@nmmomma RISD definitely had a more college feel and CalArts was very removed from anywhere so there were probably many commuters. My D didn’t like either so we only did the one tour at each school.
@veehee & @nmmomma - I can’t speak for CalArts (altho we’re visiting there with son this summer) but daughter is at RISD now and we did get a lot of job placement info on our tour. Also, we toured twice (sophomore year and then again as she narrowed schools down) before applying so maybe info was cumulative or we had a better guide for one.
Plus that info is crucial to me as someone who also works in the visual arts, so I may have asked a question on our tour to prod for the info. 
One thing I was really impressed with and comes with the “name brand” recognition of RISD is how many firms come to them. For example, RISD hosts portfolio review days for juniors - grad students in both design and fine arts with a really impressive list of attendees. Here’s the links for this years events http://www.designreview.risd.edu/ with participants here: http://www.designreview.risd.edu/copy-of-participating-companies-201
There’s a similar but separate track of events for the fine arts at http://www.fineartsreview.risd.edu/ Not sure re performing arts though.
Daughter is going into illustration and one thing we remembered was seeing the senior illustration gallery show and being told all the places the students already had landed jobs at. And daughter has had opportunities to go to talks by many working artists & workshops about employment in the arts as a freshman…altho some nights she’s just too swamped with foundation year work to go!
good luck.
WhoDeyKC – when visiting VCUARTS check out some of the galleries, also suggest check out Carry Town for something to eat and great environment.
My D got Ringling Accepted today with $$$.
Congrats to your D, pigmom!
Awesome news!!!
Update…daughter got acceptances to Alfred University and RIT in the past few days. Went to accepted students day at MECA (Maine College of Art) last weekend and got more money from Mass Art in financial aid letter. She’s got 7 schools to choose from. Its going to be tough. Have not heard from SMFA/Tufts yet.
So far, Alfred University is the best deal monetarily, by far. Great merit aid and reduced tuition from their support from the State of New York. Its been such a long process. Going to be a tough decision.
Congrats to everybody for acceptances! I thought my D is all set to go to SAIC, and it is still her wish to go there, but MICA sent an email asking her if she has more work she made after she sent the portfolio because they are discussing her portfolio for additional scholarship. She got scholarship from MICA in January, but it looks like they have another round? I guess we will have to wait a little longer before saying yes to SAIC, but I wonder if that will make it hard for her to get housing
Has anyone received SVA scholarship awards yet? DD got her acceptance quite awhile back and I believe merit scholarships were going to come along separately. Haven’t heard anything yet and I’m surprised because she did receive $ from all the other schools she’s been accepted to so far…
Last year, my friends D applied and was accepted with a merit scholarship to SVA but since it wasn’t enough to make it affordable, she didn’t accept their offer. After the deadline passed to let them know you were coming in the fall, they emailed her with additional money. It still wasn’t enough but it was nice to be offered it. So SVA might work a little differently than the other schools. Maybe because they are a for profit school.
veehee, thanks so much for this insight.
Wow - sounds like these schools are really competing for the top kids!
My son received his acceptance to Ringling animation today with a nice scholarship. Score! He also received the letter from MICA re: additional scholarship opportunities, but he doesn’t want to go there. Still waiting on CalArts and RISD before making a decision.
Anyone going to SAIC accepted students event in NYC today?
Wish I had found this site back in the Fall when we are in the process of those applications. Funny how no one tells you how much more involved the art school applications are. Daughter did not do EA/ED anywhere, but has been accepted a few places and got her first rejection yesterday – Cal Arts. She applied for animation and has gotten into Ringling, SCAD and SJSU ( as well as a few lesser known West Coast schools as back-ups.) She visited Cal Arts just a few weeks ago and loved it but also found out that they had gotten 1000 applications for 50 spots. We are still waiting to hear from RISD and Pratt. (She also applied to Emerson and Drexel as well as one of the UC schools but they are all much further down on her list.)
Congrats to Jazzbutcher’s son! He’ll love Ringling! Better be prepared to WORK!
@CAShirt Ringling, SCAD and SJSU are dream schools for many would be animators so she must feel very good about her acceptances to date. Congrats to her (so far!) and please keep us posted.
@CAShirt Looks like your daughter has some good options already, congrats to her! My daughter applied as an animation major last year and ended up choosing between SJSU and Chapman/Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Calarts had been her dream school after attending CSSSA for animation the summer before applying, but did not get in. At the time she was extremely disappointed and was sure she would reapply this year, but after a semester at Chapman as a digital arts major, she is so happy and decided to not reapply to Calarts. My daughter did not apply out of state, so had less to choose from overall, but your daughter already has some excellent choices and I’m sure will end up where she’s meant to be.Good luck and keep us posted.
@CAShirl my daughter was rejected yesterday from CalArts as well. She was pretty much expecting it, but still it was her “pipe dream” school. SCAD has upped their offer, SVA and SAIC and Laguna have already offered great scholarships, so we will see. My girl is going to accepted students day for SAIC in Atlanta next weekend. Anyone going? She got a full scholarship to the state school that has a great digital media program and is going to meet with one of the professors on Friday just to get a feel for the program. Still waiting on RISD/Brown (super long shot to be accepted to dual-degree program, so she’s not putting much stock in that, but hoping RISD will come through at least), USC… again super long shot, and Pratt. I truly think at this point she will end up at SVA! I’m SO READY TO MAKE A DECISION.
***** I welcome any and all thoughts on any of the schools listed above, especially if you have students there now*******