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!!

DD2 loved her 4 years at NTU, got a good degree, did quite a lot of partying, represented the university at her main sport, lived in some decent student accommodation with a group of friends in Years 2 and 4.

She did a STEM degree but her best friend did fashion design and now (they left 2 years ago) has a job in fashion design, which is a very hard field to get into. They would both highly recommend it @Localher0 and @MrsMontyD so I hope it works out for your DDs.

Thanks, it's encouraging to hear positive stories, my own university experience was very different so I'm keen to support dd to make the right decision and then make the most of it.

@olafolaf I just looked at the Ruskin website and it looks a really lovely course and environment and wish your daughter every success with her application.

@Localher0 @MrsMontyD - the staff at NTU were really lovely and really took time to engage with my dd - she’s finding it so hard to know which uni is her favourite so hoping the offer holder days help her know which is right for her (if she gets offers that is 😬🤞🏻).

@olafolaf Fingers crossed for the Ruskin course! And good luck to everyone finalising or submitting portfolios!

So we are struggling. UCAS form not done and portfolio not done. Dc is struggling to be motivated to leave safety of education following a lot of difficulty with serious illness. Think head and sand.

@OneFrenchEgg so sorry to hear this.... my DD also struggled with the idea of going to Uni - hence the foundation year. Which has been really helpful. I can't remember your DC's circs but are they considering a foundation year?

Hi - thank you. I think it's the transition tbh. They feel very upset at coming to terms with losing the 'fun' school time. They don't want to do a foundation year, quite stubborn about their thinking.

@OneFrenchEgg I remember- illustration and quite taken with Bournemouth? Also a gap year a possibility?
Funny what you say about leaving the 'fun' school time - one reason my daughter wants to do a foundation year is she's totally fed up with school work and constant exams and essays and hope the foundation year will be more fun as doing what she wants almost full time without the pressure of leaving home and doing a degree. A buffer year.

Yes - they missed so much school and managing friendships that's the issue.
I don't know how it will work, it just feels very stressful.

@OneFrenchEgg at this point last year my DD was ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN she didn't want to do a foundation year. Somehow I persuaded her to apply anyway as a back up "just in case". She wasn't happy but went along with the idea - she'd also recently had an ADHD & ASD diagnosis plus finally got the MH help she needed. So it had been a very disrupted Year 13. 3 months in to the foundation year she'd tell you it's the best thing ever and has changed direction having been exposed to aspects of art she'd never even considered before.
Is there anyway you could get DC to apply for both? It might help just to have a plan b....?
Also - we found that the various Unis were flexible about portfolios being submitted when the deadlines were too soon so your DC might be able to buy a bit more time.
I really feel like Covid put some kids emotional development back a few years and its no surprise that some DCs need more time than others.

@mondaytosunday my DD is doing a foundation year at the moment. We also saw it as a buffer year, living at home but at university. She is absolutely thriving after a very difficult sixth form experience. @OneFrenchEgg DD also utterly refused to look at university options last year, she was so anxious about it all. Now she has her A level results she is so much more positive and happily looking at courses, very set on Manchester Met so really hoping she is offered a place.

Thank you @Localher0 I really liked the talks on Foundation years, dc was not keen. We need another conversation soon.
Just very hard when MH is in play I think. Lots of picking moments and set backs.

@Philandbill that's interesting, I did wonder about waiting. We've just hit a block about working towards decent results / catching up / over whelmed / need to find acceptance about the past

@OneFrenchEgg my DD simply couldn't cope with applying last year. I was concerned about how we would support her to apply this year but she's been putting it all together herself with no help from us and some support from her university foundation tutors. There has been a total sea change in her attitude to it all.

Huge, huge, sympathies for those with DC struggling at the moment. Been in a similar boat (MH in our case too). Everything turned out well in the end, although it seemed touch-and-go. In a weird twist, our DD 'worked from home' for the last few months of Year 13 (getting herself lunch etc as we were at work) and that gave her the confidence that she was ready to travel to uni. If she hadn't done that, I think that a foundation year living at home would have been really helpful.

@Philandbill thank you, maybe time is the answer. Stressful when you hit these bumps.

Anyway sorry for the derail!!

@OneFrenchEgg please don't apologise - you haven't derailed this thread. Look at how many of us parents have a similar story with our DCs..... maybe these sort of issues are more common with creative kids as they navigate a very structured academic system that often doesn't give them the freedom they thrive on.... I dunno. But I do know how stressful and worrying these times can be - I started watching I Am Ruth this week and had to switch off or I'd have cried myself inside out - it's all too real. But there is light as lots of us on here have seen a change in our DCs. Hang in there - keep doing what you're doing to support. You sound like a great parent & you're doing your best especially as trying to find a creative course can be so tricky.....Is your DC's school supportive?

Not at all @OneFrenchEgg. This is a supportive thread - hearing about one child's struggles helps others in the same boat!
My daughter thrived during covid and lockdowns - suited her introverted personality. For my son it was a disaster. Very gregarious and outgoing, he had just started at college in a vocational route but couldn't do the essential work experience and found it very hard to make friends. His out of school activities all centred around team sport and the gym and that was all shut down. His self confidence took a massive blow and he's become quite anxious and still trying to figure out his next step.
Parenting mid to late teenagers is very difficult. You can only support and guide, and often not get any appreciation for doing either! Perhaps a gap year is warranted, if you think your child will use it productively. A year of maturing can help a lot.

@OneFrenchEgg my DS was similar. He really struggled with course work, other A levels and applying. It was just too much for hjm. We ditched UCAS. but I am not going to lie even applying to 2 foundations was tricky. As they have different app processes. Anyway he did it and got in.
He has loved the course but still finds the social side v difficult. Covid dident help his social issues. After years of getting no where with services at home his uni has referred him for ADHD and autism assessment. I have always known he had issues but as he does well at school (at huge personal cost) I could never get anyone to take him seriously.
He feels massively validated now someone professional has listened.
We are clawing our way thru ucas apps. It is still a struggle but slightly better altho hard at a distance. He will be submitting right at the wire because that is what always happens. It's tough.

I've also found this thread very supportive. Perhaps our very creative DCs do find the structured exam system more difficult. I avoid reading threads such as Another Path to Greatness (seriously???, how can anyone type that with a straight face). I want my child to be happy and fulfilled by what they study and work at, it's not all about Oxbridge and the Russell group top ten.. There was a parent of one of DD's friends who wouldn't let her daughter study art A level "because it's pointless". Who on earth she thinks designs her clothes, furniture, cars, packaging on products and entertainment she watches I really don't know....

Could he have a year out @OneFrenchEgg? My so went down the drama school path for Acting. With the choices he was making - he was very particular about where he wanted to go - he knew it would likely take him a few years to get in (it did, successful on third application). He grew up so much in the two years out. Was able to find drama related stuff to do alongside working on the two years out. Is absolutely loving his course now & getting do much out of it. I think it’s a different experience for him than he would have had at 18 (esp with covid). I can’t think of anything negative about the two years out.

Oh gosh thank you all I've woken up to lots of supportive messages. How kind.

They are thinking of a year out - the original plan was to apply and then defer to allow school to do the reference as people know him and would be able to touch on reasons for lower grades etc. I don't know if this is going to work now as I haven't seen a draft UCAS statement and it's now end of school. AUB have said don't apply after the deadline they will have filled places basically.

I thought we were moving away from all the trauma and illness but the leaving school stuff has hit them hard and they've just stopped with it.

Quite a lot of foundation courses can have places left as far as Sept. DMU had spaces as term started. My fall back for DS was a foundation at our local FE college which every year has spaces as term starts. So a 'year out' but keeping art going. More work.for a uni portfolio and living at home
Could that be ab option for your DC?

DD is enjoying her foundation at a local college. For her, she hadnt decided at this point in year 13 whether to study art or history, so its given her some extra time. She has enjoyed making some new friends, and it has taken the pressure off a bit.
She's not put the UCAS form in yet, she sent a draft personal statement to her tutor last week. Her approach to deadlines is usually to cut it as fine as possible, but in this case it is probably an advantage as it gives her the Christmas holidays to do some of the portfolio.

I think so. We've just looked at the ucas form and applied for 2024 (not submitted) and I think the PS needs to reflect the illness and using some space to focus on creativity etc