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"Preshrunk" is what educational consultant Marcia Rubinstien calls these kinds of students because they know exactly what they want to do with their lives. There's no question that they will go on to an institution that will take their love for music, art, or technology and develop it into a career.
However, to test their resolve, she's just as likely to say to such students, "Convince me you're really that committed to your talent." As a consultant, Rubinstien talks to many high school students about their dreams for the future. Oddly enough, she tries to discourage those who say they want to go into the arts, music, or engineering. If they doggedly resist her efforts to steer them away from specialty schools, she knows they'll do well in a place where everyone there lives and breathes their subjects.
Phil Clinton uses the same tactics in looking for "the student with a fire in his belly to be an engineer vs. the one who reads in a newspaper about a lot of jobs in engineering and thinks maybe that's the career for him." He recalls a high school student who insisted he wanted to study drama. Clinton, who also is an educational consultant, had the boldness to tell the student he thought he was crazy for wanting an acting career. He's understandably skeptical about students who think they can succeed in the arts just by reason of their stardom in the high school play or a prize-winning drawing. But this student proved Clinton wrong. "He went on to produce his own one-man show and is now flourishing," Clinton is happy to report.
Ethan Pernela knows a bit about how to convince people. Though he started playing music in the fifth grade, Pernela's dad didn't jump for joy when he told him he dreamed of becoming a symphony performer. His father was thinking about a more plausible career in meteorology. Pernela didn't give up and says his parents now are very supportive about his passion for the viola and the New England Conservatory of Music, which Pernela attends.
Passion is a key element to look for if you think you want to go to a specialized school or conservatory. Allison Ball, Dean of Enrollment Services at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, knows students are right for her institution when they demonstrate that they are all music all day and can't imagine a future without it. Then she knows they have the kind of commitment and inner drive characteristic of conservatory students.
Clinton has similar thoughts. "If you're going to be a concert pianist or a painter, you'll be more energized by going to a specialty college and being surrounded by excellence in your field," he advises.
Not every student is cut out for such a concentrated focus at the undergraduate degree level. To find out if you should attend a specialty school and how to pick the right one, see the link at the bottom of this article that will lead you to a list of questions to ask about yourself and the insitutions you've chosen to apply to.
If you're not absolutely sure you want to paint or play music for a living, it's probably more advantageous to attend a liberal arts university with a respected music, art, or engineering department. Nadine Bourgeois, Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions at Parsons School of Design in New York City observes that specialty schools accelerate the process of developing talent, as students are quickly immersed into the very heart of their skills. Such a focused environment is not the place for the undecided student.
"Even when I was little, I was writing stories and illustrating them."
Jill Pilotte had a ready answer for people who asked her what she wanted do when she grew up. "I said I want to be an artist," she replies. "My ideal is to draw pictures and sell them." She'll get the art fundamentals and the practical training she needs to develop her talents at Parsons. (If you have artistic talents and want to know what to look for in schools of art and design, see the link at the end of this article.)
"I always wanted to change around the notes."
Christopher Trapani knew composing would be his life. But since he genuinely loved his high school academic courses and got good grades in them, he seriously thought about getting a liberal arts degree first and then concentrating on composition. In the final hour he went for the intense musical environment of the New England Conservatory, where he is now a freshman. "I will be immersed in music," he says, "which makes up for my not having liberal arts classes." (Are you interested in seriously studying music? Find out if a music conservatory is the place for you by clicking on the link at the end of this article.)
"In my math and science classes, I was better than most guys. I knew how to solve problems."
No wonder Jennifer Barton, who is a freshman chemical engineering student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, says, "If you know what you want, why not just go for it?" She did but applied to seven institutions, including universities with strong engineering departments before settling on Rensselaer. The focus on math and science that she wanted just wasn't offered by the others she had considered. (Do think you want a computer or engineering career? To find out what to look for in engineering institutes, see the link at the end of this article.)
A highly specialized degree might make it difficult to succeed in today's workplace. Whether you get your degree from a specialty school or university, you're still going to need a job after graduation. Those few stellar talents who immediately are snapped up by top orchestras and galleries need not be concerned with a workplace that increasingly demands flexibility. For the majority, however, highly specialized skills can be a hindrance. Clinton observes that we don't know what jobs will be available fifteen years from now, so today's college students are better off preparing for the future by learning general rather than extremely focused skills. Some employers prefer to train new employees in the specifics of their jobs. They look for people who think and question, points out Shelley Blumenthal, Associate Director of Freshman Admissions at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Those graduates with extremely focused degrees are sometimes not as valued because they can't be trained as easily. Communication skills are needed in every career. Before he became Director of Institutional Advancement at Life Chiropractic College West in San Lorenzo, CA, Fred Schultz taught freshman English to mostly engineering students who were not happy about having to write. All they wanted to do was figure out loads on bridges, not learn to communicate. Schultz knew better and emphasizes that good communication skills, no matter what the field, are critical to succeed. Art and music careers as well demand the ability to transmit ideas verbally and in writing. A liberal arts education offers the well-rounded background that employers seek. You can specialize later, but getting a general education first might lay the best foundation for your particular talent. Adds Clinton, "If you're going to be a brain surgeon operating on me, I'd want you to have some appreciation for the arts and philosophy." Almost any specialty school welcomes graduate students who come from a broadbased undergraduate education. Rubinstien recalls a talented pianist and jazz composer who had appeared professionally since he was 15. At first he chose to concentrate on music, but found he wasn't happy being be so focused. He wanted to learn about other things and told Rubinstien that he always will be a musician, so a liberal arts degree -- which he ended up earning -- would enrich his music, not hinder it. If you change your mind, transferring is not easy. Then there are the students who attend an art, music, or engineering school and realize too late that it's not for them. They must deal with lost time, lost money, and credits that for the most part are difficult to transfer to a liberal arts degree. "Engineering or art has a tightly prescribed sequence of courses," points out Clinton, "which will not match up with another college, so transfers have to make up a lot of lost ground."
The decision to go either the specialty or liberal arts route is not as cut and dried as it appears to be. Several avenues exist to mix and match a general education and specialty focus.
One is to get a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and then to develop your talent in graduate school. Says Clinton, "The notion of specialization is less compelling and urgent when you factor in that most students will get master's degrees. For many areas, a master's is an entry-level degree."
Some institutions offer a three/two program in partnership with other universities or colleges. In three/two programs, students graduate after five years with two degrees. Several engineering institutions extend this alternative. In other variations, students combine disciplines, such as design and business.