Part 2: Continuation of 2023 uni (and other) applications for those pursuing art and creative routes

[Duchessofmuchness]

As requested transferring us all over hear for the continuation of the 2023 journey. Have so enjoyed the company and support of all on the first thread. Link to original thread copied below (I hope!)

2023 uni applications for those pursuing art and creative routes www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4626697-2023-uni-applications-for-those-pursuing-art-and-creative-routes

Good luck to everyone! Always nice to get updates. DD is back in the swing, can't believe that she's halfway through Second Year already due to her term structure... This time next year she'll be thinking about Work or Freelancing or a Master's... where does the time go?

Hi, anyone with experience of – or views on – the Fine Art BA programmes at University of Brighton, Kingston or CSM? Trying to narrow it down to two of those for UCAS (has three others chosen already).

@FactyFrances
Can't comment on courses but those are three quite different locations.
if you've got any interest in attending CSM and think you have the ability, why would you not give it a go?

Meanwhile... DD's ceramic illustration of the folksong "The Gardener" (recorded by Steeleye Span).

Man offers woman clothes made from flowers if she'll sleep with him.
Woman replies; bugger off, and wear snow and rain!
(loosely summarised)

@PhotoDad such interesting range of artistic opportunities and I love the subject!

Well DS has completed his UCAS application and college have approved it all. They are still going to sit on it for a few more days to maximise portfolio time. He's doing FAD so I'm sure they know what doing. He refused to show me his personal statement - I have no idea why! A combination of wanting to it for himself and perhaps slight embarrassment over what he'd written? I really don't know but as long as he and college are happy all is well!

He had 4 definite choices and was choosing between a few options for this 5th. He hasn't been to 3 of his choices and hasn't even visited 2 of the cities! Fingers crossed he gets some offers!

@Cp2324 Good point! They would rather be in London so no point putting Brighton as a safety if they wouldn't want to live there for 3 years. But the entrance criteria are so subjective, compared to the grades needed for typical academic degrees, that it's hard to know where would be realistic. Slade, Ruskin, Goldsmiths, CSM – maybe anyone could have a lucky day and get in?!

@FactyFrances you or your DC may already know, but they will have to do a stand alone FAD (Foundation Art Diploma) for BA Fine Art at Goldsmith, Kingston or CSM. BTW, Brighton is very well regarded and some would rate it higher (particularly for student experience) than CSM.

How is the accommodation search going for second and third year?

@PhotoDad love your DD's work, so varied and creative.
@Duchessofmuchness fingers crossed with UCAS and follow up interviews.

Yes, they're doing foundation year now, applying for BA next year

@Soma, DD (second year) is currently in an overpriced "shoebox" room in an HMO. She keeps to a budget and knows that if she found somewhere cheaper, she would have more cash for food and "spends." However, she's decided to stay put for her third year, because for all its faults, it's only a 15-minute walk from the studios and she finds that invaluable (and relatively rare!)

DD has a house with three friends sorted for next year. Fractionally cheaper than her first year accommodation but frankly still painful. I look back with longing to the cost of my own uni accommodation thirty years ago, even when adjusting for inflation.

I think I may have posted on a dead thread just now so repeating my question here in the hope someone can help:

Dd has now received an invitation to submit her Portfolio for Uni of Leeds Fine Art degree, having already met their grades (as have A-level results in hand). They state:

'Your portfolio can contain up to 17 images/pieces of work ... We are expecting that, predominantly, each one of these images should, ideally be focusing on one piece of work.'

I'm reading this as they are expecting prospective students to submit upto 17 but each one of these is a different piece of work. Dd is confused as she wanted to show how her ideas evolved as opposed to the just a final piece. It seems to not encourage this, which seems a bit odd.

Are we reading this correctly?

The other thread is now officially revived!

Thanks @PhotoDad . The cost of second year accommodation is eye wateringly expensive. I feel for the DC relying solely on their loan & part time work to pay, without parental contribution (for whatever reason).

Gosh after the meeting last night I'd recommend Morley FAD just for the Turing Scheme opportunity! They tried to get more funding (it costs the government about £3000/person) for more kids, but as the pandemic prevented the scheme for a couple years more colleges have requested funding. Anyway the 15 lucky ones are going to be staying in a fantastic apartment (I've seen videos) in a lively central neighbourhood - not the rundown hostel I feared! Girls one floor, boys and (two) teachers the other. They've picked their rooms, most of the girls sharing as so many more girls than boys. They get €120/week living expenses and a free travel card. My DD has a Zoom interview with a gallery next week - really what an opportunity for them all! After the disappointment of not getting a Cambridge offer this is something to really look forward to 😁, and for me a preview of an empty nest 😔.

Wow @mondaytosunday . That does sound amazing. I’m not sure if FAD at UAL offer this scheme. DD may apply for both. Maybe I’ll pick your brains about Morley.

I am glad your DD applied to Cambridge. Sorry to hear she didn’t get a place but I suppose that’s part of the process. I think she has some amazing offers?

out of interest, did she mention her art FAD in her personal statement or get asked about it in interview?

@ArtGarfield no she didn't mention it at all. I think on the ucas application there a space for extra qualifications or pending qualifications and she put it in there, but no mention in PS. They only asked about academic stuff in her interviews - she had a five page prereading for one, which she got 20 minutes before, and any questions about her PS we're about the books or theories she mentioned. Mind you she only put two short sentences at the end about anything non academic.
She has offers from Durham and Glasgow and should get one from Bath as her grades are well above requirements. She was distraught about Cambridge though, I think she really loved the course, teaching style, location etc. Even though she knew it was a long shot, she can't yet picture herself anywhere else.

Oh, I’m sorry for her. But Cambridge is cold and windy and frankly quite dull… Surely studying in Durham or Glasgow is far superior? Glasgow is beautiful and has all a city has to offer. And Durham has the colleges. Cambridge have probably done her a favour.

D2 finally submitted her UCAS application last night, I'm assuming it goes to college (where she is currently doing her foundation art) for them to attach their reference? Her tutor is off today 😬 so I really hope the ref is ready to go... nothing like leaving it to the last minute.

I hope she a) gets an offer of a place and b) it's somewhere with affordable accommodation! D1 (just graduated) was at Oxford and her college rooms were very cheap compared to the accommodation we have seen at open days with D2. I really didn't appreciate that it could take up nearly all the maintenance loan.

Or more @JulesJules! My daughter just added LSE - yowsa!! Bath not a lot better either second year above £200/week. Yep, I'm sad about Cambridge as accommodation sorted and she'd have got the Cambridge bursary plus housing bursary from the college 😒 making it thousands cheaper each year.
@ArtGarfield not sure I can sell her on Glasgow because of the weather....

DS application submitted to UCAS by college this evening. He fell out with me tonight because he kept telling me college would sort it but with one day to go and him not in college tomorrow, I just was so sceptical. He couldn't even tell me who at college was doing it. Just kept saying it was up to them and nothing he could do! Was not impressed by me and DH stressing and telling him to check everything ready to go with his tutor. Anyway college must have pressed button just after 6pm. I'm relieved and DS can now bask in " I told you so,"

@JulesJules I know how you are feeling. Fingers crossed tutor in tomorrow, Where is your DD applying to?

Now we wait to hopefully get portfolio requests

Another oh my goodness @Duchessofmuchness! That is cutting it fine! My husband always said 'never assume' but it's hard for kids to question authority.
My dd said her FAD colleagues just submitted theirs en masse on Monday, I think they did it as late as they could to give them as much time for their portfolios. She said she would have been totally stressed.

UCAS submitted by college this week, at last. Phew! Now to finalising portfolio which will probably need tweaking for every different institution. Art schools must get a big, last minute flurry of applications to work through; I wonder how long we will have to wait for the requests to start coming and what the time-line is going to be for sending them back?

DS went all around creative options so we looked at Fine Art, craft, product design. I really liked a Fine Art/Art History/Curating course at Man Met and thought that was the answer.

Anyway, he then settled on architecture and seems really happy with that choice, especially enjoying open days at the more arty architecture schools.

He has an offer from UWE (hooray as he'd love to live in Bristol) and requests for portfolios from

Westminster- 20 images
CSM/UAL - 25
UCL - 10
Kingston - 15

As you can see he may also be interested in London inspite of my dire warnings about student life and commuting. 😁

Just meant to add thank you to everyone on both the creative threads. They have been so useful and calming.