<p>I'll be applying for a Masters in Interaction Design, and my applications essentially boil down to this: the Tisch ITP program at NYU, RISD's Digital+Media program, and Carnegie Mellon's program. I got a Fulbright scholarship so cost is no issue.</p>
<p>I've heard a lot of good and bad things about NYU (the PhD prof I'm currently working under told me absolutely NOT to go there, but then he taught in Theatre), but I really want to live in or around NYC. The opinion on their ITP program is generally positive, as are the rankings, but then people say that NYU is generally a cookie cutter institute mostly coasting on its prior repute.</p>
<p>The problem with RISD is that it's a pure Art\Design school - I don't know how it ranks overall, and I was looking forward to taking courses from disciplines other than Design. Since I'm ultimately seeking to pursue a PhD later in Media Sciences\Visual Culture, I don't know how an art school degree (even from a top tier one like RISD), will help me get there.</p>
<p>CMU is great rankings wise, excellent academics and campus, but then Pittsburgh isn't exactly the city for me (very dull). I would really appreciate any information\insights into the above schools and their programs. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance for the help!</p>
<p>So from CMU, you can take easily take a weekend trip to Chicago or NYC or DC or Toronto or Montreal, or Boston. </p>
<p>Pittsburgh may not be the most exciting city but it is centrally located in the NE USA. </p>
<p>My son is a CMU ('06)-HCI & ME, BS graduate. Son’s years at CMU stressed the “The da Vinci Effect”. So 4 years out of CMU with a MS-HCI from Toronto (08); He has produced this year, 3 unique engineered art. I can’t wait to see his 4th and 5th projects. His day job is robotics. You have seen, *‘Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture’ *, [Randy</a> Pausch’s Last Lecture - Carnegie Mellon University](<a href=“http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/index.shtml]Randy”>Randy Pausch's Last Lecture - Carnegie Mellon University) ?</p>
<p>Congratulations. Where ever you land, don’t stay in one place. My niece and husband (Fulbright, architecture-2006) went to Columbia (country), and travel all through South America.</p>
<p>You may want to post your Question in the Parent’s Forum. Parent’s may have a better idea of the different schools at the undergrad level. The problem with the Graduate School Forum is that students are looking, and have no experience in the school(s) of interest.</p>
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<p>I know your son went to CMU, but I dispute your idea of “easily.” My D is at Pitt/CMU, and it takes five full hours just to drive from one end of the state to the other. It’s a 7.5 hour drive from Pittsburgh to Chicago. It’s a 10 hour drive from Pittsburgh to Boston. Sure, you can fly, but then it’s just as easy to get to Los Angeles or DC or whatever US city you wish to visit.</p>
<p>To the OP: graduate study should not be chosen on the basis of which location you prefer, but rather on the best program for your interests. When you’ve already narrowed down your list to the best programs for you and after you have your acceptances in hand, THEN you can decide which location interests you the most. It would be a mistake not to apply to an excellent program simply because you find a location “dull.” After all, when you’re a graduate student, a lot of your time will be taken up with your work.</p>
<p>BTW, RISD is down the street from Brown, and they have cooperative academics, which means that students (at least undergrads – I’m not sure about graduate students) can take classes at either institution. Providence is not much more exciting than Pittsburgh (and some think it’s even less interesting) but it’s about 45 minutes by car from Boston. </p>
<p>Pittsburgh, while not cosmopolitan, is a student-friendly place, and the cost of living is significantly lower than cities/towns in the Northeast and on the West Coast. </p>
<p>Although only you can decide this, I think you should take your prof’s advice seriously and find out exactly why he thinks NYU would be a mistake. If you absolutely love the program, then you should apply, no question. But if the only reason you want to attend it has more to do with its location than its educational value, then you should re-consider.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>^ you’re correct. The distances between the cities are large. Kinda depends if you have wings and money or wheels and friends. </p>
<p>But relative speaking 300-600 radial distance miles is close compared to where OP is traveling from.</p>