@missis. I feel for your dilemma too. My D didn’t apply to MICA or SAIC, but she did attend her first precollege program at SAIC a few years a go. She liked the figure drawing class, it was her very first art instruction. Though she didn’t feel SAIC was for her, because its focus is more on conceptual art and she’s more interested in applied arts. Chicago is a wonderful city with many big city opportunities, but much smaller in scale than NYC.
Ss major will be illustration. And I’m taking a break from our already 2 HOUR family meeting on this. S just can’t decide…in his defense he’s got great reasons for either school. Arghhh…
He’s now suggesting flipping a coin. :neutral:
@ArtAngst, @missis, @cag60093 - We can so relate with what you are going through! My daughter kept going back and forth between RISD, Parsons, Pratt, MICA, Tufts/SMFA and state options (OSU & Cincinnati/DAAP), weighing the pros and cons of each, including the varying financial aspects of each and the art school vs. university with smaller art department environment, the NYC vs. other locations question… It was a couple of weeks of high angst until she decided on RISD. There were a number of reasons that led her to that decision, but I think loving her pre-college experience there swayed her the most. Best of luck to you all!
@missis My daughter didn’t apply to SAIC, so we don’t know that much about it. Her art school teacher told her that they didn’t have the kind of foundation program my daughter was looking for so she didn’t pursue it. We’ve also heard that there is a greater focus on conceptual and abstract work there, so students who already know that’s their direction are a good fit. Regarding MICA, her art teacher attended there and recommends it very highly. She said it has a strong foundation program, and from our research have found the school to be well-regarded. Regarding the city, from what I’ve heard Baltimore is pretty good for artists, but safety is definitely an issue to consider and I know of people who have had bad experiences involving crime in areas right near the school. On the plus side, MICA has the door-to-door shuttle service like RISD does, which is a great feature as students often return to dorms and apartments very late from studios. We visited for the Admitted Student Open House and it looked like it had a lot to offer, and the student panel was especially impressive. The teachers and administration were very enthusiastic and warm, it was well-organized and very informative, and so overall our experience was good, but I didn’t find the student artwork put up for the Fine Arts Drawing & Painting presentation to be as strong as I expected.
@cag60093 We went through something similar on our end: the financial offers of all the other schools on my daughter’s list made them much less expensive options than RISD, so it made sense to select one of those. And if there is a plan to then go to grad school, it made even more sense as the savings could cover that grad school expense. Plus it’s the terminal degree school that carries the most weight on a resume, so many do advise going the economical route for undergrad, even if the school is not quite as well known in the arts, and then finish off with the more well-known school for a masters. In the end, though, my daughter really wanted to be at RISD most of all, so we are biting the financial bullet for it. She wanted to be in a larger community of student artists and to have more art classes and art faculty and art resources available, a career resources department focussed on art careers, and a larger network of former students once graduated. She did like the idea that in a larger university there would be more variety of students with differing non-art interests around, but feels that she will still get that at RISD through interacting with Brown students. Mostly I think it was her very happy experience at RISD’s precollege that convinced her. We’re thrilled for her, and relieved that she has made a decision that she’s so happy about. And we also think RISD is great, and she will be very happy there. And yet we still do wonder if it’s the best choice… all that money spent now might be better saved to use later, if not towards grad school then in helping support the first years of starting off a career, which can be especially challenging for artists. Sigh, I don’t know if there really is a “right” answer, other than 1) the student is happy wherever they choose to go and 2) they don’t have to suffer unreasonable debt for it. Best of luck to your family with the decision-making!
@artdreamer. I surmised our crux to the T. We are debating all of this endlessly and are getting nowhere. Ultimately, as a parent, I want her to be confident with her choice and not regret it. I want her to thrive in an environment that will help her grow artistically, academically and personally. RISD fits the bill. However, I also don’t want her to be over burdened by stress and competition, esp after coming out of a pressure cooker grinding HS years. Having 4 years to get a general studio arts degree from the flagship may allow her to try all different aspects of art education. Then she can decide what she wants to specialize in grad school. Yet, is that realistic? SIGH, SIGH, SIGH
@cag60093 If exploration is a priority, then the general studio arts degree would definitely provide more opportunity for that. At RISD the students do have a year before declaring a major, so they are not locked in right away, however their schedules that first year are also all filled up with the foundation classes with the exception of the one 5-week wintersession class. So there is only one opportunity to try something new before picking a path forward. And the full scholarship award would be an impressive plus on your daughter’s resume for future applications if she then opted to pursue graduate studies at RISD or elsewhere. It’s certainly hard to turn down such an offer if your daughter likes the state school! We’ve heard that the workload at RISD is very intense, and even the summer precollege session was quite rigorous. In my daughter’s case that’s actually best, as it spurs her creativity and motivation to be in that kind of environment, whereas she finds herself becoming less productive than she’d like in a more relaxed one. But if a student flourishes more in a less stressful environment and is motivated enough to push themselves as needed to their best work, then the pressure cooker may be a negative for them rather than a positive. Only you and she know what is the best fit for her! Let us know what you decide! 
After a whole day of deliberations, a walk in the woods, Chinese food (the fortune cookies were no help!), coin flipping AND a Magic 8 Ball app…S finally decided he’s going to Parsons!
So glad to be DONE!!!
Good luck to everyone else and hope we all make to May 1st as sane as possible! ;D
@cag60093 — Guess i would get out my paper and list pros and cons at this point.
A couple of questions that only your D can answer are if she is ready for art 24/7 in a rigorous environment to pursue her art with a goal in mind or be willing to give up the rigor for more possible exploration?
Does the flagship have a major she wants to pursue?
If you saved that money now what would that allow her to do later?
You must be going nuts! Glad it’s not me!
Congrats to ALL those to made their decisions already! And good luck to those who are still into it…it is NOT easy, and esp for the 17/18 year old who are starry eyed about their future and they have to get down on the ground looking at finances and other things where they have to learn so much about!
@ArtAngst so glad to hear that S finally made his decision, flipping coin or the cookie or the ball 
at least he will have a story to tell! Sometimes getting great offers also make the decision more difficult!
@cag60093 One thing to consider is that top-ranked MFA programs expect a lot from their applicants and seldom accept applicants straight out of undergrad. They want to see a body of work and experience at residency programs that may take 5 plus years to establish post graduation. Another consideration is will the level of her peer’s work be in the same league as your D’s? How many majors are in the program? Look carefully at samples of student work. I’d shy away from a program that didn’t challenge a growing artist. Not saying that’s the case, but I’d certainly explore the program’s expectations and requirements.
@ArtAngst Congratulations to your son’s decision to attend Parsons! Best wishes to him. Thank you also for your thought advice throughout our process.
@artdreamer Best wishes to your D at RISD!
@gouf78 I also thank you for sharing your D’s experience and journey at Ringling and post Ringling. Best wishes to her as she moves forward and upwards in her career,
@uskoolfish Thank you for your thoughtful questions. All were helpful.
After my posts on CC on Saturday, my D said she wanted time to consider her options by herself. She added that she is fully aware of the pros and cons of RISD and Illinois and it has to be her decision to make. Yesterday, she informed us that her choice is Illinois. Her reasons are well thought out and compelling. She believes the full ride scholarship is a tremendous gift that only comes once in a lifetime. It will allow her to explore various aspects of art practice, art education and her overall academic education. It will also allow her time to consider and contemplate her path without external burden or stress.
The 4 year full ride scholarship is offered to one incoming student in the college of art, every other year. It was designed by the alum donor who received a BFA. While taking classes he also worked to support his wife and young family, leaving Illinois to seek opportunity in NYC. After years of hard work and initiative he founded and headed up a successful company, he chose to give back to his alma mater by establishing this scholarship so that other young, talented students could attend Illinois without the financial struggle that he experienced. The scholarship stipulates that the recipient has to have a main major in the college of art, but the student can minor in other areas outside of the art college. The scholarship covers study abroad without added costs and provides extra funds for living and travel expenses annually.
Prior to the scholarship notification, she explained she was mentally committed to RISD, because it is one of the best art colleges with a talented student body and teaching staff. She felt RISD would give her an excellent foundation and help develop her skills and ideas that will then help land internships and her first job right out school. The latter was very important for her, maybe too important in my husband and my opinions. However, we knew when she decided on RISD over Pratt and Ringling along with other traditional colleges, she didn’t make her decisions casually. She further explained that she decided to major in art because drawing/illustrating came naturally and easy for her. She didn’t think it was necessary to consider if she’s good at other things too because college is expensive and an added year due to switching majors or directions have consequences.
The unexpected scholarship now gives her opportunities that she would not allow herself to consider. She can explore different art majors and a major and/or minors outside of college of art. (She knows that she can change her major from illustration to another major after the RISD foundation year, but have heard it’s a bit restrictive after choosing the final major.). Outside of art, she is interested in history, chemistry, foreign languages, tech and gaming industry. Where she found herself most at peace and at ease with herself in HS was in the Robotics club and its members. She realized that she needs a diverse student body interested in diverse things.
We did not expect this outcome or her reasons why Illinois. She has been adamant that she wanted to attend the stand alone art college for a couple of years, especially after attending Ringling’s precollege last summer. We decided to support her decision, even though we initially wanted her to consider other possibilities since she is also academically talented. Over the weekend, I especially was fully supporting RISD because it’s what she said she wanted for a long time and I didn’t want her to change her “goal” due to costs.
We are very proud how she really soul searched to make an informed decision based on her personal specifics. We are also proud that she is able to switch gears unexpectedly because life will always throw out challenges and opportunities when least expected. She is young (still 17 years old and won’t be turning 18 until she enters college); she now knows that she can slow down a bit and take time to really contemplate and enjoy college education/experiences. Her art talent will develop and grow wherever she lands. We believe her portfolio and academic achievements during her undergrad years will help her with whatever and wherever she decides for graduate studies.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences and thoughts in my D’s choices.
@cag60093 congratulations to you and your daughter! It sounds like she put a ton of thought into this and her choice provides her with amazing opportunities (and without financial stress!! which is HUGE). And congrats for helping her navigate this so well (& at the 11th hour!).
@cag60093 Sounds like a fantastic outcome! Congratulations to your daughter!
I’m so glad to see everyone making their college decisions! I’ve previously posted in this chat about my decision between Parsons, SAIC, SVA or VCUarts, but a week or so ago I committed to Yale University to study Studio Art! I wish all of my fellow incoming freshman good luck
Hi everyone, my friend is considering applying for Graphic Design at UIC. Can anyone please give some thoughts or reviews ? Thanks a lot !
@preraphaelitefan Congrats on your decision! And all the best!
@missis How did the decision-making go? I recall your daughter was weighing the pros and cons of SAIC and MICA…
@artdreamer, sorry for disappearing! May 1 was an astonishingly difficult day around here, as you probably imagine! She ended up picking MICA! And then, today, she got taken off the waitlist for Parsons…
Parsons gave her a sizable scholarship (which surprised me) but she’s sold on MICA. She wishes it was in NYC, but you can’t have everything, I guess!
Congrats to everyone for getting to the “other side”! And thanks for listening to me whine. No one who hasn’t been through the process understands the angst of art school admissions!
@lalala00500, UIC was the first school we visited, and we were both blown away by it. She isn’t a graphic arts student, so I don’t know about that specifically, but I really liked the art facilities, the location, and the teachers.
I don’t know why my daughter took it off the table, but I suspect the snobbery of her schoolmates (they kept thinking UIC was U of C, because what else is there?) helped. Her art teacher kept trying to nudge her back into the UIC direction.