<p>My daughter just went to visit New Paltz this weekend and loved the town and campus. She was at the Open House so didnt get to ask too much information about the art dept. She is interested in illustration and it looks like it is not offered there. Can anyone tell me if the studio art program is good?</p>
<p>We visited two years ago, met with nice printmaking technician and had tour of the art building. Low key but got everything, roomy, airy.
I don’t know what kind of illustration your D is interested in but if she wants good over all education and solid basic training for low price, it is a great place if you put your mind to it.
It did not work for us in the end but I liked the town and proximity to NYC. I felt it seems better “college” experience than SUNY Purchase.</p>
<p>My son is a student at New Paltz and an art major. The studio art program is excellent. I can ask him any questions you might have.</p>
<p>LilyMoon - I’ve been reading all your posts about NP over the last few months…enough to make it one of my top picks for D. Fall 2011, Graphic Design major, 2050 SAT, 3.8 GPA at an honors H.S… We visited - she like campus - my husband and I used to have weekends there 20 years ago so we knew we liked area. She also likes Syracuse and Univ of Del. Also applied to Drexel and Carnegie Mellon - didn’t love Drexel and we didn’t visit CM. Sounds like once she is in college, her portfolio will matter a lot more than grades in terms of getting a job upon graduating. Are there internships? How are the resources for finding jobs after grad? Will your son go on the masters immediately? One of the big pluses for Syracuse is the alumni network - just don’t know if it’s worth the extra bucks! D is not edgy enough for art school and wants a traditional college experience. Thanks for all your posts!</p>
<p>@snevans: as others have said, SUNY New Paltz has excellent art programs, faculty, and resources. I would put in on par with Purchase within the SUNY system in this regard. If you’re in-state, the tuition can’t be beat, and resources for the entire network are available to students. The college has become quite competitive lately. Then again, what matters most is the STUDENT’s commitment. New Paltz also has a great college town atmosphere. If you have specific questions, either contact admissions or one of the studio art dept. chairs by email or phone.</p>
<p>keepinonlis - good to know my posts are being read :). My son transferred to New Paltz and was concerned about the overall college experience being a good one…NP was great in that regard. The other students are friendly and supportive of each other, down to earth and creative. He got a great overall studio art education. His main frustration as a graphic design major was that he is just now, as a senior, learning web design programs and coding. He took some classes at the School of Visual Arts over the summer to learn Dreamweaver which helped him a lot in his current classes. New Paltz has really sparked his interest in being a well rounded graphic designer…he has learned photography, web design, graphic design, painting, drawing, silk screening, topography, etc. If your daughter wants an overall great education as well as a great overall art education then New Paltz will fit the bill.
As for internships, my son has found his own but I know he has mentioned that other students have gotten them through NP. He has one friend who is a photo major who got to internship at a major magazine in NYC while attending NP. They have recently had students who graduated NP with a GD degree come up and speak about their current employment and showcase their accomplishments. My son has been impressed with what he has seen. They also have free trips to NYC to visit museums and hear speakers. The most recent was to hear a famous Graphic Designer speak at F.I.T.
My son does not plan to go to graduate school right away. We feel it is important for him to work in the field for a while and further determine where his skills and interests lie before pursuing further education. However, he does plan on continuing to take courses at SVA.
Just as a side note…I spent 2 years at Syracuse before transferring. It was not a good fit for me.
Feel free to PM me or ask here if you have any other questions.</p>