I’m a high school senior who’s looking to major in art and seriously pursue it as a job. My prefered major would be Illustration with a minor in story boarding or animation. I got into SCAD, SAIC, and U of M’s Stamps School but I don’t know which to chose and am very stressed about it all. I really need advice on what to do. Here are all the options I’m considering:
First, I technically didn’t get into U of M’s Stamp School but I got the transfer promise. This means that I am guaranteed a spot at the school during sophomore year as long as I attend an art college full time and keep my GPA above a 3.2. I’m thinking about attending a local art college in my city for a year while putting a lot time and energy into my portfolio to send to Calarts and RISD (something I wasn’t able to do this year due to IB exams). This option would save me A LOT of money. However, I wouldn’t get the college experience, something that would be extra disappointing considering my high school experience has already been completely mangled by the pandemic. Also I would be stuck in my hometown which I would really like to get out of.
Another option I’m considering is to attend SCAD this coming year. I’ve done a lot of research on SCAD these last few months and I really like their focus on getting their students jobs in the art world. They also have the exact major/minor that I want; Illustration and Story boarding. I understand it is a heavy workload but I’m not very worried due the very heavy workload I’ve had in high school while doing all IB classes for two years. However, SCAD is hundreds of miles away from literally everyone I know and I’m worried about whether or not I’m ready to do that at 18 years old. Luckily, it would be possible for me to suffer through a year at SCAD and then transfer to U of M Stamp’s School if I end up hating it. Hearing the negative reviews of SCAD really scares me though and since it wouldn’t be possible for to visit the campus before orientation + with the ENORMOUS cost it’s a huge gamble. My family is unfortunately not made of money.
SAIC is my third option. It’s in Chicago which is far enough from my hometown while also being within a days journey of my family and friends. The location is also a plus because big cities can have a lot of opportunities for artists. Additionally, I’ve met a girl who I think would be super fun to room with. That being said, I’ve seen a lot about how SAIC is more of a conceptual school that emphasizes being true to your artistic voice instead of being career based like SCAD is. That is very concerning to me especially because it’s somehow even more expensive than SCAD.
Based on the length of this forum post, you can probably tell how much I’m panicking and overthinking but I could REALLY use some advice. I went super overboard during applications, applied to 20 schools and then got into 18 of them so choosing and eliminating has been very stressful and completely fried my brain. Any advice is very welcome, especially if you went to/are going to one of these schools!
Ok, a community college for the coming year may be reasonable while you figure this out.
Of the schools where you have been accepted are any actually affordable based on the financial aid package?
If you can not afford to go visit SCAD, you can not afford SCAD. They are not overly generous with need based aid.
You did not actually get into U Miami, but have a transfer option and they meet need. Did they confirm the net price calculator estimate of what your financial aid would be if you transfer?
And SAIC - no, based on this below they do not meet need and you would have far too much debt.
Cost by household income
Household income
Average cost after aid
Less than $30,000
$38,617
$30,001–48,000
$40,684
$48,001–75,000
$41,809
$75,001–110,000
$47,467
More than $110,001
$49,700
From this list of colleges that meet need with no loans, maybe College of the Ozarks? Or Berea? They are still taking applications for the coming year.
As you are discovering, art school is not a cheap road.
Few points to consider…
Take a good deep dive into the student work produced at the schools. SAIC is very conceptual and the student work shows that. RISD is very traditional. SCAD is somewhere in between. All of them are expensive especially since they are private. Add Ringling to your list as another comparison (whose actual motto is about getting rid of “the starving artist”). Pick a school that teaches the type art you want to do. Look up salaries. See who the alumni are, especially see what companies interview at the school.
Big Art schools are just that–art 24/7–if you want a broader education you may need to look at more traditional universities. The workload can be very heavy–sometimes maintaining that high GPA is harder than you think. It’s not just studying in a book, it’s deadlines and late nights finishing projects which may have a subjective outcome. You need to LOVE art.
Most traditional art schools will not accept art credits from any other schools. They will take general ed credits however. They do vary but before you decide community college will shave off a year you better check that out with the specific school you wish to attend. Some of your advanced high school classes may satisfy some of the general ed requirements–it won’t shave off the time but can definitely lighten your work load. You could do two years of art classes at a CC and show up as a freshman at a traditional art college. That’s just how it works.
Do check out art programs of public universities around you which may be MUCH more affordable. Many programs have been cut back unfortunately. Do not go heavily in debt for art schools. Artist pay isn’t usually high enough to warrant the price. Great schools make good artists great and great artists even better. But it’s all still relative and very dependent on you.
No matter what you do it will always be your portfolio, not the school you attended.
Make sure you can make it through in four years. Sometimes courses run sequentially or you can’t take a course because it’s full etc. I’ve heard stories anyway…just something to consider.
Care to share what you heard about SCAD? Only thing I’ve read is critical of particular departments. They (at least in the past) gave out some decent scholarship money.
Look up the physical layout of some of these schools if that is important to you. You sound like someone who’d really like a traditional college. Some are in very urban areas or have spread out campuses. They do not necessarily have “traditional college campus” feel. Do they have dorms? Are you in apartments?
I know this is overwhelming so I’d start with money, money, money.
Look up salaries Search possible career paths and see what adds up. There are some people on here from the Visual Arts forum who have a lot of knowledge of these schools. It hasn’t been very active since covid started (obvious reasons) but you can read posts and get some very good advice. Try posting there also.
Good luck!
Hello! Lots of options can make it overwhelming - congrats on putting yourself into a position to have choices! I’m a mom of a senior who’s going to art school and he’s my first so I’m far from an expert, but he goes to a school with a magnet art program so I’ve learned a lot from his teachers about this process since they start working with the kids really early on on the art school trajectory.
Just like everyone else has said here, seriously consider the cost. And I mean seriously. There are decent options for cheaper- yes it won’t be RISD or Stamps, but it will still be a degree. One of the things we’ve prioritized in our search is industry connections. My son is looking to a design job rather than fine arts so we are looking for schools with proven connections to companies during and post-grad. At least that will help with jobs after and makes the cost more justified. What state are you in? Your largest state school prob has a decent art dept - Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois all have solid enough programs and would be cheaper but it would help you avoid the community college route if you want to get away. You could start there and take some foundational classes to see if it’s for you (if your high school experience wasn’t art focused). Michigan won’t give you much aid out of state as a public most likely which I’m sure you already know too well.
Can you let us know your art background? Did you take quite a bit of different advanced art classes in high school? If not, you prob want to take some before you commit to a full art school, just to know you like it as much as you think once you get in the weeds with it and do it quite literally, all the time from what it sounds like.
Also maybe let us know what kind of scholarship/aid packages you were offered from the schools and then we can help more? Having to take on 25k a year is different than 60k if you got some good merit or grant aid. I heard a good guideline of not taking more loans in total than what you’ll make in your first year after college. And an art field is prob 35-50k to start (high end more design jobs like product design and architecture).
What I’ve heard with SCAD is that they don’t offer much more than half the total cost in merit and that is consistent with what my son has been offered. And then they give less need based aid than others. We visited and loved it. It’s a little bizarre - feels so manicured and such a marketed image - but you can’t argue it’s awesome. It’s big for an art school which can be positive or negative. Also seems pretty competitive.
