<p>Did anyone go to the Pratt accepted students day last weekend ? I went with my daughter, and both she and I went away excited and impressed. The campus looked gorgeous with the flowering trees in bloom and the lawn and buildings spruced. The art that we saw around was very impressive and the student body seemed engaged and energetic. The faculty that we meet were smart , articulate, personable and downright funny. The art store was wonderful and I'm planning on going back when the line isn't so long. I drove around the surrounding neighborhood and although some areas were certainly not great, it did not seem unsafe, and some areas were nice. My d met other incoming freshman who, like her, had chosen Pratt over RISD not just because Pratt had given out more money (she figured she can pay for a MFA, if she chooses, with the money she'll save going to Pratt), but because they genuinely liked Pratt better. Pratt is not for everyone, however. It is VERY demanding and from what I saw a student has to be tough to handle the criticism which seems to be very common place . Our tour guide seemed equally comfortable praising and trashing students' works as we went by. I think a student must learn early on not to take it personally. My d spent the night on campus with a friend who is a freshman. She ate dinner at a nearby restaurant with a communal table where she met folks from the neighborhood, faculty, and students. She then went to the studio until midnight and was up early as her friend had to get to the Natural History Museum for an assignment. Her friend hadn't slept three nights last week, but loved the school ! My d was looking for a school with a great art program, heavy on the liberal arts, diverse, in a city but with a campus, real, demanding and serious. I can't think of a better place for her.</p>
<p>Yes, we were there. My d also liked Pratt a lot, is very excited about going there. That's really awesome that your girl could spend the night at the dorms. By the way, did you manage to increase your fin package? I remember from another post that you were going to try to do it.</p>
<p>I went also, and I got the same impression. The campus is beeeautiful, especially on such a nice day. I took the subway from Manhattan, which was kind of creepy (and I'm used to taking the subway IN manhattan, going out to brooklyn it did get a little weird, especially on the L and G train), and I was expecting the same when I emerged from it onto the street, but I was surprised to find that the neighborhood was very nice, waay nicer than I had expected, especially after hearing how "dangerous" it is.</p>
<p>Again, the campus was awsome. It certainly lived up to the hype. The interior of a lot of the buildings was pretty run down, but thats to be expected. The New York atmosphere is also just fantastic.</p>
<p>GRRR........... I really wish I could have chosen Pratt over Tyler, but the tuition at Tyler is just such a good deal. Oh well. Maybe I'll transfer after foundation year.</p>