<p>Ive been accepted to RISD, and its obviously my first choice, but my parents want to send me to the cheap, public in-state university. I have been unable to convince them that it is worth paying the awfully high tuition to send me to an art school, especially one so highly ranked. Does anyone have any advice for leverage I could use? I really want an intense artistic environment, and that is something a lower-ranked university is not going to give me, yet this point barely seems to convince them.</p>
<p>I have a fairly good academic standing, and I guess my portfolio was good enough to get me in, but RISD has a rep for giving no financial aid, so scholarships aren't much of an option.</p>
<p>Any tips in the Private Art School vs. Public University debate? Thanx in advance.</p>
<p>First, do all the financial aid applications, you never know how that will work out.</p>
<p>Second, you can agree with your parents to accept the difference in loans from the state school to the private. Ask them to draw up a private loan agreement where you will repay them a certain amount each month after 1 year of graduating.</p>
<p>Third, I don't know that much about art school, but I do think that attending RISD will positively affect your future potential income. I'm sure the admissions office can help you with facts and figures.</p>
<p>RISD is probably the best art school in the country, and if you got accepted you must be very talented. I think when it comes to studying art many parents would be a little hesitant to want to pay so much more money on something that won't guarantee you anything, however it is RISD! </p>
<p>This is a toughy. DId you apply to any other art schools or Private universities? Because if you did you might be able to get merit aid from others like WUSTL or Pratt Institute, USC etc.</p>
<p>PS I think you should go to RISD if you want to just focus on art, because at a public university you'll probably have to take more ge's than you would have had to at RISD, and also because at public university you always have your slackers who just go to college just to shut their parents up, but RISD is definetly intense. </p>
<p>You can argue to your parents that if you go to RISD you'll be able to take classes at Brown and show them that Brown is an Ivy, maybe they'll be impressed.</p>
<p>I also applied to MICA, University of the Arts, and SCAD. I've been accepted into all except MICA, who hasn't gotten back to me yet. All expensive! SCAD and MICA both have supposedly good financial aid help, but its RISD that I really am drawn to. My main focus, although scholarships would help, is just a line of argument for why a public university is not the way to go.</p>
<p>liek0806: That's true about Brown, although it's known that it's difficult to make time for extra classes, and their schedules don't line up very well.</p>
<p>Well, the university is Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a place that's not entirely lacking in credibility in the art program, but it has a local reputation for being a school with low standards and for being a dump, although for some reason it doesn't rank too poorly in the arts nationally. However, after being accepted into some good art schools, it's really hard to give that up and set your sights lower.</p>
<p>Ashley, last time I checked, VCU was ranked #5 or #6 in the Fine arts. They were also ranked among the top 5 in Graphic Design and Sculture and in the top 10 in painting/drawing. I really must side with your parents on this one. RISD would cost your parents $35,000/year. VCU would cost them $15,000.</p>
<p>Ashley,
What kind of art do you want to study and do you have a particular field you are interested in? I wouldn't make the assumption that just because it's a state school that it won't have a good program. My husband went to a private art college and he seriously regrets not having the more well rounded liberal arts background. RISD seems to have taken on the aura of HYPS on this board when it comes to art schools. There are other great art schools as well.</p>
<p>Alexandre: Yes, that is one of the main things my parents point to. However, that ranking system is "based solely on the results of a peer assessment survey". I'm not so sure if I can count that as reliable information... I'm certainly aware that VCU is credible in its own way. But I'm afraid from peer to peer communication that many have found it a let down from general environment to academics. Certainly the art school environment is going to be way different from that of a huge university. I've unfortunately been impressed by the thought of a smallish community of dedicated individuals who love exactly what I love. Foundation course and studio time at RISD is supposedly very intense, and an intensive artistic education is something I really want. Do you believe that VCU has the same to offer? </p>
<p>lizschup: I'm going for illustration/ visual communications.</p>
<p>this is based on one person I know, but he went to RISD and while the prestige of the degree has opened doors for him, he was VERY dissatisfied with the quality of the education he received. As he tells the story, many on the faculty had a specific point of view they wanted to get across and all that mattered was if your art was seen as supporting that view or not. In fact he says some of the poorest projects he saw (but that carried a large amount of the preferred point of view) got the highest marks; it didn't really matter WHAT you did, it was the story you could tell that mattered. </p>
<p>I'll admit this is just one story, but it is from someone I believe. If I was the OP I would check with current students to see if this is still true.</p>
<p>Ashley, the quality of the education you receive will depend largely on you. IF you make the effort and take the initiative, I am pretty confident you will thrive just about everywhere. Obviously, RISD is a school primarily devoted to the arts. VCU is a full university. But still, you have roughly 20% of the students involved in the Arts, so that's nothing to sneez at. And do not look down on the peer assessment score...it is all that matters from a reputation point of view and it is usually accurate anyway. If your family is wealthy, I would encourage you to push for your dream school. But if your family is not wealthy, $80,000 extra for an undergraduate degree may not make sense...and trust me, an art major does not want to get into that much debt.</p>