On Friday 20 July, EdNet Consultants organized a webinar on the topic: Is Art/Design the Right Course for you and What is the Best Way to Move Forward? The 90-minute-long session was attended by about 100 students who aim to study art or design in future.
The discussion was commenced by Ms. Niharika Sondhi who has been spearheading the workings of EdNet School of Art and Design since its inception in 2004. Thousands of students come to the art school every year to learn the fundamentals of painting, sculpturing, and graphic designing from expert tutors. Ms. Sondhi has counseled hordes of students in creating portfolios that ensure admission into the most prestigious art and design colleges.
To provide succinct and accurate information about the admission and selection process, the panel included several representatives from the world’s best art and design colleges:
- Parsons School of Design – New York
- California College of the Arts (CCA) – San Francisco
- Lasalle College of the Arts – Singapore
- Paris College of Art (PCA)
- Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) – Los Angeles
At the start, Lisa Aronoff from FIDM mentioned that the terms ‘art’ and ‘design’ have multiple dimensions. It cannot be just limited to drawing or painting but anyone who enjoys making videos or clicking photographs can also choose to pursue it for higher education. To shed light on the difference between art and design, Kathi Gilbert from FIDM rightly pointed out: “While art is a form of communication, design is more like a function like fashion and architecture.”
Students often remain doubtful about what actually makes for a winning portfolio. To answer this question substantially, Lauren Kushnick from Parsons remarked, “The portfolio should be a clear reflection of the individual’s thought-process and belief-system. The personalization is what makes it unique and exceptional.” Further commenting on the selection process of the review committees, Sara Krauskopf made it clear that PCA takes a holistic approach to shortlist the right candidates. The essays, portfolios, and transcripts are given almost equal weightage. All in all, the overall performance in academics and extracurriculars remains pertinent to seeking admission.
It is true that many high-school students remain unsure about which particular field or specialization to choose. In this context, Humairah Joehari from Lasalle put forth that there are no foundational programs as such there. She also added that fashion design is the most-sought-after course, especially for students coming from India. To add to this discourse, Lauren stated how Parsons gives first-year students to explore different alternatives of expressing themselves. Even Ana Scharfenaker from CCA stated, “Students can choose to opt for courses outside their majors that help them satisfy their interdisciplinary curiosity.” Overall, all the representatives agreed on the fact that Interior Design, Film Art, Fashion Merchandising, and Interaction design remain the most preferred disciplines amongst Indian scholars.
In the latter half of the webinar, the panelists provided insights on the diverse hands-on learning opportunities that students can avail as a part of their undergraduate programs of study. In countries such as France, there is an option of staying back for a year after passing out from college and applying for an internship to get real-world experience. Moving on, the representatives were enquired about merit scholarships and financial aid. Almost each one of them stood united in stating the fact that applicants should think of applying early since it increases the chances of receiving scholarships. The webinar was concluded thereafter and students posed their own questions.
For getting in-depth information about the admission and selection process in art and design schools, you can watch the full webinar on Click Here