This week I was interviewed and quoted in OSU's newspaper, The Lantern, about my experiences working on my design exam.
Design admissions stays competitive for students
Only 18 students admitted into each of three majors
Joe Miller
Issue date: 1/16/08 Section: Campus
While most Ohio State students were resting from their school responsibilities and assignments, Kate Hutson spent her December working on an exhausting exam.
Hutson, a junior in pre-design, is one of many prospective design majors who devoted a large portion of winter break to the design program's entrance exam. The exam, which began Dec. 7 and was due Jan. 7, is the basis for accepting students into the industrial, interior and visual communication design majors within the College of the Arts.
The exam is extremely competitive. This year, about 150 students applied to the design program, but only 18 will be admitted to each of the three majors.
"We're a small program because we feel that the best design programs give the students an opportunity to work in teams and give the students an opportunity to work on real world projects. As such, we limit the size to 18 students for each major," said Wayne Carlson design department chair.
Seth Shaw, a sophomore in visual communication design, completed the entrance exam last winter quarter and said he agrees with the low admission numbers.
"Admitting 18 students, while highly competitive, creates an environment where the professor can give more attention to individual students," Shaw said. "I feel like I would take less, experience-wise, from my studio if the numbers were increased."
The highly competitive nature of the admission process made the exam difficult, but the one-month deadline truly made it a daunting task. Hutson was prepared for the sacrifices she would have to make to have a chance at becoming a visual design major.
"I kind of anticipated having to give up my entire winter break," Hutson said. "I definitely had to make a commitment to (the exam) and pass up my social options. (My friends) were actually at my house when the exam got assigned on the design Web site and I was like, 'Well, it was nice hanging out with you guys for this one night. I'll see you in a while.'"
According to the entrance exam requirements, which were posted on the design department's Web site, the exam consisted of three separate compositions.
These drawings required solutions to interesting problems, such as communicating the process of building an igloo in two pages without using words. The applicants also had to complete several writing assignments.
"Somebody might be able to draw well and not be able to explain what their drawing is about," said Carlson. "In the design profession, you have to do both."
Carlson said it was a lot to accomplish in one month, but maintained it did not diminish the quality of work the students submitted.
"They have one month to do this. Everything. To compile it all, to solve the problems, to do the drawings, to write up the narratives, to solve the process, and put it all together," Carlson said. "But we get some really incredible work over that month, and that speaks volumes about what a person's motivation and abilities are. To take their own personal time and work on (the exam) and take it seriously."
Now that the exams have been submitted, the design faculty has begun the process of selecting which students will be admitted to enter the design program. The faculty will narrow the selections throughout the next several weeks and choose about 25 students for each major to be interviewed. Then, based on the results of those interviews, a final 18 students will be admitted into each major at the end of January or beginning of February.
Those students will be permitted to register for further design classes and will go into studios that focus on their specific majors for the next two years. Their work culminates in a thesis project that each student is required to do that is exhibited and critiqued in a public venue the final quarter of the students' senior year.
Although the admissions process is difficult, time consuming and stressful, Shaw still feels that it was all worth it to become a visual communication design major.
"I enjoy the program greatly," Shaw said. "It's very challenging and I feel that it's going to prepare me for a career in the field of design."
The part about my friends being at my apartment when the exam was assigned on the design website - at midnight on Dec. 7th - is completely true! It's funny that he put that quote in there.. it was a candid remark.
Anyway, I'm still waiting..impatiently..to find out......
