Industrial design schools around NY

[Scarecrow]

I'm a senior in high school, and its crunch time. I should be applying for scholarships, finishing off my portfolio, and getting applications out to where I want to go. I just don't know where that is, and its beginning to freak me out. I'm looking to start off someplace with Industrial Design, because I couldnt stand going to my community college and taking all the core classes but no real art to speak of. I've been to RIT, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and I went over to the Cleveland Institute of Art over the summer. Each of the schools look good, but I hear nasty things about the Art Institutes, Clevelands pretty far away, and I dont know if i can even get into RIT, not to mention its cost. Ive also been checking out Pratt, RISD, a few schools in Philadelphia, and I even got a crapload of info from SCAD. I hear Pratt has nasty dorms and crap, but idk about any of the others. If anyone knows anything about any schools around here, or can comment on the ones above, it would be great.

[Storyboard Dave]

I'm a senior in high school, and its crunch time. I should be applying for scholarships, finishing off my portfolio, and getting applications out to where I want to go. I just don't know where that is, and its beginning to freak me out. I'm looking to start off someplace with Industrial Design, because I couldnt stand going to my community college and taking all the core classes but no real art to speak of. I've been to RIT, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and I went over to the Cleveland Institute of Art over the summer. Each of the schools look good, but I hear nasty things about the Art Institutes, Clevelands pretty far away, and I dont know if i can even get into RIT, not to mention its cost. Ive also been checking out Pratt, RISD, a few schools in Philadelphia, and I even got a crapload of info from SCAD. I hear Pratt has nasty dorms and crap, but idk about any of the others. If anyone knows anything about any schools around here, or can comment on the ones above, it would be great.

Just wondering if you're going into Industrial Design for transportation, product, interiors, furniture or are you thinking about taking the ID knowledge and branching it into concept designs.

[Scarecrow]

Transportation, for sure. My art teachers in high school also really think I ought to get into interactive/game design. I'd enjoy doing that as well, but I cant find much of that around here other than at AI Pittsburgh. When I went down there, I got an interview, and they said I could easily go either way. So yeah. Either transportation design or the whole game design thing would be awesome.

[Elwell]

The northeast is not the place to do transportation design. You want the midwest or California. Any potential jobs are going to be there anyway, so you might as well go to school at a place with industry connections.

[Storyboard Dave]

Transportation, for sure. My art teachers in high school also really think I ought to get into interactive/game design. I'd enjoy doing that as well, but I cant find much of that around here other than at AI Pittsburgh. When I went down there, I got an interview, and they said I could easily go either way. So yeah. Either transportation design or the whole game design thing would be awesome.


If you want transportation then I'd highly suggest CCS in Detroit or Art Center in Pasdena. Like Elwell said, the Northeast isn't exactly a hotbed of transportation design- that's not to say there aren't little pockets of it but if you really want to be challenged, pushed and grow as a transportation designer, then take a look at the Big Two of Trans.

[Scarecrow]

Alright, so much for the distance problem.. How about the game design field?

[Storyboard Dave]

Alright, so much for the distance problem.. How about the game design field?

Not wanting to duck the question here but game design is still a relative new field (it has elements of Illustration, ID, and Animation) so I'm sure all schools claim some success in it. Is there a heads & shoulders leader in cranking out graduates that instantaneously become super stars in the field?? Not that I know of yet.

It seems to be a new curriculum that a lot of colleges are starting to grapple with so. I think it could be a crap shoot and up to you to make do with what the schools have to offer at this tender moment.