ADMISSION RESULTS
George Washington University - Fine Arts
Bennington College - Visual Arts; scholarship $168,000.00
Sarah Lawrence College - Illustration; scholarship $100,000.00
Kenyon College - Studio Art; scholarship $60,000.00
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) - Communication Arts
1. How do you feel about your college acceptance? I feel very happy that I have so many great choices that I would not have access to without the help of the teachers at NYSA who pushed me and my portfolio to become the best we could be.
2. Why did you choose your major? I have been taking classes with NYSA since middle school, beginning about six years ago. Since then, the classes at NYSA have helped shape my technique and artistic style and taught me to always push myself and my work to be better.
3. Can you share a challenge you faced while working on a piece for your portfolio and how you overcame it? If you had told me a year ago that NYSA would have me create a performance art piece in which I had to dance I would have ran the other way. NYSA has pushed me into so many different mediums that I would never have tried on my own, gouache, fabric, charcoal, plaster bandage-- but I was especially nervous to try performance art. However, as nervous as I was to dance, I remembered all of the hard work that the team at NYSA put in my portfolio. Letting my stage fright prevent me from making my portfolio the best it could be would not only feel like a disservice to myself, but of betrayal of the hardwork the teachers had put in over the years. My portfolio is a unique representation of my style and my voice but it is also part of all those at NYSA who put countless hours into helping me. Knowing this, I gathered my courage and I danced. While I am not trading my paint brushes for dancing shoes anytime soon, I didn't do half bad. The final video turned out incredible and I could not have done it without the help of my friends at NYSA.
4. Can you tell us about your favorite piece in your portfolio and why it's meaningful to you? I am proud of my piece, the Shuk not only because it is one of my most technically complex pieces, but also because it conveys a story of harmonious living amongst a diverse set of characters. I am also proud of the immersive experience of adventure the Shuk creates. I got to know the characters well, carefully considering their connections to each other, what they might be shopping for, and what their life looks like outside of the Shuk. The trinkets for sale at the flea market are just as carefully crafted as the characters. Each item with their own story, created with care, some relating to other pieces in my portfolio and others to items significant to me. For example, my name, Shoshana, means rose in Hebrew so to fit myself into the scene, I hid roses across the market. My goal for my art is to create an exciting and memorable experience for the viewer and I am very proud that I accomplished this in The Shuk.
5. Do you have any advice for the new portfolio students? Do not make any other plans for the summer. You are fully booked. While the hours may be grueling, if you give your all to NYSA, the team at NYSA will give their all right back.