in dilemma...pratt vs. risd (graphic design)

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

<p>Hi, I got into pratt and risd for graphic design (as mentioned in title). Risd was my FIRST choice. however, risd gave me NO financial aid (they even wrote a letter saying they can't give me scholarship, and loan of $5000..***..) and yet pratt gave me 49,000$/year (scholarship, grants,loans). </p>

<p>I've visited both campus, and loved both. Providence has this nice, old classic quiet town feel to it..and Pratt's campus is just really nice (seeing how I went during the spring and everything was blooming- that might've help ;D ). However, I keep hearing that RISD's prestige trumps Pratt...and to quote from a person I've talked with " Pratt was popular in the '80s, but the quality of education had died down, Risd is the new Harvard of art schools"...</p>

<p>Now, here's the thing. My parents, teachers have told me that it's better to go to the cheapest school and over 200k in debt is the worst thing I can put myself into. However, an acquaintance at RISD told me that RISD is ten times better than Pratt in communication design, and that I would be missing out on the important foundation year at RISD, (and say if I went to Pratt for one year and then trasnferred to RISD next year with hopefully with another chance at some scholarship, I would have to retake freshman year). and I feel like I'll be missing out on an 'art ivy league' education.. ): </p>

<p>with all that being said, I'd like to hear your opinions/advices (:</p>

2

<p>Pratt is a great school. In fact, there are at least three and maybe for diffrerent concentrations for graphic design at Pratt. Go to PRATT and save the money. It is a great school.</p>

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<p>Wow, I would strongly encourage you to go with Pratt on this one. They both have amazing reputations and whatever slight edge RISD might have in some people’s minds can’t possibly be worth $200,000 unless you are extremely wealthy. Seriously, I would encourage you to go to a no name public school rather than put yourself into that much debt. Your success as an artist will probably be determined 10% by where you go and 90% by how talented you are and how hard you work. It sounds like you got an amazing financial aid package from Pratt and I personally think you’d be crazy to pass that up. I don’t think anyone believes Pratt is much of a step down, if any, from RISD, other than your “acquaintance at RISD”.</p>

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<p>damn typos, I meant to say that there may be four different concentrations for graphic design at Pratt. Don’t be fooled by the RISD mystique. Pratt is a VERY fine school for design. In addition, RISD tends to be very inflexible regarding their majors. Pratt allows for a lot of interdisciplanary approaches to their majors.</p>

<p>Also, saving 200K is HUGE.</p>

5

<p>Yes, RISD is the #1 ranked school for graphic design. However, that doesn’t mean that you should go there, or that not going there will make you a less skilled graphic designer. </p>

<p>Your parents’ concerns are valid. Going into <em>any</em> arts field that much in debt is a very bad idea. It could even mean that you won’t have the freedom to pursue design when you graduate - you may be forced to take a higher paying job. Or what if you need to freelance at first to establish yourself… RISD’s #1 ranking is not worth that debt load, especially when you consider that you like Pratt, that Pratt’s rep is good in the arts and specifically in GD (I’d rank them in the top 15 for sure, maybe higher), and that in fact, being located in NYC is going to give you access to some of the best design houses on the planet. </p>

<p>In the end, when you graduate, it will be your portfolio that gets you jobs. Yes, RISD has a great rep in the field, but at the same time, it’s not SO MUCH better than Pratt’s rep that it’s worth going into that level of debt for! It’s not like you won’t get that job if you go to Pratt instead.</p>

<p>You say you like both schools. I’d have you give a serious second look to Pratt. </p>

<p>You say you’ve spoken to an acquaintance at RISD. Naturally, that person is biased. Please contact admissions at Pratt and ask to speak to a GD student there. Ask them how they like the program. At least in this way, you’ll get biased info from both sources.</p>

<p>If you do go to Pratt, plan to stay there. Don’t go there thinking you’ll apply to RISD and get a scholarship as a transfer. You can try, but in general, there’s actually more aid available to freshmen then to transfers. The likelihood of you getting a scholarship as a transfer is very, very low. And who knows? You say you already like Pratt. Once you get there, you may love it and not want to leave. </p>

<p>If you do choose Pratt, do things (the same things you’d do at RISD, btw) to make yourself marketable to employers when you graduate. Take great classes, and do wonderful work. Do internships and other real world experiences in design. Network with the profs on campus, and with the pros where you intern. All this will help set you up well to get a job when you graduate.</p>

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<p>I agree with what everyone here has said. Pratt is a great school and if you loved the campus and they gave you a fantastic financial package, sounds like a great deal to me. </p>

<p>I’m not sure what you mean by having to re-take foundation year though if you were to start at Pratt and transfer to RISD. As far as I know, all art schools offer pretty much the same foundation year for first year no matter what your major is. Sophomore year students usually start taking classes in their declared major.</p>

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<p>Second what RoaringMice said about being in NYC (thats where the jobs are) and what everyone said about not being in debt. Talk about a starving artist…</p>

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<p>In response to what taxguy said, don’t be fooled by what Pratt says about being able to take lots of classes outside your major. It does depend on your major because some are more flexible than others, but I was just at Pratt this weekend and many students there told me that the inflexibility of courses was something they wished they had known before coming to Pratt. One girl said that she isn’t allowed to take ANY forms of art outside her major until junior year! Some people might not care about that, but if you do, be aware. I believe that RISD is actually more flexible than it seems, because at RISD you are actually FORCED to take classes outside your major. Plus, Wintersession is GREAT for taking classes in whatever you want!</p>

<p>This is my opinion of Pratt: the art is what you make it. I don’t believe Pratt is AS good of an art school as RISD. Just judging by the quality of students that are accepted, I believe RISD is superior. There are amazing people going to Pratt, don’t get me wrong! On the whole however, I am more impressed by RISD accepted students’ work. A girl in my school for example NEVER took an art class outside of the required foundations at my school, and she got into Pratt despite never really drawing before. She told me she knew she was terrible at drawing, so she never expected to get in. </p>

<p>However, that being said, Pratt is still a good school. I did precollege programs at both schools with one of my friends, and she put it this way: “I knew I could be good at Pratt, but it was something I’d really have to make happen for myself. I knew RISD would push me more and the students there would really mold me more than the students at Pratt would.” Don’t forget, it isn’t just the teachers who make you better, the students really impact your work as well.</p>

<p>All that being said, is any art school worth being in debt $200,000? NO. You don’t have to re-do foundation year at RISD… there is a foundation year at Pratt. As a transfer at RISD, I think there’s some summer intensive thing to catch you up (I just overheard it while I was in the admissions office). I would go to Pratt unless there’s a really good reason for RISD, unless it really feels right. If after your first year you don’t like Pratt and think you could do better at RISD, I would try to transfer & get more financial aid.</p>

<p>Just my two cents.</p>

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<p>cherrycrush021 notes,“In response to what taxguy said, don’t be fooled by what Pratt says about being able to take lots of classes outside your major.”</p>

<p>Response: LOL, I never said that you can take lots of courses outside your major. What I did say is that “In fact, there are at least three and maybe … four …different concentrations for graphic design at Pratt” and " RISD tends to be very inflexible regarding their majors. Pratt allows for a lot of interdisciplanary approaches to their majors." This latter sentence means that there are more options regarding the various concentrations within the graphic design major.</p>

<p>Yes, RISD does have “mini-semesters” that I call “midmesters,” which allow for non graphic design options,but I think that in the long run, there are more options at Pratt with the various concentratins available for graphic design. Check out the curriculum and both and see for yourself.</p>

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<p>You didn’t state how much Pratt is offering in grants and scholarships. Loans don’t count, they are roughly the same at both schools.</p>

<p>Assuming Pratt offers you $100,000 in grants/scholarships (i.e. money that you don’t have to repay), then that is equal to about $130,000 in income (assuming state+federal+FICA taxes = 30%) that you will have already earned by going to Pratt. That is the difference in earnings you would have to gain by going to RISD over Pratt. It is hard to quantify what the money means, but at this point, the money means a lot. A $200,000 debt load can be quite crushing over time–it is like you bought a condo.</p>

<p>This is the same debt that many medical students graduate with, and it can limit your options down the road.</p>

<p>Pratt and RISD are both great schools. But, wow, huge scholarships and grants would be hard to say no to.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>How about Parsons the new school of design? Is the communication design of Parsons good? I mean compare RISD and Pratt.</p>

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<p>It would be insane to go into that much debt for a degree in graphic design anywhere. I’m a huge fan of RISD, but not even for RISD would I want to be saddled with that kind of debt. If Pratt is offering a more sane plan for you, go for it. If you’re still hankering after RISD next year, apply as a transfer. Rumor is there’s more aid for transfers (partly, I guess, because there are fewer of them). Sure, you’ll miss the RISD foundation year that way, but Pratt has a solid foundation year, too, and RISD transfers have a foundation summer course. You’ll always bond with people in your major, so don’t fret. Pratt’s a good school with beautiful campus and offers good opportunities. Go with an open mind and a willing spirit, and you’ll probably fall in love with the school. If not, you can change the situation then, and in the meantime, you’ll have the NY experience.</p>

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<p>Go to Pratt it’s a funner school, and no art college is worth that much debt, especially for graphic design. Most graphic designers are out there making around $40,000-$50,000 a year.</p>

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<p>I would go to pratt even if RISD had offered me the same financial aid as Pratt.</p>

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<p>thank you everyone- ur advices were much appreciated. :] I will be attending pratt- just sent my deposit. if you’d like to see my portfolio website- pm me (: ~</p>