Going to be a student @ Calarts.

[Odayga]

After i graduate highschool i will be. im currently going to be a junior in highschool. but anyways. just wanted to know more about the school.

[sciboy]

Why do i get the feeling that the search button would've been more useful than starting a new topic?

[Odayga]

no i mean like. what are other peoples opinions about the school? because im definately going there. not even god can stop me *exxagurating*

[mac_p86]

After i graduate highschool i will be. im currently going to be a junior in highschool. but anyways. just wanted to know more about the school.

i will say that cal arts is sponsored by disney and disney does recruit from there. so go ahead and look into it.

[Odayga]

yeah i have been. its really expensive but it has the master/major i want [ fine arts of course ]. literally im extremely passionate about art, thats why i am going to this art school to be an artist as a living. yay for me! oh and thankyou so much for the info about disney sponsering calarts. its good that they are , since theyre corporate [ i think ] and very rich//highly

[Dile_]

hm, why are you posting if "nothing can stop you"
just wait and see instead...

[Odayga]

eh i dunno. but i definately qualify because im very aggressive, motivated, extremely passionate, and does what she is told to do. pretty much a worker.

[Steph Laberis]

and does what she is told to do.

After the mods and admins have lectured you multiple times about the rules here, you may want to rethink that last statement.

I would contact the admissions department while you are still a Junior (they are quite friendly) and ask them thoroughly about the requirements and nature of the artwork you need to show for acceptance. Once you have that info, you can begin to steer your work in that direction over the next year, which would be invaluable to you.

But the best advice I can give you: don't count your chickens just yet. There is no "I can definitely get in" until you have the acceptance letter in-hand.

First off, I'm not saying you can't get into the school, but I was exactly where you are now when I was a junior in high school.

Long story short, I was the top of my class in high school (art-wise), won top honors in every art contest I had entered and told anyone who would listen that I was "totally going to Cal Arts" for animation! I mean, I was talented, funny and smart, how could I not? I worked hard taking extra life drawing courses on evenings and weekends, kept close touch with the admissions people at Cal Arts and was told by my professors that I was definitely getting accepted with the level of work I had to show.

Yay for me!

So when I was rejected the first time, it was one of the most difficult and humbling life experiences I have ever had. My work was good, but my gestures and sketchbook were not as sensitive to forms and anatomy as they needed to be. After deferring what would have been my first year at RISD, moving to LA with my Mom to take life drawing at Cal Arts and working hard for another year, I was rejected again, but "just barely" this time, I was assured.

So, work your hardest to get what you want, Cal Arts is an excellent but highly competetive school, but ALWAYS HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN. Do NOT bask in your laurels. Your good looks and charisma won't get you far in an art school.

P.S. - One of my best friends at RISD, I found out, had an experience exactly like mine with Cal Arts. So whatever level you think you need to be at in order to be accepted... work to be 10 times greater than that level.

[Odayga]

Alright. will do. but my sophomore and freshman year grades werent very good. 2.0 range to 3.0 range. but i looked it up and calarts accepts GED's and i believe a 2.0 GPA is accepted as well. but im getting all A's this and next year, plus im taking AP studio art and AP euro which will help my gpa. oh and the SAT's. but ill definately keep that in mind. thanks

admissions requirements: http://www.calarts.edu/schools/art/admissions_req.html

i found out that they accept GED's through a college book. 2006 or 2007 edition.

[Red_Rook]

Alright. will do. but my sophomore and freshman year grades werent very good. 2.0 range to 3.0 range. but i looked it up and calarts accepts GED's and i believe a 2.0 GPA is accepted as well. but im getting all A's this and next year, plus im taking AP studio art and AP euro which will help my gpa. oh and the SAT's. but ill definately keep that in mind. thanks

admissions requirements: http://www.calarts.edu/schools/art/admissions_req.html

i found out that they accept GED's through a college book. 2006 or 2007 edition.

do you understand, that all of that is peanuts and doesnt MEAN A THING If your portfolio, and your sketchbooks are crap. Grade requirements are only there to establish that you have communication skills, you can handle liberal arts classes and you can read and right plus do fairly basic maths. Understand that now, and understand it very clearly, you DON'T wanna be in the position steph was in. Trust me on this. I know your a junior in highschool and you have about one and half years to make a portfolio. That seems like along, time, but really it isnt.

Lets say for the sake of argument the pieces of wok you have shown on here where to constitute part of your portfolio. I could pretty safely say your not getting in. Not to be mean its just an observation and i know youl hopefully have improved lots by the submission deadline, i dont doubt that. Im not saying your not capable of it but you seriousely have to bust your ass for the next two years, and you had better start being mighty scared of rejection or recognise at the very least you are not infallable and there are many forces in the world that can stop you from going there. YOur folio might be great but maybe you can't do it financially, maybe the freshmen classses are already full and while they would like you its too late who knows. Oh and pick a backup school or two, because Cal arts is notoriously tough to get into.

You seem to have a lack of awareness of your sorroundings or atleast an exceptionally naive view of them. Please understand you better start working really really really hard. Because for being sooo exceptionally passionate about art you have shown us very liuttle to make us believe that. Now start drawing, every day, do alot of research on whats required. Track down other peoples portfolios, see which ones got in and which didnt, and why they got in or why they didnt. Analyse them take them apart, find other cal-arts students who are currently there see if you can pick their brains on what they want to see. Recognise that you arent the only person applying, you have competition and certain people will be exceptionally aggressive trying to get in. No offence, but there are 14-15 years olds on this site and the internet in general that draw better then you or me, when i was your age, hell there are people that young that will still kick my ass really badly.

Please understand im not saying you cant go, im not saying your not capable of it. But do try and get a perspective on the world, and quit bragging and startbeing like "oh shit, i may not get in unless i bust my ass!" Because that will save you and its the truth.

[dguy]

Odayga: Listen, you are asking to be admitted into the most competitive art school in the country (more so than RISD even). You have to be an exceptional artist, and student to get in.

Take an honest look at your work, and ask yourself if you have what it takes. Look at Steph's sketch book, she's very very good, yet she was rejected by Calarts. Compare your work to hers. It is clear that you still have a long way to go.

And honestly, if you are a C student now, even if you get all A's for the next two years, you still will only be a B student. And that's not enough for you to standout from the crowd from an academic standpoint.

My advice is to work on your drawings, and have a back-up school.

[Steph Laberis]

dguy: thanks much for the compliment. In all fairness, what's in my sketchbook has 4 years of art school behind it, my stuff I used to apply to Cal Arts didn't. When I look back on the stuff I submitted in high school, I don't wonder why I wasn't accepted, trust me.

I don't have much of my high school artwork online anymore, but here are some things I included to supplement the fine arts side of my Cal Arts portfolio. Do keep in mind, I was applying for animation and not fine arts, so pieces like these would be judged by an entirely different panel. Nevertheless, I know the fine arts panel is equally as difficult to please as the animation panel.

T-shirt design**
Gesture study of my dog
Unbelievably tacky portrait of Bono**
Token cartoon animals**
Gargoyle painting
Token "abstract" self portrait**

Anything marked with the "**" means it won awards when I was in high school, so there's some perspective for ya. *rolls eyes* Maybe I just shot myself in the foot by showing my pieces, but it's best to have as much information on the kind of pieces that are accepted and rejected alike.

Keep in mind, I no longer have the crucial life drawing and gestural sketches that made up 90% of the work I submitted. But this should give you an idea of how high the school's standards are.

Work hard. Work now, while you still can.

[Odayga]

oh im working my ass off. i dont eat or sleep anymore.

Other schools:
Academy of Arts in San Francisco
Art Institute
Calarts [ of course ]
Ringling school of art and design

are there any others that are elite or really good?

[sweetoblivion314]

are there any others that are elite or really good?

I really hate when someone says that. The thing you have to learn is that you cant go around choosing colleges based soley on their reputation. Believe me I did that. I Attended one year at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy league school, #4 school in the country. I hated it with the red hot intensity of a thousand suns. You have to look at schools that fit your personality. One of the reasons i hated UPenn is cause i didnt know what i wanted to do, but when you go to a school like that you have to know what you want and work hard to get it. No dilly dallying. No questioning. Thats not how i was, i wanted to have fun and figure things out as i went along. Thusly it didnt work out and i left.

Now im not saying your not motivated. What im saying is the school has to fit you. A schools reputation is only gonna get you so far. your work is what gets you places. And if you hate the place that your at your not gonna work as hard as you would if you loved it.

The moral is, make sure your gonna be happy where your at before you start looking at whether or not the school has connections. If i had stayed at UPenn i would have had a direct connection to work at Pixar. But i wouldnt have gotten that internship or a job there after school cause i hated being at the school and my work suffered because of it.

[Odayga]

alright. ill keep that in mind. but im sure ill definately enjoy

academy of arts
Cal arts
Or ringling. depending on which one accepts me.

[Elwell]

Please please please, in addition to your art and academics, work on your social skills. I'm afraid no matter how good your portfolio and transcript, your essay and interview might kill your chances.
Seriously.

[Storyboard Dave]

Please please please, in addition to your art and academics, work on your social skills. I'm afraid no matter how good your portfolio and transcript, your essay and interview might kill your chances.
Seriously.

WHOLEheartedly agree. Talent is one thing but some of these other skills are what separates good from great.

[Odayga]

Alright. will do. in person i tend to be very friendly, happy, and very interesting to be around. im just your everyday typical young artist. different from the rest, loving and is loved by others.

[waronmars]

I think you are going to finish highschool and get bitchslapped by reality. Hard.

[Odayga]

hmmmmmmmmm. no. you dont really know me, so.....ya. im not that open about my self on the net. reality has bashed me in the head alot. i also find that being aggressive and overconfident is good, especially dealing with this type of competition. having a bad attitude and putting one self down doesnt help at all, from artwork to everyday life. believe me ive learned that the hard way.

ALSO..............At least i have some good backup schools.

[waronmars]

reality has bashed me in the head alot.

Obviously not enough.

i also find that being aggressive and overconfident is good, especially dealing with this type of competition.

Being humble and learning as much as you possibly can is a better option. You have gotten off to a bad start on CA due to this kind of attitude, and honestly if you want to get into a good school for art this is the best place to help you do it.

ALSO..............At least i have some good backup schools.

Academy of Arts? Calarts? Ringling? These are the top art schools in the United States, and they're your BACKUP schools? What happens if you get rejected at all those places? I hope your local McDonalds has some job openings.

[dguy]

I think we should cut odayga some slack as she(?) is very young and naive. And we were all young and naive at one point. But I think she would definitely benefit from some honest feedback.

Odayga, you asked about other schools with comparable "eliteness" to Calarts. And the answer in my opinion is there are no other schools in that league. Calarts is greatly respected by everyone that I've come acrossed (teachers and students alike), and it is an elite institution that manages to not come across as snooty. Which is a very rare thing I might add.

While I encourage to you to apply to Calarts, because I think it would be a great learning experience for you, I don't think you are Calarts material. I know that is a harsh thing to say, but think of it this way. There are high school students out there right now that are on the top of their game. They are natural talents, and have all sorts of training, and are winning art competitions left and right; they probably had their art published, or had a show or whatever. These are the people you will be competing with when you apply for Calarts.

Looking at your sketch book, unless something drastically happen and you become a Picasso in the next year then chances are you won't make the cut at Calarts. I'm not saying that is impossible, maybe you are a well of natural talent that will erupt within the next few months. But this is akin to me growing 2 feet and joining the NBA.

As for Ringling, I have some experience with them as I've also applied there. They will accept you if you can draw anatomy accurately, and draw from life. Currently you are not there yet, but if you can manage over the next year to work on those points, then you have a chance. There's a big Ringling thread on this very board. I recommend you look at the portfolios of the people that was accepted and those that didn't to get a better idea where you need to be.

I don't know know too much about Academy of Arts.

But I also want to call your attention to the cost of attending these institutions. Maybe cost is not an issue for you, but it is for most people so I just want to bring that to your attention. If you plan on attending art schools, from my research, you can expect to be spending 15 - 20K a year out of your pocket. So getting accepted is only part of the process, you need to prepare yourself financially if you are truly serious about attending these schools. That was one of the harsh reality I had to face when I applied to school.

[Koishii Kitty]

(sorry about spelling and grammer erors, early in the morning and I am in some pain...and I've never been good at spelling)

Waronmars is right in his last comment. Especialy when it comes to over confidence and being aggressive does not help in the REAL art world. Highscool arts and contests you enter at that time should not be compared to the proffesional art world you are seeking to enter. Art is not like a beauty paggant..and that attitude of over confidence and agressive compotition will do a few things for you:

1:it can make you feel that your art is better then what it realy is.
You do think your art is better then what it is right now. Take a moment and read this carefully, I am not saying your skill sux, nor that you got nothing good...what I am saying is that when you develope that type of view about your art, you loose sight of where you need to work on and it slows down your progress in refining your art drasticly. It is very important to realisticly look at your art, even your sketches and compare them with others here and take note of what needs work and improvement.

2: Even if you are a great artist, that attitude can give you a bad reputation and affect how people view your art. Not matter how you look at it you are a begginer artist. No matter where you go, that is how every one in the art profession will view you...comming off over confident and aggressive, they are going to match that with your art and pass you off as just being "full of yourself." That is not a very good spot to be in.

Lets say you act different in real life. You are humble,caring,considerate, and truethfull. That does not matter here. What matters here is how you act here...and most people can rightly judge that if this is how you act here, then you act just the same way in real life..
So I would sujest that if you are different, as you say you are, in real life....you better start showing it here. These are people who are professionals and striving to be proffesionals..the same type people you are going to meet in those art school..
so if you are pissing off people here, take that as a warning that you need to change some things cause you will piss people off at those schools also.

Also, do not forget that some schools have started asking you to put down websites you are apart of and will deny you based on how you act there.

So take the advice: overconfidence and agressiveness are bad. Not good.



Also Dguy very kindly yet honestly hit it on the head. He gave you a clear view of your tallent and what you can expect. I know that these are only sketches and not your finnished pieces...but keep in mind that sketches can show how your finnished pieces will turn out.
If you have quality and detailed skeches that are mostly accurate, then people know that your finnished pieces will be of fine quality.
And if you realy want the debat this point, that your art is better then what you are posting...don't reply to this...POST THE ART! SAYING you have better art will do no good here....you need to post it. This is one of those "I'll belive it when I see it places."
So start posting more polished and finnished art when you can and work on getting those sketches more refined.

And lissen carefully to these comments..you do have real good talent and imagination..and you are young..what people tell you here is realy good advice to start applying now rather then later.

Wish you the best.

[Odayga]

thanks for all the information guys. but.....ive been drawing since i was TWO. so 15 years of experience. which isnt much. i at least consider myself between Intermediate and Pro. also i consider myself extremely talented, you just havent seen any of my "good work". since ive been so busy with purchasing a horse and working. but yea. im sure ill definately at least get into Academy of the Arts. its a pretty easy school to get into. darn. i need to post the paintings that i have up for sale. oh and FYI ive moved like 10 times around, California [ born and raised ], arkansas, california. moving alot within them. never REALLY having a chance to compete. i was @ each school for a year and a half or two.

[Koishii Kitty]

While you consider yourself EXTREMELY tallented and between intermediate and pro, I can garuntee you that no one else in the art world will agree with you there.
I have been drawing since I was 4 and now I am 20...that is 16 years there...and not even my art could be considered in between intermediate and pro...so how is it that your art stacks up? Those years drawing don't mean nothing odayga. I'm mean it..and having a cocky attitude that you are oh so talented isn't going to change how people view youre art.
It isn't about how YOU view your art...it is how THEY view your art that will get you some where. Do you understand?
What are you going to do if you uplaod those paintings and people here say," that is a pretty picture...but that is all that it is. You have a looooong way to go." Are you still going to argue with them that your picture could get you into the elite art school? THESE HERE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WILL TELL YOU HOW IT IS! If the people here who are much closer to being professionals and are profesionals say," look kid, you have talent...but that is it. Your stuff needs a lot more work." then you can bet on your life you will hear the same thing at those art schools and from other people who KNOW something about art.

For a long time now you have claimed that you are a great artist and you have amazing art that just is not loaded on the net...now I want to see it. Put SOMETHING up to back up what you say.

[Y.V.]

i am also a hopefull second time and in all due respect you should consider what everyone here says they all had expierience concerning in these matters and they give good views, the competition at calrts is two words: HOLY CRAP>

havign belief in yourself is good but overconfidence can blindsight your true potential.

[sweetoblivion314]

thanks for all the information guys. but.....ive been drawing since i was TWO. so 15 years of experience. which isnt much. i at least consider myself between Intermediate and Pro. also i consider myself extremely talented, you just havent seen any of my "good work".

Ok i too have been drawing since i was 2... So that gives me 18 years of experiance. Interesting. You consider yourself Intermediate to Pro. So i guess im a Professional. That just doesnt make any sense. I consider myself a beginner, even though i have more experiance then you, strange. Oooh and my mommy told me i'm very talented too so that excuse wont work.

You need to consider yourself to be at the skill level of whatever proffesionals and people more skilled then you say you are. And right now they are saying you definitely aren't a intermediate to Pro.

Cockyness works in getting laid but not in getting into college. A school would rather hear "I work hard and it would be an honor to get accepted to increase my skills" then "I'm amazing so just give me an acceptance letter". If your Pro level already, why go to school?

[Elwell]

Stop

Telling

Us

About

Yourself

[rblitz7]

Stop

Telling

Us

About

Yourself

lol, but really Odayga you have a lot of growing up to do. If you consider yourself intermediate to PRO! then why the hell are you going to art school anyway?

[Chicken and IceCream]

I graduated high school a few months ago and I'm headed to Ringling next month. I would advise you to listen to these people and soak up as much as you can from this board. Its an excellent place to learn. I'd also suggest accepting the info in this thread as opposed to retaliating. Its all correct, soak it in and put it to good use. Your really lucky to be a junior cause you have a hell of a lot more time than I did to get my act together.

The comments made on social skills are so spot on. A little humility goes a long way. Remember to research your choices thoroughly especially the financial side including loans and cosigners. I know of a few people including myself who had that worry a few weeks before tuition was due.

Good luck