<p>Jerzgrlmom, I visited RIT with my wife, who is an accomplished interior designer. She was also a well-known, published interior designer. We examined interior design work ( duh), graphic design work, and industrial design work. My wife, who is more astute about these subjects than I thought the work was very good and very skilled from what she witnessed! She also thought that the facilites that were provided students were very good. Thus, I am not sure what MMM85 is talking about unless her experience is about other artistic departments. </p>
<p>At least for the departments we reviewed, we didn't agree with MMM85. I suspect that MMM85 was a "true" art student who was interested in other artistic departments.</p>
<p>at RIT you don't get into your major much until sophomore year so I was mostly speaking of foundations. I was part of the crafts program, which is a separate school from the design programs (industrial/interior etc.).</p>
<p>My daughter commented that the projects at RIT and SU looked like real work (like something you would get paid to do). Some other schools had work that were similar to projects she did in HS. Some of the advertising design work at Syracuse looked like actual pages you would see in magazines. I enjoyed watching how interested she was, how inspired she felt to do something like that... Maybe that's what she liked about RIT - that it prepares students for jobs... Now that's her opinion. I know others will disagree. In fact, most of our family feels strongly that undergrads should just study broad subjects, learn how to learn and think, and then specialize in grad school. That works for them, and grad school will certainly be in their future. In fact, I think my mom will be studying until she dies. She has multiple masters and then some. My son already talks about going for his doctorate and he's 16. My d is just more practical. Perhaps it all the summers we spent checking out the galleries in Cape Cod. Lots of beautiful fine art and crafts but this type of art really doesn't interest her (for a career anyway) - nor does the lifestyle of these artists. My d is definitely looking for more of a business setting, sort of a creative marketing field.</p>
<p>They live either in the residence inn which is a converted (sort of) hotel a few miles away or they rent apartments/houses in the surrounding area. Lots of kids try for the park ave/monroe area, in downtown Rochester. The school doesn't help place you off campus at this point, but the University of Rochester's web page has a section for off campus housing where landlords and other students can place ads.</p>