Ask These Two Questions to Prepare Yourself for Art School

If you're thinking about going to art school, a bit of preparation will maximize your experience. A good way to start is by asking yourself a couple of important questions. 

Do I Want a Private or a Public Art School?

Private art schools such as the Parson School of Design and the California College of the Arts let you focus on art, art, and more art. Some non-art courses (English, math, science) may be required, but art is what everybody is doing, it's the school's reason for existing, and most of your courses will be art-related.

If you attend a public university that offers a good art program, you'll still be going to art school, in a sense, but you will first and foremost be earning a university degree — with a major in art. You'll have to fulfill many more core requirements in languages, math, and so forth before you're considered worthy of a university degree.

At a public school, you may not even get to do much art for the first couple of years. When you're in your art classes, you'll be surrounded by other artists, but in your other classes you'll be with students from a wide range of areas of study. You should end up with a well-rounded education and a diverse collection of friends, but possibly you'd rather focus on art. 

Public education is generally much less expensive than private, but a dedicated art school might ultimately be less expensive if it takes fewer years and gets you the training you want quickly and intensively, or if it offers impressive financial aid packages. Public or private, you'll have costs for tuition, fees, supplies, books, room and board, and more. You will probably take out student loans to finance your art school degree. Make sure the curriculum you're investing in is what you really want!

Is Art School What I Really Want?

If you want to master a particular type of art, such as animation, graphic design, or photography, and then get straight to work, you may not want the full art school degree experience. You might instead be able to focus on a certificate or a career diploma or an Associate of Arts degree.

Check out non-degree program offerings from art schools and from specialty educational organizations to see if they fulfill your needs. You might even be able to acquire the skills you want via workshops or non-traditional classes or apprenticeships.

An Associate of Arts degree from a community college or trade school is commonly all you need to get started as a professional in fields such as fashion design, jewelry, and CAD. If you decide to do further study later, your AA degree can be put towards a Bachelor's degree or give you an edge for art school admission.

If you're interested in art but don't have a solid background (say, three years of art classes in high school) and/or a stellar portfolio, art school may not be the place for you, at least not just yet. It is highly competitive, both to get admitted and once you're in. Most art schools want to see that you already have amazing talent and skills, and then they'll take your education from there.

If you need to acquire the skills to be an excellent artist, you may do better to start in a less competitive environment than the usual art school, choosing instead a school that's focused on teaching the basics instead of being focused on mastery right out of the gate. In that case, earning a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Fine Arts at a public school could be a good choice. You may be accepted into a university's arts program without even showing a portfolio. 

There's no doubt that the kind of art education you want is available. With a little preparation, you can make sure that you're able to zero in on the right type of art school for you.