6 creative tips for rising sophomores to start thinking about college
If you are a sophomore, and you are interested in studying a creative discipline or including your visual art portfolio in your college applications, here are 5 tips that might benefit you—and they are fun!
Make time to LOOK at contemporary art. Go to the nearest art museum, community art center, arts and entertainment center, or university near you and look at contemporary art. This is so important. So much of what we see online is repetitive and similar and is not necessarily the best for generating new ideas.
Find an art coach or visual art center to take classes and learn a new skill! If you have always wanted to try photography but haven’t learned, the summer before your junior year is prime time! Look for classes that are narrow in their scope, not broad - and that teach a tangible skill like sewing so you can try making your own clothes independently or drawing so you can show your observational skills. Consult this list for more details on residential summer programs.
Visit colleges. You don’t have to go very far most of the time to swing by a college campus. If you live close to an urban center there are many! If you are more rural, make a day trip out of it and visit your local state college. Find out what kind of creative disciplines they offer! Look at the studio spaces and see what kind of work the students are making!
Set up a workstation at home. If you don’t already have a creative place to go in your home, now is the time to set one up! Any table and chair will do but you want to make sure you have a space that you do not have to clean up. Yes, that is right parents! A space where your student can leave materials out, come and go as they please, and not be on show for anyone. If this is in your room, be careful to use only non toxic material - no oil painting in the bedroom! Colleges love to see what you do outside of class, not just for AP Art.
Connect your academics and extracurriculars to art. Look for ways that you can connect your interests in writing, math, biology, French, or whatever to art. This shows an admissions committee that you are already capable of thinking in an interdisciplinary way, and it is a way to highlight your achievements in other areas. If you belong to a club, is there a way to contribute to the club through art? Like making a poster for an upcoming event or doing a service event that includes art? Can you find an internship that utilizes some of your art skills?
Do you feel like you might need additional support in finding activities? Reach out to us at The Gesso, and we can help find the perfect opportunity for you to get involved in art! If you have limited access to art education in your local area, we can be a virtual resource for you.