<p>This is my first time posting here.. I'm sorry if I'm not doing this right at all, ahaha. Still trying to find my way around this website, all while trying to keep my mind stable before the dreaded college decision day/May 1st.
I've taken a lot of consideration for all three of these schools but I really can't decide at all. I've tried to get opinions from as many people as possible (mostly art oriented kids) to see what they think.. and it's really just a scatter of answers.
For all three, I've been accepted in BFA Illustration. In Pratt, I was offered a 21k scholarship, Parsons offered me 6k scholarship, while SVA didn't offer anything to me. All of them allowed me 5.5k in Federal loans. While scholarships do help, money is not a very big factor in my decision on which school to go to, we have the necessary funds for each school.</p>
<p>I've heard multiple times that Pratt and SVA are the best for BFA illustration, however my ultimate dream occupation is to work alongside fashion and be a fashion illustrator. Because Parsons is such a fashion oriented school, I'd feel like they have more connections to people in the fashion industry than the other two. However, I've heard AWFUL things about the students and faculty at Parsons, and I heard that their illustration program is weak from an outside point of view (however, I've read somewhere where an illustration student at Parsons said a lot of their professors also teach at SVA and Pratt and other schools, they just have lack of attention in Parsons in comparison to Fashion Design and that the program isn't really weak). Pratt, on the other hand, offered me the biggest scholarship of them all and it's really helpful for me. However it's not really in a <em>prime</em> location of safety (I'm a suburban girl, not a city girl) and I've heard a lot of people who just generally didn't like Pratt. I've heard a lot of good things about SVA and their students, however the fact that they didn't give me any scholarship is kind of a turn off. I've also heard that because Pratt and SVA focus so much on foundation drawing, they don't teach you much about building a portfolio and finding a career after graduation. I've heard that Parsons does well on that. I don't know if they're true, though.
Looking through all of their curriculums, Parsons has the curriculum that I favor the most because it's both technical and creative work. SVA and Pratt offer a lot different types of medium courses, I don't feel like I get much time to research or study ideas and stuff like that.</p>
<p>TL;DR:
Pratt: Good scholarship, good program, not fond of curriculum, heard doesn't help much with career searching, Brooklyn
SVA: Great program, no scholarship, not fond of curriculum, heard doesn't help much with career searching, approachable faculty and student body, Manhattan
Parsons: Ok program, mediocre scholarship, okay curriculum, heard they put more focus onto career, possible better fashion connections there for my <em>~dream~</em> occupation working in art alongside fashion, faculty and student body aren't approachable, Manhattan</p>
<p>What do you guys think? Also if I have anything wrong, feel free to correct me with your own experiences or something.. everything I know is off research. I've never been able to visit any of the schools. I've actually only been to NYC once my entire life and it was for one afternoon, so.. hahaha..</p>
<p>I've also been waitlisted at RISD and accepted in Saint John's University with a 23k scholarship, but I don't think I'd attend either of those because I'm not willing to chance RISD and I don't think SJU has a very strong program in art.</p>