The AA or UCL?

Hi,
I'm a home student, currently on a gap year. I have gotten into both the AA and the Bartlett and I'm having trouble choosing between them since the courses are so similar but the AA (being privately funded & costing around 14k/y) offers better facilities and a better student to tutor ratio, but is it worth all the extra cost and burden of loading myself with student loans etc. since UCL is so similar...
Thoughts?

Reply 1

jrhartley

13

Mockingbird36

is it worth all the extra cost and burden of loading myself with student loans etc. since UCL is so similar?

not at all. You'd be mad to take on that additional debt. Even if the AA was the same status as the Bartlett and the fees were the same, I'd choose UCL any day of the week. Reason: I don't want to spend my life making arbitrary triangular shapes out of white card with a laser cutter. At least at the Bartlett there is some more diversity - yes it goes too far down "ye olde curiosity shoppe" route in its exhibitions, but they admit people on talent, rather than daddy's bank balance. Consequently, you will learn a lot more from your fellow students at the Bartlett than you would at the AA.

Reply 2

dom321

UCL FTW

the AA is overated, if id got into UCL id have firmed i in a heartbeat!

Reply 3

emmmmm

woww u got into ucl,i am jealous

Reply 4

+epic

12

too right, UCL all the way! Well done on getting in, jealous!

Reply 5

Quiller

10

I'd personally go to UCL.

Reply 6

singathong

UCL

1. - its a uni (7th in the world or something)
2. - good course
3. - dynamic, passionate and energetic (crazy) tutors (or so they say)
4. - 10k cheaper for home students
5. - etc, list goes on, ucl betters aa's course in most ways i can think of, the summer exhibition at the schools is pretty indicative of this. facility wise should not be too much of a problem for the first 3 years.

Reply 7

Mockingbird36

OP

2

Thanks a lot guys, this really helps!

Reply 8

emmmmm

can u post some of ur drawings to see if i could get into ucl?pleaseee

Reply 9

jrhartley

13

emmmmm

can u post some of ur drawings to see if i could get into ucl?pleaseee

if you post some of yours, many of us who have been to numerous bartlett shows will be able to tell you what we think your chances are of getting an offer based on your portfolio.

Reply 10

emmmmm

jrhartley

if you post some of yours, many of us who have been to numerous bartlett shows will be able to tell you what we think your chances are of getting an offer based on your portfolio.

what do u think?

Reply 11

jrhartley

13

emmmmm

what do u think?

i don't think that you would get into the bartlett with that. there's nothing wrong with it, but its very different from the stuff they seem to go for / churn out. that would be my opinion. but i'm not at the bartlett, i've just been to a fair few of their shows. maybe someone at ucl could comment?

Reply 12

emmmmm

jrhartley

i don't think that you would get into the bartlett with that. there's nothing wrong with it, but its very different from the stuff they seem to go for / churn out. that would be my opinion. but i'm not at the bartlett, i've just been to a fair few of their shows. maybe someone at ucl could comment?

ohh ok then,yeha maybe someone who's already there?is anyone here?
in what arch school u think they do soemthing like what i do?i just want to know where i fit better hhaha

Reply 13

9mm

12

emmmmm

what do u think?

I thought you were already doing your BA? Or I'm just confusing you with someone else haha. If so just ignore this. :P

I think if you show your work process accompanied by thoughts behind it then they'd be more interested to see that as well as very meaningful work that reflects a bit of your personality in it as well. They're nice paintings though, I think a richer palette of colours would have made them even better though, especially the second painting as it's a bit monotonous. And maybe more of a spontaneous composition in the third (if it's meant to be abstract), just like more playing with colours. :tongue:

I used to do a lot of painting before and appreciate the amount of time, effort and patience that goes into it, so well done. :p:

Are you applying to architecture next year?

Reply 14

Quiller

10

emmmmm

what do u think?

I like the third one. The layering and depth of colour is far richer than your other two paintings. You spoilt it with the white stars in my opinion. They smack of an attempt to try to hold together a weak composition...

Generally though, the work is nice but I find your colours are too raw. I can see that you've just used the colour of the tube and added pure white. The best bit is the top left of the third painting, where you've clearly worked into the surface and achieved a wonderful brooding rothko-red.

Keep painting!!

Don't sign your pictures like that though - it looks, well, a little bit tacky. :smile:

Reply 15

emmmmm

9mm

I thought you were already doing your BA? Or I'm just confusing you with someone else haha. If so just ignore this. :P

I think if you show your work process accompanied by thoughts behind it then they'd be more interested to see that as well as very meaningful work that reflects a bit of your personality in it as well. They're nice paintings though, I think a richer palette of colours would have made them even better though, especially the second painting as it's a bit monotonous. And maybe more of a spontaneous composition in the third (if it's meant to be abstract), just like more playing with colours. :tongue:

I used to do a lot of painting before and appreciate the amount of time, effort and patience that goes into it, so well done. :p:

Are you applying to architecture next year?

your right i am already a 1st year though i find my current course quite dull as if as soon as i try adding colors or shadows my tutor starts going ''forget about these and focus on architectural drawings '':/so i applied for 2nd year in some other unis but not ucl bcs its top and i dont think in a million years i will get into that one haha
thanks for the comments,i totally agree with you,the 2nd one is a bit monotonus but i wanted it to be only tones of blue but i could put other blueish tones yeah
i know ucl is meant to be the most arty course in teh world.i am very jealous u got in! :tongue:

what do they do exactly there?do they work with oilcolor/pastels/watercolors/shadows with pencil or or the artiness is on the not techniqual area?

Reply 16

emmmmm

Quiller

I like the third one. The layering and depth of colour is far richer than your other two paintings. You spoilt it with the white stars in my opinion. They smack of an attempt to try to hold together a weak composition...

Generally though, the work is nice but I find your colours are too raw. I can see that you've just used the colour of the tube and added pure white. The best bit is the top left of the third painting, where you've clearly worked into the surface and achieved a wonderful brooding rothko-red.

Keep painting!!

Don't sign your pictures like that though - it looks, well, a little bit tacky. :smile:

i like the stars,i tried to use other materials than just the oilcolors(there is a ribbon aswell if u can see). bcs it's abstracted, i think it suits it to put other stuff on it besides the colors
yeah i agree,i shouldnt had used pure white only,there was somehting wrong with the mixing haha,left area-thanks i like that part aswell :tongue:

those are drawn 2 years ago, it would be good if i could.i have already started architecture and i barely find time to draw the plans/sections decently:/
but in the summer when i wont have classes i will ,i missed painting!
yeah i kinda agree but i cant find anything else to adapt lol,maybe the initials of my name&surname would be better?

Reply 17

dom321

a small inconspicuouse signature works best, so tha it doesnt

a) cause an eyesaw
b) detract from the work

try an nickname or first initila and surename.

personally i think the bottom pic is the best and the top one looks a bit flat, but i dont really paint oils, mostly i do mixed collages or watercolours

Reply 18

emmmmm

dom321

a small inconspicuouse signature works best, so tha it doesnt

a) cause an eyesaw
b) detract from the work

try an nickname or first initila and surename.

personally i think the bottom pic is the best and the top one looks a bit flat, but i dont really paint oils, mostly i do mixed collages or watercolours