I am currently searching for art schools to apply to. So far my top choices are Academy of Art (San Fran.), MCAD, SCAD, etc. I have read a few forums already, and I’ve got the feeling SCAD is not as great as it seems. Do people have a lot of trouble with this school?
Also, I want to do graphic novels for a living, but I can’t decide on a Illustration degree or a Sequential Art or Comics degree. Any advice?
I also read on previous forums something about accredited schools. What does that mean and why does it matter?
MCAD is great - we live in Minneapolis and it was my D1’s second choice (after Pratt in Brooklyn - she wanted to go out of state).
One nice thing about a foundation program is that you don’t have to make any decisions as to major right away. You usually declare by end of freshman year for most or all of these stand-alone art colleges. So hold that question and talk to your academic advisor wherever you end up. Again, MCAD is going to be great for all of them.
D2 applied to SCAD in the fall and is currently deciding on that or another university program for animation. She LOVES SCAD. Amazing facilities. Placement rate for last senior class was 97% in their field by 10 months out of graduation (or similar timing) which is phenomenal. They assign a career advisor to you as well as an academic advisor and you can meet with this individual right away and can get working on maximizing your professional development.
I encourage you to check out both SCAD and MCAD. Good luck!
@carlycr - my son was accepted at SCAD for fall 2016 and it is currently his top choice. He wants to pursue a BFA in animation and was impressed by the facilities.
I think people’s issue with SCAD is that they have a reputation for offering scholarship money to encourage enrollment, but some students lose their scholarship if their grades drop. Coupled with this is the fact that they do not require a portfolio, so the perception is they will admit anyone because they want your tuition. However, with their admission rate at about 65%, I don’t think that’s the reality. I think if you have good grades and have passion for art, they want to give you a chance - especially if art classes in hs were not available.
The accreditation issue could possibly come into play if you needed to transfer. Apparently SCAD does not have the same accreditation as other schools and this can impact how easy it is to transfer credit. Also SCAD’s unusual quarter system may also attribute to the belief that it’s hard to transfer. Employers, on the other hand, don’t care that SCAD doesn’t have same accreditation as the other schools - they are more interested in your skills. If you get a chance, read the posts by taxguy. Where you go to school can help with developing your skills and with contacts, but ultimately its your talent that will get you a job.
Lastly, for comics and sequential art, you may want to consider SVA.
Don’t know about sequential art, but I have a friend who is a graphic artist and novelist and an Eisner winner many times over and he went here: http://www.kubertschool.edu/