Hi
DD21 was planning on attending Ringling Pre-College (deposit already made); she also has an app in to CSSSA, but who knows if that’s happening (or if she’d even be admitted).
Ringling is going virtual. The big drawbacks to this are:
- She was really planning on using the experience to see what a serious art school environment was like and to see how she liked being far from home. Right now she thinks she’d prefer a traditional college such as CSULB or Stamps.
- Program will be based on Florida time which means 5:30 a.m. start for her. She is NOT a morning person.
- Cost is almost $3,000. I know their expenses still exist but it just seems like a lot for 4-weeks online.
- She’s not the type to participate in online social events (which is what they are saying will replicate being there).
So, we’re trying to see what other options may exist. A lot of schools have flat out cancelled their pre-college programs, which makes me wonder how good the quality will be for any online program.
Art Center is offering online classes - many that would interest her, no crazy times and much more affordable. I really don’t know much about the school. Can anyone speak to the quality of instruction. Any past high-school attendees here (I know it would be different online)
Any current art students that can comment on how distance learning is working for them and if these programs will still be valuable or a waste of time?
Her interests are in illustration, character design, and to a lesser extent animation in case that makes a difference.
Thanks!!
Hi! My daughter is a 10th grader who will be applying only to art colleges when the time comes. She was taking an in-person Saturday class in Entertainment Design this semester through Art Center, and partway through they had to switch to online instruction. The instructor was very thorough and involved and my daughter was engaged throughout each three-hour session. She really seemed to get a lot out of it. The school itself is of extremely high quality and has a top reputation. This is her second weekend class that she has taken there
I had signed her up for a two-week program during the second half of June at Gnomon, and that got cancelled (she was going to be doing a week of digital art and a week of character sculpture), and I had signed her up for Summer of Art in July through Otis, and that has moved online. She is still going to do it, because she has gotten a lot out her summer weekend classes there in the past, and I feel like the structure and feedback will be good for her rather than solely doing her own art all summer. I had signed her up for Otis rather than AC for the summer program both because she likes taking classes at various places, and also because we live on the westside, and the thought of somehow commuting to and from Pasadena on weekdays was a non-starter. Under normal, non-COVID traffic conditions, it would probably be faster to fly to Florida. 
Hope this helps! I will be curious to see what other responses say.
@snowbirdmom Thank you so much - that is extremely helpful! I’m happy to hear classes were beneficial for her and continued to be so once they moved online. That’s been my big concern…if schools are still holding sessions because they don’t want to give up that valuable source of income.
For some reason I thought Otis had completely cancelled their program, so I will have to look at them again.
I totally hear you on the traffic! D’s art teacher offered her a free spot at Gnomon for a weekend class and we had to turn it down as each way would have been 2+ hours with traffic. And last summer she took classes at LCAD which was a nightmare with all the art festival/beach traffic.
I would love to hear more about her experience at LCAD! My daughter loves their focus on classical training and realism. Also, have you ever looked at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art for any classes? They are in the same tradition.
Oops forgot to tag you @calmomto3
@calmomto3–Don’t you have another year before your D applies to college? I would try to save the Ringling experience for next summer if that is so. Between Junior and Senior year is ideal. Even though I’m sure it would be a good experience on-line I do think that one VERY important aspect of pre-college is actually experiencing the campus (labs and facilities), students and professors. Part of doing PC is learning if art school is really what you want. Students do get 3 hour credit which is nice but that again is nicer to have when actually closer when applying.
@gouf78 No, unfortunately D is a current junior so this is her last summer for an “away” experience before completing college apps and deciding. Sadly, an on-campus experience isn’t going to happen.
I think she’s decided against Ringing - the 5:30 a.m. start time would just kill her. Thanks to snowbirdmom’s comment above she’ll probably be doing Otis.
@snowbirdmom D really liked the summer classes she took at LCAD - and she continued to drop in for their Saturday figure drawing classes prior to everything shutting down. She did say they were very small class sizes and that no one talked to each other - ever! She said even one of the models commented on how quiet they were.
@calmomto3 – 530am would kill me too! So sorry this is happening.