High school students are introduced to the art and design college experience in Paris. The program is open to high school students entering their junior or senior year and recent high school graduates. Many enroll to develop a portfolio for the college admissions process.
Minimum 2.75 G.P.A. (Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis, and students below this threshold are encouraged to apply. These students may be asked to submit a letter of recommendation and participate in a Skype interview.)
Completed API application
Non-native English speakers must provide TOEFL scores of 79 or above or IELTS scores of 6.5 or above to show proof of English proficiency. These students may be asked to participate in a Skype interview to determine English proficiency.
Entry requirements for US and EU passport holders: a valid passport
Entry requirements for all other international students: consult the French Consulate in your home country
Program Details
What You’ll Study
TOTAL CREDITS - 3 semester credits
High school students are introduced to the art and design college experience in Paris. The program is open to high school students entering their junior or senior year and recent high school graduates. Many enroll to develop a portfolio for the college admissions process.
Classes are held from approximately 9am-4pm. Students will choose ONE course to complete over the three-week program. No pre-requisites required.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION
Meals are not included, but the hotel accommodation includes a daily continental breakfast. Students will be provided with information about affordable local options for meals near the Parsons building and near the hotel upon arrival in Paris.
All pre-college students are met at the airport by on-site staff on the program start date. A group return transfer to the Charles de Gaulle airport is also included on the last day of the program. Students receive detailed flight instructions upon their acceptance into the program and should wait to purchase a flight until receiving more information post-acceptance.
TRANSCRIPTS
Transcripts for Parsons students are issued by the Registrar’s Office and carry the signature and seal of The New School. A transcript is confirmation of a student’s permanent record at the university. API will send one transcript per student to the address the student indicates on the Transcript Release Form. Students who need additional copies of their transcript may submit an official request to The New School Registrar’s Office.
Parsons Paris, founded in 1921, is accredited by NASAD (National Association of the Schools of Art and Design) and by MSCHE (Middle States Commission on Higher Education), and is recognized by the French Ministry of Education as a Private Establishment of Higher Education (Etablissement d’Enseignement Supérieur Privé).
Courses
COURSE OFFERINGS
All Pre College Summer 2 courses are full-day studio courses. Students provide their own art supplies. The supply list will be sent by the faculty to the students before the program begins. We usually estimate the cost to be $400 for most studio classes (drawing and fashion, especially). This cost can be lower if students already own some supplies and bring them from home, and it can be higher, if students choose more expensive fabrics and materials for final projects, etc.
Courses are not guaranteed to be offered. Students should be flexible with their course choices.
CREDIT INFORMATION
Courses are equivalent to 3 U.S. college credits. Transcripts will be issued by The New School, a U.S.-accredited institution.
Graphic Design Workshop
Graphic design is everywhere around you—posters, websites, T-shirts, advertising, packaging and publications. It is a medium in which words and images merge to communicate powerful messages. In this hands-on course, students learn creative problem-solving techniques and the basics of form, expressive typography and content. Through projects, students learn to employ narrative and storytelling methods and engage in design, analysis, documentation and implementation. Emphasis is placed on the designer’s role within the professional arena and the fundamental tools of composition, color, typography and design communication from screen and print.
Portfolio Preparation
This course enables students to develop a high-quality portfolio of work for further and higher education.
This course will develop the skills and understanding to produce high standard artwork for a portfolio. Students will research, construct, and enhance appropriate work with a range of digital tools, and design a consistent portfolio. This course will develop the editing and typographic skills, to frame and present the artwork with relevance and clarity, in an articulate manner, both online and PDF format, with a range of digital tools and platforms, and prepare for admissions.
Students will familiarize themselves with life in Paris, participating in studio workshops and research trips to museums and galleries.
Explorations in Drawing
This is an intensive drawing course in Paris. The goal is to develop eye, hand and mind coordination, plus an understanding and enjoyment of methods and materials. Students will learn to observe the world in a new way and communicate their impressions of it by drawing. Drawing is taught as an essential language for all forms of design and visual arts. The first week concentrates on the use of lines. The second week focuses on value, composition, and perspective. The third week will explore methods of drawing from the imagination or process-oriented drawing. There will be short lessons, discussions on classical and contemporary artists, still life drawing, figure drawing and composition exercises in the studio. Numerous visits to museums, exhibitions and public places around Paris will support the learning process and allow students to work outside the studio. Guest artists will visit the classroom to present their work and lead workshops. There will be daily critiques and exchange of ideas where students will be encouraged to talk about their work and the work of their fellow students. Discussion and reviews are a lively part of the course and all are required to participate. Outside of class time, ‘home work’ assignments will be collecting observations and drawings in a sketchbook on a daily basis. Students of all levels are welcome and the course will be helpful and challenging to all regardless of previous experience or skill level.
Fashion Design Process
This course introduces students to various approaches and techniques involved in the design process for fashion products. Students are encouraged to experiment as they research and find inspiration for a fashion collection and devise innovative 2D and 3D production methods for their fashion pieces. Working on projects individually and in groups, students develop fashion concepts for which they draw on the unique resources of Paris and explore how fabrication methods and color affect collections. Students are also introduced to branding and merchandising basics used to identify and create work for targeted markets and consumers.
Fashion Illustration
This is an intensive drawing course in Paris. The goal is to develop eye, hand and mind coordination, plus an understanding and enjoyment of methods and materials. Students will learn to observe the world in a new way and communicate their impressions of it by drawing. Drawing is taught as an essential language for all forms of design and visual arts. The first week concentrates on the use of lines. The second week focuses on value, composition, and perspective. The third week will explore methods of drawing from the imagination or process-oriented drawing. There will be short lessons, discussions on classical and contemporary artists, still life drawing, figure drawing and composition exercises in the studio. Numerous visits to museums, exhibitions and public places around Paris will support the learning process and allow students to work outside the studio. Guest artists will visit the classroom to present their work and lead workshops. There will be daily critiques and exchange of ideas where students will be encouraged to talk about their work and the work of their fellow students. Discussion and reviews are a lively part of the course and all are required to participate. Outside of class time, ‘home work’ assignments will be collecting observations and drawings in a sketchbook on a daily basis. Students of all levels are welcome and the course will be helpful and challenging to all regardless of previous experience or skill level.
Fashion Photography: History and Practice
This course aims at crossing theoretical and practical approaches to let students acquire basic knowledge in understanding fashion images and in creating them.
Students will learn how to analyze fashion photography using interdisciplinary tools, from history to sociology and semiotics. In parallel, students will experiment with practical photography techniques at a professional level in order to be able to produce a fashion shoot, from the preliminary research to the final realization in collaboration with a model. Workshops, field trips, and exhibitions are also proposed during the course.
The course will explore photographic methods that enable students to see and interpret the meaning of style. Paris is the historical capital of Haute Couture and luxury fashion, but students will also appreciate it as a city of fashion subcultures in which appearances can express social and political claims.
Introduction to Design and Management
Students learn to approach management as a strategic process that combines design innovation and business knowledge. In collaborative projects, they develop problem-solving skills and familiarity with design strategies through the application of research methods, prototyping, and quantitative analysis. Emphasis is placed on understanding a European setting and perspective and the way entrepreneurs, business innovators, and designers operate at the intersection of design and management. Students engage in design thinking and business strategy exercises, applying these approaches in a broad range of enterprises and real-world business contexts.
Highlights
Classes taught in English
World-renowned art and design school
Earn 3 U.S. college credits and a college transcript from a U.S. accredited institution (The New School)
Top U.S. and international accreditations (including NASAD and Middle States)
Intimate class size
Best-in-class education in creative disciplines, including art, design, business of design, and fashion
Courses taught by leading industry professionals from the world's two fashion capitals - New York and Paris
Metro pass included
Housing: double hotel room
Faculty
Rose Tierny
Rose will be one of your Resident Directors for Parsons Paris and is a resource for you while you are living abroad with us in France!
Yuné Jang
Yune will be one of your Resident Directors at Parsons Paris and will be a resource for you on campus!
Rebecca Cott
Rebecca Cott will be your Program Manager and prepare you to go abroad!
Allison Brown will be one of your Resident Directors at Parsons Paris and a resource for you while you are in France!
Excursions
API students participate in several excursions per session designed to help familiarize them with areas of their host city, country, and surrounding region. The following is a listing of all excursions for API Paris programs. All excursions are subject to change.
Château de Chambord
Visit the château de Chambord and take a hayride through the Chambord forest on the paths that Leonardo da Vinci used to wander with French king François the first. With its unique architecture and vast forestland, Chambord castle is one of the most famous Loire Valley châteaux. We will then visit a traditional French farm that produces goat cheese, marmalade, and blackcurrant syrup – tasting is included of course!
Possible cultural events in Paris include:
Picnics and tastings (French pastries, cheeses, crepes)
Local tours (Quartier Latin, Versailles, Hidden Marais, Pere Lachaise)
Visits to museums (Musee de la Mode, Louvre)
Visits to famous landmarks (Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower, Montmartre)
Visits to local markets, the ballet, and/or the theater!
Day trips and cultural events are subject to change
Housing
Students will stay in a three-star hotel located 20-25 minutes via subway from Parsons Paris. All student rooms are double-occupancy with private bathrooms. Continental breakfast is included every morning. Internet service is available at the hotel and phone service is available for an extra fee. Laundry facilities located nearby are recommended, as the hotel's laundry service is expensive. Students can choose to opt out of housing for a deduction from the program cost.
