Creative Majors and Matching Colleges

Presented by Saint Francis High School Guidance and Counseling Department

Carrie Jorgenson, College CounselorSherrie Tasnady, College Counselor

Majors to Consider if you are creativeVisual and Performing Arts

Writer/Journalist/Communications

Film/TV Production

Architecture, Urban Planning

Instructional Design, Literature and Arts Education

Occupational Therapy

Museum Studies

Visual Studies

Creative Majors address both sides of the brain.

Colleges are looking not only for scientific thinkers, but innovative and creative thinkers.

STEAM MAJORS

21st Century Possibilities

Adventure Education at Plymouth State University

Bagpiping at Carnegie Mellon

Entertainment Engineering and Design at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Puppet Arts at University of Connecticut

Surf Science and Technology at Cornwall College, UK

Comedic Studies at Emerson, MA

Non Traditional Learning EnvironmentsEvergreen State College, Olympia Washington

St. John’s College, Annapolis, Maryland

Whitman College, Walla Walla Washington

Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO

Eckerd College, Saint Petersburg, Florida

Bard College, Annandale-ON-Hudson, New York

Example of non traditional approaches:

No grades,Innovative majors, Great Books,no homework-only discussions, exclusive one course per session, animals on campus, devise your own curriculum

Creative Problem Solvers are In DemandDr. Tony Wagner :

Most Likely to Succeed & The Finland Phenomenon

Curiosity, creativity & imagination are the future.

Takeaways:

No longer a knowledge economy

Google’s Interview Process

Permission to Play

Creative students are getting the best of both worlds - learn to collaborate

Silicon Valley Hiring PracticesExample Company: CHEGG

CEO attended Hobart and William Smith, a small liberal arts college.

Of 350 employees, only half are engineers.

Coding is a tool that can be learned, but creative skills in approaching a problem and solving it are in demand.

Examples of STEAM Approach:

“Indispensable to modern society, the field is seeking passionate, out-of-the-box thinkers. If you like to be creative with computing technology, Cal Poly's Computer Science Department is for you.”

College vs ConservatoryCOLLEGE

Home to about 75 percent of students in US.

30 plus Majors

⅓ of courses in major, ⅓ in electives, ⅓ in General Studies

CONSERVATORY

Home to About 25 percent of students of students in US.

3 Majors

⅔ in major, ⅓ in General Studies

BA vs BFABA=Bachelor of Arts

Typical liberal arts degree.

120 credits to graduate

Your education exposes you to a variety of topics in addition to art.

BFA=Bachelor of Fine Arts

Focused and intense study of speciality.

Professional degree-private lessons, speciality courses dominate curriculum.

You are committed to art. Creation and study of art are central to your education

Questions to ask when selecting an art college:Programs and depth of study

Flexibility of curriculum

Reputation of the program

Size of art program

Visiting artists or critics visits

Level of professional exposure

Internships, alumni, networking

How does the application process work?

The portfolio Take your portfolio to National Portfolio Day - www.portfolioday.net

(usually October & January in SF)

Make an appointment to tour the college campus and bring your portfolio

Admission officers will gladly make suggestions and give you feedback

The application - Ex.: usc roski school of art & design 1. Complete a USC application.

2. Upload your portfolio.

3. Upload your artist statement.

4. Upload your list of creative accomplishments.

5. Submit your transcripts and test scores.

Differences in Application ProceduresCollege/University

ONE Application for admission

Resume of all high school involvements

Academic Teacher(s)recommendation

Speciality Majors

TWO applications, one for admission to college, one for admission to speciality program

Resume of special talent

Speciality teacher recommendation

Portfolio or audition

Timeline with Portfolio Admission RequirementMaintain good academic standing & arrange to take the SAT or ACT

Attend a National Portfolio Day (October & January in SF)

Begin visiting colleges on your list

Build a standout portfolio - work, work, work on your portfolio!

Have an admission officer review your portfolio so you can incorporate feedback

Stay on top of deadlines for admission and for your particular program

Choosing the Right Fit Requires Research into the College Program

Review college websites-read about the major:

Who will be teaching you?

What type of events are held on campus?

What type of access does the college have to the greater art community?

Facilities?

Faculty at your level? Number of students in program?

Course offerings? Depth of instruction?

Example: Architecture

Note that there are a variety of college types offering this major. Public colleges and universitiesPrivate collegesSpeciality colleges

Majors in FilmCollege Location University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Columbia College Chicago, IL

Vanderbilt Nashville, TN Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA

New York University New York City, NY Syracuse Syracuse, NY

UCLA Westwood, CA Florida State University

California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA Wesleyan University Middletown, CN

Columbia University Chicago, IL Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI

Chapman University Orange, CA DePaul University Chicago, IL

Emerson College Boston, MA Ithaca College Ithaca, NY

Loyola Marymount Los Angeles, CA Savannah College of Art and Design

University of Texas Austin. TX Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota, FL

Boston University Boston University Colorado Film School Denver, CO

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Northwestern Evanston, IL

QUESTIONS?

Creative Majors and Matching Colleges

Thank you!