<p>I'm currently a sophomore at Chapman University but I really don't like living in Orange County or Chapman in general. I want to transfer to an art school for graphic design and applied all over the place - Pratt, Otis, Columbia College Chicago, Portland State... But realized I really just want to be in LA (because it's the best place ever and I can't handle the cold). </p>
<p>Last week I was accepted to Otis which was initially very exciting but after visiting the campus and looking at the student work, I was a little unimpressed. The work seemed very experimental and geared more towards fine art. Another thing that concerns me is that Otis does not teach web design which, to me, seems crucial in a graphic design career. Another thing to consider is that I was admitted as a freshman (or what they call the foundation year in which I would just be doing figure drawing, sculpture...etc) because I didn't have enough studio art credits. </p>
<p>So, this may seem like a leap because I know Otis has a great reputation but I was also considering The Art Institute of LA (the one in Santa Monica) which teaches web design and is more geared towards JUST design rather than a wholistic, fine arts degree with a design emphasis that Otis offers. I could graduate from AI in something like 2-2.5 years whereas at Otis I would be there for another 3-4 years... which is obviously much more expensive. </p>
<p>Is it worth it to go to Otis because it is a respected art school for 4 years or AI where I can jump right into graphic/web design and graduate in 2ish years? How different do you think the educations really are?</p>
<p>At the end of the day you must decide. My friend’s daughter just graduated from AI and had internships and job offers from Mattel and other companies. She is currently doing a year long internship (post graduation) in Hungary. He family has roots there. Now to qualify this, her daughter was at the top of her class and was very aggressive in looking for opportunities. She loved the school and will have a great future in her field of choice. It is all about skills in graphic design.</p>
<p>I would say that you should go to the school that offers what you want. You have already decided that Chapman is not your cup of tea and you are ready to walk away from that school even though it has a great reputation with significant prestige. Why are you even considering going to a school that does not offer the exact training that you want just because it is perceived as more prestigious?</p>
<p>You should know that in the arts, it is all about what you can do and create as opposed to the school you graduate from. If you want graphic/web design then study it. The shortest distance between point A and point B is a straight line. What makes you think that the fastest way to get into your preferred career is to take a circular route that will take you to years longer, cost more and not even give you the classes you want? Be bold and choose what you want.</p>
<p>The for profit-profit AI’s should be avoided. 60% of you tuition goes towards marketing costs. Have you looked into [Art</a> Center College of Design | Pasadena, CA | Learn to Create. Influence Change.](<a href=“ArtCenter College of Design - A Global Leader in Art and Design Education”>ArtCenter College of Design - A Global Leader in Art and Design Education) ? One of the best art schools in the country.
Also you will find better information on the CC thread geared towards the arts. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/</a></p>