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Is it okay to pay tutors to help with art portfolio?

I wanted to hear your opinion as I have overheard a conversation.

Personally, I dont think it is right, even though I am not sure what else is involved. The tutor was teaching at Central saint martins. Questions are: is he/she part of the admissions team? is he/she friends with the admissions team? could he/she influence the admissions so the student gets in?

My initial reaction was: Thats not fair. But then again, people pay for pre medicine courses, people get extra tutorials to help them prepare getting into Oxbridge etc etc.

What do you think when it comes to ART?

Reply 1

sliceofcake

From what I know about organising portfolios to get into university, it's one of two things: showing that you're great at this specific area (eg, look at all of this illustration, I can do your illustration course), or showing your range of abilities (photography, still life drawing, advertising, poster design etc etc). Either way, it's presenting the best of your work. Maybe it's because I went to art college but the tutors made everyone applying to an art course show them their portfolio so they could help them arrange it (in its order and what was included) in the best way possible and also suggested that they create extra things to show more range. They didn't charge, unless it's external help, which it sounds like, I don't understand why anyone would pay.
Anyway, my point is, with art and with tutors helping organise a portfolio, it's like they are helping to advertise a product well, they aren't making the product for them. I don't really think it would give that much of an advantage at all, they've basically said "put that there, no don't include that, this is better".