I am desperately in need of help: PARSONS VS. SAIC

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

Hi, I am an international student outside of the US; the official decisions day is literally 1.5 days away and I’m freaking out because I really don’t know where to go. I got accepted into both Parsons ($16,000 scholarship per year) and SAIC ($8,000 scholarship per year) and I’m planning on studying photography, but that may change. Here are a few basic things that I like and don’t like about both schools:

PARSONS

  • Located in NYC (better connections, more experience, more diversity, more things to do…)
  • Combination of both fine arts + commercial/fashion industry

SAIC

  • More creative, conceptual vibe
  • Majors are non-existent (You can do whatever you want to do and can work with different mediums)
  • Better dorms

I know that SAIC holds much greater emphasis in fine art, while Parsons is more commercialized than SAIC. The thing is, I am both interested in fine arts and commercial stuff. I am interested in fine art photography AND fashion photography. At the same time, I really do appreciate the way SAIC’s curriculum is structured. I also heard that Parsons’s foundation year is hell (not saying that SAIC isn’t hard). Still, the fact that Parsons is in New York is a huge plus for me and I don’t think I can deny the better opportunities NYC will give to me.

I don’t know how to choose, and help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

2

Well it seems like you already made a choice in your head.

NYC seems to tick all your boxes, except for the Foundation Year.

3

as a parsons alum, i thought i heard they did away with foundation year? IF PARSONS STILL REQUIRES FOUNDATION YEAR FOR THEIR BFA PROGRAMS, GO TO PARSONS. yes, it was hell. i didn’t understand why i had to go through all of that, and didn’t understand its worth until a decade later. the foundation program is what separates parsons from all the rest. it was a superior program back then, mainly due to foundation year.