<p>My daughter has been accepted to the art programs at both Tyler School of Art and Syracuse. Tyler is ranked higher than Syracuse's art program (graduate anyway), but Syracuse is academically a better university than Temple. However, if she went to Syracuse she would almost be guaranteed a job in Graphic Design. From what I can gather, Temple does not offer job security of this kind (we have called and they are vague about this) Syracuse has a traditional university campus and seems to have a great sense of community. Temple has an urban setting and I don't know if it has a sense of community because most of the school is commuter. Both schools will give her a fair amount of money but Temple is still about $12,000 per year cheaper than Syracuse, which makes a big difference. At Temple she will have extended family somewhat close by (New Jersey). Syracuse is also really cold and grey and has rough winters. We do not know what school to choose! What do you think the best decision is?</p>
<p>Hi Jules, what nice choices for your dd! We have been to both schools and live near Temple. I can not speak to the academic differences of the schools, but both ace good art programs. One thing that is very different to me was the feel of the schools. Tyler is very modern and has everything a great art school needs in one building. I believe most of Syracuse is in the beautiful old building, but part of the program is downtown. Does this make a difference to your dd? </p>
<p>As far as Temple being a commuter school, i have not experienced it that way. We spoke to many of the kids from our high school that are there, and they all say they only see their parents a couple times a semester more than vacations. There are a lot of students and particularly art students don’t have time to go home. Syracuse may not have much weekend movement, I just don’t know. Both schools have sports.</p>
<p>Gosh, I am surprised that Syracuse would guarantee your dd employment five years from now. I don’t know how they do that. No school said anything like that to my dd…not even Syracuse (although she is not GD). I don’t mean to be sarcstic,
but it somehow seems a little bit much. </p>
<p>I guess ultimately, the schools are both great choices and your dd will not go wrong on paper from either. Does she have one she loves over the other? That might be the way to go! Good luck.</p>
<p>Syracuse might feel better the first 2 or 3 semesters – it has a very vibrant, traditional undergrad campus life, and most of the students seem to be too far from home for it to be a suitcase college. But as kids mature, the limitations of the city of Syracuse itself can become confining. The constant grey weather is depressing. If you visited this past winter, be mindful that it was extraordinarily mild there this year, and don’t expect that. A semester or year abroad may mitigate this, but at a price.</p>
<p>If the school choice means that she (or you) will or will not have to go into debt for her undergrad experience, you know that she’s entering a field that isn’t known for making it easy to pay off school loans. She might be a lot happier in two years, ten years, and beyond, if she goes to Temple. She may also have nicer options for study abroad, internships, etc. if the base cost is held at a lower level by selecting Temple.</p>
<p>Hi Jules, Congrats to your D on such great choices! First and most important, does your daughter have a preference? Did she gravitate toward one school over the other? “Fit”, in my opinion, is very helpful to success and happiness! </p>
<p>I lived outside Syracuse growing up and I can tell you that it is indeed gray and overcast much of the year. The city itself doesn’t get as much snow as areas even a few miles west/northwest, but it is cold, although I would say no colder than Philadelphia. I wonder if it’s true, though, that “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, LOL! Also, Syracuse is not a haven of safety! Don’t be misled by its location; the surrounding towns are very safe, but the city is a different story. I wouldn’t choose one school over the other based on safety. No matter where you go, you have to be aware of your surroundings whether it’s city, suburb, or rural. No matter where she goes you will probably worry a little bit!</p>
<p>No school can guarantee a job. Ask about internship opportunities, recruiters coming to campus year after year, and the stats on grads working in their fields. I don’t know that I’d base my decision on this, b/c so much is up to the graduate and even the economic climate. GD is a good field though!</p>
<p>Can you visit each school again to help D with her decision? It might be worth the investment if you have the time to do so! Keep us posted, and best of luck!</p>
<p>Phillyartmom, I love that your posts are so supportive of Tyler! I’ve read many of your posts in other threads.</p>
<p>Colcon - my d is concerned about the raw, cold, grey winters. And of course the comment that no school can guarentee jobs is, of course, very true. Overall, it sounds like both Tyler & Syracuse do have good job placements for GD.</p>
<p>Fieldsports - good point about Syracuse maybe feeling isolated after a few semesters.</p>
<p>I think my D will go to Tyler for these reasons and also a cost saving of somewhere around 45k is very important to us. Even with the aid she is getting and our 529 savings it will still be challenging paying all the bills!</p>
<p>All, thanks for your replies. This information does help. </p>
<p>If anyone has information about the hiring reputation these two schools have in Graphic Design, I’d be very appreciative. Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi, I just wanted to say that my daughter transferred to Tyler from Cleveland Institute of Art last fall after 2 years. The cost to us is about the same in tuition because she had a portfolio scholarship at CIA (vs. instate tuition at Tyler.) She LOVES Tyler and is so glad that she transferred. Of course, some of her happiness with the program is due to differences in her major- a different major might have different sets of issues. The facility at Tyler is terrific, and her department is vibrant, supportive, collegial. Just about everything she could ask for. After two hard winters in Cleveland, the weather seems great, too. She is actually commuting from home by car (saving $$) but none of her friends are commuting. Most (upperclass-level) students live in apartments nearby or a bike-ride away. In my opinion, the Temple campus itself is not much to look at, but the area is well-lit and does not feel unsafe (even though the surrounding neighborhoods are pretty rough.)</p>
<p>Thanks Glass, Good to hear about happy students.</p>
<p>Let us know how she likes it later on!</p>
<p>We just sent the confirmation $. I’ll be back to let you know how it goes!</p>
<p>Jules12, Congratulations on finalizing the selection process…whew!! Yes, please do stick around as many of us do. I actually didn’t find CC until well after my kids started college! Best wishes to your D as she begins the next chapter in her life!</p>