After high school comes college, right? For most people it does and for all those parents out there it's a definite yes. However for you what does college mean?
I having a bit of an issue and I wanna share it with you guys. I am currently considering going to an art school in the fall. Tuition is way more than I can afford even with scholarships. Not to mention my family is completely against me going to school for art, let alone becoming an artist. Guys I just wanna know do you think it's something I should do. Should I go to school and fight it out against the odds?
I mean art is very important to me. Should I pursue something I know will make me happy even if it means it'll make for a rocky relationship with my family and make me completely broke??
What I wanna do is art but I wanna know what you guys think.

I feel your pain.
Art has never been a big career choice for parents, my mom's been trying to convince me that art isn't a career choice at all.
However, it's not gonna stop me, and I don't think it should stop you, either.
I remember my dad telling me when I was little, "Walt Disney was told by his dad to stop drawing that mouse, and look where he is today!"
That's stuck with me, and if you truly love art, then by all means, go for it.

If you don't, you'll likely regret it.
Parents disagree with their children all the time, but they're not always right, and if you can prove them wrong by becoming successful, then they'll get over whatever they didn't like about art school.

And you could always transfer to an art school if money's the problem. Like, take cheap art courses from the local college and then transfer. That's what I plan to do.

Well, that depends. What do you want to do with your art?

Answer yes/no to the following questions:
1. Do you want to learn more than just to make pictures?
2. Are you very good with criticism?
3. Are you prepared to tape your mind together after being virtually slapped by a fish and pounded into the ground, your self-esteem destroyed and your mental self shattered into pieces?

If you answered "no" to any of those questions, art college isn't for you. I know from second hand experience that art college is a fuckton more stressful than most other colleges. You are continuously criticized for every little thing you do that isn't up to standards. Art college is a scary place. It also depends on what you're going for, though. If you're going for graphic design, the painful criticism is much less than that if you're going for fine art. What are you interested in doing? What are your goals?

Putting the college itself aside, your dilemma is rather normal. You should try to find a cheaper college, first of all. Second of all, you need to figure out if you're willing to take out a student loan. If you're not willing to do that, who is going to donate to your cause? If your parents don't want you going to art school, they most likely aren't going to pay. Do you have the money to pay for yourself? How good are your grades? What kind of scholarships are good for you? Is your situation poor enough that you can get grants?

>>2>>3

A whole lot of that.

IMO, do something else. Not because it's a poor choice for a career path, but because it's a poor choice for a career path.

Major in something that you know has career options, and can support your craziness, and minor in art (of whichever form you choose). You still get the experience and knowledge, but you have something that provides reasonable chances of success, rather than random-chance-probably-not-going-to-happen.

I don't want to burst your bubble here, keep doing what you love, but have a skillset that will get you work.

I suggest putting art aside as a hobby. Realistically? You will not get far. Yes, as >>2 stated, you CAN get somewhere. But do you know how long and hard Walt Disney had to work to try to get accepted and or do wutever the heck he did?

Facts are that someone is always going to be better than you. Younger or older. It would be a wiser decision to go to college, learn something, get your wages, and if you're still feeling up to it, go to art school. But right now, you don't have the money, and the chances that you will become famous and wealthy while you're alive? Not very many. :/

I'm sorry, but it's a real aspect of life that some people haven't yet grasped. You can go for it, go to art school, but if you don't get paid as much as you wanted....don't come back to tell us what horrible decision you've made. Because, for one, you probably won't be able to afford a computer or internet, or barely afford an apartment. :U good luck, make wise decisions.

There /are/ other fields of art that people make good money on. As I said, graphic design is one of them. Fashion is another. It's just a matter of what your interests are. Just going for fine art won't do anything; it's not something you make a good amount of money on in these days. When people try to go to art school when they're ineducated about this... that's the problem.

I think that what you should do is go to a regular college first and get a steady payment rate job that you can rely on, and then go to art school.
Being an artist is a very risky field, even if you're good. Your parents probably don't want you to go because they're worried that you'll have to fall back on them heavily due to not getting good pay.
A lot of this also depends on what kind of art you do, different jobs requiring different skills are either easier or harder than others.
(Sorry for my sucky response, can't think of much, I'm not exactly an expert on this.)

I know plans after high school can be a shit load of info to understand with all the options so i sugest you put everything out into a flow chart formation that lists the routes each after high school choice leads you. its very helpful to see how choices connect.

If you like art, you can always go for digital art and maybe even architecture. There are good jobs for those. I like art too and if I can't find a job in marine bio or singing, i would definetly find a job for making google logos! :D