<p>Does anybody know what the best school are for graphic/communications/advertising design majors are? I'm looking for a school that's a traditional 4 year school with a good design school within for example NOT schools like Pratt and RISD and more like the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. Any ideas?</p>
<p>University of Cincinnati, University of Cincinnati and University of Cincinnati. Look into both the graphic design program and their digital design program. What makes Cincinnati stand out is their integrated, mandatory coop program.All the graphics on signs that you see at the Superbowl were done by Cincinnati interns. </p>
<p>Other good options would be Syracuse University,which has both graphic design and advertising design, Virginia Commonwealth University and RIT.</p>
<p>oh, one more thing, I as well as my parents want me to go to a school with solid academics as well. Certainly not to bash the UCinn but I would be willing to go to a school whose GD program is less well/known or prestigious and has great academics than one that doesn't. I realize that this is sometimes difficult in addition to WashU I'm looking at Carnegie Mellon, RIT, and Syracuse but those schools aren't in the same league academically as WashU. Just basing this off of average GPAs and test scores. WashU: I was looking at going somewhere like WashU undergrad and then going to Pratt or RISD for a degree after my first four years.</p>
<p>I guess my question should have been, what are the best schools in terms of over all academic strength that offer GD/CD/AD as a major. For me its more important to get a solid all around education from a great school and it wouldn't matter if the school was a GD mecca. Thanks for your help though</p>
<p>Ricosuave, yes Cincinnati as a whole doesn't have the same average GPA as Wash U;HOWEVER, their School of Design, Art, Architecture and Plannings does have almost the same average GPA as Wash U. It is a very academically oriented school for admission into DAAP and is a LOT better in my opinion than Wash U for design. </p>
<p>Remember, design is very competitive to get into. Having better training and more coop experience can make a HUGE difference. </p>
<p>If you go to Wash U, don't say I didn't warn you.</p>
<p>I know that WashU isn't as good. But I'm not going to college just to study design, I plan on at least minoring in something else if not double majoring in something. While not as important as the design degree, I still want those other classes to be as academically rigorous as possible. About Cincinnati though, isn't that not the best area of Ohio?</p>
<p>//Does anybody know what the best school are for graphic/communications/advertising design majors are?//</p>
<p>Since you identified 3 distinct majors it would be difficult to name a best school, just as it is impossible for anyone to tell you what the best school is for YOU. Best thing to do is to visit as many schools as possible and find the one that fits your personality the best. Also, read through their course catalogs and curricula to see how they differ. Ultimately, all the notable schools will provide you with the appropriate opportunities. Becoming a successful designer is more dependent upon your effort, passion, and commitment than anything else. Ultimately, no one will care what school you went to, because you will be hired on the quality of your portfolio. Work your butt off, and you will do well.</p>
<p>ricosuave, I can't say what is best for youl, as RainingAgain noted. You do have to visit each school. However, I can tell you this from my experience:</p>
<p>The quality of liberal arts offerings doens't vary as much from school to school as you would think! </p>
<p>I was a professor at various schools. I also took courses in top notch schools and courses in schools that were considered lessor ranked. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference! The books were the same. The professors were more or less the same. The top students were similar,although there was some difference between the bottom students from school to school. I honestly think that you can get the same quality education in a minor from Cincinnati as from WAsh U, Columbia etc. You probably don't really believe me,but it is true. </p>
<p>As for the area, Yes, UC isn't in as desireable an area as I would have liked. If this is important to you, don't go there. However, the school itself is quite safe with lots of security.</p>
<p>Personally, I love their ( University of Cincinnati's)built in coop program that just can't be beat. Not only does it give great job contacts upon graduation, but kids can take their practical experience and hone the theory that they get in school. In addition, coops fill the educational holes that normally aren't provided by the curriculum. This "built in" practical education beefs up the whole educational experience.</p>
<p>Although I am sure that folks will point out that you can seek out internships and coops in many schools, Cincinnati has a built in track and contacts that are hard to beat especially in today's tough economy. My daughter , for example, worked on some high end web sites for movies that are now playing in theaters. Some of the UC kids designed all the graphics that you probably saw on signs at the Superbowl. UC kids work with David Copperfield on some special effects used in his shows. You just can't beat this experience and probably won't get this type of experience elsewhere!</p>
<p>Either way, good luck on your decision.</p>