If you are in the Industrial Design program what has been your experience? Did you look at other design schools prior to selecting Iowa State? If so, which schools and why did you select Iowa State? We are in the process of looking at a variety of industrial design programs for my S (currently a junior in high school). Plan to visit Iowa State in the summer - he is somewhat averse to the location but I have heard good things about this program so I want him to take a closer look before he rejects it outright. Incidentally, we did visit the university with my older son (who would have studied CS) so that is part of the unfavorable impression - but that was nearly 3 years ago and he was ‘dragged’ along for the trip.
@singermom4 I’m a parent, not a student, but I can offer a bit of perspective on this. I’m an industrial designer myself and my daughter just graduated from ISU with a degree in interior design so I’ve had a lot of exposure over the last four years to the College of Design at ISU, as well as the work coming out of the industrial design program. I would say that the quality of work I saw there was among some of the best I’ve seen. They seem to teach a very solid design methodology. The ID program is relatively new there, but I think the person they hired to head it up came from SCAD. The College of Design as a whole is, in my opinion, really overlooked across the country. It’s one of only a handful of colleges in the country with that many different design curricula under one roof, and the cross-discipline exposure is a great thing in the design world. Fantastic study abroad program, too, and ISU as an institution is really committed to making sure kids are employed upon graduation.
Long story short, I think it would more come down to whether the student thinks ISU is the right fit for them. There’s nothing I’ve seen in the ID program that should hold anyone back from selecting ISU.
Thank you very much for your feedback @DesignDad . I had planned a visit over the summer when we have more time but I’m concerned the campus will look too ‘dead’ during this time so I think I will put off until the fall - either Columbus day or take a day off school. It does seem to have much merit so I want S to see it in the best light.
@DesignDad Just to follow up - My S attended a design summer camp at Iowa State this summer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all that great for design (never even went into the Armory though I was promised they would get good exposure to the facilities) BUT he made some great friends so that has made him open to idea of attending Iowa State. It was one of the schools he applied to and has been accepted with $32K merit. However, he is still fixated on the product design program at the University of Minnesota. It’s very different - more interdisciplinary and not so design focused. That is the appeal (you take classes in engineering, physics, math, psychology, entrepreneurial business, anthropology in addition to a design core) as well as Minneapolis but not sure whether he’d be better off with more of a solid design background. He also got into the co-op industrial design program at the University of Cincinnati - again, another very different kind of experience.
Hi…my son is also applying to University of Minnesota for Industrial Design and also has been accepted at ISU. I like ISU because my daughter was graduated from Industrial Design at ISU and she had great experience there. She was accepted to London Business School for the Master in Management after finishing her bachelor year in ISU. The city of Ames is very small and quiet and the Industrial Design was a pretty new major in ISU when my daughter was accepted in 2012. Although it was still new, my daughter got many chances to participate in several competitions and won several awards. These factors were one of the reason she was accepted in London Business School. I don’t know about Minnesota, but overall the university rank is higher than ISU and the city is more lively than Ames. We are still waiting for the decision though.
I still think this is also a very good choice. Not a bad spot to be in I guess - having to choose among good choices (also accepted to college of design at UIC). Boeing partners with the ID program at ISU - in cockpit design - sounds pretty cool!
@Merapi42A did your daughter find it difficult to get into the ID program after freshman year? That’s one of my big concerns with ISU ID. We’re visiting in Feb. I want my TX daughter to experience what winter is so it won’t be a shock if she attends.
@singermom4 is U of Minnesota a direct admit program?
From what I understand - there are about 60 spots available for ID so not everyone gets in but odds are better than some schools with smaller programs.
UMN is ‘direct admit’ for many programs but actually you have to re-qualify for pretty much any program there with a minimum GPA to continue in the program. When we toured the product design program at UMN we pressed them about elimination possibilities. At this point in time, it appears that as long as GPA hits that minimum mark, they are not limiting the size of the program. The product design program is pretty new and not widely known yet so that probably lowers the overall number of applicants. There is also less studio time compared to more traditional ID programs - facility restrictions are usually what set the limiting factor in the majority of programs.
@singermom4 thanks. I didn’t know about the UMN program until you mentioned it. It sounds like a pretty good option.
@IDtoTX the spot was for 36 students when my daughter applied for the Industrial Design. There were about 80 students who applied. In the design college, architecture and landscape were the most competitive one. Industrial design was not as competitive as those but more competitive than Interior Design. She made a good portfolio, consulted many times with the professor and she made it to Industrial Design. Her GPA by the 2nd semester was only 2.75 because her first semester was very bad, she was still adjusting living away from home (she was 16 years old when she was accepted in Iowa State Univ).