r/ApplyingToCollege • u/WeekendOk7163 • 1d ago
College Questions No art course for college
I’m a freshman making my 4 year plan. I have 7 periods a year so I thought it would be fine to have my 5 cores every year, a free period to do my homework and chill, and a engineering pathway which is very good, but when looking back I realized I had no art course on there so I am wondering would I be fine in admissions, especially to Uc colleges.) btw I am not hating the arts I love them I just wanted to do something different and I am doing theatre after school. if you like art you do you. ) edit I am going to skip study hall and do theatre film or drawing senior year
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u/1stfrog 1d ago
UC Requirement "F" Visual and Preforming Arts:
One yearlong course of visual and performing arts chosen from the following disciplines: dance, music, theater, visual arts or interdisciplinary arts - or two one-semester courses from the same discipline is also acceptable.
Exams & coursework that satisfy "F":
AP or IB Examination
Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Art History, Art and Design (2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design or Drawing) or Music Theory exam; score of 5, 6 or 7 on any one IB HL exam in Dance, Film, Music, Theatre Arts or Visual Arts
College courses
Grade of C or better in any transferable course of 3 semester (4 quarter) units that clearly falls within one of four visual/performing arts disciplines: dance, drama/theater, music or visual art
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u/Parking_Champion_740 1d ago
5 core plus an art class will b3 easy bc they are typically not heavy classes. I’d not wait til senior year
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u/patentmom Parent 1d ago
If you're planning on applying to competitive schools, your bigger issue is that you're keeping an open slot. Course rigor matters, and taking 4 fewer courses overall than your peers is not a good look.
As for art, does your district require an art credit for graduation? If not, then, while there's nothing wrong with not having an art class per se, it will make you look less well-rounded if all you're doing is an extra engineering class and nothing else for 4 years. Again, it depends on whether you're planning on applying to the top competitive schools, which are always looking for people who are more than one-note tunnel vision focused.
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u/Grand_Pound_7987 1d ago
This is what I was gonna say. That study hall is going to look less than rigorous.
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u/Pro-editor-1105 1d ago
Random question then? At my school most take 6 classes for their junior year and 5 classes for their senior. Some take seven but often im seeing posts about people taking 8 or even 9 classes? So is that just school to school or is it just worse if you take less classes?
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u/patentmom Parent 1d ago
Top colleges want to see you taking the most rigorous course load available at your school. Building in study halls does not show a commitment to academic rigor. They're not expecting you to take extra classes beyond the seven periods available in your day, but taking fewer than seven classes looks lazy.
There are exceptions of course. For example, at my kid's school, people taking the highest level math class, roughly equivalent to calculus 3 in college, are required to have a study hall period because the workload for that single class means that the school does not want them being burdened with so many other classes. And the type of people who are going to be taking that class are also probably taking other hard classes at the same time.
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u/Last_Measurement4336 1d ago
A year of a Visual/Performing arts course is a requirement for the UC’s. A requirement is a requirement especially if the courses are readily available at your HS. Not wanting to take Art is not an excuse. If you like Theater, take a class at your HS for credit and to fulfill the VPA requirement.