Art and design foundation or BA Illustration?

Hi guys, basically I've got a bit of a dilemma, I applied for art and design foundation courses and BA illustration degrees in hope I would get an offer or two.. I wasn't expecting to get any though as I got awful grades last year.. But with one interview left, I have offers from everywhere I applied-

Foundation courses-
UCA Farnham- Unconditional
Falmouth- Unconditional
Central Saint Martins- Conditional
Loughborough- Conditional

BA Illustration-
Gloucestershire- Conditional [280pts]
Lancashire [UCLan]- Conditional [280pts]
Anglia Ruskin- Conditional [240pts]
Southampton Solent- Conditional [200pts]
UWE Bristol- Interview 6th April

All of these were completely unexpected.. I now am completely lost for what to do.. should I go straight to uni or should I do a foundation degree, and what would be the best ones to chose in each of them?? Ahhh please help!! xx

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Reply 1

irina793

You should go to uni, otherwise you'll get the high fees.

Reply 2

MochaChoca

Hm I'm just thinking.. maybe I could apply to better unis after the foundation though.. but yeah.. the fees are a real issue... the decision would have been so much easier if they weren't going to change lol :frown:

Reply 3

mcindoe

hey, im doing a foundation at glos uni now,, its been running for 60 years but its getting closed down,, i've got a place to do illustration there too,, the tutors and technicians are great and really know there stuff but the course is moving location out of its current purpose built art school onto another campus which is a real shame. i've also got a place to do illustration at anglia ruskin,, it looked so nice, amazing print room and studios,, but im not sure what the tutors are like? needless to say cambridge (anglia ruskin) is much more exciting than cheltenham (where illustration at glos uni will be). I would advise doing an art foundation though, you progress and learn so much and alot of people decide to take a degree in something else so its definitely worth doing.

Reply 4

mcindoe

oh yeah that is true about the fees, hmmm. you say 'better unis' if your talking about the likes of kingston and camberwell etc i would say there just running off the back of there reputation and don't really deliver. the head of illustration at uni of glos went there and says its changed beyond recognition (in a bad way) but who knows,, i ve got an interview there on the 6th

Reply 5

MochaChoca

Ah awesome that's really helpful as, if i don't get into UWE, Gloucestershire would be my top uni choice and anglia ruskin would be my second i think as i really don't wanna go to southampton solent after reading up on it...

Reply 6

mcindoe

cool,, have you looked round anglia ruskin?

Reply 7

MochaChoca

Yeah I did, thought it was quite basic though.. but then again most of the rooms were locked as i went round on my interview day instead of an open day.. the overseas girl there didn't seem too happy about being there though.. but it may have just been a bad day.. it generally looked nice and i liked the atmosphere etc. i also liked the guy who interviewed me, he seemed approachable..it's quite a useful placing cause my brother is at Cambridge.. i dunno what the nightlife would be like though.. what's your top choices??

Reply 8

mcindoe

aw i thought it looked real nice, did you see the print room and the computer suites? i like the big skylights in the studios too. yeah was he a chain smoker with a ring in his ear? the nightlife will be better than cheltenham and UWE is out of bristol so its probably more convenient. anglia ruskin is probably my top choice,, but i'll see how the kingston interview goes, its 50 places a 1000 applicants apparently!? so probably wont get in

Reply 9

MochaChoca

I still really liked it ! Urm there was a class in the computer suites when i was there... and the print room was locked.. Urm yeah think that's him :P didn't know the chain smoker bit though haha :P Do you know what the new building is like for Gloucestershire? and do you mean UWE would be more convenient or Anglia Ruskin? I looked round Kingston for foundation and I quite liked it actually.. i'm sure you can get in there ! But yeah 100:5 places is a lot.. I don't know how difficult the ones i've applied to are to get in :P

Reply 10

mcindoe

aww it has an awesome printroom, so does glos but just not so many presses,, and they dont have a laser cutter or as many screen printing tables.. the new building is going to be at FCH campus but they havnt moved in yet,, its a nice historic building but it wasnt built as an art school,, like where it is now.. so no one really knows.. i mean anglia ruskin would be more convenient for going out because you can walk everywhere but UWE is on the outskirts of bristol which might be a bit of a trek.

Reply 11

MochaChoca

Ah I wish I could have gone into the printroom.. :/ Hmm what's glos's reason for moving to the other building then?? :s-smilie:

Yeah the area round Anglia Ruskin is pretty, I love Cambridge.. Just seems like there's not much night life at all haha.. and yeah I haven't seen UWE yet so I guess I'll have to decide when i'm there :/

Reply 12

mcindoe

glos is moving building because of cuts basically,, its a real shame.. ahh im not too bothered about night life but i think it would be pretty good considering how many student there are

Reply 13

MochaChoca

Ah that sucks.. so chances are it won't be as good over there? Ah how many people are on the Anglia Ruskin illustration course?

Reply 14

ouestle92

Original post by MochaChoca

The only similar options I have to you are Foundation at Lougborough.. Illustration at Solent. I was against Foundation at first because of the fees then started getting offers and talks from foundation colleges/unis and realised there are loads of other courses i hadnt even considered.

I've decided I'd much rather do the foundation, get into a better uni and do the course I really want to do (seeing as its 3+ years of my life).

If you're having doubts then read thishttp://www.factsonfees.com/

Reply 15

MochaChoca

Thanks ! Really helpful :smile:

Where do you think your going to decide to go then?? And what did you think of Solent?
Yeah, I'm more tempted towards foundation now.. just can't bear to think of having to reapply through ucas again lol.. effort :P

Reply 16

ouestle92

Original post by MochaChoca

Thanks ! Really helpful :smile:

Basically Solent was my first interview so had nothing to compare it to and I thought it went smoothly on the day. They offered me a place on the spot and I was really glad for a while until it made me question why it was so easy..
I'm the type person who is heavily influenced by the media, league tables and opinions of people around me. I've nothing against Solent, I just thought in comparison to other unis i looked at afterwards.. it was shoddy :tongue:

Loughborough was my preferred uni out of my choices.. but after getting a rejection, I applied for their foundation and was offered a place :smile:

Gut feeling says loughborough. They completely won me over

(glad you found the link useful!)

Reply 17

MochaChoca

Haha sounds just like me! Solent was my first interview and they offered me a place when I was there.. I was so happy lol.. but then I read up about it online and was just like.. what a waste of a UCAS choice :P
Yeah Loughborough's lovely.. I really liked it there.. but then again it's like .. Loughborough, Falmouth and CSM are all supposed to be pretty good for foundation...
Is there a Loughborough open day coming up??

Reply 18

ouestle92

I know right. I've tried looking but can't find anything!

Reply 19

arty

Original post by MochaChoca

wow you certainly have an amazing selection of offers!! My advise would be to not go to uni right for the degree course, but do the foundation course instead.

I say that because your work is obviously a great standard, everybody wants you!!
You have foundation offers from some of the top uni;s for art. So go to one of them for foundation and then apply to one of the top uni's for the degree next year. Yes the course fee's will be higher but it will be worth it to go to a top university?

Once you have the foundation under your wing and an amazing portfolio, the world's you oyster!! UAL, UCL, UCF, UCA, Edinburgh college of art etc. (Sorry I'm thinking fine art degree's here, not sure who does the illustration one) But still if you did a broader degree at a top university, then you will have many more options. Also after doing the foundation course you may have changed your mind about the direction you want to head in.

You have a great range of options for the foundation course (the best selection of offers I've seen yet!) choose wisely!!
My initial thought would be to choose CSM. Just because it's the best one to have on your CV and the biggest door opener.

Obviously there are downsides to it as well... like the vast number of people on the course, and lack of tutor help etc. Falmouth and Loughborough are also good options.. and have a good reputation. Not really on the same level as CSM though, and their locations certainly don;t offer the opportunities London does. However you would certainly get more space than available at the Back Hill side- where facilities are sparse!

Good luck with your decision!! I have 2 to chose from (I only applied to 2), and I thought I had a hard job! The problem is I like both for different reasons and both have their downsides, I couldn't choose one as a first choice! :/