University of Cincinnati vs. Pratt Institute

Transfer Students
1

<p>I'm currently a first semester freshman at Pratt Institute and I am planning to major in Industrial Design. However, I am slightly disappointed with the school. It does not have the rigor that I was hoping for. The curriculum is very relaxed to me and it favors those who did not come from a background with strong education in the arts. I have a lot of free time because the homework is not very challenging for me (one of my professors even set me aside and apologized because I'm forced to review while she's teaching everyone else the basics). I have enough time to work 14+ hrs every week and I also have an internship. I know that this is just the foundation year but I believe that the first year tells a lot about a school's values and work ethic. </p>

<p>Two of my friends from high school got accepted to RISD and whenever I contact them, they are always praising the school's emphasis on traditional skills and rigorous curriculum. They are always telling me that they are always learning something new and pushing themselves as artists. I do not feel that in Pratt.</p>

<p>My family is friends with an Industrial Design professor so I have connections with the program. He invited me to watch his class one time. And to be honest, I was slightly disappointed with the students' work. There wasn't a huge emphasis on drawing/technical skill which I would appreciate. I also have a friend who is currently in his sophomore year Industrial Design student and I plan to ask him more about how he feels about the program. </p>

<p>I am considering transferring but I haven't completely decided if I will go through with it or not. But if I do, I am planning to transfer to University of Cincinnati. I am very interested in their co-op program and having real world experience prior to graduation would be amazing to have under my belt. </p>

<p>Before I consider my chances of going into University of Cincinnati's Industrial Design program, I want to ask if this is a good idea. I would be giving up the artistic environment that I have at Pratt which is a downside but I would be getting a lot of real world experience and would be more prepared for a job. The University of Cincinnati and Pratt Institute are relatively the same in regards to ranking and I would like to know what makes each program stand out. Also, are there any other schools that I should look into?</p>

<p>P.S. I do not plan to transfer to RISD because I know that I will not receive enough scholarship money there</p>

2

My daughter is a senior at Pratt but in a different program. As you pointed out, the first year is foundation to give everyone the tools to be successful. For her, not coming from an art background it was challenging. She also took 18 credits each semester to get the most out of her tuition and had internships each year. If you are not taking full load, I highly recommend it to get the most of your education. Her junior and senior years have been fantastic in her major. She took heavy loads first three years so she could take 14 hours while working on senior portfolio. Take the long view of the opportunities available at Pratt. Also review professors ratings to get the best ones you can find.

3

I know I am a bit late on responding to your question, but I hope this might be able to help a little bit. In your post, you mentioned that transferring to University of Cincinnati would mean giving up the “artistic atmosphere”, but I assure that won’t be the case. DAAP is the school of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning and it is full of artsy kids in a modern building. I know many of the Industrial design kids are spending a lot of time on their work and they are producing very high quality works. The co-ops are available all over the country and the globe. And in case you weren’t aware, UC’s Indutrial Design program is routinely ranked #1 in the nation. Please reach out if you still have any questions about their school or program.

Sources: I am a 1st year Architecture major at University of Cincinnati DAAP, and I know many Industrial Designers in the program here at DAAP too.

4

@itsamonday Did you transfer to DAAP? If not, do you enjoy your experience at Pratt now?