[user436]

Most universities will ask for certain grades or Ucas points. When doing the foundation diploma you can get from 125 for a pass 225 for merit and 285 for distinction (rough guess can't remember so much now). When applying it will obviously boil down to if you get the points etc and your personal statement then youl be asked for an interview to show your portfolio and it depends how you do on that. I had two friends that did the foundation course would have B's to A's and they never got in anywhere "/ very hard to get into


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[beccafairy]

(Original post by philosopher94)
I'm doin' a foundation diploma too! Should be good, not too sure about staying at college/home for another year but it'll be worth it in the long run I guess. I'm gonna go on to do Graphic Design an I'm set to get an A at A level in that, but is it true your grades don't matter once you do the diploma? Do uni's just look at your portfolio?! I'm well confused lol

yep, usually if they like your portfolio they'll accept you, usually as long as you get a pass or sometimes a merit for your foundation, regardless of what A levels you have. it's still good to have a strong A level profile for any part time jobs you might apply for whist doing your foundation/degree and such though!

some places require good grades, but it's a minority.

[philosopher94]

Ah right cheers! Yeah, i'm not gonna get bad grades by any standards but I got an A in philosophy at AS and I reckon I'll only get a B at A2, thanks for clearin' that up though

[pongalo]

(Original post by philosopher94)
I'm doin' a foundation diploma too! Should be good, not too sure about staying at college/home for another year but it'll be worth it in the long run I guess. I'm gonna go on to do Graphic Design an I'm set to get an A at A level in that, but is it true your grades don't matter once you do the diploma? Do uni's just look at your portfolio?! I'm well confused lol

Im pretty sure you grades'll still count! they'll probably base your offer on both grades and your foundation, i think edinburgh (and probably other more academic unis) require a decent set of grades and a lot of places will invite you to an interview after looking at a sample of your work

[carnationlilyrose]

(Original post by pongalo)
Im pretty sure you grades'll still count! they'll probably base your offer on both grades and your foundation, i think edinburgh (and probably other more academic unis) require a decent set of grades and a lot of places will invite you to an interview after looking at a sample of your work

Edinburgh ask for a minimum of BBB, although in practice most people have more than that, and their usual offer for entry into year 2 is a merit from a foundation course on top of that.

[chloeburling]

(Original post by pongalo)
I applied last year for 2 art courses alongside architecture, and now i realise that it was so stupid as the majority of applicants for most art coures have a foundation course of some sort. So I'm with you, doing a foundation at my college and to hopefully get some offers next year where are you thinking of applying?

Yeah seems like the best option all round, it's free anyway!
Kingston, Brighton, Coventry, Westminster, how about you?

[pongalo]

(Original post by chloeburling)
Yeah seems like the best option all round, it's free anyway!
Kingston, Brighton, Coventry, Westminster, how about you?

It wont be for me, i'll be 19 when i start although £250 isn't bad
Edinburgh, UAL (not sure which college though), UCL, Leeds, Leeds college of art, Falmouth, and probably more by the time i apply!

[bettyboo18]

I need help!!! For a year now I had been planning on doing a Psychology degree, but now I've realised that i actually dont enjoy psychology, and I only chose it because of the job opportunities and because I wanted to help people etc. I've now decided to do an Art degree, Ive always had a passion for art and got an A at gcse, but I stupidly didnt take it on for A level because i thought i would just keep it as a hobby and not actually continue with it in education. so, my question is, if i do a foundation course at my local college next year, and pass that, then will i be able to get to uni without an a level in art, but a pass in a foundation course????

[pongalo]

(Original post by bettyboo18)
I need help!!! For a year now I had been planning on doing a Psychology degree, but now I've realised that i actually dont enjoy psychology, and I only chose it because of the job opportunities and because I wanted to help people etc. I've now decided to do an Art degree, Ive always had a passion for art and got an A at gcse, but I stupidly didnt take it on for A level because i thought i would just keep it as a hobby and not actually continue with it in education. so, my question is, if i do a foundation course at my local college next year, and pass that, then will i be able to get to uni without an a level in art, but a pass in a foundation course????

It depends, some colleges (including the one im going to) require a-level art but if your portfolio is strong enough they could let you in anyway. It's worth contacting your college first to make sure you can get in! If you get in i think you'll need more than a pass in your foundation to make up for a lack of a-level art

[beccafairy]

(Original post by bettyboo18)
I need help!!! For a year now I had been planning on doing a Psychology degree, but now I've realised that i actually dont enjoy psychology, and I only chose it because of the job opportunities and because I wanted to help people etc. I've now decided to do an Art degree, Ive always had a passion for art and got an A at gcse, but I stupidly didnt take it on for A level because i thought i would just keep it as a hobby and not actually continue with it in education. so, my question is, if i do a foundation course at my local college next year, and pass that, then will i be able to get to uni without an a level in art, but a pass in a foundation course????

generally, yes, though you may want to ring up and ask certain unis you're thinking of applying to just to make sure. as long as you have the foundation i don't think it will matter though!

[emmily95]

I think I am going straight to university, not going to do a foundation. I want to do graphic communications. My first choice (for 2013 entry, i'm in year 12 now) is Graphic Communication Design at the university of leeds! Other choices are similar courses, such as Norwich offers a similar course but i want to go to a big city

[carnationlilyrose]

(Original post by emmily95)
I think I am going straight to university, not going to do a foundation. I want to do graphic communications. My first choice (for 2013 entry, i'm in year 12 now) is Graphic Communication Design at the university of leeds! Other choices are similar courses, such as Norwich offers a similar course but i want to go to a big city

Think carefully about not doing a foundation course. Most universities prefer one and you'll be competing with a lot of applicants (the majority) who do have one. It's free if you do it under the age of 19.

[dnjswjdals]

Hey guys, I'm one of those who are thinking of doing a degree right away rather than doing foundation first. I'm thinking of applying to UCL, Oxford and Edinburgh atm and a foundation course at csm since I know I have a low chance of getting in without foundtion.

Just want to know who else is thinking of applying to Oxford- Ruskin School?

[x-Ashlee-x]

Hi, I've just started an Art Foundation at AUCB so far it's going well and I'm intending on going on to university next year. So far I'm thinking about UCL Slade, Oxford Ruskin and AUCB. I may be going to the Ruskin open day Friday but was wondering if anyone has heard much about their teaching style? Is it quite based around traditional art? x

[twinlensreflex]

Come to ECA, it's beautiful here!

G'luck to all of you

[babsiloi]

(Original post by twinlensreflex)
Come to ECA, it's beautiful here!

G'luck to all of you

tell us more ppplleeaase. you just started your course there, no? at least I think I remember your name and avatar from last year's discussions....ECA is definitely interesting for me...

[dnjswjdals]

hey babsilol! I think I might go to the open day for Ruskin too? might meet you there

[twinlensreflex]

(Original post by babsiloi)
tell us more ppplleeaase. you just started your course there, no? at least I think I remember your name and avatar from last year's discussions....ECA is definitely interesting for me...

Probably, aye. I haven't had any lectures or studio time yet so there isn't too much to tell right now. Although trying to find information on their website is frustrating...if you have anything specific ask away! I'll give you some general stuff now

ECA has obviously been around for ages (mid 1800s I think), the main campus building does reflect that (it's also full of Elgin marble-esque statues...) so it is beautiful! I think all of the school of art is in the main building (so that's painting, photography, intermedia, sculpture and probably the MA equivalents) and the school of design is in an adjoining building. The campus is vaguely square shaped with a little courtyard bit & lectures seem to be in any one of the buildings on that campus. It's Lauriston Place, so it's five minutes walk to the Grassmarket and five to the Meadows. The George Sq campus (where the main library is) is ten/fifteen minutes walk away and the student union buildings (Teviot & Potterow) another few minutes.

The ECA application process is actually pretty nice - everyone is asked to submit a digital portfolio (you upload your stuff onto a website). I think they asked for 10 images of sketchbooks, 10 of resolved pieces and 5 of influences. Tutors then look at it and after several months go by you're asked to attend an applicant day (bringing a full portfolio). I sent a DVD of videos 'cos I had another interview the next day And ages after that you hear back from them!

If you don't have a foundation course you enter first year which is a mix of everything (painting, photography, intermedia & sculpture), if you do you get to go to second . All first years are assigned a studio space, so you'll have your own little place to work. I have no idea how long we're expected to be in studio...but you'll have a 50 minute lecture each week (Art 1: Visual Culture) as well as seminar(s). There's no exams (yay!), just assessment and essays to write. Ehm...running out of things!

Oh, because ECA merged with the university of Edinburgh last year you get to use all their stuff! Including the union buildings, societies and libraries. You can apply for UoE accommodation too, although I know they've had to put people in Travellodge this year. There's several private halls though (one opposite ECA, one five minutes walk and another ten minutes walk).

Edinburgh itself is also lovely of course! it's been gloriously sunny for most of today

[carnationlilyrose]

In existence since 1760, current premises date from 1907.

[babsiloi]

(Original post by twinlensreflex)
If you don't have a foundation course you enter first year which is a mix of everything (painting, photography, intermedia & sculpture), if you do you get to go to second . All first years are assigned a studio space, so you'll have your own little place to work. I have no idea how long we're expected to be in studio...but you'll have a 50 minute lecture each week (Art 1: Visual Culture) as well as seminar(s). There's no exams (yay!), just assessment and essays to write. Ehm...running out of things!

thanks a lot for your quick answer, very much appreciated! of course, I'll shoot more questions at you once your studiotime has really begun but for the moment I'd just like to know a bit more about what you said concerning the first year...may I ask for which course you applied? cause you said that it'll be a mix of everything while on ECA's homepage the 1st year still seems to be quite subject related (apart maybe from intermedia...)?
and also: to which other unis did you apply? and what made you choose eca?
thanks a lot in advance!!!