SCAD Presentation

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

<p>We recently attended a presentation in Seattle by SCAD, and here’s a few tidbits I scribbled down. Likely most of this can be found in the catalogue, but I found the presentation useful and well done. In addition to admissions office folks, they brought in three graduates who live locally and are working in careers they prepared for at SCAD – they all felt it had been a great education for them.</p>

<p>Average class size is 20, up to 30 in a lecture class. There are presently about 7200 total students at the Savannah campus.</p>

<p>The campus is spread over many buildings in the downtown area, and there are two different lines of shuttle buses to get students around. The shuttles will also make occasional (presumably weekend) runs to the beach, grocery stores, and Wal Mart. Savannah is about 30 minutes from the Atlantic coast.</p>

<p>A standard full-time course load is three classes per quarter. Classes are usually 2 ½ hours long, twice a week, so either Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs. No regular classes on Friday, it’s considered “studio day”, or used for field trips.</p>

<p>Spring break is always the week around St. Patrick’s Day, which seems to be the Savannah “excuse for a big noisy party week”, sort of like Mardi Gras in New Orleans.</p>

<p>Housing is not guaranteed, but given out first-come, first-serve. Getting applications in on time takes care of this, though. First year students are placed in one of their converted hotel or motel dorms. The concept sounded weird to me originally, but they explained that the rooms are actually roomier than standard dorm rooms, and at least one of them has a pool, which sounds like a nice amenity.</p>

<p>They’ve just opened a student center, with pool tables, etc. as a central place to gather.</p>

<p>They do rolling admissions, with a final deadline of February 15 for the fall quarter. Once all the needed papers are submitted, answers come in 3-4 weeks. They ask for three teacher recommendations – two is okay, but three is better. The teacher can use their form or just write a letter if what they have to say doesn’t fit the format of the form.</p>

<p>Admission can be granted with the HS transcript through junior year – don’t have to wait until the end of the first semester of the senior year to apply. They prefer applicants to have a better-than-national-average score, either SAT (1030 on the old one), or ACT (21) . On the SAT writing section, they are not looking at it for Fall 07 admission, and haven’t decided what to do about it in the future.</p>

<p>Interviews are encouraged, and can be done over the phone if the student can’t make it to SCAD.</p>

<p>A portfolio is encouraged, but not required. The majority of applicants submit one, and some scholarships are portfolio based. A portfolio can also include writing, it doesn’t have to all be art.</p>

<p>They also offered a 10-minute portfolio review with an instructor, which my daughter took advantage of. She got some useful feedback and felt it was worthwhile.</p>

<p>In conclusion, the presentation cemented in her mind that SCAD is the place for her. We’ll go visit in April and see how the actuality fits the vision!</p>

2

<p>Cool! I'm glad the visit was so impressive--and a pool would be mighty nice in Savannah in September.....</p>

<p>It's a great school with tons of talent. Congrats on getting the hard part done!</p>

3

<p>I am considering attending the presentation this sunday in Los Angeles, but am unsure of how much use it will be to me. Did they give much info directed towards graduate students? Were there separate groups for undergrad and grad students? I really want to learn more about SCAD, but the fact is that sometimes these info sessions are completely inappropriate for those applying for Masters programs. Did you get the impression that this was one of those, or did they speak about both?</p>

4

<p>cheers, we haven't made a visit yet -- the write-up was about an "on-the-road" presentation. We'll be going there in April. I'm sure I'll have lots more to say then!</p>

<p>larationalist, it definitely geared more for undergrad, but they seemed happy to talk individually with the one potential grad student who was in the audience in Seattle. And the portfolio review should be useful to you. If the organizers bring in students who have graduated from SCAD, they could also be helpful to talk with, even though they may just have BAs.</p>

5

<p>Thanks, Moominmama. I've got an email into SCAD admissions about this, but that sounds hopeful. One-on-one attention is better than a group thing anyway, and they'd be more likely to remember me as showing interest. </p>

<p>Oh, also, are the portfolio reviews binding to your admissions, or are they just advice?</p>

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<p>The portfolio review was just advice. You need to make an appointment ahead of time. </p>

<p>Also, the presentation was at a nice hotel and there were good snacks -- tea, coffee, cookies, gooey chocolate brownies :)</p>

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<p>Brownies were good, portfolio review conflicted with the stated attitude of the school though. That was wierd- I asked about people coming from different backgrounds, and they said the school was really open to that, open to interdisciplinary studies, yet the portfolio reviewer really seemed to want something that was 100% graphic design, screw any architecture and industrial design I've done. So that was wierd.</p>

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<p>//yet the portfolio reviewer really seemed to want something that was 100% graphic design, screw any architecture and industrial design I've done. So that was wierd.//</p>

<p>Graduate portfolios should be 100% focused upon the student's area of interest, ideally.</p>

<p>The presentations are largely geared toward the undergraduate level, or the reps may simply be unaware of differences. Undergraduate portfolios can or should demonstrate a diversity of interests. Admission reps have difficult schedules - on the road for 30 to 40 weeks a year. There isn't a lot of stability. Two years is probably about the maximum anyone can keep up with the pace. </p>

<p>You certainly can supplement your portfolio with interdisciplinary work, but your acceptance and more specifically, placement, will be determined by the G.D. work. Understand that if your portfolio is judged below average in an area such as typography or layout or web or whatever, you may be assigned preliminary undergraduate level courses before you take graduate level courses. Submit 12 to 15 G.D. items and add 3 to 5 of your best work in other disciplines.</p>

<p>Grad level portfolios are reviewed by department faculty for placement and portfolio-based scholarship recommendations.</p>

9

<p>Ugh. I had a whole reply written out, but the fact is that I just don't want to get into this with you again, RainingAgain. I know where I'm going with my career, and my portfolio and personal statement reflect it perfectly, and I don't feel like defending them to you. You don't know these things, and yet you have a tendency to talk to people as though they don't know what they're talking about with regards to their own applications and professions. I'm sorry if your reaction is due to my not being over-exhuberant with SCAD's info session, but the fact is they said the info session would be for BOTH undergrad and grad students, I was far from the only prospective grad student there, and every question I asked was prefaced with, "In your graduate programs..."</p>

<p>I would be a complete moron if by this point I did not know who the grad portfolios would be reviewed by, and the fact is that your advice (particularly with regard to the numbers you suggested), directly conflict with SCAD's requirements. So in this case, anyone listening to you would be done a great disservice. I asked no questions in my post, only provided an evaluation on how effective the info sessions were for graduate students, so you couldn't possibly have mistaken me for someone asking your advice.</p>

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<p>I used to work for SCAD admissions, attended and spoke at these traveling info sessions, and reviewed 100s of portfolios for the college. I also received an MFA from the college and know well of the entire process, up and down, left and right. I can assure you, I know exactly to what I am speaking and I was offering friendly feedback. No need to be defensive. Sorry if you do not perceive it as being helpful. This is a public forum. It was written to be of benefit to all.</p>

<p>Here is a description for graduate G.D. portfolios from the SCAD site:</p>

<p>Work should be submitted in slide or digital format. If digital, PowerPoint presentation or other similar format is preferred. Portfolio must concentrate on graphic design as a problem-solving process, show sensible use of typography, demonstrate the ability to carry a design through multiple pieces (campaign) and represent the applicant’s proficiency with the following software: Illustrator or Freehand (Vector), Photoshop (image manipulation), Quark/InDesign (page layout) and Dreamweaver/GoLive (Web authoring). The portfolio should include samples that demonstrate ability to apply typographic rules in large bodies of type such as annual reports, magazine spreads and/or brochures. The portfolio may be augmented by work that reflects the applicant’s interest and ability in the design field.</p>

<p>Here is a link to general Portfolio Submission Guidelines; you may read that they are consistent with my words.
<a href="http://www.scad.edu/admission/graduate/upload/graduateportfoliofaq.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.scad.edu/admission/graduate/upload/graduateportfoliofaq.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Again, I am trying to be helpful. You seem to perceive my post as condescending. It is not meant to be that way at all.</p>

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<p>The difference I noted was the numbers. SCAD very strictly wants 20 pieces. They suggested that they might even accept a couple more, but would most definitely notice if you had less. Therefor your advice of "Submit 12 to 15 G.D. items and add 3 to 5 of your best work in other disciplines." would not be very good, because if someone put in 12 GD pieces and 5 other, or 15 GD pieces and 3 other, they would be nailed by SCAD as having an incomplete portfolio. They noticed that I had only brought 18 pieces (there are still a few in progress), and stressed that the number <em>needed</em> to come up to 20. </p>

<p>You come accross as condescending because you felt the need to argue with me about what the school has told me, though I asked you no questions whatsoever, and tell me that "Graduate portfolios should be 100% focused upon the student's area of interest, ideally" without knowing anything about my area of interest (guess what? it doesn't fit neatly into one little department) but then later turn around and say that it should also include things I have no interest in (like web design). You act like you know so much, yet you contradict yourself so quickly...</p>

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<p>//They noticed that I had only brought 18 pieces (there are still a few in progress), and stressed that the number <em>needed</em> to come up to 20.//</p>

<p>I didn't add the numbers up so well; 15 G.D. plus 5 interdisciplinary projects = 20 pieces total. I personally do not ever recall that it had to be 20 G.D. items specifically. You might want to double check with graduate admissions if you think it would be helpful.</p>

<p>//You come accross as condescending because you felt the need to argue with me about what the school has told me, though I asked you no questions whatsoever//</p>

<p>Posting on a public forum invites feedback. What I posted added clarity and extended the discussion providing you with additional information. Good gosh, I am not arguing with you; if that is what they told you I believe that's what they told you. I am providing you with some additional insight and knowledge. What I inferred was that the reps may not have a lot of experience and may or may not have all the details down pat, 100%. </p>

<p>The person sitting next to me confirms what I have written. That person is employed as a SCAD faculty member. I don't know what else to tell you regarding credibility.</p>

<p>//"Graduate portfolios should be 100% focused upon the student's area of interest, ideally" without knowing anything about my area of interest (guess what? it doesn't fit neatly into one little department)//</p>

<p>I echoed the feedback that was given to you at the counseling session that the portfolio should be specific to your intended major - , however it was my experience and it is articulated in the SCAD literature that, "...The portfolio may be augmented by work that reflects the applicant’s interest and ability in the design field." These are not my words, this comes from SCAD documentation. I mentioned this to encourage you to add work outside the area of G.D. </p>

<p>//...but then later turn around and say that it should also include things I have no interest in (like web design).//</p>

<p>Sigh, those are not my words. As indicated, that text comes directly from SCAD's online documentation. But let me explain this further.</p>

<p>If you are applying to the graduate Graphic Design program at SCAD and your portfolio does not have any Web projects, you will likely be assigned an undergraduate level course in Web design to complete before you can take graduate level courses. Why? Because the focus of the graduate program is on design and not on building technical skills. There are two or three classes at the graduate level that are focused on designing for the screen. Also, if an graduate applicant's type skills need further refinement, he/she may be assigned a preliminary course. Most incoming graduates also have to take a History of G.D. undergraduate level course if one does not appear on their transcript.</p>

<p>You seem to color my words with a voice that is not my own. I know the workings of the admissions dept. pretty well and also the G.D. dept by association and student experience.</p>

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<p>If your feedback is what I invite, then I simply won't post. This is a waste of both our time.</p>

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<p>I am sorry you do not recognize the best of intentions.</p>

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<p>My cousin is a freshman at SCAD (From PA also). He is having a great time. He said the courses are very challenging. He seems to love the social scene alot. I'm gonna hang out with him since he's home til January. Anything else, Ill post.</p>

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<p>jPoD, I'd be interested in hearing how your cousin likes the environment of SCAD, esp. if he's at Savannah. How well maintained are the buildings, what's it like getting around, how effective is the air conditioning, how big are the cockroaches, that sort of thing.</p>

<p>Also, is the social scene more driven by the people he's met in the dorm, or does he hang out with folks from his classes who may live in various locations?</p>

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<p>"how big are the cockroaches" </p>

<p>Wait, what? LOL. I'll try to ask him these for ya.</p>

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<p>The cockroaches are big, and everywhere, and in the four years I've lived here, I've learned to love the little buggers. (seriously, and seriously). </p>

<p>*larationalist *- I teach Industrial Design at SCAD. I can't speak for Graphic Design, but when I review an ID grad application, I don't count the number of pieces, and I don't care if they show all (or any) ID work. I look for a particular direction and passion in the statement of purpose; I look for ability to communicate visually and through words; I look to see if the core ID skills are represented at an undergraduate-level of proficiency (ie, would this person have graduated succesfully from our undergrad program). In Industrial Design, this means I'm looking for the ability to sketch, the ability to solve problems, and the ability to communicate. If the person can show these skills in a sketchbook rather than a certain number of slides, I certainly don't care one way or the other about the format.</p>

<p>My best advice - at SCAD or any other school - is to talk in person to a faculty member, or the chair of the department, to which you are applying. That level of personal contact will give you insight into the style, vocabulary, and approach they use for admissions. It also shows a level of interest and excitement about graduate studies that we, as faculty, really, really, really want to see in candidates. </p>

<p>:)</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
The cockroaches are big, and everywhere

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I suspected as much. Having lived in New Orleans for 7 years, I've experienced the cheerful crunch as you step on the slow ones in the middle of the night, and the panicked scuttle as they hide from the light. And sometimes they fly. You know what you do when you corner one and it flies straight at you? Open your mouth wide and bite down fast.</p>

<p>Seriously, this may be a deal breaker for my daughter. She gets really worried about insects in the house -- daddy long legs, spiders, whatever. So an in-person visit is key to test her tolerance level.</p>

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<p>Haha that's hilarious. Never heard him mention that. Must not be a big deal. We dont have an onslaught of bugs in PA :D</p>