There's nothing quite like the arts, right? Whether it's a painting or a sculpture, art can express so many things. You can even see art make its evolution going from the visual to the auditory. 

Long before you were born, they were already a thing for humanity. The arts are such a necessity these days that schools are offering courses for prospective students who want to learn more about the arts they choose to pursue and take it to the next level for their careers.

Skeptical about art school is a significant boost in establishing a career? As these sources would say, there are many benefits on why the art school can help you and other applicants out when navigating the path of careers. 

But it does make you wonder: How can you apply for one of the highly-regarded art schools when you're ready to enter the college world? Don't worry; we've created this guide for you so that you can see what you're capable of in becoming part of art school. 

#1 Determine The Type Of Arts

When you're applying for art school, it pays to know the type of arts you're interested in. Do you like painting? Got a knack for photo retouching? Have a thing for the customization aspect of posters? 

Are you interested in giving the audience a grand spectacle with dancing? Knowing the arts you like will help you discover the career paths you can get from it. 

For example, if you're into animation, a few careers you can get from it can include being a cartoon animator and an advertisement creator. Another example is if you're a painter, you can get a career as a traditional painter. Heck, if you're someone who's got a knack for digital drawing, you can have a career as a digital drawer. 

So make sure to know the type of arts you're into and take it from there. But if you're already determined on the type but want to know the courses, you can check this and this for full details on the kind of art degrees you can go for. 

#2 Look For Colleges Providing Art Course

When you've determined your type of arts, your next step will be taking a good look at the types of colleges and universities that offer art courses. Even schools that label themselves as art colleges mean the courses offered are all about the arts. Here are the ones to take note of:
You can ask: "Wait, community colleges and vocational schools? I thought I'm applying to an art school". Yes, it can be strange to see why they include, but when it comes down to it, even the art schools offer non-art courses for variety. 

So you can look at the community colleges and vocational schools as art school substitutes when the course you're vying for is available with them. 

All in all, an art school doesn't have to be a school hellbent on arts alone: It can be your typical university that has its values and mission all in the art.

#3 Prioritize The Colleges Which Are Close To Your Goals

Once you've taken a look at the colleges and universities that offer art courses alongside the art schools that are well-known, you'll need to prioritize the few that are close to your goals. It is where you'll narrow down the schools that offer the courses that are close to the ones you want.

While you're at it, you can also make it a goal to check carefully on the schools you'll be applying for. Knowing the ups and downs of the art courses while knowing their mission and values will give you a better insight into whether or not they should be a part of your list. 

You can't just expect a good-branded art school to be your thing until you can see it for yourself. You can also take tours of the schools and better view how their campuses will fee for you. It'll not only give you a better insight, but you can also see if it'll be beneficial to the art you're developing with strength.

#4 Develop Your Artsy Spike

When it comes to going to an art school, it pays to develop the spike you have from within yourself. What's a spike? A spike is what sets you apart from all other applicants. It goes against the spirit of simply being well-rounded. 

By nature of being unique, you don't fit in with all of the other well-rounded applicants; you do something that truly stands out in a meaningful way.

But of course, developing your spike as it is isn't going to cut it for you when it comes to art school. You need to go further and create the artsy spike in you. Yep, it's all about showing the world your art type has a hidden potential they haven't seen yet. 

While you're not exactly going to be a Leonardo Da Vinci in doing this, giving it, you're all in making a spike with the arts you're genuinely passionate about will show the energy you're conveying with your application. 

So how do you go about developing the artsy spike in you? Here are some ways to take note:

• Plan out how you'd like to develop your spike and choose the art type you're with

To develop the artsy spike within you, you need to plan out how you'll go about it. You'll also need to choose the art type you're determined with so that you can get a smooth start. 

For example, if you already have the skills in performing arts like the people who are part of a dance group, you can make that your basis. You can start achieving skills you've never done before and make them your plan. From there, you can use a calendar to plot out how you'll go about in making time for skill development.

• Gather the resources and use them timely
  

Once you've got a plan, your next step will gather the resources and use them wisely. If the art type you've chosen was a sculpture, you could start collecting lesson books or videos and place them in an area that you can arrange for better use later. 

When the time comes, you can get a headstart and use the resources so that you can practice what you've learned and developed your artsy spike even further as you're accumulating the knowledge. 

• Be determined on the spike and leave the rest out.
  

When you're developing your artsy spike, it's a good idea to determine the one art type you choose earlier, which means you have to leave the rest of the other types out. 

Why? Because spreading your focus on other art types while trying to develop a spike with the one, you're determined to master will only hamper your progress. It may also affect how you'll make your application as you assemble it later, so don't feel any fear about missing out.  

#5 Take Advantage Of The Essential And Optional Requirements

Got the spike developed? Great! Your next step will be getting the essentials and taking advantage of the additional and optional requirements for your application. When it comes to the essentials, you can pretty much get a good grip on the ones an art school will need, such as the transcripts and test fee. 

What you'll need to take note of very carefully are the additional and optional requirements. A majority of departments that offer the art courses you'll be applying for will ask for other requirements on top of the essentials, such as documents that involve financial aid and scholarships. 

Then there are the optional requirements which, as you can guess, are not needed to submit, but you're free to submit anyway.

When you see opportunities like these, please take advantage of them. 

This because it'll give you the chance to showcase your art skills in ways no other applicant can do. For example, if the optional requirement is a video profile, you can make a profile that your preferred art school will genuinely like to watch. 

#6 Get Some Work And Art Experience

Seeing as how you're slowly prepping yourself up for art school, it's a good idea to get some experience with the world and other art forms too. 

For the world, you can start gaining some experiences such as being an intern, doing community service, putting up a side hustle, and doing other activities that put a boost to your college application. 

You can even try going artsy about it and be a protégé for a famous artist. As for the other arts, you can check out galleries and see the arts in ways you've never seen before. You can even check out other art forms that most people underestimate, but you can see with opening views.

Doing all these experiences will surely enhance your chance because when you're ready to prep your portfolio and your application, you can go for it and express all that you've learned and felt in the form. 

#7 Prep Up Your Portfolio

When you're making the application, you can't just go about it and submit it like most applicants because you have to make your portfolio too! After all, you are applying for the art school, so naturally, the institute's got to see what you got in you that will show them the artsy side you've meant to showcase. Worry not; we got some tips for you in making your portfolio: 

If you need more details on planning your approach, you can check this guide for more information.

#8 Answer Your Essays Well 

Just because you're going to the art school doesn't mean you'll ignore the other important stuff: the essays. Just like your portfolio, you'll need to prepare for them by knowing what's asked and answering them in a way that'll show the admissions team you're one of a kind. 

You can check essay examples from the school to which you are applying so that you can get motivation. As for the other essential parts, such as the optional requirements (i.e., video profile), do them well and show the admissions team you got what it takes to be a part of the school of the arts. 

#9 Consult With Experts On Your Application And Portfolio

When you're close to completing your application and portfolio, make sure you have a consultation with the experts. Let them see what you've made and ask for their opinion. 

Not only will you see what you've missed out, but you can also gain insight on things that you can add or improve on for a better application and portfolio. You can even try asking art school graduates and gain lessons on how they could succeed in their journey. 

Conclusion

By and large, art school can be an exciting place to go when beginning your college journey. While some are genuinely art schools, and some offer courses alongside non-art courses, you can still label them as art schools and go for the course you've been vying for. 

It can be a strange way to navigate a career with the arts, but the guide we have here, it'll give you a high chance of being part of the art school you genuinely deserve. So, go for it, create what you can create, enjoy the results, and become part of an art school with glory!