Is there anyone here planning on applying as a freshmen? My daughter really wants to attend but I would like her to have a full college experience. She wants to major in Fashion merchandising. Can anyone tell me what life is like at FIT? and why its better to go to FIT over a university that has a fashion merchandising program?
Hi–Good for you for finding FIT. It’s a great school. I’ve known several people who have attended this school and/or have taught here. I’m guessing that you live in NYState and so will get the in-state tuition, besides. It’s such a bargain. A world-class education in fashion at bargain basement prices.
I can’t give you a comparison about FIT vs attending a university that has a fashion merchandising program directly.
However. FIT’s main thrust is fashion and it’s located basically in the fashion district of NYC. In a nutshell by going to a university set outside of the City I would think that your daughter would be that much more removed from the industry that she hopes to join. At FIT she will be in the heart of things, working with people who work in the industry, interning with the industry, and surrounded by the industry.
As far as regular college experience, you’d need to look at FIT’s website for residential life, clubs, etc. I would guess that her experience at FIT would be more like attending a fine-arts school (like School of the Art Institute of Chicago) rather than, say, attending Hamilton College. FIT does not have grassy quads, ancient-looking gothic buildings, etc. It does have an astonishing collection of fashions that have been donated from you name the designer going back decades upon decades and more. It does have access to the many world-class museums in the City. It does have access to fashion week and garment manufacturing and working designers and Broadway costuming . . . . .
If your daughter wants quads and gothic architecture, there are several other campuses that she could hang out on in the City, like Barnard, Columbia, NYU and all of Central Park and Bryant Park etc. FIT has a campus and the roads near it close during the day to encourage foot traffic around the school. But as I said earlier, the experience will be more of a studio experience in a working, active, lively city with real work connections, rather than LAC–green acres gothic Frat-house experience.
Thank you. We do not live in Ny and will not get the tuition discount. That is one of the reasons I was looking at our state university, where she would go for almost free. I thought if she goes to our state college and then to FiT, she could have the best of both worlds.
Hello! I’m currently a senior in high school applying into fashion business, so I’m in the same boat as your daughter. FIT happens to be my first choice and I know a lot about it because I love it so much. 
I recently visited FIT and know several people there, and I can tell you that it’s definitely not a normal college experience. Athletics aren’t really a popular thing, the social scene is said to be stagnant, and FIT is a dry campus, so there’s no parties. There’s also a lot of security (IDs have to be shown every time you enter a building) and even bringing friends who don’t go to FIT into your dorm is a hassle. You’re also expected to dress up every day; this is more prominent in fashion business/merchandising. I know some friends that are unhappy there because they didn’t expect everyone to dress up like on the runway every single day.
However, I personally think FIT is the best school to be at if you really want to be in the fashion industry-- it’s my personal top choice because of that. It’s a competitive school and it sets you up to be successful. A state school, in my opinion, won’t give as much money/support/clubs/internship opportunities to a fashion major over, for example, a physics or engineering program.
Though heads up-- if you want to transfer into FIT from a state school, they’ll only accept gen ed credits. You’ll have to start over and get the associate’s degree from FIT before you can get a bachelor’s degree from them. They do majors by two-year programs (so you have to get the associate’s and then re-apply for the bachelor’s).
You don’t get the “college life” at FIT but you do get exposure to real-life job and internship experiences, professors who have worked in the industry for 10+ years, and an AMAZING network of contacts. I’ve had seven internships. Don’t think you can say that attending a traditional university!