scad vs. risd

[elevenrequiem]

hey guys.. i spent last fall quarter at scad, but had to temporarily transfer back to texas this semester for financial reasons.. i was wondering, before i go back out to scad, if anyone could give a quick run down comparison of the two schools (scad and risd). thanks a lot.

[xHUNTERx]

hahha, scad vs. risd... lets see... risd is probably one of the best art schools in this country next to art center. scad.... is a not so hot school compared to risd. Try going to one of the portfolio reviews, you can tell from their review standards.

It really depend on your major though, the best for fashion design is otis or parsons, product, vehicle design is artcenter etc. But overall, risd and artcenter is dominant over almost every other art schools.

[johanson]

Hey elevenrequiem,

Sorry it took me so long to get back to your PM. I had school stuff and moving stuff to take care of. I thought I'd post my response here, just in case someone else is interested

On the RISD vs. SCAD question: Having gone through art school, I've come to the conclusion that the school you pick doesn't really matter. What matters is personal drive. Everywhere you go there are going to be good classes and bad classes, good teachers and bad teachers. Make an effort to find the good ones and clamp on to them. Know what you want to get out of your time at school and work hard to get it. Having the name RISD in your resume doesn't hurt, but no one cares about the name if the work is no good. I've seen plenty of people go through RISD and come out with crap because they didn't apply themselves. It's sad. It's also a huge waste of money.
If you've got the time and dollars to do it, make it a point to get up to Providence and check out the school in person. I think it's important to feel comfortable in your environment. If you do make it up here, drop me a PM, I'll show you around, maybe introduce you to some of my favorite teachers.

-later

[JeniThus]

Hi, I'm a student at RISD in Providence, RI right now. I'm not here totell you where you should go to school, but I think I have some advice for you that might be helpful in your college search.

These are things that I learned first hand. I went to a school for a year, and then transferred to risd, so I know what it's like to change your horse midstream.
Here's some general advice.
I don't know about any other schools except really, well, RISD because I've been here for 4 years now, for undergrad, and grad school.

VISIT schools. don't take the tourguide's word for everything, I was a school tour guide for 5 years( at Pratt and RISD), I know how to talk about my school, they all do. Talk to the other real students on campus, sit in on classes, if you can, most schools will set up a sit in for you if you ask. Talk to the faculty of the departments you might be interested in. Their theories for teaching and learning and curriculum are important. Ask them what you will be learning, ask them how, ask them what preparation there is for the "real world" ask them what services there are for graduating students, are there internships? Do you get credit for them? What companies recruit from the school? What accreditations does the school have?
And most importantly....
The super most important thing ever.
Go with your gut.
If you get a bad feeling about a school while you're visiting, from the students, staff, etc. GET OUT. It isn;'t the place for you. Go where you'll be happy, go where you think you'll be encouraged, even forced to grow the most.
And don't be scared about tuition costs. It's obcene really, the amount of money that schools charge these days, but thats why there are student loans, and fin aid. Don't be afraid to go into debt.
In college, if you work hard, and keep an open mind and want to improve, you will.
Art school is what you make of it, no matter where you go, what you need is a school that is going to be a catalyst for you to create the stuff you want.

If you have any other questions, or if you have comments on what I've said feel free to PM me or whatever.

Jen

PS- I know johanson too, he's pretty cool.