I think that Atelier’s are under rated This page has a fairly in-depth explanation of the differences between Ateliers and Art Colleges: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php/133215-Whats-the-difference-between-an-Atelier-and-an-Art-College. If I had to do it over again, I would consider an atelier for a couple of years, then art college.