A rough guide to managing your creative application:

September: Final draft of Personal Statement finalised.

September: Begin to photograph all of your work - use the backdrops and studio lighting.  Enhance the digital images and crop to make work look effective. 

September/October: Draft your digital portfolio template. 

September/October: Check your university portfolio requirements - each uni is different! 

October/November/December: Prepare Physical Portfolio (order from bottom:) - Life Drawing, Other Experiences, L6th Work, U6th Book, Small books (top)

November/December: Finalise Digital  Portfolio (this is the initial entry screening)

December/January: Specific Interview Tasks and Projects  (some universities ask you to complete a small project)

December/January: Final Portfolio Refinements

January: Practice Interviews x 2 (book in with Mr Hayley)

January: Arrange Transport and Accommodation for interviews

Interviews are usually conducted any time between January and March

Making Your Application:

Here is a quick precis of the university application process for our most popular university course choices and the way in which the Art Department will support students in this process. It may get confusing in areas but I will try my best to keep information succinct.  

Popular Course Choices in recent years:

Fashion Design, Architecture, Fashion & Business Management, Fine Art, Textile Design, Interior Design, Art History, Set & Stage Design, Stage and Fashion Makeup, Graphic Design.   

Popular University Destinations:

Sheffield, Leeds Arts University, Manchester School of Art, Newcastle University, Glasgow School of Art, Edinburgh College of Art, University of St Andrews, University of the Arts London, University of the Creative Arts Canterbury, Rose Bruford College, Nottingham University to name but a few. 

The UCAS Route:

Most of our students will apply to these courses directly via UCAS for undergraduate study (i.e. yr 1 of their degree).  In this instance students will first complete their personal statement and largely follow the school wide instructions for this. The Form Tutor is the first point of contact for checking their statements however the art team are available for second opinions and subject specific guidance.  

Digital Portfolios:

Upon passing the first hurdle, students are generally asked to submit a digital portfolio. This is a filtering process to sort out those that can and those that can’t. Again examples of these can be seen in the ‘Portfolios Page’ and I encourage all applicants to ‘opt’ for the Art Beyond CHS lesson in U6th. This is a fortnightly extension lesson in which students can receive 1:1 support in making these applications. Each university has different requirements for their digital portfolio and students are expected to be versatile and respond to this. The format we use for this process is a Powerpoint or Google Slide Show which is then saved as a PDF file for email submission.  

Interview & Portfolio Screening:

After the initial digital screening students are typically invited for an interview and discussion of the physical portfolio. During Art Beyond CHS lessons students will receive interview practise and example questions to prepare for.  We will discuss techniques for answering open ended questions that are designed to solicit creative answers which demonstrate students capabilities to generate ideas and problem solve.  The physical portfolio should be presented on A1 white sheets inside an A1 artists portfolio, links have been provided to students for purchase.   We will assist in the presentation of portfolios during Art Beyond CHS lessons. 

After this process is completed then students will be made offers via the UCAS website.  

The process I have outlined is a general guide and all arts universities do things slightly differently.  For example some universities ask for portfolios to be dropped off in the AM and collected in the PM without the students being given an opportunity to explain their work.  Others ask for a detailed discussion around the portfolio.  We will train students how to react to these scenarios.  It is therefore important that students keep me apprised with their university correspondence so that I can tailor their support accordingly.  

Art Foundation Course:

Another popular route to undergraduate study is the Art Foundation Course.  Applications for Art Foundation courses are made directly to the university via their website and not via UCAS.  I wholeheartedly recommend this route for students who aren’t certain of which degree they would like to study or for students who would benefit from further growth as an artist in a studio setting.  Typically students upon a foundation course will experience modules in textiles, 2D, 3D and digital disciplines and opt to specialise in one of these areas post induction.  They will be inducted into studio culture and given projects to manage independently.  It is a year of growth and experimentation. The entry requirements for Art Foundation are generally CCC which could appeal to some students as a more secure gateway to university. Universities who still offer FREE Art Foundation courses for 19 year olds are: 

• Manchester School of Art (MMU), 

• Leeds Arts University, 

• University of the Arts London, Central St Martins (UAL CSM), 

• University of the Arts London, Camberwell (UAL), 

• University of the Creative Arts Canterbury (UCA). 

Additional Work Tasks:

As well as school work, universities will be looking to see engagement in the subject beyond the classroom.  Portfolios could include additional work such as stand alone paintings, sculpture, textile garments. Experiences like work placement CAD drawings, or working with and teaching art to others.  Students in the past have designed posters for school shows, festivals, volunteered for community arts projects, attended university summer courses, and entered art competitions to showcase their interests.  

For architecture courses, students may be tested upon their drawing ability at interview.  It is therefore essential that drawing from the built environment becomes a regular habit.  Please see the worksheet on the Art Extension site for more ideas.  

Final Thoughts:

Each university and each course has different application requirements, please encourage your son/daughter to read about the universities entry requirements, attend open days, attend degree shows throughout the summer, and consider the courses that they wish to study. We can help provide guidance based upon feedback from our previous cohorts.