MICA vs. Transfer to ArtCenter

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

Hey, sorry, first post so not sure it’s in the right thread. I need some advice.

I’m a future visual arts major who has committed to Maryland Institute College of Art, partially because it’s the best art school I got into, and also partially because I decided university wouldn’t be conducive to going into an artistic field. I want to go into concept art -I know, shocker!- but I have a few hang ups-

  1. I think Artcenter school of Design might be better.

Despite what people are saying about Artcenter, I get the impression that the employment rate out of graduation is higher, in one part due to its location in Pasadena, and also in streamlining your major to basically make you a master of your interest. I’ve been told that going to one of these more streamlined majors are better for going into the industry if you need guidance. And honestly I don’t know much about the state of the industry right now, but I’m afraid to find out after graduating MICA that I won’t be employed.
Also Artcenter looks amazing and it seems like there are so many amazing artists that teach there, the resources just seem insane. I’ve wanted to go since I found out about it.

  1. The portfolio for Artcenter Entertainment Design is intense and I only have five months left

The portfolio for Spring 2020 is due in October, meaning I have a mere five months to finish this process and I’ve barely started. I think I can do it, but I also don’t want to put in the effort just to find that I don’t actually wanna go to Artcenter. If I don’t finish, I could apply for Fall 2020, but then I’d probably graduate in five years instead which isn’t ideal (Though I hear of many transfers to Artcenter). Now somewhat unrelated but I’ve been having serious trouble with making my portfolio, but that’s art-related.

  1. MICA too broad in its majors? Is this a disadvantage?

For the field that I’m going into, I am not sure MICA will help me become a concept artist like Artcenter would.

I know MICA is more widely renowned than Artcenter in some circles. It seems to be a great school with cool people. But I find myself wishing I got into Artcenter.

TLDR; Artcenter vs MICA, should I try to get into Artcenter for next spring or stay at MICA?

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@pumagami - I have a daughter who attends Art Center. She wants to do concept art also, but chose their Illustration - Entertainment Arts track, instead of Entertainment Design. Both train you for what you want to do. Illustration is a much bigger program, with various sub-specialities under it.

I suggest you go on social media and follow concept artists from various colleges. You’ll find that what they majored in and where they went to college matters less than their talent and drive. I’ve seen people on instragram who studied fine art at a traditional 4-year college, then worked hard to get into big name studios. Most of the grads had to work at smaller studios for a few years to build their skills and learn the industry before they got hired by their favorite studio. That’s true of Art Center grads too. It’s during those first few years that networking is key to getting where you want to go. No college can guarantee that. Also, use Linkedin to see where concept artists went to college and follow their job trajectory. It’s very insightful.

Art Center is incredibly tough and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Think 16+ hours of classes and homework each day, 7 days a week. It’s that crazy, and not for the weak. Since art schools are very specific about their classes, you really need to look into whether any classes you take at one college will transfer to another. The last thing you want to do is be in school a few extra semesters because of that. That’s an expensive mistake.

I suggest you speak with an Admissions Rep and get all your questions answered directly from the source. I found Art Center was very helpful in guiding my daughter through building her portfolio, reviewing it along the way before she formally submitted it. For her major, they emphasized the importance of figure drawing the sketchbook work.

Because art school is very expensive and very tough, you want to be sure to do all your due diligence before applying. And it is important to find the college that fits you personally, rather than attend one because of a name. By doing that, you set yourself up for success.

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