Looking for Art School Feedback for Daughter

[marianne202]

So my daughter has narrowed down her college choices to several art schools. I'm still trying to convince her to go with a "normal" degree and school and just do a minor or second major in art, but she is pretty determined she just wants to go to art school. We have already done an open house with SCAD, then later this week we are going to do a portfolio day with the following schools:

School of Visual Arts - NY
California Institute of Art (CalArts) - CA
Ringling College of Art & Design- FL
Mass. College of Art & Design - MA
Art Center College of Design - CA

Does anyone have any experience with any of these schools? Good or bad? I'm wondering if they are transfer credit friendly and whether they will accept CLEP / DSST etc. If anyone knows of any good traditional schools with excellent art majors please share. My daughter is an honor student, ranked 8th in her class so academics are not an issue, but she is also wildly artistic in many mediums so I would like to try to find a happy medium where she can get an employable degree and expand on her artistic skills at the same time. Her desire is to work in concept or media art. I'm not sure what exactly that is because I'm hard wired for sciences not art! I'm hoping some of you here have been through this and might offer some good advice. The thoughts of spending $200,000+ for strictly an art degree terrifies me for her!

Thanks for any advice or suggestions!

[bricabrac]

Hi Marianne,

My younger brother is an Art Center College of Design alum. He is an industrial design major and is doing very well for himself. He took a long route by beginning his studies at Pratt in NY to only find that the school/program was inferior and dropped in his jr yr. He took a few years off to work and travel abroad before moving cross country to establish residency and begin the program. He was awarded a scholarship and excelled. The schools mentor and internship programs are second to none. My brother is one of the cheapest people I know but he said the school is worth every penny. I don't know of their policy on accepting CBE's. These types of schools tend to be more program specific, not so much general subjects.

He actually designed and patented a new prototype for the company he interned with, the school helped make it all possible. Basically he graduated as an up and coming designer with so much press it was just unbelievable. He remains in touch with his instructors and his mentor/boss as well as one of the lead designers in his department are graduates of the college. We've (family and friends) watched him grow over the years and are all so very proud of him. The college prepared him well for a very lucrative career and he is so very happy.

[GoodYellowDogs]

My son went to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and loved it.

[SweetSecret]

My son went to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and loved it.

I went there too. The instructors were amazing. The school is highly competitive though. I was constantly trashing my assignments after doing them, realizing that they wouldn't be comparable to many of my peers. I didn't finish my degree there, but wish that I could have. Since I was having to pay for everything out of pocket myself, since my parents wouldn't fill out the FASFA, the cost just became too much. I was constantly working to pay for classes & cost of living ($1,200/mo for a studio apartment in the ghetto aka tenderloin basically back in 2000), and then didn't feel that I had enough time to devote to assignments.

In you can afford Academy of Art though, it really is great. The only bad thing is the campus is totally spread across the city, so you either need a car or plan to take the school bus around - which means you must be on time.

I should also mention, I would agree with going with a public university and a more normal degree. OP, if your daughter wants to go for something computer related, I think its more cost effective to either learn software on your own, or to go to some of the certified workshops and learn the Adobe or Maya software direct from the source.

[alleycat]

Many state university have an art dept in which they have many different art degrees to offer. Since you are in NC an educational cost are much lower than New England I would state there. She can do here gen ed at a local CC that has a transfer agreement. I do not think people have to pay so much money for an art degree. By far this is the cheapest route in many cases. Plus you there are many students that are seeking art degrees at these state schools it is like it is it's own little artist colony. I vote for Mass School of Art. It's a state school.

[GoodYellowDogs]

One thing I would look at is guaranteed internships.... that helps artists get jobs in their field. My son's internships and externships were incredibly valuable.

[marianne202]

Thanks for the great responses. We are trying to explore all our options. I know there are a lot of great State schools, in fact her art teacher recommended we put her in the HS residency program at UNC school of art, but she wasn't ready to leave home at 15. She is also considering completing a BS in criminal psychology online and through CBE before she starts art school. I'm hopeful she can somehow find a happy medium and be able to use both skill sets. Thanks again for all the info. We will see how the feedback is at National Portfolio day this weekend in Philly.