The Summer Before senior year

The summer before senior year can be challenging for students like me; it’s the final summer before applying for grad school. If possible, before you graduate, you should know what the next step in your road will be, whether it is working or graduate school. For me and other students who aspire to be an art therapist,  the smart thing is to do is to focus on improving (and photographing) your art portfolio and working on your resume.  Also you should be looking into grad schools you wish to attend and their requirements.

Your portfolio

A portfolio for grad school should consist of a range of media. This includes drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints, photographs, and more. All of the work should be well photographed and placed on a CD.

Your resume

A resume for grad school should include any internships and jobs, art therapy symposiums attended, galleries your artwork has been featured in, and so forth. It should also contain anything that will improve your application. It is important to remember that this resume is different from a resume for a job. After it is completed, have a friend or professor proofread it with you and help decide what is necessary to be included, and what, if anything, should be left out.

Choosing a grad school

Applying for grad school can be expensive; if you’re on a budget, consider narrowing your choices down to your top three to five schools. When searching for an art therapy grad school that is right for you, remember there are multiple approaches in art therapy. You must discern what teaching approaches are used at each shcool and which art therapy approach they focus on. For example, NYU has a more analytic and psychological based program while George Washington has an art based and humanistic designed program. Most importantly, pick what is right for you.