Getting Into Art & Design Courses

A brilliant book focusing on the ins and outs of getting into Art and Design courses. There is a focus on new and emerging technologies with this being a dominant theme throughout. There are lots of examples from people working in the industry as well as students currently studying the field. The work experience and internships section is short but concise and backed up with case studies offering an insight it to what opportunities are out there. The warning text boxes highlight things to be mindful of, bringing the readers attention to areas such as plagiarism in personal statements. The book is full of useful checklists which will help students, parents and teachers digest information easily. The book is up to date with relevant degrees and uses current UCAS timeframes, but this will mean that the book with date quite quickly.

This edition from the Getting into series consists of 12 chapters with an Introduction How should I use this book? It replies Read it! No! Just having the book on the shelf will not get you into art school. I agree. I feel this book IS worth having if you are aiming for an art/design-based future.

Positives I have never heard of Accessory design, Carpet design and Public arts. There was some useful data throughout with 3 useful Personal Statement examples given. The 16 pages on portfolios was extensive - liked the phrase visual diary. The section on The Interview was informative with the acronym HOPE, one that could be easy to recall for many other careers/courses too.

Negatives waffly in places, too much on Foundation courses, too few apprenticeship websites, Careers provision at institutions not mentioned, no mention of online work experience /courses/ podcasts and few art and design careers websites, with glaring omissions such as the Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery.

Although this book is not perfect, it IS a worthy attempt that will definitely give confidence to those looking to enter the creative world.

If youre applying for an art and design course, this is worth reading. It provides an overview of the application process and the different courses. The expert tips provide helpful insights. The mention of possible careers is somewhat limited; however, its not the primary purpose of the book. Its good to see acknowledgement of degree apprenticeships, but it overlooks higher apprenticeships. The personal statement section is detailed and provides useful advice. The examples are helpful, however, it would have been good to see more. The section on developing a portfolio is detailed: this is something that students struggle with. A separate section focusing on architecture courses is of interest particularly as it mentions other opportunities related to architecture. The further information section mentions books and texts, which be useful to read before applying; however, I would have liked to see more examples and it may have been better if these could have also been included within the main text. Overall, the book is easy to read and can be dipped into: It provides a useful overview and gives good tips for those considering an art and design or architecture course at university. This is a text that I would recommend.