Congratulations — You Got an Art Kid
I got a STEM* kid. Which means I have to figure out how to support her in setting and reaching career goals in a field I know little about.
I can love her, encourage her, and give her opportunities, but I don’t have the specialist knowledge to judge whether her teachers are pushing her hard enough – or inspiring her to excel.
If I leave her to figure it out herself, she’ll be competing with every kid who’s had access to specialist support…
I might not know how to support STEM candidates, but I do know how to support art school candidates.
This blog shares what you need to know about helping your kid get a place at a UK art school.
*STEM : Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths
An Art School Application Fail
My own parents faced the opposite problem. I’m an artist from a science family.
They loved me and supported me, but they didn’t really know how to help me apply for art school.
They trusted my school to take care of it. Big mistake.
You can read about how that went wrong here
When I failed my first art school application, I was surprised, and my family were surprised.
I had always been told I was talented.
But no one had told me that raw talent wasn’t enough.
“I coasted. I felt destined to go to art school because everyone told me I had talent. So I didn’t put the work in.”
Ruth Pringle, 2025
What’s Wrong with Being Left to It
In my final year of school, my art teacher first looked at my portfolio for the first time in May (May!) and declared:
“This isn’t good enough to get in.”
Of course, she was right, but by then it was far too late to change it.
Since then I’ve taught on foundation programmes at three UK art schools and served on both undergraduate and master’s selection panels. I know first-hand what admissions tutors look for—and what trips even the most talented applicants up.
I Regret Losing a Year
Looking back, I cringe at how narrow my portfolio was. I loved drawing, but I disliked design, so I’d ignored it. I had thought that I had carte blanche on my portfolio’s contents, that my talent would speak for itself.
I spent that year drawing still lives.
(I think the same old boot appeared in six different drawings*).
(Download our free PDF to discover what I should have been doing)
What’s Wrong with Just Drawing
Here’s the thing: drawing is important, it is a foundational skill (one you cannot do without), but it is not the whole story.
Half the people on a selection panel may have been designers.
In that case, they would have been looking for evidence that I’d thrive under their teaching. Bring kudos to their department.
By showing that I did only what I liked, I was communicating that I wasn’t willing to learn from them.
What Art School Admission Panels Want
Admissions panels aren’t looking for students who simply “have talent.”
They’re looking for evidence of curiosity, discipline, and growth.
A portfolio needs to show variety and consistency, exploration, and resilience, not just natural ability.
“everyone praises their kid’s drawings. It doesn’t mean they’re good. It means they’re loved.”
Ruth Pringle, 2025
Why “You’re So Talented” Isn’t Enough
Telling your child their drawings are wonderful can sometimes do more harm than good. I admit it. I coasted. I felt destined to go to art school.
I was surrounded by people telling me they wished they could draw like I did.
Everyone told me I had talent – and I did.
Only so do many, many other people, all around the world.
No one shaped or pushed those raw skills to the next level, or helped them stand out in a crowd.
English for International Art School Applicants
As an international student, your child will have a natural disadvantage. They will need to simultaneously manage their portfolio and develop their English language skills.
Your child’s ability to communicate is just as important as the portfolio itself.
(And if English is catching up, don’t worry — that’s our speciality at True Voice English.)
Where This Leaves Parents
So, where does this leave you, the parent of a young art school candidate? Proud, supportive — and often unsure how to help.
Unless you’ve had a creative education yourself, it’s impossible to judge whether your child’s portfolio is on track.
Schools may help, but their main job is to get students through exams (that’s the result they measure, and get measured by).
Managing your child’s art school admission is ‘extra work’. You won’t know if they are on it unless you discuss HOW they are being accountable.
Some teachers go above and beyond, but others simply don’t have the time or resources.
And when your child is applying internationally, the stakes are higher, and the confusion greater.
That’s why outside guidance can make such a difference — not just to strengthen the portfolio, but to take pressure off you as a parent.
Portfolio Stars | An Online Course for International Art School Applicants
Too many talented young artists miss out on UK art school places simply because no one showed them what admissions panels are really looking for.
Portfolio Stars is much more than an English course for young applicants. It gives international students the expert guidance parents simply can’t provide: structured creative challenges, one-to-one portfolio mentoring, and personalised coaching to help them grow.
And it’s delivered hand-in-hand with targeted English training, so your child arrives not only with a strong portfolio, but with the language to present it confidently.
The creative coaching is unmissable. And that’s only half the package.
Helping Art School Candidates Succeed
Applying to art school in the UK is highly competitive, and talent alone isn’t enough.
Having taught on foundation programmes at three UK art schools and served on admissions panels, we know exactly what admissions tutors look for.
Further Artist Information
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