underwhelmed with the studio space which felt cramped and dark and the small workshops. He's not a painter and often works big so needs space!!!

@greeandorange That's really useful advice! DD is planning on getting a job if possible after Christmas, she didn't want to in her first term while she focused on settling in. But now she wants holiday money for travelling with her friends! We'll also see how the placement year goes. I know that they work on live briefs (there's a partnership with the Cambridge University Museums for illustration and maybe graphic design).

DD really didn't want a "social scene" at all. Her only gripe about Cambridge is that there isn't any hill-walking! The Botanic Gardens are her stand-in for countryside. Very much "horses for courses." ARU is the right size for her; she stays mainly in the Art School (and currently lives about two minutes away), and only ventures out to the wider university for D&D Club.

Actually that paragraph pretty much sums up her personality, doesn't it?

By the way, @mumma24, we looked at Norwich and it seemed too small (both the uni and the city) even for my DD, which says something!

@greeandorange just looking at Farnham online now it’s only just under 2 hours drive from us. Shame we missed the open day yesterday

We went to Farnham yesterday for Comic and Concept Art. We all loved it and I could definitely see dd being happy there. Her 2 top choices are Herts & UCA Farnham.

Herts is a much bigger, general Uni - big campus, not far - rather low on aesthetic appeal and despite the very competitive course and reputation I thought the facilities and equipment were very underwhelming. Great links with industry (especially gaming) though - very professionally oriented.

Farnham - dedicated arts college, couple of hours drive. Facilities were really good all round and accommodation was nice. Farnham - nice town - not really tiny but not a city (dd is more like Photodad's daughter - not into the social scene really - as long as there is a D & D society she'll be set).

My concern all round though is that Comic & Concept Art is generally a fairly new course everywhere and has grown out of student desire rather than industry need. It seems to be generally an offshoot of the more technical game-art oriented courses which seem to be where the actual work is. I'm glad to see that they are generally clear that they will still need 3D skills etc to be competitive in the workplace. I have said this but much better to hear it from them and not her mother!

So now it's all go on portfolios as some already requested and they are all different. Art teacher has not been involved at all but I think this kind of portfolio is probably outside his area in any case. Lots of other advice online.

So daughter’s college advised daughter to put in her UCAS application last week as advised it would take the college 2 weeks and then the unis 2 weeks to process which would leave her the Christmas break to get her portfolio together so DD put her UCAS application in last Monday…

On Friday just four days later (rather than four weeks) she had four requests for a portfolio! 😬 With UAL London College of Communication Commercial Photography giving a deadline of next Sunday. Leeds gave a deadline of next Friday but is just a request for six images so much easier.

We were due to travel the four hours to Leeds next weekend for their open day but she will now be frantically trying to put together a commercial photography portfolio instead. She didn’t really want to study in London but the course stands out a mile so it’s made her five choices for application. Manchester looks good but doesn’t look as well structured as UAL. The course at Leeds looks very average and nothing special from their website but it’s always good to visit just in case.

Falmouth has a brilliant similarly forward looking course and the tutors have solid commercial backgrounds and are brilliant practitioners and seem genuinely nurturing but it is a bit far away from the rest of the country which if you’re wanting to shoot events or do placements makes the logistics of getting to places more challenging.

I guess it’s just a case of seeing if she gets offers and then going to offer holder days to hopefully help her finally know which is the right fit for her. It’s mainly between UAL London College of Communication, Falmouth, Manchester, and Nottingham. There’s always the possibility of a gap year too if she’s still uncertain. 🙂

Illustration includes all media from collage, through painting, drawing, paper cut outs, model making, 3d sculpture etc.

Each illustrator develops their own visual language to express ideas and concepts visually. If produced in an analogue method, the work is then scanned or otherwise translated into a digital format to send to a client and which makes retouching and adjustments faster.

I would also be looking for a course which covers motion graphics and animation because commercial illustrators and designers need to be able to produce moving media for signage, social media advertising, tv commercials, and websites etc. The demand for static images for print is greatly less than it used to be and while there will always be a need for static pieces, the future is largely digital and moving image is more engaging, gets better conversion rates and so is increasingly demanded in the commercial market.

@PerkyBlinder 😱

We were warned not to put in the UCAS form until the biggest portfolio was nearly ready for that very reason of quick turn-arounds!

Good luck! And to @Acinonyx2 who also seems to have had a rapid turnaround!

@mumma24 A very full answer from @PerkyBlinder! DD's "digital media" class involves some basic graphic design and animation so it's worth looking at the details of the course descriptions. A good course will actually teach new techniques rather than letting students stick to what they know and like already.

I am dreading the portfolio being done. Dc has a very complicated health past and I don't know if they are ready for uni . As school are very supportive and would be writing a helpful reference it feels we should apply and defer. Dc finds it hard to adhere to and understand requirements rather than following their own interests and ideas.

@PerkyBlinder Yes - we were also rather shocked and dismayed to have portfolios requested so soon!! We were not expecting that at all - she'd hardly started on it so it's a bit frantic now. Leeds also one of ours but also just 6 pieces - also it's not a favourite. 4 pages of a comic for DMU by 5th is going to be a stretch though but will be good for the others and at least it's making her pull her finger out

Well, if they like your portfolio, many places will give a low or unconditional offer which can make the end of sixth form easier. (My DD had various problems which led to her 'working from home' from February of Y13. She was very tempted just to give up but ploughed on and got decent enough A level grades. That's meant to be an encouraging story if anyone is in a similar boat!)

Portfolios - DD's college wants the UCAS completed next week. I'm worried about portfolios after the above comments as she has mocks in 3 weeks. Do you think you can message them to explain this and ask to send after Christmas?

@PerkyBlinder · was NTU and MMU part of your requests for portfolios? Was there any way of communicating to change the dates? My dd has mocks so can't do hers until after Xmas.

I would write a short email to the tutor/careers person/Head of Sixth explaining that although DD has submitted the UCAS for to school, she needs to work on her portfolio over Christmas as art schools have short deadlines, so could they delay submitting to UCAS until the New Year?

I can't imagine that they would have a problem with that (could they?)

The one "advantage" of having in-person interviews where students lugged along their physical portfolios was that they all tended to be done at around the same time! Now that it's all online, most places do "rolling admissions" (say 'yes' immediately to strong candidates, give others grade-based offers, as the applications come in).

DMU foundation don't submit UCAS applications until just before the UCAS cut off for exactly this reason. They used to submit prior to Xmas but once portloios moved online then they had kids having to do portfolios when they were away from the Uni for 3 weeks!!!
DS submits to Uni by 6th Dec for checking but it won't go til 18th Jan

MMU has asked for a portfolio but with no deadline date. Nothing from NTU yet. There wasn’t anything obvious about changing dates but there was an email address to contact if there were any questions or any further help is needed.

My dd has English coursework to do this week so it’s going to be a mission to get it done for Sunday especially as she hasn’t started it yet! 😬 - she’s been planning it for a while though so am sure it’ll come together and be fine. In the commercial word, deadlines are often tight and immovable so it’s all good practice! 🤞🏻

If you email them they may let you come along outside of the open days, they are super accommodating and a small uni so it could be done.

She sounds great!

Yes the jobs outside of uni make an amazing difference it's so clear to me as an employer, my best graduates have worked in supermarkets and as waiters in pretty posh restaurants, so they are really used to dealing with all kinds of people and situations.

It makes them stand out above the students that simply focused on the course. Our industry can be client focused and they need to learn to rub along in big teams as well, and stand up and present work.

All skills that can be gained in part time roles.

Mamma22 we're not considering UWE for similar reasons ( we live a short walk from Bower Ashton campus), but Brighton is top of DD list. Both my girls thought Bristol would be a great uni city if we didn't live here. Bournemouth and Falmouth also definitely on the list, then 2 of Cardiff Met, Plymouth, Portsmouth and ARU. DD has a coursework deadline for her founation course tomorrow, will have more time to think about uni applications once thats done.

I've just emailed them to check. Thanks.

I've just emailed them to check. Thanks @PhotoDad

@PerkyBlinder Thanks. That is helpful to know re MMU and NTU.

I would have hoped that they could wait until after Christmas really. If it did come prior to mocks I think we'd need to email them. It probably is a general admissions contact at this stage (hopefully). Good luck to your dd.