<p>Daughter is considering majoring in graphic design/visual communication design. She is taking her first graphic design course in h.s. now. Since her desired major has the potential to change, either before or after she starts college, her list of potential schools does not contain any art schools right now. The list of most likely schools is: Purdue, Ohio State, Kansas, Iowa State, Tennessee, and Penn State. Do you have any thoughts on this list? Any schools we should cross off the list or add? We would prefer midwest schools. </p>
<p>Are we making a big mistake by not including the big art schools? Would the education or job prospects be better?</p>
<p>I highly recommend coastal Art Schools (Rhode Island School of Design, Parsons, Pratt Institute, Pasadena Art Center, CAL Arts, etc). Since your daughter wants to get into graphic design, she could find A LOT of great job opprotunities in L.A., San Fransisco or N.Y. where the world of entertainment art/design reside in and get a good education at these schools. However, these schools tend to me the most expensive and most competetive of art schools.</p>
<p>//The list of most likely schools is: Purdue, Ohio State, Kansas, Iowa State, Tennessee, and Penn State.//</p>
<p>Of these schools you list, I know that the University of Tennessee has an excellent program in G.D. at the MFA level. I do not know about the undergraduate level. A recent MFA grad I met raved about the program, and since he had over 30 years in the business in NYC before getting an MFA in order to teach, I would give his opinion significant credibility.</p>
<p>I would also consider the University of Cincinatti, for the strength of their design programs in general and the co-op program. Employability can be a hard thing in design, and having interned somewhere before graduation can make a big difference. Also, if she gets there and decides that she wants to do something else, they have many strong programs to choose from.</p>
<p>//Employability can be a hard thing in design//</p>
<p>Not really if we are talking about graphic design. If you have a lick of talent there are plenty of opportunities. The best ones of course are harder to come by because - obviously - many grads are trying to get their foot in the door with them. </p>
<p>Start with one that offers considerable networking opportunities. For example an in-house design department for a large firm will not provide many opportunities to work with others outside your domain. For example many SCAD students intern at JCB, which manufactures tractors globally and get paid about $17/hour, but you sit in a cubicle all day. It looks good on the transcript of course, but you never meet anyone.</p>
<p>Small design agencies can be a great place to start, you will meet with clients, photographers, print shops, etc. The more exposure and the more friends you make the better.</p>
<p>also, consider what kind of design program is. i've gone to two schools and they ways of teaching design and what kind of design they want you to do was completely different.</p>
<p>i'm a calarts now, which i love, and its definitely more based around experimental graphic design, which its also probably the leader of. i guess thats what happens when you have a bunch of former cranbrook students / leaders of emigre teaching there. </p>
<p>versus a place like ucla or usc or vcu or syracuse, which all are more corporate design, they might focus on things that other schools might not, such as packaging or marketing, etc. </p>