<p>Can anyone recommend a good art college? Not a liberal arts college with an art program, but an art college. I'm new to this site, so forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place.
My daughter is a senior and plans to attend an art college in the Fall of 2012. She's been accepted to one and is applying to three others, but we're getting mixed reviews about all of them! We visited 3 out 4. Thanks.</p>
<p>Try this:</p>
<p>[Visual</a> Arts and Film Majors - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/]Visual”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/)</p>
<p>Try posting on this forum.
[Visual</a> Arts and Film Majors - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/]Visual”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/)</p>
<p>Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota FL</p>
<p>Hi calgam, It would help to know what she is looking for in a college. Lots of us here would be happy to help as we have kids all over the country and everyone seems happy with their choices. My D wanted an art college with a campus, nothing too big, and a strong illustration program combined with that gut feeling the kids get when visiting and they know they’re in the right place! She is in her second year at The Ringling College of Art + Design and couldn’t be happier with her life there (courses, teachers, dorm, roommate, etc.). Give us an idea of your D’s dream school and you’ll get a lot of help here!</p>
<p>Hi gouf78, I’m heading to Ringling this weekend for Family Weekend and can’t wait! They have a bunch of activities planned and we’ll also have plenty of free time to hit our favorite spots in town. Hope your D is doing well!</p>
<p>Hey Colcon! Have a super time! My D is doing great and I hope yours is also!</p>
<p>My daughter may apply to Ringling for Fall 2012. She has 48 credits at a liberal arts college (about 3.2 GPA), but now she is preferring to transfer to an art college, such as Ringling. How can we find out her chances for admission? We visited the site, but I don’t see this information. </p>
<p>She wants Motion Graphics and Special Effects; this is her favorite thing, by far. She has been making stop/motion videos for the past 3 years – her favorite hobby, and this is mostly what her portfolio would be, although she has a few drawings, and one painting. </p>
<p>Thanks, snow bird.</p>
<p>My D majored in computer animation at Ringling. I’m not sure exactly where stop/motion videos fit in their majors.
Ringling admission is almost totally portfolio based. Contact admissions directlly for your questions (they are very nice and very helpful).
Application deadlines vary by major (CA is earlier than other majors).
My D LOVED her four years at Ringling. Good luck to your D!</p>
<p>Gouf,
Is Ringling a great choice, if the graduate prefers a job following graduation? What if a graduate wants an MFA, after Ringling? I’m worried that colleges offering an MFA may look down upon Ringling, since it’s not a liberal arts school. It’s this lack of knowledge that makes me worry. I know of a college art prof, who went to Alfred, and then the School of Visual Arts in NYC. It made me wonder if an undergraduate liberal arts degree is a safer route, if a person has no idea what she/he wants to do, after the bachelors degree. My d is not exactly certain about her career aspirations, although she would be happy making stop/motion videos for YouTube, as a way to support herself.</p>
<p>That said, I really like the fact that Ringling is more of a college atmosphere, where an art student can feel safe and secure for a few years, without having to endure the NYC life at, say, SVA, or Pratt, for example. Not all 18 years olds are ready for the city and this is all part of the selection process. My daughter does not want NYC. We’re living in northern NJ, btw. So, SVA is only a train ride away. We intend to visit.</p>
<p>So, perhaps my question is…what is your d doing, after graduation from Ringling, and what did other graduates do? If your d wants an MFA, is that going to be doable? I bet it all rests on her portfolio, and perhaps that’s what I need to learn. I know nothing about the art field at all. Thanks for any comments. snow bird</p>
<p>When I started this I didn’t know anything about the art field either. I keep learning!
Who doesn’t prefer a job ? The reason I sent my D to Ringling is so she would hopefully have a job after graduation in her field.
At the time I was looking for schools, Pixar listed RCAD as one of the colleges for computer animation. (now they refrain from listing colleges). Most (if not all) top companies recruit from Ringling.<br>
My D is presently at a top 5 animation studio as are other of her classmates. Ringling does not believe in starving artists and has an extremely good careers office. That said, it is always up to the individual and their respective talent. Ringling will help you achieve your goals.
Ringling used to be Ringling School of Art and Design and changed to R College AD. They changed the curriculum a bit to make sure that their courses would be transferable to other colleges in the university system. So if your D changes her mind she should be able to transfer her credits to another university.</p>
<p>There is another thread Masters in Animation without BFA (think I got that right) on CC that while the original post doesn’t apply to you the responses have a lot of good advice and routes to jobs (if it doesn’t confuse you…!) from people who seem to know the field.
It mentions other schools etc that I never considered but may be of interest.</p>
<p>If you are interested in animation, you should also check out: CalArts, School of Visual Arts, RISD, Pratt, Leguna College of Art and Design, SCAD, and RIT.</p>
<p>Hi gouf78! Family Weekend at Ringling was great! Lots of parents attended, and the activities were very enjoyable. Everyone is so approachable and I am always amazed to learn that someone who was just hanging out with us holds a doctorate or is a top administrator! My daughter is doing so well; is taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to her and also having fun along with all the hard work. I hope she does as well as your daughter some day! I’m so glad you pop in here, as you have been there, done that. :-)</p>
<p>Hi snowbird, Yes, as gouf said, contact Admissions…they are super nice and will answer your questions. Are her credits general ed/liberal arts? Ringling does offer a major in Motion Design (and also has a stop-motion club). Be sure to check the application deadlines; it’s probably rolling but if she decides on CA then everything has to be in mid-January. </p>
<p>Your daughter would earn a BFA at Ringling and probably most art colleges. It is similar to a BA except that there is a higher % of art classes with a BFA than she would get with an art degree (BA) from a regular university. I would imagine with all the credits that she has already earned that she doesn’t feel like a university is the path she wants to be on. My belief and great hope is that the art kids with a true passion will be the ones who succeed! It is probably the same for any vocation.</p>
<p>We also love that Ringling is a true college campus! My daughter is not street-wise (we also live near NYC and visit often) and she feels very safe there. She visited other schools in NYC and throughout the northeast but once she visited Ringling that was it! The vibe is very different in FL: more relaxed and friendly despite the very high standards to which the students are held. She feels that the teachers really care about the kids and I think that is something everyone at the college seems to share in, even in departments such as housing, dining, etc. Has she visited?</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure the admissions criteria are detailed on the website if you follow the “apply” link. There are sections for new freshman and transfers. Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll see if I can help. Best of luck to you whatever she decides to do!</p>
<p>Hey Colcon! Happy Thanksgiving! And so glad parent’s weekend was great. and even greater that your D is loving Ringling!
You hit on something that really rung a bell! The teachers DO care about their students. And if history holds true the students care about one another also.
The art field is very small even though the industry gets bigger. Networking is everything.
My D said “The people I work with today will be the people I work with tomorrow.” It was drilled into her to respect her peers and their talent (and value her own as well.)
A great lesson for all of us!</p>