ArtBistro

I’m considering a Major in Graphic Design however I lack faith in my ability in Drawing & Sketching. I have had a Prior College Art Teacher Tell Me “You don’t need the ability to draw as a Graphic Design Major”, however I didn’t know how true this was?  For I more excel with computers & Graphic Manipulation.  How important is drawing & sketching to your portfolio and/or Job as a Graphic Designer?

I'd say this...You should be at least proficient in basic drawing and illustration....You don't have to a Da Vinci or anything like that, but sometimes the client will want something specific that you'll have to sketch out on the spot...A penguin on roller skates juggling our new Megabacon burgers...You may want to sketch this out and scan into photoshop, but ya still gotta draw to get it started...Can't always rely on clipart to provide the image your client wants, nor can you always rely on the resources to hire an outside vendor...That means it's up to you...And, the reality is, competition is tough, and you want to give your future employer every reason to hire you...So yeah, basic drawing skills I think are important.

Most 4 year colleges require you to take a 1st year art foundation class before you take graphic design classes, i would suggest you look up some local art studios and take some classes, 6 weeks of classes would improve your portfolio greatly.