concept art atelier

[Zevenstorms]

Hello,

I am kind of new here on this forum and i don't know my way around yet.
I am studying design on a interactive design school in the Netherlands but i want to study concept art after this school. I heard that concept art atelier is one of the best school in this matter and I am interested in joining the school. Can i have some critiques of the school by students or former students. Positives and negatives, and don't say there aren't negatives cause no school is perfect.
Another question. If i want to go to the atelier school i have to move from Europe to America, and i don't know my way around there yet. Is it possible in the USA to have the state pay for your study (in the Netherlands it is)?

I had some other questions, but i forgot those ^^;. I will ask them if i remember.

Greetings,

Z

[Matani]

This is the official site for the atelier, however...

http://www.conceptart.org/school/main.shtml


As stated by Jason here:
http://conceptart.org/forums/showpos...&postcount=229

And here:
http://conceptart.org/forums/showpos...&postcount=234

It will no longer be of much use to look up more information on it, but if you're still interested in what it did in the past here is a thread with lots of links in it:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=148334


EDIT: Although the atelier will no longer be an option, it is expected that there will be an announcement on the new online school (The Art Department) soon. For information until then, this thread has many posts by Jason Manley on it: http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=172141

[Wndwlckr]

hmph!

[Metalclay]

Yep, if you're making plans around conceptart's atelier, I would wait until there is more information. Seems like the on-site location will indeed no longer be an option now that they're integrating "The Art Department" into it. So, I wouldn't do anything until they make a proper announcement if this is what you really want.

As for the US Government paying for higher level education, they don't do that. There are some options if you REALLY want aid though. If you get your papers in order and have maintained residency for a some time (think it's a year) you can get a Pell Grant (Federal) by filling out the FAFSA which can give you UP TO ~$2,300 a semester (it's based on how poor you are). There's also joining the US military and getting benefits from the GI Bill.

You probably won't be able to use either of those methods toward whatever it is The Art Department turns out to be unless they get accreditation. Even if the Art Department gets accredited, you're not going to be able to afford it with $2,300 a semester (That's if you get Pell Grant), so you will need a job (unless you go the military route and that's if TAD gets accreditation). Not sure how visas work as far as job permits and all that, but...you are going to need more money seeing as how the lowest installment plan for The Art Department is $2,500 upfront and $500 thereafter. Actually, you can also do $500 a month for 45 months, still...money.

Another option that's rather unconventional if you're dead set on this Atelier. You can try first enrolling into a Community College or Junior College in the states which is sort of a prep to go into an actual 4-year college, in fact some states even have agreements where you can do two years for cheap at one of these Community College and finish off the remaining two at a full-fledged college or university. I read somewhere that TAD would allow transfer credits into their program from such college as long as your work is also up to par. The thing about this is that, it'll give you about two years to work things out with your residency and at the same time work on your art, maybe get a part time job, and there's the fact classes are really cheap and sometimes you'll even get professors that also teach at nearby universities that charge double the price per credit.

Can't comment on the school, but the links Matani posted look good.

Good luck!