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 idea!

@franticfeb yes you can apply through clearing to a uni that initially rejected you.
I checked all the courses my DD was going to apply to when she was going to do animation last year - all but Uni of Hertfordshire had the courses in clearing (I checked just in case she has a complete 180 again). But yes I do think they would still want to see a portfolio- I recall along with required grades they also said 'upon approval of submitted portfolio' or something like that. There are so many courses out there that other than the top top ones (UAL, Ruskin etc) there are often places - the schools in clearing included Falmouth, AUB and UCA.

I hope that all the portfolios are now safely uploaded (and those life drawings will inevitably turn up now)! The best advice that DD got from her A-level art teacher was "don't apply until your portfolio for your first choice is ready because things move quickly, then you can tweak that for other places."

Those of you in and around London; DD visited the British Library special exhibition on fantasy literature and was very impressed, there was a wide range of manuscripts/early editions, and lots of good illustration on display. It's ending in a couple of weeks and needs tickets.

She's still waiting to hear about the job. In the meantime she and a friend are finalists for a commission for a book cover (low pay but it's all good experience). Fingers crossed for both!

That's good advice from that teacher @PhotoDad It all happens so quickly in y13.

Fingers crossed for your DD

She's learning to hustle @PhotoDad! Essential skill for freelancers!

@PhotoDad good luck to your dd for the job and commission!

My dc has decided that she will email the subject leader about the comments made at her interview to get clarification. The offer was sent the next day on Thursday within 24 hours!

@PhotoDad v good advice from you DD teacher but unfortunately not advice my ADHD DS is willing (able?) to take! He's just submitted 2nd portfolio for LCF ... 20 mins before the midnight deadline. Much stress involving me and DH to work out resizing the files and how to upload. And then a nightmare 30 mins where they would not upload over the WiFi from his laptop. Quick switch to DHs computer which is plugged into broardband directly and the files transferred in seconds. If he hadn't done that he wouldn't have made it. Fortunately the ual site is pretty good so it worked smoothly from then.

Next one is KSA on 22nd. I did just say to him he doesn't need to wait for the deadline .... he laughed 😱

Anyone else done LCF today?

Uploading to the UAL site was a dream after UCL. We had a mad midnight hour reducing 37 mb to under 5mb using my work laptop for UCL.

It was the night before the deadlines but we were going away the next day so our deadline.

I do have an ADHD DC already at uni so have lived and breathed 11.59 with them. It's really stressful. @Duchessofmuchness

Kingston this week. A different number of images and different requirement for the writing 🤦‍♀️

@HannahDefoesTrenchcoat - Kingston next week for DS. He was going to work on it this week but he's just got the request from CSM - sent this afternoon and they want on 15th by midnight. As @PhotoDad said, just shoes they expect students to be ready to send. But even so I think 3 days is too short. He's working full day/evening shift on Wed and can't get out of that as it's Valentine's so he'll need to pull out the stops today/tomorrow and Thurs.

Agree UAL was easiest, Kingston a nightmare. Then she had one in person and they asked for it digitally too but the requirements were not that strict with no specific platform needed.
Good luck all!

Good news for D2, she has an unconditional offer from Lincoln, a conditional offer from Sunderland (the condition being that she completes her current art foundation year) and also a place to stay on to do a degree where she is. She's got an in-person portfolio day at YorkStJ and has a digital portfolio request from ARU.

DH will be taking her to York for the portfolio day and hopefully we'll take her to Lincoln for one of the course specific offer holders days.

Congrats @JulesJules - well done to your DD. So many great choices. How exciting for her to be able to choose

Well done to her @JulesJules
Of she had to choose today, where would she pick do you think?

Fantastic news!

Thanks! I'm very happy for her. I think her favourite so far is York, but she'll have a better idea when she goes for her portfolio day as she didn't get to see much of the art facilities at the open day.

Hi all, Dd sent UCAS almost three weeks ago and still not heard back from Loughborough (applied for graphic design degree). The other four got back really quick and she submitted portfolios to them (including that weirdly organised Edinburgh portal!). But zilch from Loughborough. She's quite a strong applicant (I'm biased, I know 😁) so I'm a bit worried as she rather liked it. Anyone know, if this is normal for Loughborough?

Has she checked (and checked again!) her junk mail?

DD was waiting for one last straggler of hers (not Loughborough) and I have kept asking her if it had arrived - then bingo, she found it in junk mail. It only came last weekend but with a very short deadline of 7 days so relieved she did spot it in time.

Yes she's checked junk mail, Cp2324, but nothing 🤷‍♀️

@Itslookinglikeabeautifulday - that's frustrating. Sorry no recent experience of Loughborough. I was also nervous when 4 of DS's asked for portfolio immediately and hadn't heard from one. Makes you think been missed. It came through 2 weeks later than rest.

DS got his third portfolio in tonight for CSM. He seems burned out and exhausted. Thought he'd be happy to have it done but he says it's so hard to apply there and he seems a bit down. Think it just got him that someone at the other end is going to assess it and might not be what they want. He knows the acceptance rate is small. As someone said below it's like sending a small part of your heart out to be judged.

Another 2 to go - I wish could say they are getting easier but I'm not sure they are!

@Duchessofmuchness And yet we are constantly told the Arts are a soft subject!

My Dc remarked that if feels like they have as many hoops to jump through as the Oxbridge candidates. Good A levels, already in the bag, count for very little. And it's so personal, the rejection.

Not sure about that @Cp2324 (DD applied unsuccessfully to Cambridge) but for sure the process for art school isn't easy! And talk about uphill battle - my DD said she's nowhere near the top of this climb in Lisbon today, (and will finally start working for the women's art cooperative today).

I've been there - the Santa Justa monument. Love Lisbon.

Dd has sent off all her Portfolios now - GSA, Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle and the Slade. Heard nothing yet though her friend who applied to GSA a week before her has received an invitation to interview. I guess it's just a waiting game and thinking about what happens if she's rejected from all 5.

@Duchessofmuchness we submitted 3rd portfolio yesterday. It had more scope for comments than the first 2 but DS was struggling. It's good, I think but it might have been better if it had been the first.

One more to go but that's in person at interview so that "just" needs printing and putting in a folder.