<p>Hoping there are people out there who can advise on a student already enrolled. D is a freshman at Pratt intending to concentrate on painting. She received a good sized merit award. She went for Pratt mainly because 1) wanted proximity to NY for all the right reasons (not playing but seeing art, esp current) and 2) only applied to art institutes because she wanted the super concentration and was concerned about managing a demanding academic load with the long studio hours for both class attendance and homework. She has now been at Pratt for a month and is having a rotten time. There are the common problems that she will work through (homesickness, roommate) but she is miserably under whelmed by what is going on in all but one of her classes (film, which is new to her). She comes from an arts magnet high school and in every class profs are holding up her class work to the other students as what they should be striving towards. (This is not endearing her to her classmates.) She sent me a text reading, "shoot me, we've been drawing cylinders for hours and everyone except me is struggling." (Despite this D has told us that she thinks highly of her profs, that her profs are good teachers but teaching to kids who do not have her skill level.) I have encouraged her to talk to the profs she says, not enough time, her days are scheduled 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. She is a mature teen and not afraid to speak to adults but I am guessing is hesitant because academic concerns she took to the faculty of her high school were turned against her in a very horrible way. She is talking about leaving; we are encouraging her to complete the semester. Advice? Other experiences at Pratt? I am wondering what 2nd semester and sophomore year will bring?</p>
<p>I shouldn't comment because I'm not an arts person but let me put my two cents in and maybe it will help. I think that the content of freshman year classes can be "nothing new" for top students. Our HS is strong academically. Kids get into top colleges that won't accept a 4 on an AP test or have a cap and won't accept all of the 5's and the students end up taking classes where they know very well what is in the textbook. Or, our HS journalism class is great; the student who edited our award winning newspaper for the last two years is in Journalism 101 at college freshman year and the class itself is shall we say not at all a challenge.. Still, the kids learn new things from these classes because they benefit from the profs.</p>
<p>Can your D make an effort to learn from each professor the prof's knowledge and discussion points (what the professors add is beyond the "content" of the course), join clubs, and attend lectures by guest speakers? Those would be my general suggestions for a freshman who is unwhelmed by the content of her courses. The content will become much more challenging in upper level classes.</p>
<p>I would be more confident of my input if she were, say, a history major at an LAC. I am not sure if this applies to an art institute. I think it is at least a bit relevant, especially since I think Pratt has a good reputation and only accepts about half of the students who apply. </p>
<p>I wonder if your daughter's general roommate problems and homesickness are coloring the underwhelmed complaint and the other part of her complaint (that the other students there at Pratt are not at her skill level).</p>
<p>When she talks her professors, she should ask "How can I learn more?" and ask about what enrichment opportunities are available to her this year. No one could "turn that (academic concern) against her."</p>
<p>I like the way you phrased the question to be adressed to her profs. I'll pass that on. yes, of course if she was having a marvelous time with friends there would be less, but still some frustration bec of her goals. and that will take time . thanks for your insights</p>
<p>There are many places she can go do free life drawing in the city if she wants to draw something more than cubes and cylinders if nothing is offered within Pratt.
Where did she grow up ? Can she navigate transportation system in the city well?
I liked Pratt for what it is but if aspiring artist from outside of NYC choose the school for proximity to THE city, I don't think it is a good reason. It's not that far but still in Brooklyn cornered by public housings. I walked by under windows of dorm rooms and I can tell that views from there are rather depressing.
Once she know how to get around and stay out of trouble ( if class runs until 5:30, not much can do during weekdays unless doesn't mind coming home after midnight in that area) she won't be having cabin fever.
What else does she like to do? Play, music, dance, cooking, anything to lift her spirit that NYC is good at and often free?</p>
<p>I appreciate your reply - but what you suggest is not the problem. D has been going to some open figure studios, loves the museums, knows her way about NY and has been a master of the transportation system since she was 16, is not intimidated by her surroundings (she's a big city girl) and has friends from home at other NY schools. yes, brooklyn is not NY and is grim but not the problem. its not cabin fever its being bored by unchallenging work that is very very time consuming to complete. if she wasnt at pratt shed be in her home studio painting but with her course load she doesnt have the time</p>
<p>like, this one next weekend.
Would she be interested?
[url=<a href="http://www.hoast.org/%5DartHARLEM%5B/url">http://www.hoast.org/]artHARLEM[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Oh, I missed it. sorry.
I got it now.
She should go to talk to prof. or guidance or what, could give her advanced status to take more challenging classes.
I don't know about Pratt but some art schools let them skip foundations if you passed AP art.
I know the feeling; dont want go to teacher for anything
I have been there long time before my kid found art. He is coasting through art classes at his HS but few other really talented kids are motivation enough for him to work harder. There is a big picture, for him college for now and for her, career? Graduate study? While she is there, use all resources that can offer and make the best of it. Good luck.</p>
<p>I'm so bad about this thing.
like, pratt's libraly. I loved it there. Have you seen it?</p>
<p>thanks for all the messages bears and dogs. I'll forward the info about the Harlem event - sounds worthwhile. I somehow missed the library but D has told me that she loves it, is haaving critiques there.</p>
<p>I can tell you that for the first year, most foundation programs around the country have a very specific curriculum. They don't normally give lots of freedom to do drawings, especially for painting. However,this does change in the upper years. </p>
<p>Frankly, If she is top of her class in most things, she should be very glad. Good grades are always benefical.</p>
<p>I would have a "heart to heart" talk with her professors and advisor. Find out about the upper class courses in painting. She should see if she will be challanged. I would bet she will be. </p>
<p>However, if she really doesn't feel that she will get the education that she wants, she could always apply to transfer to other schools. With top grades, this should be easy to do.However, schools don't normally give good merit scholarships to transfer applicants. Thus,she and you should think about that very carefully. </p>
<p>Honestly, I think Pratt is a great school. Being in NY can also result in a lot of opportunities for growth.</p>
<p>I should also note that one further option would be to stick it out at Pratt, especially if you are getting lots of money. She could go on to graduate study or Atlier schools thereafter.</p>
<p>Also, if she is going to transfer, which I don't recommend based on my post noted above, the best known schools for painting are probably MICA, SAIC, UCLA and RISD. I am sure that there are other art schools that have strong painting departments,but just may not know about them.</p>
<p>This is all very reassuring. Thank you for the supportive remarks, Taxguy. It certainly was our impression when we visited Pratt (3xs) that it was the right school. Just heard from D that she emailed the foundation year advisor to set up a meeting. D does recognize the benefits of the location and scholarship award. And she is on her way into Manhattan for dinner and a movie with a friend at SVA. I do think its the right place for her. (where did your daughter end up? we are in Arlington by the way)</p>
<p>My daughter ended up at the University of Cincinnati's school of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning.</p>
<p>I just remembered that girls he knew from summer class are freshman there and they CAN draw. Not all students can't be bad. Maybe she is the best of the best, maybe in her class no one is as good as she is. Just switching from drawing 101 A to B ( if there are such thing?) could change the air.</p>
<p>Tell her to stick it out. My daughter went thru a sim. experience at another school, and dropped out - and is sorry to this day, four years later. They WILL move on; she can challenge herself with her own work.</p>
<p>To the OP: I think it is not unusual for kids who attended really good high school arts magnet programs to have the feeling that "I have already done this/learned most of this" when they arrive as freshmen at college, no matter how prestigious/good their college/conservatory program is. My D attended a really fine public arts magnet's actor training program where she got almost four hours a days' worth of actor training. She was warned by kids who came back from the top conservatory and university programs that freshmen year would feel like a review, at best. You have to remember that not all of the kids (probably not most of them) came from arts high schools, so the job of the professors freshmen year is to get everyone on the same page. Best wishes to your child.</p>
<p>thanks, that is what we are telling her - and I think she will. She knows she doesnt want to pull out and go back a year or two older than everyone else. and thanks everyone, I've been sharing these insights with the D via email.</p>
<p>I think that, as parents, we also have to remember that going away to college is a HUGE adjustment and that there will inevitably be bumps along the way. It's a miracle, really, that most of them do well when you consider all that they have to adjust to (new place, new people, new teachers, new living arrangements with strangers, new ideas about things, even -- for some -- a new climate!)</p>
<p>yes, well said. I hearing from many friends that there kids are experiencing a myriad of bumps.</p>
<p>I went to Pratt for graduate school, and even though it was a long time ago, I think the school is still very good. There are a lot of drudgery courses to get through in the foundation year, and I am sure there is a method to the madness. I agree with talking to the profs, as was suggested above. Also, Brooklyn is wonderful. It is a subway ride to Manhattan, but sometimes it is a relief to be away from the hustle and the bustle of Manhattan. If she can stick it out it would be great. Foundation years are often boring...</p>