<p>I am looking for some advice on choosing either an art school or a Liberal Arts College with a good/great art program.
My daughter is currently a junior. We have visited so far: SCAD,Conneticut College,Bowdoin, Williams,BC, and Keene State College.
We are also planning to visit Lafayette,Skidmore,UMASS Dartmouth.</p>
<p>She is a swimmer and wants to swim in college. So, SCAD is the only Art School she would consider as they are the only one with Varsity Sports.</p>
<p>It is hard to get a real feel of the LAC Art Programs. So, I am looking for help/advice from anyone who has already gone thru this or like us is in the midst of searching.</p>
<p>What did you and your daughter think of SCAD? We walked around Savannah while we were on vacation last summer loved the atmosphere of the school and town. I will be very interested to read replies to your post as my son is also a year round swimmer interested in attending an art school or LAC strong in the arts. I don't know if he will want to continue swimming competitively when he attends college in three years, but I know he would like to have the opportunity to swim recreationally at the least. Have you read any of taxguy's excellent posts on various art schools? He has visited several (RISD, Pratt, CMU, etc) and his posts are extremely informative. Do a search for them and you might be able to get some great information to share with your daughter.</p>
<p>AliceH, My son is a sophomore art major at Williams. When he made his college list he was looking for schools that were strong in both the history and studio side and Williams seemed to have the best combination of both. He's been really pleased with his experience there.</p>
<p>The art history department is one of the best in the world and the museum access is extraordinary </p>
<p>The studio art department, while small, is well financed. The facilities are fairly new and spacious and the faculty are talented and recognized artists with a wide range of media specialties. The focus is balanced between theory and process. Kids who are interested in trying new media -- for example print making or large format photography -- will find someone who can help them acquire the necessary skills and the equipment is topnotch.</p>
<p>Other schools with good art departments that my son considered were: Wesleyan, Skidmore, Kenyon, Hamiton, Conn College, Yale and Brown.</p>
<p>SCAD, RISD, Pratt, Parsons and CMU have the best reputations. I'm planning to study theatre, so only two of those schools are on my personal list (SCAD, CMU), but I'm basically in the same boat as you.</p>
<p>I think that if you go to an Ivy, even if its for art, you're pretty much set. Even though the only Ivy with a reputable undergrad theater program is Brown, I would consider going to any of them if I got in.</p>
<p>Wow...you all have been very helpful.
Here is my feedback so far with regard to the schools we visited.
SCAD - beautiful city, awesome swim program and coach, can't imagine any young artist not loving it. I think the problem my daughter is having with this school is her uncertainty aboutgoing to an ART school. Right now she is thinking a LAC with a good art program is a better fit.</p>
<p>ConnColl/Bowdoin/Williams - all NESCAC schools with good art programs and good swim programs. I feel any of these would be a good choice. We did tour all of them and actually met with an Art Professor at Bowdoin. EXtremely helpful. Both ConnColl and Bowdoin have an Architectural Studies Major (kind of like pre-architecure) and at Bowdoin you can take coures at Maine College of Art. We didn't get to go to the Art dept at ConnColl but it looks pretty new and we need to go back. </p>
<p>She really loved Conn College..would love to hear from someone who goes there and is in the Studio Arts or Architecural Studies program.</p>
<p>I know Williams is noted for their Art History program, wasn't sure about there Studio Art program....thanks for the info.</p>
<p>Keene State - Looks like a great safe school. Good art program and decent swim team.</p>
<p>My daughter doesn't want to go to a University. She likes the small colleges better. Which is why some of the colleges you all sent are ones we eliminated. She always wants to swim so all but SCAD art schools have been eliminated.</p>
<p>We do plan to check out Skidmore and Lafayette.</p>
<p>Again...thanks for the input and keep it coming.
I will update you all as we continue our search.</p>
<p>My son looked at a lot of the schools mentioned above - for art, art history and architecture studies. Williams is really superb in both studio art and art history. Tufts has an architecture studies minor, and the MFA program is definitely worth looking into. Not sure about the swim team, but Tufts is in NESCAC. I'd echo the Hamilton and Colgate recommendation(s) above too (though Colgate is Div I in sports).
Good luck!</p>
<p>To repeat, you seriously have to look at Hamilton. It's art department is quite strong -- and it's swim program has produced several women All-Americans. Another school to consider very strongly is Kenyon which is among the best swim schools in the US and has a very good art program. For architectural studies, you might consider that on the graduate level where your options are more plentiful.</p>
<p>FYI, Be careful SCAD is not accredited by the National Association of Design Schools. There are many threads on art schools including CMU, Pratt ,RISD. Also what about Syracuse University...Great art and design and division 1 school. Taxguy did some great reviews of his visits to many of these schools.</p>
<p>As I mentioned SCAD is not accredited, which may give one cause for concern. Since art is so specific, you never mentioned what kind of art she is interested in. That might make a big difference about where she looks. for ex. Fine Arts, Computer Graphic Arts, Interior Design, Communication Design, Animation, Industrial Design etc. Many schools are known for or there lack of specfic programs.</p>
<p>ALice, while you're at Hamilton, travel south on Route 12B about 20 minutes to Colgate and check it out. There's a new art building on campus and then there's the natatorium. By the way, Hamilton College is in Clinton, NY and Colgate is in Hamilton, NY -- so don't get confused.</p>
<p>Right now she is thinking Interior Design. However, I know most LAC do not have this and she wants a small college (not university).
I spoke to someone who graduated from St. Michaels many years ago. She suggested going to a LAC with a good/great Fine Arts program and after graduating go to a school to get more specific training (i.e. Interior Design).</p>
<p>Having said that, I don't think she really knows enough about all the various Art fields to really choose one area.</p>
<p>Alice,
Go to FIDER website, the agency that accredits interior design programs.There you will find a list of schools and the rankings for interior design programs that are accredited. There is a small LAC in upstate NY (perhaps Sienna) that has an accredited interior design program. Interestingly enough that is what my D thought she wanted and that is one of the reasons she went to Pratt. It is ranked very high for interior design. She does not need a graduate degree in that field to start working.</p>
<p>2005 Rankings of Interior Design and Architecture Programs from Design Intelligence ) </p>
<hr>
<p>2005 DesignIntelligence rankings:</p>
<p>Interior Design Programs</p>
<p>University of Cincinnati
Pratt Institute
Kansas State University
Cornell University
Arizona State University
University of Oregon
Auburn University
University of Texas at Austin
Washington State University
California College of the Arts (tied with University of Florida)
University of Florida (tied with California College of the Arts)</p>
<p>Unfortunatly, all schools with Interior Design are Universities.
My D currently does not want to go to a large school.
We shall see how this all plays out!</p>
<p>No it is not true that all schools with interior design are universities, as I said I know there is one in upstate NY small liberal arts school in a rural area, You just have to do the research. Some schools lin Mass. are Endicott college, Mt. Ida College, and Newbury College. In Va. there is Marymount University and a whole lot more.</p>