<p>Hey there kiddos! I'm going to be majoring in photography. I've applied and gotten into: RIT, Ursinus, Coe, Lycoming, and Drexel, and New Paltz. I've also applied to Bennington and Nazareth but haven't heard back from them yet. My top choice (?) at this point is RIT, which apparently has an amazing photo program. I've visited campus a few times, and it's pretty nice, but not idyllic or beautiful like Bennington or Ursinus. I guess I'm just wondering what the benefits of the photo program are at RIT, versus a school like Bennington. Is there really any difference in the quality of the program?</p>
<p>RIT has the best photo program in the world. No contest. You’ll get better technical training, state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, and more astute aesthetic critiques. You’ll be better equiped to make a living at photography.</p>
<p>My DD did some modeling in HS and ALL the photographers and staff knew of RIT and highly recommended the school to her (she was a GD major). Almost all the photographers she worked with earned their degrees at RIT - so there was plenty of work for RIT grads in NYC… Many RIT photo students work in their field while still undergrads. Some never finish their degrees because they work fulltime. </p>
<p>I suggest you compare facilities, curriculums and faculty at each of your schools. Then decide. Look critically at the students’ work, often displayed or check students’ websites/portfolios. If visiting RIT, stop in the photo dept and speak with photo students. Depends on the type of photography you’re interested in. Senior year, my DD was often paired with a photo major to do magazine layouts and packaging design.</p>
<p>She was an honors student, as were most of her friends. They all took their work seriously. You could often find them pulling all nighters or giving up at least one of their weekend days to do work. Not sure if that’s due to project related curriculum (design/photo/art students) or just their personalities. My DD worked part time on campus all four years and many of her friends/roommates played sports at RIT. Time management was key. Design majors spend many more hours IN class and then working on projects than more academic majors. I imagine Photo majors do as well. You will still be required to take gen ed requirements so there are plenty of academic classes as well. In addition, GD majors are required to take a liberal arts minor, not sure about photo majors. IT was definitely a work hard atmosphere for four years, for those who took their education seriously. But she says the constant workload/deadlines prepared her for the realities of the real world… She was told the RIT name helped her get her internship and she had 3 job offers upon graduation (2 from on campus recruiting). I imagine for Photo majors the RIT name means a great deal.</p>
<p>The other schools may also be impressive. I don’t know much about them. I took a quick glance and don’t see photography listed as a major, but rather a more general art studio degree. Not sure you even get a BFA, but rather a BA degree. Read up on the differences and see which one applies to your situation. They are not the same. Also consider facilities and faculty. One school had one part time photographer listed. Look at the strength of the program, number of classes offered and required to complete your degree. Try to be exposed to all kinds of photography and not just a class or two. Or perhaps you just want a BA in Art and then go on to get a MFA in photography? </p>
<p>A word of advice regardless of which school you choose. Do as many internships/coops as you can. In the fall of junior yr, my dd was looking for an internship for the upcoming summer. By accident, she called a GD recruiter (not an actual company that offers internships). Obviously the recruiter wasn’t looking for undergrads but he was willing to answer my DD’s questions about hiring practices. He told my DD that he had so many candidates, that he was able to focus on applicants with 3 or more internships/coops. He really didn’t have to consider anyone with less experience than that. He also said some companies had lists of specific schools they considered priority. So she worked hard and made sure she had 3 different internships/GD jobs under her belt by graduation. I’m sure the same advice applies to photo majors (regardless of which school you attend) - probably all majors today. There are endless photoshoots/projects so portfolio building is not a problem.</p>