We have guest blog posts from two Senior Dreamers who have worked diligently on submitting college applications over the past couple months. We are very proud of Ricardo Mejias and Jonathan Ortiz from the IHDF-NY DeHostos Program and know that their hard work will pay off when they enter college next year! Here they write about the grueling but ultimately fulfilling experience of applying to college:
Ricardo Mejias writes,
The college process was composed of blood, sweat and tears. Many, MANY tears. I spent countless hours at “I Have A Dream” working on my college applications. Since I want to go to a college for fine arts, many of them required a portfolio. This required me to spend even more hours working on my artwork. I made the grave mistake of applying to 14 schools. Thankfully with the help of fee waivers, the process a little easier. I also owe a big thanks to the Programs Directors, Marvin and Leslie, for constantly urging me to work harder.
Another huge thanks goes to my Art Mentor, Chuck Kushla. With the help of Free Arts, I was paired with an art teacher-in-the-making to help me through the art process of my college applications. Once a week we spent about three hours constantly working. Chuck helped me think more creatively, and open up to using a larger variety of mediums. One thing that really helped me was Chuck’s dedication to helping me get things done. From taking me to museums to spending the day at the library, his assistance was a huge help to me. I can say that if it wasn’t for his help, I may not have gotten everything done on time. Overall the college process was a good experience that helped me manage my time better. As good as it was, I’m glad that I do not have to do it again!
Jonathan Ortiz writes,
The most interesting part of my architecture application process was that one part of the application required me to photograph and then draw a bridge in my community. At first I thought it would be a cake walk but then I actually thought about it and realized there is no bridge in my direct community so I had to think bigger. After taking into account which bridge I could photograph on time to fulfill the January 1st deadline I decided on the Brooklyn Bridge. I took a day of the week with Leslie, a Program Director of the “I Have A Dream”- NY program that I attend. I took many pictures in various angles of the bridge. I picked out the pictures that would be the most interesting to draw and would show off the bridge's unique features.
The most challenging part about the application process was having everything done in time. This was difficult in part because I am not the most punctual person so things got pretty last minute for me. The part that took the longest to complete was an assignment that required me to draw out the act of opening a can with a manual can opener. Once that assignment was completed all the others came right after because the deadline was approaching.
My advice to other Dreamers who wish to apply to an art-based program is to plan ahead. The assignments are usually posted on the college’s website way before the school year even starts. Check these websites if you want to be ahead of the game and not all frantic when it's one week from the due date and you only have one assignment done. Some art-based programs require a portfolio which is basically a collection of your best pieces of art work. I would suggest making genuine pieces of work that you can add to your portfolio so when the time comes you are set to present it. It would pay off to set time aside to only focus on art so that you can submit your application early and have time more time to do other college application work - like financial aid!