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Reputation of UAL

Doing my art foundation at LCC (probably) in sept, but also have the option of doing it at Ravensbourne.

Just out of curiosity, do you think if you do the foundation at UAL, it carries a better rep than other colleges for say when you apply to another uni?

Reply 1

Archo

the_amy

Doing my art foundation at LCC (probably) in sept, but also have the option of doing it at Ravensbourne.

Just out of curiosity, do you think if you do the foundation at UAL, it carries a better rep than other colleges for say when you apply to another uni?

If you do foundation at UAL and then apply for degree elsewhere then yes, they will most likely be impressed that you are a UAL student. But then again it depends. In my interviews it is never referred to as UAL, you usually mention the name of your college as all the colleges are really quite different. CSM is perhaps seen as the most prestigious but I guess that depends on what degree you're going for.

Going to UAL doesnt mean your portfolio will be amazing. You have to work hard on it. Crappy portfolio = Rejection from a degree course...they won't care where you studied, even if you apply to remain within the UAL.

Go visit LCC and visit Ravensbourne. Pick the one where you feel you'll work better. All that matters is the quality of portfolio you'll produce. :wink:

Reply 2

the_amy

OP

Yeah I agree about the portfolio.. I guess at the end of the day that's what really matters!

I got into both, so just needed some more options to help me decide which one!

Reply 3

kk8899

4

just wonder .......ual is in the bottom of student satisfaction rate 2005.

It is a very big damage for its reputation.
what do u think about the application student no.will be up or down, if down, how many percent u think?
(since i got many friends share the same opion.) :biggrin:

Reply 4

camera_obscura

I would say I was one of those dissatisfied UAL students last year! However, I can't imagine the poll will affect the amount of applications dramatically, sure it might make people question UAL's reputation more but at the end of the day people will still apply because it looks good on your CV, sad but true.

Reply 5

leftmyshoes

im going doing my foundation at UAL. what about UAL, apart from crap organisation did u find particularly bad?

Reply 6

Archo

leftmyshoes

im going doing my foundation at UAL. what about UAL, apart from crap organisation did u find particularly bad?

They are not a 'crap organisation'...but I am no longer a huge fan. Their student services aren't too bad actually, and international student support is very good (don't know about home students).

The facilities on foundation aren't all that, there is too much we have to do in our own time. You don't need to wait for holidays...you get so many days of ''self-directed study'' which is fine, but at days you feel lost...and where do you go? Theres no tutors around on self study days...it gets frustrating and boring.

They accept WAY TOO MANY students, much more than they can handle/accomodate. I don't understand people who say it's too difficult to get in.

Reply 7

camera_obscura

I did my foundation at CSM and I agree that they take too many students on, and as a result this impacts on different aspects of the course. For example, I found that it affected my opportunity to try out the options I selected at the beginning of the year, resulting in me only being able to try out one of the options that I originally selected and just being shoved into other classes that it did not want to try for the other two. This I feel particularly annoyed about because it affected my decision for the worse at the pathway stage.

I also agree with Archo that at times I felt 'lost', I'm happy to work independently and don't need constant tutor support but when I did need advice I felt that I couldn't rely on tutor to give it to me.

In addition the facilities were mediocre and my group's studio was too overcrowded which I felt led to an uncomfortable non-productive environment.

God, I sound like a right miserable cow!

Reply 8

leftmyshoes

oh my.the foundation studios in back hill are dinky white holes arent they i went there for a summer course. how often are u able to talk to ur tutors? do they give u the brief and let u run riot?what about learning processes such as silkscreen print for example and u would like to experiment further is it the case that tutors will kinda show u or r u left completely alone in the mouse hole?

Reply 9

urbanese

Hey,

My teachers at my current college bigged up LCC so much that, even though im a very self assured person, i thought i wouldnt get in... But i did, and im gonna be studyin design for graphic communication FdA startin october 2006... And I've heard some bad things about the social life etc. at LCC, which is really makin me feel worried....apparently its not a very friendly environment. I won't be livin in halls since i live like 1 bus journey away from elephant.. And i wanna know if there are any arty pretty girls at LCC :p:

Reply 10

Little Lamb

1

In my experience, everybody that I've met at LCC is already quite cliquey and most live at home in London so they still meet up with their old friends. But then again I've got a totally repulsive personality lol

Reply 11

sheps3

HEY Every time I have been to any of the University of the arts institutes i have been very disappointed... they just give off a bad image they are never organised and all you get is a 'fat' headed tutor who just talks about this amazin reputation.. that sums it up really just a place with a reputation a few famous names.. however there not the ones doin your work ;o !

Reply 12

Miss_Green

5

LCF Didnt accept me and I was a little dissapointed because I had set myself this standard that I had to go there but Im so glad Im not going now. Pmsl @ the last two comments ^^^^ I have to quote you there Little Lamb! x

Reply 13

misstash

right ENOUGH with the negativity about UAL

im at chelsea so i am pretty sure the experience differs to that of CSM camberwell LCF etc etc

at first YEP its pretty scary cos there are millions of people and the first few weeks are bit scary but its the same at any uni...
i would say you are left to work on your own but im reasonably self motivated and it gave me a big kick up the backside to do some work
so if you need a pat on the head every brush stroke u take i probs wouldnt come here

however now it is brilliant got my own tutor who sees me every week and the other tutors lurk around and make comments too
the studios are awesome
and no matter what people say it DOES give you an edge over other art colleges especially when applying for your BA

AND your in London, the best city in the world

RANT over...but one last thing....chelsea is the best! hehe

Reply 14

Little Lamb

1

I've actually had my opinion drastically changed about the university recently. With the exception of the (RIGGED!) student elections and my dissapointment that the wrong people got jobs because nobody could be bothered to vote. I've found a sudden adoration for the place. I've managed to get three pieces of valuable work experience on the name alone and been published in several places recently because of it. The work is slowly but surely knitting together and my tutors have been really good recently. That's one thing if you get a good tutor you're set.

The Student facilities are a joke though and we had the opportunity of a decent SU recently but like I said, fixed elections, but I think if we had a proper mad fer it SU people wouldn't take it seriously.

There are all the scene kids and they dominate. Anybody go to that Bashment RnB night at the LCC bar, it was PACKED, I think that so many people's likes and preferences are so unrepresented because of all these scene kids and what's fashionable.

Reply 15

idontknow

i have no idea about the studenty bits, although i wish there was a bit more emphasise on clubs and things, maybe i'm not looking hard enough.

i think the organisation isn't spectacular but i'm not paying for it so i didn't go expecting everything would be perfect.
i tried for graphics at csm but they didnt take me, got into lcc, i'll be going there next year. i think most pretty girl's are foundation students probably!
i tried for chelsea too, they were soo harsh they took all their international students and only 12 of their own home students. and they are pretty snobby about st martins for some reason?!
st. martins you definately have to stand on your own feet but at the end of the day you'll come out a more confident artist, i like that and all my mates are gonna go there next year but cos im in UAL i can go to their facilities etc so it's not so bad.

Reply 16

JMK

Hello everyone!

I already did my foundation studies in Denmark and this year I am going to start study film in the UK. The areas I am most interested in are Documentary/Cinematography. I got accepted at all the three schools I applied to which is the Edinburgh College of Art (BA Film /TV Level 2), London College of Communication (BA Film/TV) and Photography,Film & Imaging at Napier.

Now I have the hard task to decide on where to go...

Does anyone know about the courses,schools and their qualities?

Would be a great help to me to get some more "free" advice!

Reply 17

jan_123

1

Archo

They are not a 'crap organisation'...but I am no longer a huge fan. Their student services aren't too bad actually, and international student support is very good (don't know about home students).

The facilities on foundation aren't all that, there is too much we have to do in our own time. You don't need to wait for holidays...you get so many days of ''self-directed study'' which is fine, but at days you feel lost...and where do you go? Theres no tutors around on self study days...it gets frustrating and boring.

They accept WAY TOO MANY students, much more than they can handle/accomodate. I don't understand people who say it's too difficult to get in.

Sorry I really beg to differ - UAL is one of the most unfriendly universities to International Students. I know because I am one. They are particularly short with students from Asia. And *some* tutors are a bit racist.

Reply 18

rhiWICKED

When I went for my folio assessment at CSM I was shocked at how "unfriendly" the general astmosphere was - I'd been on a fashion design course at the Charing Cross site in the summer and i loved ever second of it (but I'm not beginning to wonder if the fact that i made amazing friends and partied with rockstars may be clouding my judgement.)

I knew before I left I'd been unsuccessful because my portfolio was VERY fashion orientated and they said that they're not interested if that's the case.
So I went for my interview for the "Fashion Folio" course at LCF (i wasn't going to go originally because i didn't know you could progress straight onto the BA, but you can.. so i went along) The course director was VERY negative about the foundation at Saint Martins. (as was my interviewer at Demontford college) they said they take on too many people, its really impersonal, and that they have their "fasion superstars" so to speak, and they are the people they were push, and if you're not one of these people you get dumped into another pathway.

So I'm quite glad i didn't get into CSM.
And overjoyed that i'm going to LCF.

Reply 19

Turdburger

16

London, the best city in the world

Rofl

Reputation of UAL

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