Is taking AP studio art a must?

I am going to be a senior in high school next year and i signed up for art 1-2, but i'm already naturally talented and i've been taking art classes outside of school. So i've been thinking of switching to AP studio art. But to get into AP studio art the prerequisite is art 3-4 and i havent' even taken art 1-2 so then i have to put together a portfolio and get approved by the teacher by next week. What should I put in my art portfolio?


Is taking AP studio art a must if i'm applying to some art school like parsons, calarts, and the san francisco art insitute or planning on majoring in art?.

Is taking AP studio art a must?
No, it is not a requirement at all. I went to Parson's (first) and MassArt (transfer). I was also accepted at RISD (transfer, also). I didn't apply anywhere else.





One of the cooler things about art schools is that acceptance is determined by your portfolio first and foremost. Well, for transfers your college courses do matter, but not so much high school.





The AP courses do help you to meet the basic requirements for most colleges in terms of what is in your portfolio but they don't focus as much on developing your ability.





If your art teacher(s) are willing to let you into the studio course based on your portfolio then give it a go. If they let you then that's a good indication that you can make it into an art school without doing the basics first.





The basics, however, are very important. In your introductory classes you may learn a lot of techniques, media, applications, and so much more, that you haven't covered in private study.





I think I was astoundingly lucky in that my high school had a really comprehensive art program. When I went to college I was shocked at how little most of the other students had been offered in terms of classes. I especially remember a boy who had never used oils. His school simply didn't offer him the opportunity. He was great with acrylics and I was more used to oils. We helped each other and, in our freshman year, he did this series of paintings, just for fun, that were so hauntingly and emotionally beautiful. It crushed me because he did them on unprimed cardboard. The oils will have disintegrated the paper. But they were nothing like what he had done with acrylics. Oil turned out to be his medium.





So many high schools today have little to no art programs. All too often it does come upon the student to teach him or herself. The colleges know this. Whatever you may lack in terms of art education will easily be made up for in what you have learned on your own by simply drawing, painting, sculpting, designing, printing, or whatever, on your own. As long as you have a love for art and have strived to improve yourself it will come through in your portfolio.





Go to the websites of the schools you want to consider. Download their applications. They will include what they require of your profile. You will have to include everything they ask for. Start working on it now. Each school will have some thing that is different from another but the bulk of it will be the same. Most of it will be examples of your own work. Anything, just what you think you have done best and shows the field of art you feel most strongly inclined to. You will need a self-portrait. Some schools will just ask for that while others may define the media (pencil, paint, clay, crayon, whatever). You'll need a still life. Again, it could be in any medium. One school I applied to (Parson's, actually) required a still-life collage. The one did in my studio course was useless for this.





Your portfolio is what is going to get you into an art school. MassArt is the only possible exception because it is the only public art school in the US. It has to have certain requirements for liberal arts (2 or 3 years of math, 4 for English, all that stuff) but I know students who failed to meet those requirements but had great portfolios. They got into MassArt on academic probation. They just had to keep their grades above a C (when I was there MassArt was pass/fail- not sure if it still is, their requirements for academic probation said "above a C" but, really, all they had to do was not fail a course and, trust me, the non-art courses were really not difficult at all).





Ok, if your art teachers won't let you into the studio course ask if you can work with one of them independently after school. Just ask them to give you assignments to help you build up the areas you need to work on. Work with your teachers and appreciate any effort they make to help you. They still have another 5 hours worth of work waiting for them when they get home. If they can even just give you ideas of projects to do on your own time to improve your skills then you will gain miles.





Most importantly, whether in class or out, ask them to look over the work you are doing for your portfolio. Ask them how you can improve it. If you listen to them and do the work they suggest they will be even more psyched about helping you. It will show them just how serious you are about this.





When you do apply to schools make sure you get a letter of recommendation from as many art teachers as you can. Even the ones you had outside of school. It never hurts to have an extra letter of recommendation.





You believe in your abilities and that is a good sign. I've listened to so many artists and art students claim that they never feel anything they do is good and that that is the mark of a true artist. I disagree. Confidence counts way more than insecurity or perfectionism. Just don't ever be unwilling to learn. Even da Vinci spent years as an apprentice.
Reply:I agree with the first response. Taking AP Art will have nothing to do with you getting into an art school. Most (if not all) art schools require you to prepare your own portfolio anyways. I'd recommend trying to take it anyways just because it will prepare you well for college and it seems like it's a subject you're passionate about. Colleges always love to see AP and IB classes on your transcript regardless of which subject it is or which college you're applying to.
Reply:taking an AP class has nothing to do with if you'll get into an art school. it depends on if you're talented or not and if they like what you have to offer.


but for your portolio but a wide variety of stuff in it and pick out the things that you feel are best. if you weren't given a requirement for how many...i would atleast select 10ish to include in it.