<p>My daughter has been accepted and will most likely attend Tyler School of Art at Temple University. We visited the campus and the new building and were really impressed. I would like to hear from those who know about this program. She may major in graphics, textiles or art education. Some of my questions.....has the transition to the new building on the main campus been a good one? ..... what is the best dorm for an art major regarding proximity to the art building?.....overall, I know the security on the main campus is great, but what about the art building?..... I have heard that they have a high percentage getting hired in their field right upon graduation - is this true?..... is there a sense of pride among the art students?</p>
<p>any information, good or bad, is appreciated!</p>
<p>I live near Tyler Art School, as I am outside of Philadelphia. My dd is also an art student and was accepted at Tyler, but since she wants to get out of Dodge, so to speak, is not going there. The school is well accepted and is thought of very highly here from the artists and students I know. There are always a few kids from our 4 year studio program that go to Tyler and they find the program to be very interesting and they like being in Philadelphia. I will say on a general note that everyone of the kids that I know that have gone to Temple (and about 25 a year go from our HS), all but one of them has been extremely happy there. From our interaction with the new building (dd has taken 2 courses there), it is great. I also believe that the perception at the art school is that it is a blessing to have such an incredible facility (which it is) and to be on the main campus. As far as where to live, I would ask the counselors at Tyler. I do believe that there is an art floor in one of the dorms, but your dd may want to expand beyond the art kids. Also, if your child can get in the honors program, I hear that their dorms are very nice.</p>
<p>Sorry I can’t speak as to employment. I am sure with the reputation of the school that the kids do well. Also being in Philadelphia, I am sure that there must be work opportunities while in school. I know the kids that we know in the theater dept all have done theater outside the school…hope this helps and good luck to your dd!</p>
<p>She has decided to go to Ringling. She really loved it and the feel of the place. I am sorry that she will be going so far from home, but she is very excited and I know that there is lots of support for her there. Even our own Colcon has been so helpful! Her dd goes there.</p>
<p>Hi Jules12, Congrats on your daughter’s acceptance to Tyler! I have heard only good things about the school. When my daughter was looking at colleges one of the instructors at the Art League was a Tyler alumnus, and she really encouraged her to apply there. My daughter really wanted a small, dedicated art college and felt a connection with Ringling, and it sounds like your daughter has found that with Tyler. I hope she has a wonderful experience! Philly is a great town, too. Best wishes and keep us posted!</p>
<p>:::waving to phillyartmom::: Hi! You will love that she’s in FL when you have a reason to escape to the warm weather, <grin>!</grin></p>
<p>I live in North Wales, PA suburb of Philadelphia. One of my sisters goes to Temple and although I liked the place. Where the schools at and some places around it is really sketchy and scary :’(</p>
<p>North Philly might seem sketchy, but on Temple’s campus there are always several security guards and police officers to keep things under control.</p>
<p>thanks to those who posted…seems when anyone talks about Temple the issue of the neighborhood always comes up, doesn’t it? Granted when I visited was a sunny summer day, but I remember visiting Philly when I was child in the 70’s and the bad areas seemed much worse then. Hope I am not being naive.
Can anyone talk about the security and safety of art students (especially young women) who work late at night at the Tyler art building? Are there ways to get to the dorms or apartments safely late at night, or is it not a good idea to be working late at night?</p>
<p>Hi Jules12, Art students do work into the wee hours, so I understand your concern. My suggestion would be to contact either Admissions or the Public Safety office at Tyler. In my daughter’s school all of the studios are locked for the students’ safety, and they are encouraged to call for an escort back to the dorm (there are phones in the studios for this purpose). I wouldn’t be surprised if most colleges had a similar policy. Don’t be shy about asking; I’m sure they get the question all the time and the info might even by on their website.</p>
<p>Goodfornothing, I am confused as to why as a PA resident you are not applying to Tyler. I understand that the area is not the best, but it is one of the best art schools in the country and right in your backyard. From all of your previous discussions, it appeared that you were a NY resident. Also, while not an art school per se, have you looked at Pitt’s art program? I saw the senior show last year and was really impressed with the work of the students. It is a state school too, and would allow you to take classes outside of art should you want to do that…Also, if you are a woman, how about Moore? They give great scholarships for merit. I don’t know about UofArts, but at least you would not have to be travelling to go home. I know that you are probably not interested in Kutztown, but there are a lot of art kids that do go there…Not our cup of tea, so I would understand…</p>
<p>@phillyartmom I would have loved to get into Moore which is near the art museum and such unfortunetly I’m one of them, a guy. I have my ambitions so does did you and your daughter correct? Yea I could have applied to Tyler, UARTS (got nice reviews during Portfolio Day there), Kutztown (which is near me) and so on and so forth. But, like I said, I want to challenge myself and further my work to a “top tier” art school. Not saying those schools are bad but with my personal reasons I don’t prefer them. I already got accepted to those “top” art schools or colleges if one can generally say. Yet, previously said I don’t come from a solid background with money and it’s hard for my mother (single parent) to support me. Yea, I should have applied to colleges in the state but I wasn’t really thinking about the huge debt (colleges like MICA or RISD) brings in the end.</p>
<p>@ Goodfor… have you visited Tyler? I was all set not to like it, but the building is awesome and the student work was really good. It also is ranked #14 for Master of Fine Arts. (google - US News & World Report: Fine Arts Rankings, Tools, and Articles). I guess there is no undergrad ranking? I know, personal reasons are personal, but maybe it is worth a visit. BTW, wish my daughter could get the in state tuition!</p>
<p>For those of you with concerns about the neighborhood: my daughter transferred to Tyler this year as a junior, after spending two years at the Cleveland Institute of Art. (She is a glass artist.) Because we are familiar with the neighborhood, and because we knew she would be staying very late at school (she is commuting by car), I called the security division in August to ask if she could have an escort to her car (this was something that would be necessary back in Cleveland, a smaller school with less “buzz” going on at night.) The security person I talked to agreed immediately that she would have an escort if she needed one, but I thought I detected some amusement in his voice. No, she has never needed an escort. The studios are full of students working late, all hours. The campus is well-guarded, and brightly lit. She has not felt unsafe at all. </p>
<p>As for the facility, it is world-class. My daughter has remarked that students who spend all four years at Tyler don’t fully appreciate how wonderful the new facility is (unlike those who tranferred in from lesser facilities.) In addition to state-of-the-art equipment, there is a serious emphasis on safety. </p>
<p>In my daughter’s department (I cannot speak of other departments) the faculty are strongly engaged with the students. They are generous with their time and work hard to be mentors for their students. The students in my daughter’s department are mutually supportive-- it is a very good vibe for promoting intellectual and artistic growth.</p>
<p>Glass, I am interested in more info about CIA from your dd’s perspecitve, if you don’t mind. My dd looked at the school and we liked it, and although it did not make her final cut, we thought it was a really nice place with good work. Has the new space opened? Was it the quality of the program, the size, the city, the people, the major that made your dd transfer? I would love to understand a little more about the school, as there are some kids at our HS near Philadelphia who have this school on their list for this fall. Thank you!</p>
<p>phillyartmom, when my daughter left CIA the new space was not completely ready. If I remember correctly, they were moving the building with Foundations, the offices, and a few other departments to a space adjacent to the building where she spent most of her time, in the glass department. She had terrific training during her foundation year-- no regrets about that. </p>
<p>The school is small, and most of the other students are from the mid-west, so my daughter did feel a bit hungry for more diversity, both social and ethnic. When she arrived at CIA she was hoping there would be more social and academic cross-pollination between the art school and the music school, but aside from eating in the same cafeteria (which was awful at the time, but has since been renovated) there was little interaction.</p>
<p>CIA is in an urban location and you can get cheap off-campus housing, but at the time she was there it was frankly very hard to get basic supplies (art supplies and food) if you didn’t have a car. My daughter and her roommate, both from Philadelphia, both without a car, ended up buying most of their groceries from a gas station. Whenever they needed something from a hardware store for a project they had to count on the kindness of a friend with a car-- and that was not easy. (Try bringing home a giant sheet of plexiglass on a public bus, not to mention carrying it down an unshoveled sidewalk in the wind.) I understand they are building a grocery store in the University Circle neighborhood, so that will help. </p>
<p>The difficulty of daily life aside, her reasons for transferring were mainly major-specific.</p>