Arts Applications

How to Choose Between an Art School or Liberal Arts College

No items found.
No items found.

Deciding between an art school or a liberal arts program can be tough! Art schools, or conservatories, require students to spend most of their time in their artistic disciplines, while liberal arts schools offer plenty of options to try new things and also give students flexibility to change course. Luckily, many universities have their own conservatories or art majors, so it’s also possible to find the best of both worlds!

The first question to ask is what do you want your college experience to look like? Do you want to go to basketball games on the weekends or do you want to take an intensive breathing workshop? Do you want to study a foreign language or take a business class in addition to your degree requirements? Art schools offer BFA degrees, and colleges and universities offer BAs, BFAs, or both. BFA programs typically offer 75% to 90% of the coursework within the major, and 

build a professional network and gain access to unique experiences. BA programs offer about 50% of the coursework within the major, allowing students to pursue multiple interests and have a comprehensive college experience. Many BA programs allow students to design their own major, so for self-starting students who want to explore several interests, this can be a great option. Prioritizing your desires for college will help you decide what kind of school is right for you.

It’s important to keep in mind that at a college or university, you can usually just change your major by filling out a few forms. If you decide to attend an art school, you might need to transfer schools if you want to study something different. Many art programs also offer dual degree programs where students can earn two degrees, one in art and one in another field. For example, New England Conservatory has five-year dual degree programs with both Harvard and Tufts. Brown and RISD also co-offer a five-year dual degree program, where students earn degrees from both of these schools. 

Art schools give students opportunities to learn about their discipline from many perspectives. NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts requires all of their dance students, whether graduate or undergraduate, to participate each semester in the production crew. Savannah College of Art and Design has the only on-site, professionally run casting office in higher education, giving students unparalleled professional opportunities to perform. There are also conservatory style programs at state schools and large colleges. The Acting BFA at SUNY Purchase College is one of five in the nation that meets the standards of the Consortium of Conservatory Theater Training Programs. Graduating seniors have the opportunity to perform in front of agents, producers, and casting directors in New York City and Los Angeles. At Oklahoma City University, dance students take classes from rotating teachers in tap, jazz, theater dance and ballet to learn multiple styles of instruction and choreography. 

Some traditional universities also offer excellent opportunities for their creative students. Every year at Butler University, students put on three fully produced, full-scale dance performances each year, including two full-length classical ballets performed to live orchestra and one mixed repertory evening of contemporary works. At Muhlenberg College, acting students have the opportunity to participate in their Mainstage production season in addition to their courses. Vanderbilt, USC, Northwestern, Rice and Johns Hopkins all have top quality music programs.

Hopefully seeing the depth and breadth of the schools mentioned here inspires you to continue researching different BFA and BA programs. There isn’t a right or a wrong answer when deciding between the two! The key is to determine what you want your college experience to look like and how much flexibility you desire.

Continue Reading
The Case for AP History
March 13, 2023
AP Classes
If you’re a student trying to make your transcripts look better for college but who is wary of APs, an AP History course could be a good fit — and actually may be a better experience than standard history! Why? Here are several reasons:
To Greek or Not to Greek
June 22, 2022
Greek Life
It is impossible to deny the growing (and merited) stigma against Greek life that has spread over the past decade. From wild parties to hazing, many chapters have cast a dark shadow over Greek life as a whole. For incoming freshmen, this begs the question: is Greek life still worth it?
3 Tips to Tackle the “Why Us” Essay
September 20, 2022
Essays
Some colleges require an essay on why you would like to attend their school – as many college counselors call it, a “why us?” essay. In asking this question, admission officers are trying to determine how much research you’ve done on their school, if you’re truly excited about attending their college, what you would contribute to their campus, and ultimately, if you would attend if offered admission. Schools want to know if they’re your #1 top choice or if they’re just another school on your list. They want to know who you are and if you two are the perfect fit to accomplish your respective goals.