<p>My daughter applied to SAIC, Cooper, CMU and WUSTL. She is going to learn Painting this coming Fall. She got accepted by SAIC and just started working on Cooper’s home test. </p>
<p>There are so many people know a lot about art schools in this forum, really appreciate your response to help me know the above four school better. THANKS!</p>
<p>I would bet that NO ONE will be able to make the comparison that you are asking for. No one probably has attended all three or even two of the schools in order to make a comparison.</p>
<p>Thanks taxguy!
Can anyone share your experience with any one of the schools? Appreciate your help.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how valid this might be because ive yet to attend any of the schools on your list but SAIC and cooper in particular tend to favor a more conceptual interdisciplinary approach. And, as such, probably don’t encourage students to specialize in any singular medium. I’ve been trying to see as much work by cooper students as possible and there seems to be relatively few students there who specialize in painting. But keep in mind this is all speculation and opinion.</p>
<p>THANKS for your input!
I feel what you said is true about conceptual part. It looks like Cooper is more general, which will help student have a very broad exposure to everything, SAIC can be more focus. I don’t know any one who attended or attending these schools and all I get is through internet.
My impression about CMU is: Painting is not as strong as multimedia, game design …
Again, all I know, is through internet.
I will appreciate any input, thanks !</p>
<p>This is a little short notice But if your daughter is looking for a school with a good, specialized painting program that offers a decent balance of concept and technique she should have a look at RISD. They however do not have alot of space within their curricula for interdisciplinary work.</p>
<p>What is the general feeling here with regards to student reviews? I’m wondering why SAIC’s masters program is ranked in the top 3, which is in sharp contrast to reviews (by students) of its undergrad program. Why the discrepancy, and how important are rankings anyway (the million dollar question, I know)?</p>
<p>Anyone here with firsthand experience or an unbiased, objective view?</p>
<p>My daughter had a teacher who went to SAIC. SAIC is VERY well known for its painting program. I would assume that drawing and illustration are probably very good there too. I have heard, based on hearsay, that they have a decent photography program too,but I can’t personally attest to this.</p>
<p>taxguy - thanks for the input. I’ve read good things from SAIC alumni. I just wish I could find more recent information. Unbeknownst to our daughter, her father isn’t completely sold on the whole art school thing :(</p>
<p>loveblue - we are in the same boat, it seems. All I have heard is hearsay and internet reviews by students. I’ve read good reviews and some pretty nasty ones. I do try to keep an open mind. </p>
<p>Could it be that the bad reviews come from students who decided that SAIC’s conceptual/interdisciplinary approach just wasn’t for them? </p>
<p>D2 has spent all of HS in a very rigorous art program. This could be the reason why SAIC’s less structured approach appeals to her. (In my case, it’s the very reason why I would have wanted her to look at LACs/universities with good art programs, rather than a specialty school…but that’s another topic altogether!)</p>
<p>mirallwood - I am glad to know we are in the same situation. There are two opinions around me from my friends, which of course conflict with each other:
Send D to a university to have a chance to minor or double major something else as a back up …
Send D to Art School to give her more intensive training to have a better portfolio for graduate program or better chance to find a job … let her focus on Art is better than split her time on another major
Yes, this is another topic.
I did heard from someone recently that: SAIC’s mater Painting program is very strong but BFA is another story. That is why I started this thread. My D only applied two art schools: SAIC and cooper. Cooper is way too hard to get an offer. If SAIC is not that good. …</p>
<p>I know someone who majored in art at Cooper. You can take this as one perspective from an older student.</p>
<p>She noted that “the only thing Cooper had going for it was its low ( actually no tuition) and admission selectivity.” It was a very small school that had mediocre facilities. In fact, even thought their tuition was zero, this was misleading since they had very high fees and high cost of living in New York." She did feel that living in NY was great, however.</p>
<p>As for CMU, check out my overview of CMU found in both the college visit section and in the CMU section</p>
<p>As for WUSTL, we did check them out. What I didn’t like about them was that their artistic offerings in the graphic design/ media area was very spartan. When I questioned someone there, they told me that students are encouraged to double major, which means more spartan offerings in the art department.</p>
<p>Loveblue -
I would hesitate to say flat-out that SAIC “is not that good”. Mixed reviews to me means that SAIC (or art school for that matter - and no two are alike!) is not for everyone. I did some digging, and came across some very positive reviews from SAIC juniors and seniors. Friends in Chicago have very high regard for SAIC and for its programs, whether undergrad or masters. Sometimes a school’s reputation will suffer because of regional biases. Case in point - friends in Georgia are all praises for Savannah College of Art and Design. It’s a little like rooting for the home team. As for art schools in general, my husband has changed his tune after some research, finally understanding that specialty schools for art, architecture, engineering and business are not even ranked AT ALL :)</p>
<p>Bottom line: there is never a 100% guarantee that a prestigious program equates with a positive experience. I know of one student who was accepted at Pratt last year (her dream school, prestigious program etc); yet after just one day, she withdrew, and is now at a university on the West Coast. </p>
<p>D2 is open-minded enough to consider doing a year of art school and possibly transferring if she’s not completely fulfilled…She doesn’t have to decide her future just yet ;-)</p>