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!