<p>I went to NPD in November. I attended alone as my parents were not available to accompany me. It was my first time there, and what really annoyed me was when parents would save spots for their kids in lines, while their kids went to check out other schools. I do not think this should be allowed to happen. I was waiting in the Pratt line for over an hour and a half while I could have checked out so many other schools. The kids in front of me got to check out three different other schools while their parents stood in the Pratt line for them. In the end, I just left and didn't even get my portfolio looked at by Pratt. It kind of ****ed me off. Does anyone agree that this is unfair? Or is this a perfectly normal, acceptable thing at NPD?</p>
<p>Yes, it’s considered a normal thing. For some schools, like RISD, the line (at least in our part of the country) is at least 3 hours long (out of a 4 hour event). So if you want to go to one of the “hot” schools, you could basically <em>only</em> be seen by that school, and then one or two smaller lines. </p>
<p>Is it fair? Well, you don’t have to bring your parents. I bet you have friends in school, right? Several students we saw had non-artist friends with them, to wait in line. Additionally, you don’t have to pay to attend, so it doesn’t cost extra to bring people. To me, it’s sort of like saying, “There are people who bring extra pencils and a calculator to the SAT. Is that fair? I didn’t bring a calculator, even though I could, and those people had an advantage over me.” </p>
<p>If you want to complain that something’s not fair, to me it’s not fair that schools know there will be hundreds of students at the event, and yet some of them only have 2 reviewers. If each review takes 15 minutes (and for some schools, it’s that long), that’s 4 students an hour, or 16 students per reviewer. 800-1000 students at an event, and you’re going to be able to see something like 32-48 of them? THAT’s not fair! </p>
<p>You know what else isn’t fair? After that 3 hour RISD line? The reviewer spent about 2 minutes looking at daughter’s portfolio, then said, “That’s good,” and waved her on. THAT’S not fair! :-)</p>
<p>/// If you want to complain that something’s not fair, to me it’s not fair that schools know there will be hundreds of students at the event, and yet some of them only have 2 reviewers. If each review takes 15 minutes (and for some schools, it’s that long), that’s 4 students an hour, or 16 students per reviewer. 800-1000 students at an event, and you’re going to be able to see something like 32-48 of them? THAT’s not fair! ///</p>
<p>This is one reason SCAD does not participate in NPD, but schedules its own portfolio review days in Savannah, and around the country on a weekly basis. Students are guaranteed 15 quality minutes – which is still not long enough, IMO.</p>
<p>And that is the reason taxguy refuse to admit SCAD is a legit school and ghetto kids are afraid to go in midtown hotels to be reviewed.
But somehow it is the only private school that recruit us knowing kids have no real training or academics done and no one could afford it… mystery.</p>
<p>Hey kid OP, I do think it isn’t fair some parents have too much time and effort pour into some kid that is very special to them but just other boring kid to you.
You never know what other people’s situation is, let’s not complain, take it, step over it, laugh at it.
Some kids might be crying because their nearest NPD spot is 2000 miles away and they can’t get there.
Is it fair?
After all NPD is a trade show. You are just seeing school salesmen/ women.
You can always visit school, send them fabulous CD, win award, get 2400 SAT etc etc,
No, having better camera/ mac or princeton review class is not fair but, you get the picture.
After all, it is YOU, your work, your life.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/854425-word-parents-npd.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/854425-word-parents-npd.html</a>
few thread down, did you read it?
Do you rather have them behind your back as your parent?
They sure do save spots for you.</p>
<p>Well, I will weigh in with some expieriences/views of NPD. My S took H one time. H is NOT an enthsiastically supportive parent in terms of S pursuing art career but wanted to see what all the fuss was about. hilarious. S got him to stand in line and Dad gets to front of line and only asked one question–“what do you cost?” (with heavy accent and menancing stare). Dad was so totally flabbergasted by the $ response he backed off. To be productive (in his mind) during the NPD he served as a place holder and counted the number of piercings in the line for each school…unofficial correlation statistics–more $, more piercings. Came home from NPD thouroughly discouraged about long term future of US youth in general, of S in particular. S went to the next NPD with girlfriend as place holder. Basically my point is, be careful what you wish for. </p>
<p>Don’t use the NPD as much more than a chance to see other work and perhaps talk to a rep from a far away school. Some schools are really great about giving feedback on online portfolios…MICA makes a point to say submit portfolio early, get feedback and make changes to a piece or to portfolio organization, etc to maximize chances. SCAD sends reps around the south to high schools and you can make an appointment at your own school. Let them know your interest early and they may make a point of coming your way. VCU has tremendous open houses with faculty giving feedback for over 20 minutes each candidate but it doesn’t count for admission. SMFA ditto. SAIC will give you non-critical thumbs up on anyone’s portfolio even a chimp using his toes as long as he has $$$…</p>
<p>okay no need to attack me…it was my first time there, i was just curious. i know LIFE isn’t fair…thanks for your view of NPD, fineartsmajormom. It put things in perspective.</p>
<p>chanelno5, I don’t think it’s fair either. All those people waiting alone in separate lines aren’t having fun either. I think NPD is a bit overrated because of situations like this. I attended one with D at MICA and the line for MICA’s table was huge, even though MICA makes it easy for you to visit the school and have a portfolio review anytime they do tours and info sessions. D and I waited on several short lines for smaller, more obscure art schools and enjoyed the feed back they provided. </p>
<p>Later, she scheduled a private portfolio review with a Pratt rep who was visiting our town. Much better! </p>
<p>Also, we went to a Cooper info session with portfolio reviews but there were so many people there that the reviews were fast and not too helpful. Interesting also that they didn’t let the parents (or anyone else) accompany the prospective student. D was younger then and got a bit flustered by that.</p>
<p>Whenever there’s a really long line in your life, ask yourself this: what am I waiting on this for, is it worth it, and, is there another (better) way? You’ll avoid some lines that way. For the unavoidable lines, bring something to keep you happy - book, ipod, whatever.</p>
<p>greenwitch: Yup, my daughter had a scheduled review with Pratt too, in December. She ended up spending about an hour with the rep, closely reviewing and assessing what she should submit with her application. It was incredibly helpful. On the other hand, she also really values the feedback she gets from reps of other schools about what they’re looking for in a submission portfolio. The feedback my daughter is most interested in is not “you’re accepted” but, “you should include these pieces in your application, but not these, and if you had a couple showing X and Y, that would make it stronger, too.”</p>
<p>chanelno5: I didn’t see anyone attacking you. You asked questions: “Does anyone agree that this is unfair? Or is this a perfectly normal, acceptable thing at NPD?” I responded to your questions. If your impression is that I don’t agree with you, then that’s a disagreement, not an attack.</p>
<p>i think the best solution is not to visit schools like risd or pratt at portfolio day unless the line is real short. unless you are going with intent on building a relationship with the college rep for scholarship purposes, it really doesn’t matter if you are reviewing with them or with another school. One quality review with trevor or alessandra from MICA or chris from SMFA is worth way more than five reviews from the schools you want to go to that just happen to have lousy reviewers. Because in the end you are making art for YOU and not art for the colleges, and a quality review with constructive advice is much better than hearing someone tell you to take a few figure drawing classes</p>
<p>edit: not saying anything bad against risd or pratt, just saying that in the NPD setting their reviewers are notoriously un-helpful, which is by no means a reflection of the school</p>
<p>I think that’s great if you have the option of travelling to schools to have a portfolio review, or if schools come to where you live. Our family cannot afford trips to colleges for reviews. My daughter is the only student in her entire high school applying to art schools, so no art schools visit her school. Schools nearby do not allow students from her school to visit their school for art school visits, because of the antagonistic relationship between the local school district and the charter schools. (That is, students from her school are not allowed to make use of any resources at the non-charter district schools, mostly out of meanness. So if you ask, “Can I schedule a time with the that admin rep when she visits your school?” the answer will be, “No! If you wanted that, you shouldn’t have chosen to attend the charter school!” </p>
<p>So, the point is for students at the EFC=0 end of the food chain, many of whom are at schools that don’t get nice college rep visits, NPD may be the only way their students get to talk to reps.</p>
<p>Trin, Trin, Trin.
You live (I think you do, don’t you?) in the city that has one of the best fine art school with fabulous track record that welcomes drop in visit like old friend and one of the best modern art museum and one of the better public transportation and one of the walkable city.
Stop, please, of course person from NYC has no right to say anything, even we do feed hand to mouth, but look, the kid above goes to one of the best yet one of the poorest school system.
What s/he got, he earned it with planing through years that start in elementary school, dedication, working hard of the hardest, with classmates, or self is pretty much same or worth background as your D or my kid, and without helicopter, imagine that!!
I don’t know if you remember it but in the kid’s old post I talked about the kid went to SMFA full ride ( I bet still only full tuition with some help for living, not full full ride you are after)
I believe what he had to say about his life, his view of the world, what art making means to him.
Just, stop. please.</p>
<p>“” Because in the end you are making art for YOU and not art for the colleges, and a quality review with constructive advice is much better than hearing someone tell you to take a few figure drawing classes" </p>
<p>Sorry, no, don’t think so…you aren’t making art for you, at least not when you are applying to art schools…you are trying to please the reviewer, maximize chances of admission and praying for some merit aid…if my son spouted twaddle about “making art for him” as a reason not to listen to an admissions reviewer for a school he wants to get into then I need to give him big reality check (or a padded room since he had clearly gone into the deep end). However, I do agree that a student should use judgement about the comments and not just knee jerk do what a reviewer suggests. </p>
<p>What is with the capital YOU? Do we really need to make young art students even more egocentric? …YOU are the only arbiter of what constitutes ART…YOU are the center of the universe…</p>
<p>Art students need to face reality that their future near and far will require them to at least sometimes produce to others’ requirements/preferences…YOU will make art for teachers, make art for employers, make art for clients…not just make art to please yourself. Hopefully, there will be some intersection of all of these…this is true of ALL professions…in this respect life as an artist is not really that different from life as a statistician</p>
<p>And I read she is quite traveled, SAIC, Calarts, PNCA, that’s already three major spot most kids would be dyeing to go.
don’t tell me schools flew her in already.
Do you dress, eat, have cellphone one family member each?
EFC 0 is not badge of honor. Make it $5 (one sandwich ) $ 20 (one pair of jeans) $ 30 (one phone canceled)
Whoops, I did it again.
Yes, OP, everyone has their own situation I have no idea, let’s not complain, take it, step over, laugh at it.</p>
<p>gawd you are quick fammom
I am fan of the kid above so let me (please)
that’s why the kid is not going to Pratt RISD.
s/he will know soon enough at Cooper SAIC SMFA in easy way or hard way.
Kids do come out alive, you know, and become Nan whathername or Elsworth blah What Oldenberg, Jeff Koons or Coon, I can’t do the names sorry-- we have no right to say s/he is not the one.
I am rather amused s/he might be the one, not my kid.</p>
<p>Sorry to have gone on a rant about art kids’dreams vs cold reality (bad day yesterday with my personal 18 year old example) but I think the art schools and reps are sometimes feeding expectations at these NPD that are totally unrealistic and a sense of potential that is completely premature. However, some ego is really necessary to overcome the naysayers (guilty as charged) so go forth and conquer and come back to CC (and home) and say “I told you so…” I would be so thrilled if it happens for all of you.</p>
<p>fineartsmajormom: I agree. Daughter met with Cooper Union, was like “They were very encouraging”. I said, “Yes, but your SATs are not anywhere near their minimums, and I don’t think Federal aid would cover living expenses for it – the scholarship is only tuition.” We discussed that they accept 10 percent, and applying is like buying a lottery ticket. She might win, but realistically, she shouldn’t be counting on it.</p>
<p>sorry TrinSF, i guess i agree with you that there are a lot of unfair things, but you did not have to word your opinion so harshly.</p>
<p>chanel05, why did you leave after waiting so long? When I took 5 students, I told them all, if there’s a school you are REALLY interested in, get in that line first. If not, go to the shorter lines and get all the feedback you can. One boy was only interested in Florida schools, so I helped him find the 3 Florida schools that were there. He saw all those, and then only went to one or two more. One girl only went to a few schools. Those kids were done in 2 hrs and ready to leave. My D saw the 3 schools she was interested in and then went to 2 more and by that time it was almost over. Another girl stayed until the very end. The girl that stayed 'til the end did mostly anime and Sonic type cartoon-y stuff. She was told the expected - still lifes, draw from observation, etc. She got lots of good feedback and immediately changed her outlook and D said girl was doing still lifes in portfolio class the very next day. I was disappointed in the 2 kids that were done in 2 hours and since they came with us, they had to wait for us anyway. But it’s like anything else in life - you get out of it what you put into it.</p>