<p>So we've finally started visiting schools with D (a junior). My D, unlike a lot of future art students on this board, hates NYC, so that rules out some really nice schools. She doesn't like big cities in general, although she is OK with Boston. GPA is around 3.0, hasn't taken the SATs yet. Here is the list I've come up with so far:</p>
<p>Mass Art (likes a lot)
SUNY Purchase
SUNY New Paltz
PrattMWP
U Hartford
Skidmore </p>
<p>Unfortunately she didn't like Pratt on her visit. I need some more ideas. MICA and Temple sound like they would be too urban/gritty.</p>
<p>Try Alfred U in upstate NY. You couldn’t get less urban. And if you go, I’ve heard you should visit this crazy place. The sculptures that are too big for the students to bring home, or are otherwise unclaimed, end up here. </p>
<p>Has she thought about the Midwest? There are some nice schools there that are in medium sized cities that have enough artsy stuff going on but don’t have the “gritty” feel. MCAD (Minneapolis), KCAI (Kansas City) , MIAD (Milwaukee) and I would throw in SAIC, but many kids are intimidated by the sheer size of downtown Chicago. There’s a thing called “Midwest nice”, that you run into in that part of country.</p>
<p>People keep advising my daughter to visit Bard, but she’s an urban girl and thinks it would not pass her cow test–if you can see cows from the campus, it’s not for her!</p>
<p>SUNY New Paltz is a great option for the art student that wants the feeling of an LAC and the option to take classes in lots of other areas. My son is an art student there and is having a really positive experience. The surrounding area is a fun place to be and the proximity to NYC lets the students take advantage of it. The student body is down to earth and accepting.
Here are their acceptance stats from an older post they had on their facebook page:
“For the fall 2009 entering class the mean SAT was 1170 (CR & M) and the mean ACT score was 26.” “We look for a range of an 87-93 high school average.”</p>
<p>my vague impression of Bard is that there are plenty of people there who are doing fine-arts and who feel the same way about being in cow-country as your daughter does. The fact that they chose to attend Bard anyways should tell her that they may be on to something…she should check it out.</p>
<p>We visited Maine College of Art. Have mixed feelings - its really really small. My D is at a high school with 1800 kids, and MECA has fewer students (around 350) than are in her junior class (450). But my D will apply.</p>
<p>She would probably love U Vermont, but their studio art program seems pretty puny.</p>
<p>If you haven’t already visited the AICAD website, you should do so, You can search art schools by geography or majors and there is a link to each school website with a lot of info.</p>
<p>If your Daughter likes the Boston area, aside from MCAD, there is the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) which offers liberal arts courses in connection with Tufts and Northeastern, and The Art Institute of Boston which is part of Lesley University in Cambridge.</p>
<p>There are also a few schools in Pennsylvanis. If you can provide more information on what area of Art Study your D is interested in, we can offer more info.</p>
<p>We visited Cleveland Institute of Art and it is a lovely campus. Quite close to town, but without the “gritty” urban feel you get in NYC. It is surrounded by parks and botanical gardens and museums - I liked it. Kid liked RISD and MICA more. Kid also was accepted at Syracuse, which she liked a great deal. She wasn’t so impressed with Cornell (this was back when she was interested in architecture) – too rural. Guess it was the cow factor.</p>
<p>We did the New England tour (minus Mass and Boston) junior year. D had MECA (Maine College of Art - MCAD is Minneapolis College of Art & Design) as her “dream school” for quite awhile. She loved it from the viewbook, and I loved it because I used to live in Maine and that’s where my heart is. Went to visit and liked it, but didn’t get the warm fuzzies. Portland is small but vibrant city with lots to do and safety is not as much an issue as in some of the larger cities. She went to pre-college at NHIA (New Hampshire Institute of Art), which she loved, but that school is even smaller I think than MECA and not nearly the city life you’d get in Portland. If you want REALLY small there’s Chester College in NH, which kind of reminded me of a summer camp. If you didn’t have a car, you went nowhere. Sandwich shop, hardware store, and church were the center of town. Looked like a nice place for adults to go on a retreat. UNH had an OK art department, but guide admitted they lost their best art students to NHIA. Don’t bother with USM (University of Southern Maine - their art is in the basement. U of Maine at Orono was better.</p>
<p>If you are interested in Bard take a look at all the reviews on students review dot com. Actually it can be a helpful resource for any school you’re interested in.</p>
<p>Bard is very selective, they expect GPA of 3.5 and above, so 3.0 may not be enough. On the other hand, they are SAT optional and place huge emphasis on essays.</p>
<p>Yeah, I suspect my D’s stats are out of range for Bard, but her college counselor suggested she apply - the essay and portfolio might get her in. Who knows. Then it also comes down to what kind of education does she really want, an LA education or a BFA.</p>
<p>Alfred actually sounds like a great fit for her, except for its location. We live in Massachusetts - 7 hours away - and it sounds like there is no easy way in or out of that place. Decisions, decisions. I guess that’s why forums like these thrive!</p>