<p>Almost all of USNews grad rankings are "subjective," i.e., based on peer review. USNews does new rankings of grad programs every three years. I think we can expect new fine arts rankings later this year. Schools really do have reputations out in the real world. Whether USNews is the best gauge of those reputations can of course be debated. In my field (doctoral program), they are pretty widely accepted professionally; they also corresponded well with the National Research Council assessment the last time that was done. But as I said in my last post, individual talent, ambition, contacts, and luck are important in your career; your diploma and actual training program are only a part of the picture.</p>
<p>As worried_Dad and I have discussed-why has no one ever mention The Milwaukee Institute of Art? My daughter is trying to decide between RISD and MIAD. She likes them both for different reasons. We are going back next week to look at both. I know there is no comparison with reputation, but I also want her to be where she is the happiest. Thanks for any input.</p>
<p>TH21, I think that supplies costs vary too much to give you an absolute answer. The first month of each semester there will be a big hit and a supply list should be sent prior to the time school starts. It is best to arrive at school with as much of that as possible. I would plan on between $2000 and $2500 for the year in a foundation fine arts program. Supply cost will vary depending upon major. For instance a graphic design major may not spend as much money on art supplies, but will likely spend quite a bit of money on the various computer programs required for that major.</p>
<p>Thanks to both Mackinaw and Worried_dad...I think your're right, a good university is important, however, your stamina and determination as a professional outweighs the college you choose.
Thanks a lot for everything!</p>
<p>Along this same question...my d is trying to decide between Pratt and RISD. She got a 10,000 merit scholarship for all 4 years @ Pratt. Pratt also has the advantages for her of : being in NYC which she loves, having a little more flexibility and time before specializing (she'e even looking at a possible BFA in art history and creative writing which RISD does not offer), being bigger and having more male students. RISD, on the other hand, has gorgeous facilities, very happy students, Brown next door, and alot of name recognition and prestige. As I said, she's not completely sure what she wants to concentrate in, so it's really not helpful to compare specific areas. Is RISID worth the extra 10,000 bucks a year. Any imput would be appreciated !</p>
<p>Artschoolmom, this is the 24K question for us too. I really liked the flexibility of Pratt over that of RISD. However, for the reasons mentioned, RISD does have its advantages. Frankly, I wouldn't know which to suggest to you.</p>
<p>"As I said, she's not completely sure what she wants to concentrate in"</p>
<p>The above is a big issue for RISD. She will need to commit to a major by January of her freshman year.</p>
<p>The level of specialization was enough to remove RISD for my D's list.</p>
<p>artschoolmom,
If you have any spcefic questions about Pratt Iwill try to answer them. My D is finishing up her sopohmore year. It is a good fit for her. I will try not to be biased in my responses.</p>
<p>Taxguy,
has your D made her decision? Wasn't it between RISD and Roch?</p>
<p>Well, she just got priority waitlisted for CMU and just got waitlisted, although in top 40% of waitlist for RISD. The RISD one was a surprise. She and one other student from our high school applied there. They had the same tutors for art, and the art tutor felt my daughter's portfolio was a bit better. However, my daughter didn't do as well on the SAT and GPA as the other girl. OH well!</p>
<p>Thus,she probably will go to Cincinnati.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Is RISD worth the extra 10,000 bucks a year. Any input would be appreciated
[/quote]
<br>
[quote]
The above is a big issue for RISD. She will need to commit to a major by January of her freshman year.
[/quote]
A couple of comments here. First on on the latter point. She would need to commit to a major by April of her freshman year. Most students have a pretty good idea when they arrive. Many experiment with a possible major area during the first Wintersession (Jan-Feb). There's also a series of show-and-tells by the different faculties about the different major fields. My daughter arrived with no specific preference as a major. She briefly entertained illustration as a major (one of the more popular at RISD) in a Wintersession course, liked it but was encouraged by her teacher to choose a harder major and she is especially talented working in 3D but also on the applied side; so she went to ID as a major (it's also a popular major at RISD).</p>
<p>On the "is it worth" $40K for RISD over alternatives? I think that needs to be viewed in the the context of what's likely to be an overall bill of $140K-$160 4-year cost (haven't looked at recent tuition costs; whatever the listed costs, add about $3000 or so per year for materials and supplies, as well as special equipment; also any extra costs that might be associated with a period of study abroad), and the question whether its "worth it" has to do not just with reputation but also with any other factors that might draw you to prefer RISD over the alternatives. I'm not saying that these factors all work in one direction. In my daughter's case, even with her ultimate goal of ending up in NYC, she thought RISD was the best school for her. If that had involved a $40 difference in cost, her parents would have footed the bill. (She turned down merit scholarships of that magnitude when she accepted RISD.)</p>
<p>Taxguy, I'm really sorry to hear about the waitlists! Regarding RISD, different schools handle that waitlist differently. In RISD's case, they can expect a "yield" of about 50% on the offers they first make; but how many applicants from the waitlist will that end up making space for depende on the size of the initial waitlist and how many who are offered waitlist status actually stay on that list and are available if a "call" is made.</p>
<p>Thanks Mackinaw, these things happen. Fortunately, she does have a plethora of other good choices. We will see what will happen. If she doesn't get into RISD, as I expect, Cincinnati's DAAP school would be a very good choice. Frankly, as I told her, getting waitlisted at reach schools like RISD and CMU is an accomplishment in itself. OH well.</p>
<p>Cama, Thanks for your offer. My daughter has two concerns about Pratt. One is the sense of community there. She is very outgoing, but also very serious about her work. It is important to her to be somewhere that the students are friendly and supportive, but also hardworking. Her idea of a good time is to spend the day @ MOMA with a group of diverse friends, or thrift stores or a poetry reading. She's not really the clubbing type, but she's very social and likes academic collaboration. She is also wondering about the strength of the English and Art History courses there, as these are subjects she loves. Can you speak to these concerns based on your daughter's experience.</p>
<p>Artschoolmom,
yes there are some kids that go clubbing but truthfully the work load is pretty intense and to keep up it is difficult for serious students to really get into clubbing. By the second year when you are into your major some students realize that they cannot keep up with the pace or intensity and end up transferring. This leaves the serious students. My D does go shopping in SoHo and has actually been to some poetry readings in the village. Sometimes the profs have the classes meet at museums and her Pratt ID has gotten her into MOMA, Frick and Guggenheim at a student discount. She has found the Art History classes very challenging. She is required to take 4 semesters of art history. The English classes seemed to be geared toward the art studen, i.e. going to advant guarde film festivals and writing and analyzing such films. Art school is not the typical "college" experience. Not alot of emphasis on sports teams and not a big Greek scene. She does have to take 17 credits per semester, which as I've stated doesn't leave too much time for the party scene for the serious art student. Hope this answers your questions anymore specific questions feel free.</p>
<p>Taxguy - my daughter was also waitlisted at
RISD last year and ultimately was accepted, however with no financial aid at all and very little promise of future financial aid. She ended up at Pratt which she absolutely loves and is finishing her freshman year. She is specializing in painting and loves being in the city.</p>
<p>Hi... New here, but SO glad to have found this webpage. I'm graduating HS this June, and have been accepted to all four schools I've applied to: VCU's Arts program, SUNY Purchase, SCAD, and CCAD. The only problem is... well, deciding. SCAD is for the most part out due to the cost, but it seems like students who graduate from there often get -really- good jobs with very well known companies. I know it is not accredited fully, but my friend's sister has been going for two years and her work looks really good.</p>
<p>SUNY Purchase - I visited this college, and while it seemed a bit run down in places, it was nice... a little bit of a quiet area for my tastes and seemed more theater based, but the real cincher for this one was that as I was waiting for my ride... one of the professors and I talked and he pretty much told me to go to VCU if I had the option, when we discussed the other places I was looking at. KIND OF FISHY if you ask me... But it is by NYC. I didn't know much about NY art schools in time to apply to SVA or Pratt, unfortunately, but I was born in Manhattan and I love it there.</p>
<p>VCU: I live about an hour from Richmond currently, and over the summer in connection to a playwrite contest, stayed in the freshman dorms for three weeks. Kind of a scary area... Richmond was in the top three for murders per capita for a while, I think. And I don't really like Richmond. Not to mention, from some people I hear it's amazing and well known and OMG THE ART PROGRAM ROCKS but others haven't heard of it. I don't really know - it'd be cheaper, but I really don't like the area much.</p>
<p>CCAD: Alright... I've looked, but I haven't heard much at -all- about this school. Which, well, seems like a negative thing really. A friend of mine transferred there after attending an AI school, and she really likes it and even I can tell her art is improving a lot... (she's an illustration major) but I haven't been able to find any reviews about the college really. She really likes it... I don't know what to think, but I'm visiting it in two weeks. However, they gave me a four year scholarship that, added up, covers about one of the costly years, and that's without financial aid or other scholarships (I really need them)</p>
<p>Please, please, please - advice? Knowledge? Suggestions? Oh, and before anyone asks - I'm undecided on my major, but I'm leaning towards Illustration or Fine Arts.</p>
<p>Oh, and tell me if none of these schools at all are very great. I was most impressed with CCAD's presentation in the stuff they've sent me though - as is my mother, who works in business PR and advertising and stuch at the moment.</p>
<p>nocalmom, I really liked the program at Pratt. I tried everything to get my daughter to see Pratt as I do, to no avail. For whatever reason, she didn't even want to apply there. I think the area surrounding Pratt made her feel uncomfortable.</p>
<p>In addition, she is on priority waitlist for CMU and doesn't even want to submit the form to stay on the priority waitlist there either. She didn't like CMU. Go figure.</p>
<p>keyake,
My d didn't like the VCU area either (We had just come from James Madison and UVA so it was an entirely different environment ). The art school has a good reputation and I think those in the field certainly have heard of it (but probably not the average HS non-art major). I noticed that many professors at other schools got their degrees from VCU.</p>
<p>taxguy, my daughter is a junior yet, so we have some time to think, but similar story here. I liked Pratt a lot, while she disliked it because "there were too many sculptures on campus"...8-) I still have some hope that she may change her mind, but - it will be her decision.
By the way, what is it about the "area surrounding Pratt"? When we walked from the subway, the area seemed quite good. Is it the area from the other side?</p>