Interior Design College Visit Strategy

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
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<p>Hello again. My daughter is interested in a career in Interior Design. She communicated this to me at the beginning of her freshman year in HS. At the time, I remember thinking "OK, and next week you'll want to be a police officer.". Since then, I've realized just how focused she is on a career in Interior Design. She's got top grades at HS, and a homework ethic than can best be described as "Get it done immediately, or it's like the Sword of Damocles hanging over my head". She hasn't taken the ACT/SAT yet, but I'm fairly confident that she'll do well. She's at a large public school and currently ranks 44/1037.</p>

<p>Seeing that she's doing her part to be successful puts a lot of pressure on me as a father to make what she's earning, happen. Her older brother is in his junior year in Aerospace Engineering at U of I -Urbana by the way, so I'm familiar with crushing college costs, which will, of course, be a factor. So, with that background out of the way, to the point of the post. I've decided that campus visits/summer programs are the best way to let her see what Interior Design is all about at the various schools. I've already taken/accompanied her on a Cincinnati DAAP tour last summer, which resulted in her loving the school and wanting to go there. This summer, she's currently down in SCAD for a week long summer seminar experiencing dorm life (read a roommate), and taking Architectural Sketching, and Exploring Furniture Design, both taught by Grad Students. She now loves SCAD. She flew down alone, by the way, and now has a PhD in the trials and tribulations of flight delays, mechanical problems, and flying a puddle-jumper (smaller prop plane) into Savannah. She's also taken an Interior Architecture 30 hour (3 hours each Sunday over 10 weeks) course at SAIC.</p>

<p>So, two top school visits down. My strategy next is to fly into Boston for an overnight stay to work in both RISD and Syracuse(NESAD), and maybe (BAC?). Then a trip to New York at some point to hit Pratt, NYSID, Parsons.</p>

<p>I've also heard that Cornell, Kansas State, FSU, and Auburn have very highly rated programs but I may not get around to visiting them.</p>

<p>I'll be getting DI's 2013 ranking when it comes out in November. My daughter is a rising Junior now. By the way, would anyone care to share the 2012 top ten undergrad interior design rankings? I'm pretty sure I'm hitting most of them, but would appreciate the list, if possible.</p>

<p>Thanks for your time, and let me know if I'm missing anything.</p>

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<p>Sorry. Meant Suffolk/NESAD above</p>

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<p>Balthezar, did you not consider University of Cincinnati, which not only has a highly ranked program in Interior Design but has lot of coop opportunities.</p>

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<p>Yes Taxguy. I mentioned above that we visited last summer. She loved it. She’s at a SCAD Summer seminar as I write this. She now loves SCAD (in addition to DAAP). I’m just trying to strategize visits to the top programs that we haven’t visited yet. I’ve got Pratt set up for 10/26 @ 10am (flying into LaGuardia at 9am…hope we have time to get there in time). Going to try to hit NYSID in the afternoon that day too.</p>

<p>The DAAP visit had me climbing up the damn hill only to realize the DAAP building was at the bottom. There’s some steep hills on that campus!</p>

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<p>Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Mass Art) has both industrial design and architectural design. I don’t know if this would work for your dd, but it is a good school and public, so even oos tuition is less. Also, check Rochester Institute of Technology. I don’t know about interior design, but they have many programs and a lower than typical tuition for a private and they also give merit money. Your dd seems really directed and on the right path. Good luck.</p>

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<p>In addition to checking out known ranking sources, consider visiting the professional association for Interior Design ([International</a> Interior Design Association (IIDA)](<a href=“http://www.iida.org%5DInternational”>http://www.iida.org)) and see where they have student chapters. That approach may help identify great programs at non-art schools. My son is Industrial Design student (now UC/DAAP) and that is the approach we took to compare many of the design school programs with departments within bigger, broader universities. Having had to make that consideration myself, I know it is a difficult decision and highly personal…so no advice there. But I would also suggest placing emphasis on studio resources and exposure to professional practice…that can be a huge differentiator for any design course of study. SCAD has wonderful learning labs as does Cincinnati…for industrial design we were under-enthused with Syracuse and Pratt. Resources at those schools be very different for Interior Design…but the more hands on exposure the better !</p>

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<p><<balthezar wrote:="" i’ve="" got="" pratt="" set="" up="" for="" 10="" 26="" @="" 10am="" (flying="" into="" laguardia="" at="" 9am…hope="" we="" have="" time="" to="" get="" there="" in="" time).="">></balthezar></p>

<p>That might be cutting it too close for comfort, especially if you have an appointment at 10 am. Although the distance isn’t far (under 9 miles) if you are landing at 9 am, and if all the stars align so that your plane gets a gate right away, you have no checked luggage, meeting your driver or rental car goes smoothly, you still need to plan for NYC traffic, construction delays, and finding a place to park. Is there any chance you can make the appointment a little later? That way if you get there early you can stroll around, but won’t have the stress of keeping someone waiting if any of the normal delays occur. Enjoy the college tours and good luck to your daughter!</p>

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<p>The general info session starts at 10. The rep I spoke to says even if we’re a bit late, the school tour/departmental tour (which I’m really interested in) are later morning into the afternoon.</p>

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<p>That sounds great, Balthezar. You should have no trouble making it to Pratt in time for the departmental meetings. By the way, my niece is currently an interior design major at Pratt and loves it. Best of luck to you and your daughter!</p>

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<p>I appreciate the input, but I’m wondering whether, while in NY, visits to NYSID, and/or Parsons would be worthwhile to try and get in? Or any other suggestions for that matter?</p>

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<p>I’ve withheld my opinion for awhile because I wasn’t sure how to go about explaining it, but seeing as no one is answering, I’ll give it a try.
I was also in the situation your daughter was last summer, and seeing how there has not been a lot of talk about this particular major, I was kind of lost. From what I’ve gathered from my research via college visits, catalogs and the like I have formed these opinions:</p>

<p>NYSID seems like an excellent school if your daughter wants to live, breathe, and focus on her studies as an interior designer. When you view their school, you’ll understand: It is an extremely small and tight community, and the gallery features superb work (I think out of all the schools, I enjoyed their quality the most). It is also one of the cheaper schools that specializes in a certain field (Around 20-25k for tuition) and you can’t beat it’s resource of nyc, a great design capital. But she should make sure she’s 100% sure she wants to enter the field if she decides to go here, because there’s really no way out if she decides she wants to change her major as this school is specifically for the area of interior design. Also, if she’s looking for a real campus/college-life experience, this may not be the place for her not only because it is a commuter college, but out of all the art schools I’ve seen, this may have had the worse selection of activities/events/sports I have ever seen.</p>

<p>Parsons is a great art and design school and is probably one of the most well-known/prestigious ones out there. Also, it’s interior design program was the first one to be introduced in the US. But honestly, I have my qualms about the school because of its heavy pricing (bill came to be 47k + cheapest dorm equals 60k without FA) and the fact that Parsons’ interior design program is not CIDA accredited (you have to take some test to be a licensed designer). The school seems a bit more business oriented too. Don’t get me wrong, from what my friends tell me, the school works their students HARD, the work seems great all the same, and it’s location and resources may be to die for. Also, it being apart of The New School University will bring her a variety of opportunities outside the art and design world (I considered this a strong point). It really all depends what you and your daughter are looking for and can tolerate. Keep in mind that the school is also a commuter school, and will not be the typical campus life experience (Manhattan is the campus), but I think the school provides their share amount of activities in the city.</p>

<p>Pratt is also one of the greatest art and design schools in the US and one of the oldest (dating back to 1887). It’s located near Clinton Hill in Brooklyn (a decent and safe neighborhood I assure you). The thing about Pratt is that it’s an art school that actually has a campus, and a creative one at that. It’s very beautiful and a place where you will find that typical campus life experience that freshman rave about (some people may say it’s boring; I was one of those people). If you care anything about rankings, I think Pratt’s undergraduate Interior Design program is 3rd or 2nd in the country, while it’s graduate program is first. The quality of work is great, although I think the program may be a bit more structurally oriented than most design programs at schools that offer a BFA. The school is also known for its Writing program, so there is a bit more variety in their electives than that of other schools. Although Brooklyn is no Manhattan, the place does have a charm about it and Manhattan is a 30min subway ride away. It’s a bit pricy though (40k tuition; dorms are a decent 6k without board).</p>

<p>I also recommend you check out SVA, the work quality is good and I loved the workspace; it felt very comfortable.
I’m sorry, my knowledge is limited to art schools and is further limited to only those in NYC, but I hope this helps >.></p>

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<p>Naueth, thank you for responding. Your post helped a lot. As a parent, I consider everything from accreditation/program reputation/focus, to “campus” feel, merit aid and college-options/life. My daughter, while young, seems focused and sure of her career choice of Interior Design. I am aware that may change, but I consider it unlikely at this point.</p>

<p>As a rising sophomore, last summer, I took her for a tour of DAAP in Cincinnati. She loved it. This summer, she enrolled in SCAD’s summer program in Savannah taking Architectural Sketching and an Exploring Furniture Design. She stayed in a dorm for a week, getting a taste of life away from home. She did well, taking everything in stride, and loved it there too. Most art schools don’t seem to feature the traditional campus-based college experience, but she didn’t seem to be phased by SCAD busing from the dorm to the various buildings in which her workshops occurred. She produced a couple of pieces including a laser-produced model of a side table that she designed as well as a sketch of a summer home that she designed for her “client”, the lead singer of her favorite band, shaped like a guitar.</p>

<p>Next up, as I previously mentioned, is a tour of Pratt on 10/26. Being from Chicago, we’re used to life in large metropolitan settings, but neither of us has been to New York, so I not only want to show her Pratt, and it’s campus in Brooklyn, but at least one other Art School in Manhattan. In addition, I want to both see and show her as much of New York as I can in the two days we’ll be there, so I’m focused on developing a plan of attack to both accomplish those college visits which are so important, but also to give her a taste of what New York’s canvas has of interest to her.</p>

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<p>My wife is a commercial interior designer, and we checked out a number of schools for my daughter while we were checking out animation/ digital design programs. Here was our take:</p>

<p>!. We loved Pratt’s campus and its offerings. My wife also like the student work. The dorms left a lot to be desired. I would strongly urge you to read my review of our campus visit to Pratt. If you read our review, you will note what we didn’t like was the tuition and lack of care of buildings, such as having leaking studios, bathrooms with cracks in it etc. This review was conducted about 6 years ago, so things might have changed.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>RIT: We all liked RIT a LOT. They had great offerings, strong student work and very well maintained facilities. Their tuition was also very reasonable since they offer a lot more in scholarship money than most other schools. Their only problems were that they didn’t have mandatory continuing education, which is true for most of the schools mentioned and were located in Rochester,which isn’t conducive for making connections or getting internships on your own.</p></li>
<li><p>We also saw SVA while checking out Manhattan. We loved the student work there. These students probably had among the best work shown However, it was a special show that didn’t showcase all student work. We did however see the foundation work posted for all students. Much of it was quite good. However, not seeing the average student work in upper level design classes, it is hard to evaluate what the average interior design work was like. Being in Manhattan didn’t hurt either. They have some very good connections for internships. By the way, always ask about internship offerings. These can be crucial in honing skills and in getting jobs.</p></li>
<li><p>Finally we saw the year end work at University of Cincinnati, School of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning. My wife was blown away with the quality of the work done by all students. We attended a year end showing of all student work. These kids have an advantage , however, that the kids from all other schools don’t have. University of Cincinnati has a mandatory integrated internship program that gives up to 6 quarters of usually paid coops. Thus, all kids get a lot of practical training that isn’t necessarily true at other schools. The school was very well maintained and had great facilities too. One other benefit of University of Cincinnati was that it was less expensive than most of the schools mentioned. In fact, with proper planning, your student could possibly get instate tuition in the future. My daughter did just that starting with her Junior year. UC also gave out some decent scholarships too if your kid can qualify for their Cincinnatus scholarship.
Check out my reviews in the College Vibe section. I have thoroughly reviewed each school. Although most reviews are a bit dated ( with the exception of SVA), they should give you a good feel for each school and address question you can ask the administration or present things to look for.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Finally, both UC and RIT had the best offering in general education requirements. All gen eds were of top quality. I didn’t get the same feeling at Pratt and SVA. At these two schools, our take was that they offered gen eds for accreditation purposes , and most courses seemed to be a bit watered down compared to that of regular universities such as University of Cincinnati and RIT. I don’t know if this is an important factor for you. Also, Schools like UC and RIT will give a full college experience with strong sporting spirit, great work out facilities, extremely large well stocked libraries etc. This is not as true for both Pratt and especially SVA. In fact, SVA has no work out facilities and very little in sports. Again, I am not sure how important these factors are,but I wanted to mention them. My daugher, for example, was able to participate in marching band and concert band. This allowed her to keep up her skills in flute and piccalo.</p>

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<p>Taxguy, it looks like we passed mid-post, and I have read your posts on a number of art schools. They’re very informative, and exactly what I’m looking for. But, as you point out, they’re from 2006, or there abouts, so I need to see what things are like now. I always refer to them, however, as an aid in what to focus on during my visits. I also use them to get a feel for the focus of the various institutions, and the unique aspects that each offers.</p>

<p>I try to get past the admissions “sales” pitches to what the school and interior design programs are really like, and opinions like those of you and your wife, who have made a career of the design world, are very valuable to me. Thanks for posting.</p>

<p>What concerns me about Interior Design programs is that I want them to shine on their own, and not just as an area of concentration within their architecture programs. Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes I feel that’s the case. I’m trying to sort out that pecking order by the way.</p>

<p>P.S. DAAP is very much on the radar, and is very high on my list.</p>

<p>P.P.S. Talked to an “Interior Studies” admissions officer at RISD trying to get a feel for what their program offers. He came off as very snobby, but I did get a feel for the program’s restorative/repurposing focus.</p>

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<p>We didn’t like the RISD program in Interior Design too, although we did like RISD overall for other majors. As for “ID shining on its own,” I can see your point. Frankly, there are two major conflicting schools of thought within the Interior Design education field. One school feels that it should be a stand alone major and not a concentration with an architecture school and the other is that Interior Design is very similar to architecture without having the understanding of stress bearing walls. Also that architects should have an understanding of Interior Design while designers should also understand what architects do since they can interface with each other on projects. At UC, for example, Architects and Interior Designers both take the same fundamental program in their first year. Both use CAD software extensively. Moreover, Interior Designers MUST be able to understand architectual drawings and blueprints. Other majors such as Graphic Designers, Industrial Designers and Digital Designers take a different fundamental program from that of the architects and ID folks. Both I and my wife are not sure which is better approach,which is why there is a big debate in the field about it.</p>

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<p>I agree with Balthezar, Pratt has gotten a lot of work done since then and have completely re-modeled and renovated their buildings (including the art and design building) and added some new ones. It’s actually kind of inspiring.
I can’t say much about the dorms though (I opted to not tour them). One thing about them is if you’re in the Interior Design program, you have to pay for a 1-2k mandatory laptop, which I find kind of ridiculous. I don’t know if this shows that their facilities and resources may be lacking or if their trying to destroy their students financially but this request seems kind of unreasonable. So heads up if you decide to go with Pratt, do not buy your daughter a laptop beforehand as I did.</p>

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<p>Funny you should mention that naueth. I was just looking over the Pratt website over the weekend, and (1) was surprised that they had a mandatory laptop requirement, and (2) that the laptop mandate could not be met with a macbook pro, the latest version of which I just bought my daughter…sheesh. Maybe they’ll change that before Fall 2014, but I’ll be asking them about that on the visit.</p>

<p>I though Macs were overwhelmingly used in the Art & Design world.</p>

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<p>Well, you’ve mentioned your daughter is a rising junior? You won’t need the laptop until after foundation year, so maybe in 3 years time you’d be willing to get her a new one lol.
I was also surprised and slightly pleased it wasn’t a Mac. Honestly macs aren’t my cup of tea (although something as light as a mac would have been nice).</p>

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<p>Yes, she’s a rising junior now, but that Mac powerbook set me back a lot, so it better last more than 3 years. I’m an Oracle DBA, and I’ve always preferred PCs, as do most businesses, than Macs, but I was surprised by a non-mac requirement in an Art School. I guess my Graphics Design friend who is vehemently pro-Mac is going to have trouble sleeping when I give him the news on this one.</p>

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<p>Hi Balthezar, Yes, generally Macs are used in the art world, but I do know (as you said) that my niece at Pratt has a PC. My kiddo is a student at Ringling and all incoming freshman are given a Mac by a private donor (not a hidden tuition fee!) which is loaded with software and supported rigorously by the IT department. If Pratt continues using the PC then it looks like you will have a Mac in a few years, LOL! I can’t wait to buy one for myself. My kids have Macs and they are sooo trouble-free, which is a huge relief for college students! I have 3 PCs and hate them all, but tuition looms so I make do! :slight_smile: If you have any particular questions about Pratt from a current student’s perspective let me know and I can pass them on to my niece. Also, I saw in an earlier post you are seeking more programs to investigate. Two Ringling students just won a prestigious ID award (two in a long line of winners) so you might want to check out the article on [Ringling</a> College of Art and Design: Home](<a href=“http://www.ringling.edu%5DRingling”>http://www.ringling.edu) and see where the other winners attend school (there were only 30 in total). Might give you some ideas of where the strong programs are and you can then target those.</p>