<p>Hey there, wondering if someone could help me out with a bit of a dilemma. I'm stuck between two schools (SAIC and Ringling) and I'm not sure which one to pick. </p>
<p>For an animation major, Ringling would be the obvious choice (#1 in computer animation, GREAT recruitment opportunities, tons and tons of alumni working in big studios like Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, etc.), but CA majors receive very little in terms of scholarships, with the max being 10k/yr. Tuition is 34k/yr. The downside to school is that it's located in a bad area and I've read reviews about being able to hear gunshots and sirens in the background... Acceptance rate for CA majors is around 15% and I've been accepted (HS senior), but I'm not sure if I could make it again if I try to transfer from SAIC.</p>
<p>SAIC offered me a very big scholarship that, with finaid, brings down a 37k/yr tuition to less than 10k/yr. It's leading in the country for fine arts. However, their animation major is very obscure and experimental, and also unlikely to give me good employment opportunities. However, Chicago is a great city for art students and I have a lot of connections (family friends, etc.) there. My parents are pressuring me to go to this school.</p>
<p>Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Have you visited either? I’m surprised to hear that Ringling is in a bad area. If you’ve seen it yourself first-hand, that’s one thing. If it’s just “what people say”, you might want to take that with a grain of salt. Not ignore those reports, just don’t bless them as holy truth just yet. Similarly, make sure you fit in at SAIC before you let yourself get pressured to go there. </p>
<p>Visits are just really important in the choice process.</p>
<p>I actually just took a look at SAIC’s animation reels (something I’m actually really surprised I haven’t done yet) and erm, well, to put it lightly, I’m definitely not considering it as a choice anymore…</p>
<p>However, Ringling is still a bit out of my family’s financial reach and I’m considering SCAD, which is also very good in animation although Ringling is still a bit better IMO. SCAD gave me a decent scholarship. Tuition is around 31k/yr but it gets cut down a lot by the finaid, though I’m not sure exactly how much since I don’t know how much aid I’ll be getting after freshman year. Heard odd rumors about them taking away scholarships after the first year, though I dunno if they’re true or not. </p>
<p>As for what I heard about Ringling, a lot of reviewers who liked the school a lot also say that it’s not the greatest area, but it’s pretty possible they’re exaggerated too. I’m not sure if I can post this link on here or not, buuuut: [Sarasota</a> crime rates and statistics - NeighborhoodScout](<a href=“The page you were looking for doesn't exist (404)”>Sarasota Crime Rates and Statistics - NeighborhoodScout) seems the crime rate is a bit higher than average, hahaha.</p>
<p>I will try to visit these colleges, though.</p>
<p>Thanks, aviatrix, for the link about the crime rate. Have to check it thoroughly, though. The crime rate is per capita, and the population of Sarasota is stated as 51,917. If you compare it to a larger city - say, Baltimore, MD (MICA s there), with the 600,000 people+, you will get the ratio of a “violent crimes” number per capita.</p>
<p>We just got back from Sarasota - our S is accepted at Ringling, alongside some of the best art schools in the country. But he loves Ringling. Sarasota is a lovely small town, beautiful beach, great atmosphere. Indeed, the area west of Ringling is “quite sketchy” ( to say the least). But the college itself is great, kids seem great, so visiting with your parents might seem like the right thing to do. </p>
<p>There is no “low cost” college when it comes to Computer Animation. You should not look for less expensive options, as they are seemingly less expensive. The financial aid award letters present just a portion of the amount needed. calculate everything - tuition, housing, fees, supplies, books, everything, you might find the self-help amount is relatively the same for each one… </p>
<p>Some colleges were more generous in scholarships than others to our S but it all comes to basically the same amount we need to borrow as loans.</p>