artschools

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
41

<p>We have seen both RISD and MICA. In fact, we live in Maryland and know a fair amount about MICA’s instate reputation.</p>

<p>First, both schools have strong reputations for quality programs and for strong liberal arts emphasis. Whether they each live up to this reputation is hard to tell.</p>

<p>Both schools have tie-ins with top schools for liberal arts too. You can take courses at Brown with RISD , and MICA has a more remote tie-in with Johns Hopkins, although you do need to take a shuttle bus to get to the Hopkins campus.</p>

<p>As for programs: MICA’s reputation is in pure fine arts. They supposedly have a very strong illustration and painting department. RISD’s reputation is in design, especially graphic design. Although MICA just constructed new facilities for its animation and digital design programs. these are relatively new programs; thus, I can’t evaluate their quality. I should note that I can’t imagine MICA having any bad programs.</p>

<p>MICA allows a LOT of interdiciplinary work. For any major, you can easily take courses in other departments,which always appealed to me. This is not as easily done with RISD,but it is doable to some extent. </p>

<p>RISD seems to have set majors carved in concrete. For example, they have graphic design but no digital design. MICA has both options and you can mix and match.</p>

<p>RISD has some 5 year programs in set majors such as graphic design,where you get a BGD. Industrial design also has a 5 year option. Thus, you can take a lot of stronger in-depth courses in selected majors at RISD.</p>

<p>MICA has one of the best 5-year BFA/MFA programs for teaching. They also have strong job placement in high schools.</p>

<p>As far as the area, I clearly liked Providence,where RISD is located over where MICA is located in Baltimore. Although you should be safe in both areas IF you are careful and don’t do stupid things such as stroll away from the school at 3AM.</p>

<p>Providence has more restaurants and great things to do in the vicinity of RISD than MICA has in its vacinity. Morever, I wouldn’t stroll too far away from the MICA campus anyway. In my opinion, the area where MICA is located is a bit seedy. I don’t know if this translates into more crime problems. However,as I said, if your child is careful, it shouldn’t be a problem.</p>

<p>I should also note that MICA provides some merit based aid, which is almost unheard of at RISD. MICA is also cheaper than RISD to begin with.</p>

<p>The bottom line is that they are both good schools. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. You have to visit each school and evaluate their programs and culture.</p>

42

<p>Thank you very much for lots of information! I did not know about 5-year programs - it is definitely a useful thing. We just visited New York schools and RISD during spring break, did not have time for MICA.
Now my daughter thinks about maybe enrolling in pre-college program in RISD or MICA. Though I think I read your comments that private tutor may be a better thing, could you say anything about these programs?
Thanks in advance.</p>

43

<p>Having visited both RISD and MICA and having a daughter starting in the Fall of 2006 I would seriously reconsider MICA because of the area it is located. The campus area itself seesm ok but I know of a girl there now who will not leave the campus even with friends at night. Apparantly security is constantly posting warning bulletins about crimes in the area. Read the reviews at Studentreview.com. We are from a small suburb in the midwest and no way would I feel safe with my daughetr there. I guess it depends on where you daughter grew up and what she is used to. My Aunt moved out of that area too because of local crime a few blocks away from the school.</p>

44

<p>luv10isss, so where is your daughter going?</p>

45

<p>We are going next week to look again at RISD and at MIAD. We have not heard anything financially about RISD but I do not expect any financial aid expect a small loan. She won a four year half tuition scholarship ($46,200) from MIAD on her portfolio, so that is very tempting. She really likes them both so we are hoping one will really stand out on this visit.</p>

46

<p>If you are concerned about safety check out securityoncampus.com
You can put in a school and they will give you stats on crime on and around campus.</p>

47

<p>luv10isss,
it is very interesting that she decides between RISD and MIAD, because my daughter may be comparing them too (though later - she is a junior now).
MIAD was the first school we visited and my daughter really liked it. I was somewhat discouraged by the absence of campus, because, in my opinion, it makes students less connected. But as we visited other colleges in urban settings in Chicago and New York, I came to appreciate MIAD more.
I haven’t seen much discussion about MIAD here. Is it rated as high as RISD or somewhat lower?</p>

48

<p>I think since it is such a small community the kids are quite connected. They do have the student union/coffee shop .Not too worried about the small campus. My d comes from a small high school(200) so it will be manageable for her. We have heard they do alot with the freshman as far as activities etc. Not sure why no one seems to have heard of it. Not a comforting thought. There new President this year is from Cooper. Have you looked at Herron in Indianapolis? Another not too talked about school. It is part of Indiana University and Purdue - a combined campus. They have a 245,000 sq ft brand new building on a huge campus downtown in a quite safe area-very close to the business district. Tough for us to make a decison because RISD and there reputation can not be beat. Only accepted 27% of students this year, but tough to turn down scholarships too. SHe also got a $24,000 portfolio scholarship from Herron. Worth a look if you are out that way again. Cleveland Institute of Art is not bad but again in a unsafe area of down though it is getting better. Columbus is also downtown in a business district but we found the school kind of blah and the dorm horrendous!! Good thing to start looking early and when the school is in session. We looked alot during summer and knocked a few off the list but now she wants to see what the kids are like at these schools. Sorry so long of a post!</p>

49

<p>We talked to Heron representative during Portfolio Day at MIAD. He was very nice, which made my daughter suspect that they are not very selective…:sunglasses: We will have to look at this school closer too.</p>

50

<p>Are you from the Milwaukee area since you were there for portfolio Day? I don’t think they (Herron)are too selective but most of them are not except for the top few schools. Most of them run about a 80-85% acceptance rate. Herron is also trying to draw from out of state.</p>

51

<p>We are from Vernon Hills in Northern Illinois, 1 hour drive from Milwaukee. Distance-wise we are in the middle between MIAD and SAIC, and since Milwaukee portfolio day was the first, we went there. But later I discovered that Pratt came to Chicago, but not to Milwaukee. This year we may go to both places.</p>

52

<p>Since you are near the area maybe you can get more info about MIAD and what the local business community thinks. I am always interested in what companies think that potentially may hire from the school. I am afraid once the student leaves the Milwaukee area MIAD may be an unknown to potential employers. We are from the Cleveland area.</p>

53

<p>Thank you for the advice - it does make sense!</p>

54

<p>Bumping up for relevance</p>

55

<p>actually sercurity posts at mica happen maybe once a month and they are usually about kids being mugged. The neighborhood is nice but also remember the school borders on north ave. and eutaw street which lead in to two of the worst neighborhoods in baltimore. Baltimore is a urban city, you have to use common sense. MICA will actually tell you carry a dummy wallet, with at least 5 bucks in it, usually the people that mug kids just want money or anything they can sell to get money(ex. cell phone, ipod, jewlery)so they can go buy booze, or crack. The reason why MICA kids get mugged is because they are targeted, they live in a rich neighborhod. Christmas time is the worst, and when most of the mugging occur.</p>

<p>I live in the area, and believe me when I say it is not that bad, I work for resident life too, as a desk assistant in the resident halls(student security), and I can count on one hand the number of times that I have had to call campus security to report an incendent. MICA provides shuttles to and from the the buildings and the bolton hill and mt. vernon areas, students are encouraged to use them, some do some don’t. They start runnning about 6 p.m. in the evening an run until 4 a.m. anytime after that and campus security will make sure you get home safely. </p>

<p>That girl who stayed in her room must have become a hermit, she had to have come out of her place at some point, especially to go to class, or to eat.</p>

56

<p>I believe the girl would not go off campus, not that she would not go out of her room!! For our family, the fact that they are instructing the students to have a dummy wallet so the can give that to the crack heads that are wondering around is enough to turn us off. I don’t want my child to be that stressed out about being mugged by a drug addict at college. But if a kid has no problem with that-then it is not an issue for them-just was for us.</p>

57

<p>pixinpie32, my daughter is a high school junior and is considering MICA since we live about 45 mins. away. She is very focused on becoming a graphic novel author/illustrator and was excited to see that within the illustration major, you could take a couple of courses on the graphic novel: “Cartooning/The Graphic Novel” and Photo Illustration/The Graphic Novel." The idea of being a graphic novel illustrator is kind of looked down on by her present art teachers. Do you know anyone at MICA who is interested in this as a career and if so, what are the professors’ attitudes toward it? By the way, she has taken several art courses which have developed her skills in drawing, painting and sculpture, so her portfolio will show a broad range of skills, not just cartooning. Thanks.</p>

58

<p>gaily, </p>

<p>let me first say that I am a general fine arts/ ceramics major, so i really dont know that much about that illustration department other than what my friends who are illustration majors tell me. As for graphic novel illustration, I know of a few people that are interested in that form of illustration work. The professors at mica are extremely supportive of student decsions and will gladly help students reach their goals. If she decides to follow illustration as her major, she will be exposed to many different types of illustration styles, so she will have the ablity to create her own style. The classes she has taken will definatly help her, and she should continute taking as many courses as she possibly can. I would also suggest that if possible to have her portfolio looked over by a member of the MICA admissions staff this summer. Also possibly attend their pre-college and a portfolio day in the fall. </p>

<p>Her high school teachers look down on graphic novel illustration because of the anime stigma. anime is not considerd an art form because of the stylings of it and overly exagerated human forms. I had classmates in my ap studio art class get the same talks and comments.</p>

<p>I think your daughter should also look at design schools, like parsons, pratt, (that’s like a three hour drive) cal arts, otis, even some design colleges in japan(I know it’s realy far away! my mom hated the idea of me going to paris to study)</p>

59

<p>There were some MIAD inquiries earlier here. My D starts Saturday HS classes there next weekend, will let you all know what her impressions are.</p>

<p>Speaking as someone pretty familiar with Milwaukee, it is a beautiful, fairly clean and fairly safe place for a large metro city(of course common sense DOES need to be applied). What is also kind of nice is that if a student gets a craving for a little “collegiate” atmosphere, both Marquette U and UWM aren’t too far and provide that feel. There are several artsy neighborhoods: The Third Ward, Brewers Hill, Near East Side…and lots of theatre and professional sports events if your child is into that at all.</p>

<p>As always, VISITING is the very best way to determine if ANY school is a fit for YOU.</p>

<p>See also “The Big List…” thread.</p>

60

<p>Cali, my daughter took the pre-collage program at Pratt, but in the Manhattan
campus. She loved it, it’s located on 14th street and 7th ave. Location was
pretty safe. Security was very good, no one can enter the building without
Photo ID, 3 guards at door with lot’s of tv monitors, for all areas of the building. Building is all new inside. Program, really helped her, got her into
the Cooper Union for their pre-collage fall program. We did get to see the
Brooklyn campus, At Pratt, there was a hugh exhibit this summer for the students who took summer program.( I saw some amazing talent there) I did’nt find that area of brooklyn to be dangerous, it seemed safe. My daughter will be applying there, as well as Cooper, NYU, and some other’s that she can commute to. Her first choice is The Cooper Union. Really hope she can get in. New York City is her choice, she loves it there, but you have to be street smart, watch your back, be aware of your surrounding, don’t
walk desolate streets and possibly walk with another student. I think that might be a good habit no matter where you attend collage.</p>