<p>Hi everyone!
I am trying to decide between attending MICA and CCA for my first year of art school.
Although I know a lot about CCA because I live 2 hours away and went to their summer pre-college, I know very little about MICA because its all the way on the East Coast.
I have about one week left to make a decision... so please chip in and tell me anything that you know.. I will REALLY appreciate it!!!</p>
<p>If you have anything to say about East Coast vs. West Coast, and general tidbits about the aura of each school that would be verrry helpful too.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!
p.s. I'm planning to major in Illustration/ Fashion Design.</p>
<p>So I just planned a trip to visit Baltimore and MICA this coming Friday.
Hopefully I’ll be able to attend the visit day and get a tour.
Is there anything you would like me to try to find out there?</p>
<p>My daughter and I toured MICA last summer, en route to her pre-college program at RISD. Unfortunately no students were around on our tour, so it was hard to “get a vibe” on the college life.</p>
<p>My daughter says MICA’s facilities are better than RISD’s. There is a lot of money there, and it shows. Apparently the new Gateway building is gorgeous. I was very impressed with all the facilities we visited.</p>
<p>Baltimore is an interesting town. There are some parts that are dangerous (as in any big city (including LA)), but the area around MICA seemed reasonably safe. You would get 4 seasons (but a short winter). Great access to other interesting towns, like DC, Phila. and NYC.</p>
<p>I’m not an expert on the curriculum or job/grad placement, but it is apparently respectable. The most important question of all is whether the students are happy, learning and reasonably challenged. Probably best to speak with some recent MICA grads, if you can find them.</p>
<p>i visited the school once when i was DEAD-SET on going to school in new york and i just fell in love. i can’t really explain it well, but i just got a really really good feeling from their campus tour. my admissions counselor (celena) spent almost an hour with me for my portfolio review and was just so sweet and helpful. she really “got” my work and explained why she liked specific pieces, which was totally different from other portfolio reviews i had had. other reviewers just went through and told me they liked some of my pieces and in the end gave me VERY vague advice about working on themes. </p>
<p>even though the school didn’t really have a closed in campus or anything, i could tell that they have a strong community and everyone kind of gets to know everyone else, which i think is great. they seem to have a lot of great student activities: trips to DC and new york, lottttts of clubs, and i seem to recall someone telling me about a “ball” they have in their main building (which is gorgeous) </p>
<p>i never would have thought i would even consider living in baltimore of all places, but i’m about 99% sure i will be going this fall.</p>
<p>if you’re on facebook, you should check out the “MICA undergraduate admission” and “MICA '13” groups. also, maybe look up faculty reviews on ratemyprofessor.com</p>
<p>susiem, I’m pretty sure when I go this weekend I’m going to just go ahead and sign my papers and pay the acceptence fee. I’ll probably do it weither or not I like the school, but it seems like I’ll like it.</p>
<p>I still haven’t signed up for the visit day on Friday and that kind of scares me. I called ten minutes too late today.</p>
<p>brianm, I totally agree with susiem–Mica just has great vibes (at least it did to my D, who matters; I mean, I liked it a lot too, but I’m not going). Didn’t you say you were from Chicago area? Well, the weather will be a LOT better at Mica! More seriously, my D had the same experience with the portfolio review–it was really specific, on target. Also, every interaction with Mica I or my D have had has been really positive–very caring, personal. As you know, she’s probably not going to Mica this year, but if she were going, Mica would be where she would be going (if that makes sense).</p>
<p>As far as not having called them yet, don’t worry. You could even theoretically just show up, as long as you arrive early enough Friday so that they’re in session. Ask if you can visit a class. Ask to see the artwork (whatever displays there are). We had a really weird informal visit to Risd, in which the reps told us to go ahead and take a look around, but everyone was extremely cold to us. (Probably just a bad day or something). We were able to peek into several studios though (not spying; the doors were open, no one was in the classrooms). That gave my D a general idea of where students were in their paintings. </p>
<p>I think I mentioned we just took the train to the harbor area. It was $3.25 round trip and was a five minute walk from Mica (which has gorgeous buildings). I would recommend going (during the day) to see a little bit of Baltimore. Are you staying close to the harbor? </p>
<p>I’m actually on the opposite end of Illinois from Chicago, about five hours south. We’re closer to St. Louis, about an hour and a half, but the weathers still crazy.</p>
<p>It’s seems like my trip is going to be just to visit a school I won’t go to now. My mom told my dad about our plan tonight. And he told her that we need to wipe the school from our minds because we can’t afford it, and basically that I haven’t worked hard enough for it. So I guess community collge is where I’m going. But it confuses me because our EFC was like 19k. But my dad seems to act like we have nothing. My mom has said something about gambling but I’m not sure.
Life sucks huh?</p>
<p>wow, brianm, this is devastating news. Are you sure? I mean, can you talk to your parents honestly about this? You are an adult; perhaps you can take this matter into your own hands and calmly present to them why they should support you. Give concrete reasons–what you will do while in schools, what job you have lined up for the summer (or have applied to). What does your dad mean about not working hard enough? Why did he say this so late? Did something happen recently? Or does he not really mean it and he just said it last night because he was annoyed about something? If it turns out you actually cannot go because no matter how persuasively you argue, your parents suddenly decide now (late April) that they cannot/will not support you, before you do the community college, please post to get ideas for some better options on your choices. Good luck.</p>
More seriously, my D had the same experience with the portfolio review–it was really specific, on target. Also, every interaction with Mica I or my D have had has been really positive–very caring, personal. As you know, she’s probably not going to Mica this year, but if she were going, Mica would be where she would be going (if that makes sense).</p>