The study of art and design is broad, so try to figure out where you fit into it. If you are considering an art school, most likely you are creative and already have some level of talent. Try to analyze which aspects about your creative work inspire you. For example: Do you enjoy improving the way we do things -- perhaps product design is for you. If you enjoy researching and storytelling, then maybe illustration or film is a fit. Different colleges offer different majors, and some examples include: architecture, interior design, film, photography, illustration, animation, visual effects or motion design, sequential art (comics), textile design, graphic design, advertising, fashion design, fine art, digital interactive design (website design), video game design, entertainment design, art preservation, product design (aka industrial design), transportation design, sculpture, jewelry, printmaking, and ceramics. To learn more about a major and what you can do with a degree in it, visit the "undergraduate majors" section of various college websites. Below is a link to a set of videos from a single art college. It is not intended to endorse this school, but rather offer helpful insight into majors that are offered at many of the colleges. View the videos by clicking on the link to a given major on this page.
Unlike other college majors, building your skills to prepare your portfolio requires a lot of time and work. Your goal should be to complete your portfolio by fall of your senior year. If you follow these guidelines, you should be able to do it in time. If you discovered later in your high school career that you want to study art or design, don't let that deter you. While most private art schools require a portfolio, some art programs do not (eg: Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) or California State Universities (CSUs)).
Experiment with various forms of art and design to find what excites you the most and to build your skills. Sometimes you'll take a class and learn that exact subject is not for you. That's an important lesson to learn and helps you narrow down your choices.
Most students looking to attend an art school are concerned about how to build their skills for a portfolio. One of the best ways to do that is by taking extracurricular art classes, in addition to your high school art classes. The work you do in these classes, will actually become the pieces you put into your portfolio. Particularly advantageous are summer pre-college programs at art colleges. See "Extracurricular Art Classes" below.
Consider taking a class in Portfolio Development either at a local art college, or through a private studio. In addition, some studios offer 1-on-1 personal consultation on your portfolio.
Go to National Porfolio Day (NPD) more than once, preferably once your sophomore year, then again your junior year. (In the Bay Area, NPD is offered in January, which can be too late for seniors.) College admissions reps can review your work; you can ask questions about their programs; and you can see other student work. You'll hear first-hand what it takes to get accepted to schools, and receive advice on how to improve your portfolio. Arrive EARLY, and prepare for LONG LINES (bring someone to stand in line at one college while you are visiting another.) If the lines at one of your desired colleges is very long, don't hesitate to visit a college with a shorter line simply to get another review of your work and perspective on another college program.
If possible, go during your sophomore year to get a sense of where your current skills stand and learn where you need to improve. This visit is not as intimidating because you are no where near close to applying to college; you are just seeking advice.
Use the time between that first review and your next one (in your junior year) to build your skills as necessary.
Tour some colleges early on to compare features. Meet with an admissions rep so that you can get feedback on your current skillset, learn where you need to improve, and what their specific portfolio requirements are. If you are unable to attend National Portfolio Day, this is an important step.
Many schools prefer the pieces in your portfolio be your most recent works (eg: from junior and first-semester senior years.) Taking those art classes mentioned above during junior year and the summer before senior year is helpful towards this goal. Remember that schools are not looking for professional-level work (that's what they will teach you), rather they want to see you have talent and potential.
Portfolios are usually submitted electronically. Students usually take camera photos of their work and upload them into a portfolio app such as "Slideroom".
Look for online resources that offer information in your area of interest. For example, websites for animation include: Interviews with Animation Professionals, Pixar in a Box on Khan Academy. Many fields have like-minded websites, so search the internet for them.
Follow inspiring artists on Instagram, Tumblr or other social media. Ask questions about their training and techniques. Learn about their journey and what they are doing now.
SUMMER PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAMS
If you are serious about pursuing some type of art or design in college, you should seriously consider taking a pre-college summer program. Many art schools in California and across the nation offer intense summer programs just for high school students looking to dabble in an area of interest or rapidly build their skills to assemble a portfolio. If possible, enroll in pre-college once between sophomore and junior year, then again between junior and senior year.
A pre-college program is like a bootcamp for your skills. A typical program lasts about 4 weeks (but range between 2-6 weeks); and classes are held 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. These programs are usually designed to be residential (you live on campus), but local colleges allow students to commute daily. Many classes are taught by working/retired professionals who offer invaluable insight into their fields. Your skills increase exponentially over those few weeks, and many of the pieces you come out with can be used in your portfolio, especially those pieces from the summer of Junior year. These programs give you a great sense of what art school is like, so you'll learn if that's the right college environment for you. Art schools appreciate seeing these classes on your college applications as it demonstrates you are serious about art/design. Registration usually opens in January-February and fills up fast. Registration is usually open to any student with interest and is not based on skill level. But, because these are art schools, the skill level of students attending is generally higher than that of the average person. That's a good thing because you'll be informed and inspired by their work. Most art school pre-college programs offer need-based scholarships, so be sure to inquire if cost is a factor. If these programs are out of your budget, you can still advance your skills through your local community college or local art studio. See "Local Art Classes" below.
PRIVATE ART COLLEGES IN CALIFORNIA THAT OFFER SUMMER PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAMS
California College of the Arts (CCA) (Oakland)
Otis College of Art and Design (Los Angeles)
Laguna College of Art & Design (Laguna Beach)
Art Center College of Design (Pasadena)
Academy of Art (San Francisco)
See the websites of art schools around the nation for more pre-college programs. Also, search the internet to see if there are summer art programs offered at the California public universities.
LOCAL ART CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
You might try building your skills throughout the school year by taking evening and weekend classes. Watch registration deadlines each season and apply early. Below are some of the many programs available.
California College of the Arts -- Extension Courses
California College of the Arts -- Atelier Program, a year-round weekend and summer program
When deciding if you want to attend an art school or a traditional college, consider these things:
Degrees - BFA vs BA : Art schools usually only offer Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees, while traditional colleges offer both. There are two main differences between these degrees, and each college applies them differently. On average, a BFA degree requires that 25-30% of your classes are general studies (history, english, math, etc) and that a larger number of hours are spent in studio classes (70-75%). A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree means you have had roughly 40% general studies and 60% studio hours. In short, a BFA implies you've spent more time studying within your major.
The classes in many art schools tend to be taught by working (or recently retired) professionals instead of full-time professors removed from their industry. Many art students appreciate this because they gain a lot of current industry knowledge and make industry connections while in school.
The general education classes at art schools tend to be art-focused, while at a traditional college they are generic for any major.
Some art schools have a required freshman foundation year where you train in ALL areas of art and design to make you well-rounded, to hone your skills, and to explore. Some art schools don't let you declare a major until after you have completed the foundation year. Other art schools build specialty foundation classes into your major so that you begin working in your major freshman year and are only taking only the foundation classes relevant to your major. Some of the schools with the highest acceptance rates tend to have intense "weed out" first-year programs with very set, rigid programs. Some schools have no first-year programs at all--you enter directly into your major and go from there. They're all different, but it’s important to explore what's important to you. Also, look at second-year retention rates.
Attending an art school is a big commitment because many require you to declare a major when applying; classes are specific to your major; and it can be hard to change majors. So, if you find you are unhappy at an art school and want to transfer to a traditional college, many of your classes may not transfer. Also, many classes taken at a traditional college easily transfer to another traditional college. For these same reasons, it can be difficult to transfer credits from a traditional college to an art school.
Art schools are private institutions and are very expensive. Many can be stingy with scholarships, some are more generous, depending upon your financial need. In-state public colleges are far cheaper than art schools.
Art schools may not give you the "typical" college experience in that they usually don't have Greek life or sports teams, are relatively small, and have little partying.
Traditional colleges offer you a chance to take a broader range of classes outside your major, allowing you to explore other interests or change majors.
Class sizes at private art schools are much smaller than at public colleges.
Some students prefer an art school because they want to be surrounded only by like-minded creative people. They say it is inspiring and gives them the creative and competitive boost they thrive on. Other students prefer a traditional college where they will be exposed to students of all majors.
Art schools fall into a spectrum from more academic-focused to less academic-focused. For this info, take a look at the actual course catalogs for the academic listings. Traditional colleges typically have similar general education requirements regardless of your major.
Art programs also fall into a spectrum of career-focus. Schools that are more career-focused can be better for the student who knows exactly what they want to do, don't want to experiment, nor get a more broad arts education.
Take a look at how focused the major is, either at an art school or a traditional college. Some programs don't allow experimentation in other majors.
Consider if you want a teaching certification. Some schools offer a 5-year program where you complete your BFA program in your art discipline in 4 years, and then do a 5th year where you study art education, do student teaching, and graduate with a Master's in Teaching.
Regardless of where you go, expect to spend more time than other majors both in class and on homework. A degree in art or design is A LOT OF WORK! For example, at an art school, each studio class may meet only once each week, for 5 hours each, and you may have 4 studio classes per semester, as well as a general education class. After each class you'll have many hours of homework each night. Some students say they have 5-10 hours of homework per class. Many students say art schools are more rigorous and push you harder than a traditional college because of the strong focus.
Does the school have more of a commercial focus (training to get a job) vs fine art focus (training to express yourself)? See link below under ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Which employers recruit at that school?
What experience do the professors have?
What are the portfolio requirements?
What are their admissions criteria: GPA, ACT/SAT scores, letters of recommendation, etc.
What are their submission deadlines and do they send decisions on a rolling basis (usually just a few weeks after submission) or do they have set decision deadlines? If your favorite school offers rolling admission and if you are prepared, consider applying very early to that one school. If you are accepted to that favorite school, you are done! If you are denied, you have plenty of time to submit applications to other colleges.
What is the curriculum for your major? Compare between colleges.
Will you be able to take classes outside your major?
Will you be able to change your major?
What is the quality of their student work? Go online to the college websites, youtube, etc. to view student work.
What resources and equipment are available to students (eg: photography equipment, digital tablets, studio space)
Are students given an opportunity to collaborate on projects with students in other majors?
What internships and jobs are available through their career center?
Does a college have connections to businesses that benefit the students? For example, many schools work with companies to bring in "design challenge" projects for the students. Does the college bring in speakers from various industries? Do companies provide portfolio reviews? Is the school near internships (eg: film industry in Los Angeles)?
Go onto Linkedin and view where alumni are now working. Consider networking with them for advice.
Read the perspectives of others who have attended schools you are considering on online forums such as College Confidential, Reddit, Quora, etc. Thousands of students before you have been through this process and can offer insight and advice. Don't be shy to post your own questions on these forums.
Pay close attention to the specific portfolio requirements of each school you are applying to. You will most likely need to tweak your portfolio for each.
Some schools with the generic freshman foundation year require you demonstrate your skills in various ways, such as painting, figure drawings, observational drawings, photography, etc.
Some colleges, especially those that do not have a foundation year and require you to specify a major up front, want a portfolio tailored specifically to that major.
If you search the internet and Youtube, you can find accepted portfolios from students at various colleges. That can be helpful in letting you see what level of skill is required.
Get in touch with the admissions reps and ask about their programs and if the rep is the one making the admission decisions. At many of the schools, those reps do not make the decisions -- they are there to review your portfolio and to help you put forward your best work to increase your chance of admission. Then a department chairperson makes the decision.
Here are some lists of art colleges or traditional universities with notable art programs:
California colleges with notable art programs - also consider many CSU's including: Long Beach, Fullerton, San Jose, Northridge, etc.