<p>Hi Everyone,</p>
<p>I was just accepted to the interior design Graduate program at Drexel University and Pratt Institute and I am having a hard time deciding on which school to choose. I know everyone's initial reaction might be Pratt because of its highly regarded reputation but I would love to hear people's input about both schools. My undergraduate degree is in business/marketing so I am new to the interior design industry. I bring this up because it is important to me that I am in a program that emphasises professional development and technical training. I have heard very positive as well as negative things about Pratt's professors. I want to make sure I don't get to Pratt (a top ranked school) and drown because professors assume I have design experience. I am doing the extra foundation level track that tacks on a year to the program but I still wan't to make sure that is sufficient. Drexel University has a similar structure with an extra year added on for foundation level studios but since the University is on the quarter system the program allows you to take more courses. In addition, Pratt is way more expensive than Drexel University. Ultimately I want to attend the program that will help build my portfolio and best prepare me for the professional world. All input from alumni, professionals and professors is much appreciated!</p>
<p>As a professional interior designer that attended a highly ranked (at the time) university, I wonder how you can do graduate level course with no design background. Is this wise? My daughter is an undergraduate in graphic design at Pratt and really loves it. She has had 3 internships already by junior year and finds that Pratt is highly regarded in the NYC industries - much so than Parsons which she had also considered. She has friends in ID and architecture and it is one of the best ID schools in the country. My top professor was from Pratt and one of the Pratt professors wrote many of our textbooks. Her experiences with professors has been top notch even though her program isn’t has highly rated. Her professors are almost all working professionals with extensive experience. Look at the Pratt top 125 icons to see work of the alumni and you will be amazed.</p>
<p>I think you need to talk to an academic advisor about the graduate school aspect because I would not have though it was possible to do graduate work without the background. If you couldn’t, an undergraduate design degree from Pratt would probably be more value than a graduate degree at a lesser school. </p>
<p>I’m not in the field at all, but I was also curious about how you planned to do a graduate program in a design field with no undergraduate design experience. That’s weird.</p>
<p>Anyway, I’ve heard good things about Drexel’s design program. Pratt is obviously more well-known, but you should also think about whether or not you’ll be able to repay the loans (or if you are paying cash out of pocket, whether Pratt is really worth THAT more than Drexel).</p>