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!!

lots of good news. I’m thrilled for the DC and rooting for them all.

slightly concerned about the loss of a third of the foundation course as Kingston. Whether that’s the students not being good enough and asked to leave or finding it all too much for financial, academic or social reasons it’s pretty shocking. I think universities get to keep the full tuition fees of a student is there on a certain date, and it doesn’t matter if they leave after. It make me wonder if Kingston are playing with fees ( LondonMet did it for degrees). But I can’t believe any uni would be so daft.

Interestingly DS art teacher told me the same about Kingston last September. He said v competitive to get in, they particularly value drawing skills and a third of cohort leave or are managed out in first term. He also said it's excellent and the progress students make in the year is good. He was just being realistic about the pace and expectations I think

Hmm, if a third of an undergraduate cohort left or were managed out during the first term heads would roll!

I don’t think this is about pace and expectations, it’s a level 3 to 4 course so the pace and expectations should be pretty standard. Something else is going on here and I think it’s funding based.

I do always wonder how unis can afford to run well funded foundation course. It costs roughly three times the amount a uni gets in fees to teach an individual. But that’s just my spidey senses.

I’d certainly want to do some research before suggesting DD attend though. Another question to ask anyway!

I hope I haven't given out the wrong information about Kingston. I'm just going on hearsay. Standards are high and students are expected to keep up but that's communicated clearly when you apply.
@mondaytosunday from memory DD only used a small piece from the foundation prep course in her portfolio so it's just about producing the portfolio that represents their talents the best. Good luck.

Localhero, it’s good to be aware of. I hadn’t thought of asking about drop out rates and now I will ask all of them. It’s all useful knowledge, so thank you!

DD has an unconditional offer to do Illustration at Lincoln, they haven't asked her to attend with a portfolio (they do it in person) just came straight back with an offer.

The other three universities She's applied to Leeds Arts, Nottingham Trent and Sheffield Hallam, have all asked her to submit portfolios, all quite short deadlines and different requirements as we were expecting. The first one, Leeds Arts, is just about ready to be submitted tonight, so just two more to do and then the waiting begins ...

Congrats to @MrsMontyD DD! Having an unconditional is a huge relief... one of my DD's offers last year was an unconditional without portfolio (which I didn't know was A Thing) but in the end she chose a place which had looked at her work. Fingers crossed!

Thanks, it's good to have one in the bag at this stage, takes the pressure off.

Is the drop out for Kingston on the foundation course (which would be free except international students) or the degree courses? I'm not that surprised about a drop for degree candidates- in the USA only about half the kids achieve their degree, and a fifth drop out of UK universities.
But one of the highest drop out rate is London Met, with 20% students not completing their first year. Kingston doesn't factor on any list I've looked at, though Plymouth College of Art is number 7 on the list with 12% drop out. Numbers relate to degree courses and are from Higher Education Statistics Agency 2018, and more will have dropped out due to pandemic).
Anyhoo, my daughter just had her final portfolio meet with her teacher. She said his most frequent comment/answer was 'I guess'. Not exactly supportive. This is a selective private school - I would expect him to know the requirements for each course by heart and their preferences. He's been doing this job for 20 plus years! I suspected he wasn't quite on the ball when during UCAS information evening he listed Goldsmiths as a place for Art Foundation in London (it doesn't offer it).

Gawd that's frustrating! Yes you'd expect the art teacher to be up to date. DD was also at a private school but they were very good. Both textiles & art teachers knew their stuff re London & Kingston art schools.
From what I've heard the drop out rate is from foundation. I think it's a combination of those choosing to leave and maybe some who can't keep up with the pace/content. It's not just the first term though.
Keeping fingers and toes crossed for your DD @mondaytosunday

@Duchessofmuchness

My son is in his final year at UAL and he also did A levels in Art and Textiles. He took his A level sketchbooks to his various university interviews and used them as his portfolio. He got unconditional offers at all five places, but he had taken a year out so already had his A level results.

He said at the time that UAL were not at all interested in his sketchbooks, but they were interested in his website, which he also showed them. UAL in particular like conceptual art, and he had done some experimental stuff in his own time - just messing around really - and put it online, and they were really impressed with this.

Because my son had done Textiles as well as Art, and also had an interest in photography and filmmaking, he went straight into Year 1 and didn’t bother with a foundation year. His degree is completely multidisciplinary, even though it isn’t identified as such, and they really have to be able to turn their hands to all forms of art.

Anyway, if I were you, I would encourage your son to not stress too much about a formal portfolio, and if he has done any experimental art in his own time, to put it on a website and show them that. They like stuff that is a bit quirky and multidisciplinary.

Yea @Localher0 I've asked her further and she said he actually told her she was unlikely to get in as it was so competitive! Also that one of her final pieces didn't 'flow' with the others. It is definitely different- she is usually illustrative/realistic using flora or fauna subjects, and the piece he referred to is a textural collage with paper-mache representing part of a dilapidated building. But my understanding is that they want variety and use of different media, and therefore there shouldn't be a 'flow' to the final pieces! She's leaving it in, but his fairly indifferent response has hit her confidence (there may be a back story - she thinks he has mentally checked out of the job as he has talked of leaving for a couple years).

@mondaytosunday that's such a shame that he's not fully invested in her. You'd think getting her onto the course would be a great feather in his cap but as you say, it sounds like he's just marking time. I think I mentioned before that my DD's portfolio was a bit unusual and so I think anything that best represents their talents is going to be good. As for her not getting in - well if you don't apply you never will! We tried to structure expectations without making DD feel unconfident but that's a fine line to walk....
Although portfolios are a huge amount pdf extra work the one advantage is that offers are often unconditional and that's a huge relief for the students as they sit their A' Levels and the summer waiting for results isn't as fraught as it is for some.
Seeing the change in maturity of my DD through this foundation year I am so glad she did it - it's opened her horizons and made her so much more confident. I was a little in awe of how she dealt with NTU for the course switch - no way would she had the cohones to do all that by herself this time last year 😳

Thanks @Localher0. Yes a year growing up is definitely a plus before leaving home, though the move to London from the Isle of Wight has already been an eye opening experience for her!
Not worried about her A levels, she is predicted A star, A, B, and A for her EPQ, and should get them. But her academic work takes up a lot of time, though she did manage to get an extension on her History essay which was due same day as Art coursework and sketchbook (and Kingston deadline).
Im fully confident of her work (of course I would be), but one never knows. She's applying to UAL Camberwell, and Morley College as a backup.

DS has portfolios due for UCL, DMU and UWE by 8th Feb. Waiting to hear from Brighton and Leeds.
He also has his phase 2 Foundation assessment on Fri and needs to mount 2 units of work so he is under the cosh.
So altho not combining applying with A levels he is still finding it tough combing it with a foundation! However he has a lot more work to choose from!
His poor GF spent yest eve helping him mount work!!!

Dc only applied for three and has one portfolio to go, one visit with portfolio and waiting on the last one.

DD has portfolio deadline for Plymouth Arts at end of Feb, and regional interview for Falmouth on 17th Feb.
Cardiff Met have told her she will have an interview but not given date yet.
AUB and Brighton have given her login details for their systems but no portfolio request yet. These are the 2 she really wants so I hope she hears something soon.

Get her to log in - AUB sent a request and log in details separately

@OneFrenchEgg she tried logging I but didn't have any messages yet. Same with Brighton. She only submitted her UCAS form on Tuesday, so there might just be a couple of days delay.

Oh ok. Dc had two emails one asking for a portfolio and one with login details about two days after submitting

Good luck all! So nice to have a forum like this. Way back when pre Internet everything was done in isolation. I don't remember stressing so much about my own portfolio to be honest.

@Localher0 (or anyone who may know) one question (though I may have asked it before): my daughter is confused a bit by the Kingston 'no more, no less' requirement for the number of 'photos'. For example she has a few 2min life drawings. If she puts, say, three on the same slide (they are drawn on separate pages), does this count as one or three? I will ring tomorrow for clarification but she is formatting her portfolio today!

Hi glad I found this thread! DD has submitted two digital portfolios for UAL colleges. This is for Textiles Design BA. The first (Chelsea) said 30 pages max. The second (CSM) wanted 25 max. Wouldn't you think they would just make it the same - both being UAL and probably knowing students applying to one will also apply to the other?

Anyway, my question is - on the Chelsea website it says something like "following submission of portfolios, we will invite a very small number to interview..."

Might anyone know what this means? Does it mean the chances if an interview are minuscule and it's super-competitive? Or does it mean that they only interview 'borderline' candidates, but make most offers in the evidence if the portfolio / reference/ predicted grades alone?

Any insights would be very appreciated and hope this makes sense!

Does anyone know where they hold the Bristol interviews for Falmouth?
DD has an interview on 17th but they haven't told her the address yet. Just wondering if I need to be free to give her a lift or if its accessible on public transport.

I agree! Although I really didn't like the process for the competitive courses back in the pre internet days.

I remember lugging my massive portfolio and sketchbooks into London and then leaving my work in a big room and having to go off and get coffee or something all morning. Then we all had to go back around lunchtime and there was a piece of paper pinned up with the names of the people who had interviews. I felt sick going to up to see if my name was on the list!

A friend who applied to Central St Martins said there they called out the names and the people with interviews were asked to stay and everyone else had to collect their portfolio and go home. Brutal!

Wishing everyone luck. My DD is still waiting to hear from Manchester and UAL but has offer holder day for Nottingham and Leeds and a regional in-person interview for Falmouth coming up. She's decided against Leeds but really can't decide between the others yet so is looking forward to the offer holder days. Just hoping Manchester make up their mind before the offer holder day there. She was shortlisted in Manchester's photography/digital arts competition last year so was hoping that might help a bit.