Can I be successful with a fine arts major? What colleges would be good for me to apply to? Suggestions?Answered
Hi! I want to start with some basics.
I'm currently a junior, I'm half south-american and half european, and I am interested in pursuing a fine arts major. I've been doing art for about 4 or 5 years and I'm at the point where I can't see myself pursuing a career that doesn't have a focus in art. I'd love to major in fine art, but I've started doubting this choice because I'm unsure if it can land me a good job.
My next plan is to minor, or possibly double minor, in something considered more "useful." My ideas so far consist of business, english, and (art?) history. Business seems the safest, but I'm very open to other suggestions if you think something could be a better fit! I'm not sure if a double major is smart in my case, but I could even consider that if it would be a better option for me.
My dream schools are Cornell and New York University, although I do think I'll have to give up on those. I have a 3.4 gpa, so I don't really qualify. I was never serious about school until my junior year, so I've been cramming a bunch of stuff to try and make myself look more appealing to colleges.
For example, I've never taken any APs (I really regret it), but I will be taking 2 APs during my senior year. Over this summer, I am planning on taking two college courses at my community college, attending a summer program at UC San Diego, and getting a job.
In the end, I just want suggestions / feedback / facts about a few things.
1) Do you guys know what jobs I could get with a fine arts degree? And possibly what minors (I am considering doing a double minor)/double-major options would be able to boost my chances?
2) Also, I really don't want to sound stupid for asking, but is there any chance I could get into my dream schools without such a focus on academics? Such as a good essay, portfolio, etc. I don't want to give up completely.
3) Are there any last minute extracurriculars I could try and cram to help my college resume?
4) And lastly, does anyone have any college suggestions that offer both a fine arts major + minors that will help me job-wise?
This post is... very long, but I've been so stressed over college because I've only just started thinking about it. My parents went to a university in a different country so this is kind of new for all of us! Thank you!
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2 answers
Hi aleuwii,
I'm a new adviser on CollegeVine (look me up as Carly Tribull on the 1:1 advising page if you want to chat more) and I was a double major in art and "something useful" (biology!) and I loved it.
Like you, I was deeply entrenched in the art side of high school (took both AP arts offered at my school) and one of the more proficient art students - I faced a lot of pressure from art teachers to apply to top art schools. However, I also loved biology, and ultimately applied to schools where I could get a great education in both. Ultimately, I had to choose between the NYU Gallatin school (the 'create your own major' of NYU that would've allowed me to study both bio/art easily) and UC Berkeley. Honestly, it came down to finances, and I chose UC Berkeley, completing as a double major before heading on to my PhD in Biology.
The only reason I bring this up is that it seems that you're a California student, which opens up some interesting options for you - the UC and CSU systems have some great options for students that want to double major in Art + something else (like I did). And, perhaps quite importantly, they won't break the bank! They also have an incredibly robust community college system with clear transfer pathways. I know it's not the most popular suggestion on this community, but as a college prof, I'm a fan - have you considered trying out a community college and succeeding in your general ed requirements to really show that you can academically succeed at some of these higher ranked colleges?
The UC system is amazing, and literally no one will care if you started out at a CC. I don't know what your finances are but NYU is...very expensive.
Any ways, get in touch if you have more questions or want to follow up!
Hi there!
I was also interested in pursuing arts (in some form) in college, so I might have some insight.
1) You could delve straight into the arts, such as becoming an artist or a musician. Alternatively, if you want to go into the business side of things, you can pursue maybe a minor or another major in business (I know USC has a major/minor in Music Industry Business, if you are interested in that sort of thing).
2) Since you are primarily applying in the arts, I would say as long as your portfolio is good/great/stellar (depending on the tier of school you are talking about), you should have a chance. The best advice I would give is to focus on the essays (I poured my soul into those supplemental essays) and your portfolio and should be ok. Try to work on your academic rigor if your can, maybe try taking some classes over the summer at Community College or through somewhere else.
3) I would suggest to improve yourself in your current ECs. Cramming at the last second just to be impressive to adcoms is something that adcoms will just see through. Some things you could try are getting your art shown maybe at a local art festival or as an exhibit at a local museum.
4) You should look into design schools as these mainly focus in the arts
i.e. Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
Rhode Island School of Art and Design (RISD)
California Institute for the Arts (CalArts)
Since you are also planning to a minor in something else, I would look at maybe some LACs (Vassar, Middlebury, Oberlin (which is particularly known for music because they literally have a conservatory on campus)) or some other research universities such as USC, NYU, Cornell (seems like a longshot but I think you have a chance), etc... Use CollegeVine's chancing simulator and put in your stats and try to find targets/safeties that match your criteria.
IMHO, I see no reason why you can't be successful in the arts, and adding a minor in business or some other field will only increase your opportunities.
I hope my insight was helpful and Good Luck!!!!
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