<p>freakyne55, I am actually pretty sure I want to do fashion (apparel design at RISD). And for a long time, Parsons and RISD were tied for my top choice.</p>
<p>However, the main things that cinched it for me were:
1) I went to Parsons last summer for pre-college, and while I loved it + fell in love with NYC and everything, the fashion program sort of turned me off it. The girls in fashion pre-college didn't seem very friendly, the fashion campus was nice but only one building regardless (and the dept is HUGE!), and one of our RAs from the dorm was a junior in fashion and she gave a presentation in which the attitude of the school seemed to be: be commercial, design only for rich 20yr old girls, and spend a bajillion dollars in order to make it for the senior fashion show. She was talking about how it wasn't necessary to do things in fashion (like sewing your own buttons!) b/c you'd have people to do it for you in the real world, etc etc...and I just didn't agree with the vision at all.</p>
<p>2) When I visited RISD, I fell in love. I felt at home on the campus, and it's just so much more of a supportive environment. At Parsons, our dorm had no laundry facilities, and we had to walk quite a few blocks to get to the cafeteria, which wasn't always open. At RISD, all the freshmen live in the Quad where in addition to laundry stuff, the main cafeteria is located, along with other supporting facilities like nurses offices and stuff.</p>
<p>3)RISD's apparel dept isn't as crazy reknowned as Parsons's is, but I've heard that in recent years the Parsons program has become a bit..inflated. There are nearly 500 students from each yr who go into it, and project runway has really hiked up those numbers. Think about it-- for the sheer amount of graduates, how many actually become famous/even successful (aka what the school is known for). And how easy would it be to be unnoticed and fly under the radar? Whereas RISD's apparel dept is small and close-knit, and even sophomores have the opportunity to exhibit some pieces in the fashion show. It doesn't have Parsons's dept's prestige, true, but at RISD everyone is passionate about their work and there are virtually no slackers, thus in the presence of so much talent and interest, I think I could really thrive and create meaningful work.</p>
<p>Not to mention that RISD's alumni success rates are v high. My Parsons teacher last summer was actually a RISD grad, and I was in love with her work (illustration + painting) and she was so driven and successful herself. And I met one of her friends who graduated from RISD in textiles, who was now a freelance apparel designer (SUNSHINE</a> & SHADOW) and she was much of the same.</p>
<p>I don't mean to bash Parsons, btw, but these have just been my impressions. I would kill to be in NYC, of course (though providence seems lovely), but that's what post-college is for. College is a time to discover yourself as an artist, and I think RISD's the perfect place for it.</p>
<p>(sorry to the OP for semi-hijacking your post!)</p>