Fine Art Applicants and Universities 2014!!

Yeah that's fine haha I'll just trawl through it all and put it together then send it to you. And I just got my conditional offer from Wimbledon, they want me to get a pass :')

Yeah that's fine haha I'll just trawl through it all and put it together then send it to you. And I just got my conditional offer from Wimbledon, they want me to get a pass :')

Hey, do you mind sending it to me too? Would love to see your stuff! Congrats on the Goldsmiths interviews btw!

Had my Slade interview today. Went surprisingly smoothly, and was actually a lot less formal than what I was expecting! The students around were also so helpful and interesting, got on really well with them, and I loved the atmosphere.


For anyone having theirs this week- there were 3 interviewers (all guys in my case), it was split into two halves. For the first half we were all stood up, and it was pretty much me showing them various bits and pieces. They asked me to start talking about one piece in particular, but it sort of turned into a general discussion of my work and influences, which was pretty good as I have had quite a bit of practice now talking about it because of previous interviews, and I've been making loads of notes on all my work and artists I like in the last few months to make talking about it more clear and concise.


In the second half we sat down at a table, and they asked a series of questions. They asked me 'Why the Slade?' and 'Why the BA as opposed to the BFA?', and also 'How would you go about initiating your work at the beginning of term, as there are no set briefs?' Stumbled a bit on one or two responses but over all went ok, but not as well as the first half.


Nooooo idea if it was good enough or not, but it's finally over and done with! Good luck to everyone who has theirs this week!


I have a conditional from Wimbledon (just passing art foundation), and still gotta hear back from Chelsea and CSM. Still haven't heard anything from Goldsmiths though!

Not on all of them, just on ones that I felt needed it. In interviews I just say an abbreviated version of the paragraph if asked to talk about that piece.


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That's great. I'm glad it went well. Thanks for the information for those of us who have ours later this week. It sounds like we've been preparing for interviews in the same way, after Kingston I realised I definitely needed to be more concise in my answers. Congratulations on the Wimbledon offer too! Hopefully you'll hear from Goldsmiths soon.

I think my interview at Brighton today went really well. It was very similar to how you described Slade and I definitely feel like I got in all the important things I wanted to say. They seemed really positive so I'm hopeful it will be good news. It might have bumped up to my second choice now.

Congratulations to both of you I'm starting to doubt goldsmiths a bit as I keep hearing negative things about it. Equally I didn't think Chelsea looked fantastic but I'm hearing really positive things about it from others, is anyone else getting confused about their choices or is it just me?

Congratulations to both of you I'm starting to doubt goldsmiths a bit as I keep hearing negative things about it. Equally I didn't think Chelsea looked fantastic but I'm hearing really positive things about it from others, is anyone else getting confused about their choices or is it just me?

Same thing happened to me with Goldsmiths, but I haven't heard very good things about Chelsea either. My opinions on everything keep changing...

Choosing between CSM and Chelsea will be the hardest decision of my life; if i get offers that is haha.


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That's funny, I've heard really good things about Chelsea, I just didn't like the look/feel of it!
I loved the look of Goldsmiths but i've heard enough things that have put me off now, my Dad moves art for a living and told me he'd spoken to three art collectors that said they don't bother to go to Goldsmiths degree show anymore as they think it's crap now
:/

That's funny, I've heard really good things about Chelsea, I just didn't like the look/feel of it!
I loved the look of Goldsmiths but i've heard enough things that have put me off now, my Dad moves art for a living and told me he'd spoken to three art collectors that said they don't bother to go to Goldsmiths degree show anymore as they think it's crap now
:/

Yeah I would agree with that. Chelsea for me was in a beautiful location with stunning buildings and I loved the course but it didn't have the atmosphere to it that Goldsmiths has which again is great haha

There was a 2009 documentary produced about Goldsmiths called 'But is it art?' Which is on YouTube that I recommend anyone to watch. Let's just say its very interesting haha and bizarrely enough has made me the more interested to study there. It is very enlightening

How strange.
Wow, that's pretty damning for Goldsmiths. So far I've only heard negative things from past students, but now from art collectors too! When I was last at the National Portrait Gallery it seemed like everyone had gone to Goldsmiths (also a lot from Slade and Brighton). Maybe times have changed.




Yeah, I saw that documentary too. It actually put me off a bit but I don't really know why because it's exactly how I expected Goldsmiths to be (especially at MA). I think it was just depressing seeing all the struggling artists try and make a living.

Yeah, I've just heard that their glory days are over, basically. There were a few goldsmiths students at Bloomberg new contemporaries this year, one of whom I really liked. Nothing from Brighton. Mostly the Royal college and the Royal academy, but I think if you're planning to do an MA (which I am) then where you did your BA isn't important anymore. But they are all top London art schools so It's probably best to go with gut instinct - it's usually right. I used to work with a girl that did Fine art at Brighton and loved it, I just wouldn't want to leave London

That documentary put me off too! I do think they were aiming to though, even the title 'But is that art?' Kindof implies 'This is *******s', so I haven't taken it too seriously as I doubt it's an accurate reflection on Goldsmiths as a uni. What have past students said to you about the course?

It was in the BP Portrait prize that I saw a lot of people from Brighton, probably because they have a specialist painting course. I'm planning to do an MA to and would love to do it at the Royal College of Art (I've already looked into their courses, haha). Not being in London is the only downside for me with Brighton, but it only takes about 40 minutes on the train which isn't too bad.

Yes, the documentary was definitely trying to make fun of contemporary art. I've heard from a lot of students that they didn't think the tutors were very helpful or supportive and that they gave the impression they didn't care - also that other students were a bit snobbish. I'm not sure if it was just that they weren't used to working that independently, in which case I wouldn't care, or if the tutors really were useless. I don't want to feel like I'm wasting 30k. :/ The students seemed pretty down to earth when I went, but I've heard this as a general complaint about students across all subjects. One person described them as 'cool, but not in a good way'. Take that as you will.
A girl I met at Kingston transferred there after a year at Goldsmiths because she hated it there, said the tutors were complete w*****s. But she did seem like she might have been a bit over-sensitive.

Brighton is just as competitive as Goldsmiths though so there's no guarantee I'll get a place.

Edit: Never mind about that, they just offered me a place. So happy!

It was in the BP Portrait prize that I saw a lot of people from Brighton, probably because they have a specialist painting course. I'm planning to do an MA to and would love to do it at the Royal College of Art (I've already looked into their courses, haha). Not being in London is the only downside for me with Brighton, but it only takes about 40 minutes on the train which isn't too bad.

Yes, the documentary was definitely trying to make fun of contemporary art. I've heard from a lot of students that they didn't think the tutors were very helpful or supportive and that they gave the impression they didn't care - also that other students were a bit snobbish. I'm not sure if it was just that they weren't used to working that independently, in which case I wouldn't care, or if the tutors really were useless. I don't want to feel like I'm wasting 30k. :/ The students seemed pretty down to earth when I went, but I've heard this as a general complaint about students across all subjects. One person described them as 'cool, but not in a good way'. Take that as you will.
A girl I met at Kingston transferred there after a year at Goldsmiths because she hated it there, said the tutors were complete w*****s. But she did seem like she might have been a bit over-sensitive.

Brighton is just as competitive as Goldsmiths though so there's no guarantee I'll get a place.

Edit: Never mind about that, they just offered me a place. So happy!

Awh congratulations!

My tutor went to the RCA and I think it's really good, but the Royal Academy has to be the one as it's 3 years of completely funded postgrad studies, inc bursaries!

I know whT you mean , it's so much money now, I'm nearly 22 so will be going as a mature student (although I don't feel that old ) and a lot of my friends have finished their degrees now, so many regret what/where they studied and I just don't want to make the same mistake. I'm starting to think I might accept the offer from Camberwell , as I haven't really heard any negative things about it. Has anyone else?

Congrats, Brighton is pretty good. My friend is in fine art critical practice (1st year) and I saw their show up in reading and it was really impressive.

I just heard bad things about goldsmiths; my friend dropped out after a year and he said it wasn't worth the fees. I just didn't feel like I'd enjoy it there.