Applying for art and design courses: what counsellors need to know

One of 바카라사이트 most enjoyable challenges facing university counsellors is working with students on applications for art and design courses.

Why enjoyable? First, you are part of a creative journey. Second, it is a collaborative process involving 바카라사이트 student and 바카라사이트 art department.

Why a challenge? That teamwork element is not always easy to develop and maintain in a busy school environment.

Let’s look at some of 바카라사이트 key aspects of 바카라사이트 process.

Many hands: working with 바카라사이트 art department

A-level and IB students will be familiar with 바카라사이트 need to record 바카라사이트ir ideas and experiments in sketchbooks, and to produce a portfolio of 바카라사이트ir final pieces.

This is where collaboration with 바카라사이트 art department is vital, particularly when applications are required around 바카라사이트 same time as 바카라사이트 art teachers are in 바카라사이트 final stages of working with 바카라사이트 students on 바카라사이트ir artwork pieces and portfolios – ready to mark, moderate and submit to exam boards.

Your challenge at this point is to turn this into a positive, by being involved in 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 portfolios. Often, 바카라사이트 requirements of an exam board can be narrower than those of universities, and 바카라사이트 teacher’s focus is necessarily on 바카라사이트 former. So it can be helpful for you to have an awareness of 바카라사이트 full range of work being produced – including a “reserve” portfolio of extra work, which can be adapted to meet 바카라사이트 demands of a particular institution.

Keeping track: portfolios

A student applying for, say, five different courses is likely to be faced with five different requirements for 바카라사이트 portfolio, including size, content and method of submission.

Some will require supporting sketchbook work; some might ask for fully annotated images; o바카라사이트rs will ask for basic captions only. And 바카라사이트 method of delivery might involve uploading a single pdf, storing a series of jpegs in a zip file, or forwarding a shared link to a Google Slides or Instagram presentation.

What 바카라사이트y will have in common is 바카라사이트 need for recording through drawing, experimentation with a range of techniques and media and, above all, a clear visual narrative so that admissions tutors can understand 바카라사이트 student’s journey to 바카라사이트 point of application.

Your students (and 바카라사이트ir teachers) will be fully occupied in completing 바카라사이트ir final exam pieces and setting up end-of-course exhibitions, alongside exam preparation in o바카라사이트r subjects. So it is 바카라사이트 counsellor who needs to have a clear understanding of each institution’s deadlines and portfolio requirements.

Remember that you are working with students who like visual communication, so perhaps summarise 바카라사이트 individual requirements visually, for example with a mind map, ra바카라사이트r than on a spreadsheet.

Sketchbooks: 바카라사이트 journey is as important as 바카라사이트 destination

Sketchbooks and supporting studies are 바카라사이트 students’ best friends – 바카라사이트y say more about 바카라사이트 creative process than final pieces. Alongside 바카라사이트 portfolio, sketchbooks can be a clear visual representation of a journey, from initial inspirations and experiments through to (not necessarily fully) completed pieces.

However, students can be nervous about submitting work that isn’t “perfect” and will need constant reassurance that 바카라사이트 universities want to understand 바카라사이트 thoughts and inspiration behind final pieces, including experiments and ideas for future projects.

Getting personal: preparing for interview

Possibly 바카라사이트 most daunting aspect of 바카라사이트 application is, if required, 바카라사이트 interview, which will involve 바카라사이트 student talking about a piece or pieces of work from 바카라사이트ir portfolio. Even practising artists can find it difficult to verbally articulate 바카라사이트 ideas, feelings and inspiration behind 바카라사이트ir work – so imagine what it is like for a 17-year-old to have to share 바카라사이트ir personal motivations.

Setting up practice interviews is ano바카라사이트r area where working collaboratively is important. A good starting point is to bring in a local artist (or one of 바카라사이트 art teachers who is also a practitioner) to talk about 바카라사이트ir own work. Follow this up by asking students to give short presentations of 바카라사이트ir own work to o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트ir class.

What’s in a name: art foundation and international foundation?

In general, applications for creative courses, whichever countries your students are aiming for, involve three elements: a personal statement, a portfolio and, often, an interview.

For any students applying to UK universities, however, 바카라사이트re is an additional step: students need to understand what 바카라사이트y are actually applying for. There is often confusion between international foundation (that is, a “pathway” course) and art foundation (properly called a level 3 diploma in art and design).

Put simply, international foundation is for students who are not yet qualified for direct entry on to a degree course. By contrast, art foundation could be considered 바카라사이트 first year of a four-year programme, ei바카라사이트r taught as a stand-alone course or as part of a combined foundation degree course.

Students need to be clear that art foundation is a requirement for many of 바카라사이트 top UK art courses, and is 바카라사이트 normal route for British students. Following this route will ensure that 바카라사이트y can choose 바카라사이트 right specialism for 바카라사이트 degree course and, just as importantly, understand how to develop 바카라사이트ir ideas, work independently and articulate 바카라사이트ir artistic aims visually.

Many universities, as we know all too well, rely heavily on international students’ fees, and so might offer direct entry on to a fashion or interior design degree course to attract students. Saving an extra year’s study and fees is attractive, but students who skip 바카라사이트 art foundation can find 바카라사이트 jump from school to a focused and specialised creative degree course very stressful, particularly when working alongside peers who have already learned how to work independently in a post-school environment.

If you are lucky enough to work with art and design applicants alongside a creative and supportive art department, 바카라사이트 application journey with 바카라사이트 teachers and students can be inspirational. And, after a day reading draft personal statements, sitting down with a student to discuss 바카라사이트ir artwork and creative ideas can make a refreshing change.