Which Art School/ College Should I Go To? Art School vs liberal arts college

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
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I am a very talented AP Art student and I am applying to a number of different colleges and am wondering which one to choose. I wish to major in illustration. If anyone has any feedback about these schools or art school or college in general when it comes to picking a school feel free to comment.

Moore College of Art and Design- I was accepted here first with an $18,500 scholarship, like the woman’s college environment and career focus,

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)- I applied since I got a free email, awarded a $8,000 academic scholarship, still hearing back on portfolio, also it is near where my grandparents live in SC, however I am weary of it because it is far away from where I live in NJ and it is not NASAD accredited

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts- I like how it is focused on classical art, however am unsure of its job placement rate (am still hearing back)

Pratt Institute- (still hearing back) has big reputation, even with my grandparents, however I am weary of its high tuition costs and expense. Also it has a greek scene, and I prefer to avoid that in college. However it also has a good campus.

University of the Arts- near where I live, however is in a high crime area, applied with fast app

St. John’s University- (still hearing back) i like how it is a Catholic college with an illustration major, however I don’t want to go to a very large university. I want to go to a place that is focused on my major.

I was thinking about applying to the Rhode Island School of Design however I missed the deadline.
Looking at these, Moore, UArts, and PAFA are closest to where I live, however they are all very small and have no campus. I want to go to a place that is not too far from where i live in nj.

I was also accepted to a number of liberal arts colleges, with scholarships ranging from $18,000- $27,000 using fast apps. These are good scholarships, but since they do not have a specific illustration major I would have to major in general studio art bfa if I go there. My family has limited financial resources so scholarships are necessary for me to go to college.
So my question is, should I go to a liberal arts college since i technically have more scholarship money, even if it doesn’t have my major? Would it be wise to go to art school or should I go to a college where I could easily switch my major?

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It’s really a personal choice. All of those schools start with foundation year(s) and that gives you the opportunity to explore several areas. You may end up finding a passion for something completely diferent from illustration! The art-only schools still require some gen-ed classes but not as many as a university. They do not have as many campus amenities and you will be meeting only other art students. Some students prefer that, while others want a broader university experience. My D decided she wanted a university experience. “Your mileage may vary” as they say!

SCAD is an excellent art college and less expensive than many others. No it is not accredited, but that is only an issue if you decide you want to transfer. You should factor in travel costs though if you live in NJ. My D loved the school when she did a summer workshop there, she just didn’t like Savannah. It was a looooong drive home though, about 15 hours. (We live north of Philly.)

I don’t consider UArts to be in a high crime area, it is right in the middle of the arts district in downtown Philly. I was just down there for a concert last weekend at the Merriam Theater, and remarked on how much fun it would be to go to school there. It’s kind of a “hot” school right now too. Don’t let the neighborhood concern you if you think that is the right school and you can afford it. I don’t know much about PAFA or Moore, though they both seem to be high quality schools. The cool thing about UArts is it has ALL the arts, including music and film students.

Did you apply to Temple U.? Its Tyler School of Art is very highly regarded and costs significantly less than the art schools. Temple gives good academic scholarships and art scholarships. I think Temple has rolling admissions so you may still be able to apply, but you might have missed the deadline for art scholarships. My D got an excellent merit scholarship and Honors program acceptance there.

If your finances are limited you will probably get much more financial aid at a university, especially a public one like Temple or Rutgers. The private art schools get plenty of full-pay students so they do not think they have to offer as much to fill their classes. I would not sneeze at a $27,000 scholarship offer rom any university, as long as it offers a BFA. It should give you some classes in illustration.

You might find a happy medium if you get accepted at Pratt. It does give merit and need-based aid, and has more of a university feel to it since it has a large writing program as well as art.

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@AnimeGirl I wouldn’t worry so much about the Greek scene at Pratt. Only 6% of the men are in a fraternity per US News (and the men are only about 1/3 of the student population to begin with . . . ). And only 3% of the women. So using my trusty calculator I estimate that just under 4% of the student population is associated with a frat or sorority. With a population of approximately 3,150 undergrads that’s about 126 students - probably not a huge influence on campus.

And remember - these “Greeks” are also artists and designers so you just might have more in common with them than they do with their Greek brethren at the larger national universities.

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Can’t go wrong with SCAD or Pratt really. I go to Parsons and it has a very good illustration program…very good. SVA is known for cartooning/Animation if that’s what you’re into as well because illustration is very broad. Congratulations.

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I second what @honestmom said. DS is a freshman at Tyler and LOVES it. We are OOS and it was still much more reasonable than most of the other schools he applied to. He was also able to get some merit & portfolio $$. Downside is that they do not have an illustration major but, like @honestmom said, you may discover another area that you like even more. DS is hoping to get into the graphic design program next year.