<p>My daughter (Junior in HS) thinks she is interested in product design. She has taken 3 years of CAD (architecture in High school). She has about a 3.6 GPA but her test scores so far on the English side are very weak (she is not a reader or writer). She does not have an art background (no portfolio yet) which would seem to be a huge limitation in doing a product design major. She took a class at FIT in interior design 2 summers ago and seemed to like that, but designing products seems to be what she is currently interested in. Would appreciate thoughts- other possible majors and any schools you think we should look at. Other interests are dance, beauty products, furniture, the environment and sustainability. Also she is not extremely competitive so am worried about a design program. Also looking to stay on the east coast.
Thank you!</p>
<p>Set aside for a moment the fact that Arizona isn’t on the east coast. Arizona State has intentionally accessible admissions standards but some really intriguing academic programs. One is a cross-disciplinary degree in Design Studies:</p>
<p>[BA</a> in Design Studies | Cross-Institute | Degrees | ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts](<a href=“http://herbergerinstitute.asu.edu/degrees/ba_design/]BA”>Degree Programs | The Design School)</p>
<p>and another is the nation’s first (only?) School of Sustainability:</p>
<p>[School</a> of Sustainability // Arizona State University](<a href=“http://schoolofsustainability.asu.edu/]School”>http://schoolofsustainability.asu.edu/)</p>
<p>ASU is frequently cited as a best buy in higher ed, with out-of-state tuition and fees at $22K this fall and room and board another $11K; with a 3.6 GPA, your D would get an $8,000 / year merit scholarship as long as she has a 1050 (out of 1600) SAT. Given her specific interests, it might be worth checking out.</p>
<p>How about the Cornell U College of Human Ecology, and the College of Ag. and Life Sciences?</p>