Contrasting UArts

sax
Sat, 03 Mar 2007 09:38:01 +0000

Okay, I’ll share. My child went to UArts for about 2 years. Was an illustration then graphic design major and well into her 2nd year had not used a computer for a class project yet. Freshman yr. all FA take the same program. It is very elementary and she found it boring and frustrating. 2nd year she showed me her homework. Drawing one inch lines on a piece of paper for a couple weeks at 3 hrs. a stint. Her friends at MICA and Tyler were doing great things by then. She talked to numerous people trying to find out if it "got "better and asking about job placement and received very negative feedback. In addition the drug culture was rampant in FA and as a non partier she spent many times with nothing to do. There is a reason half the kids at Uarts leave. Many kids regardless of talent received half tuition scholarships.
She left and to this day says it’s the best decision she ever made.

As a parent their lack of a food plan made it difficult for her to eat cheaply and healthfully. Food in the city is expensive. Weekly/daily art supplies that could only be bought at the “college” art store were extremely expensive. She could not buy things at a discount. She went through money at a breakneck speed. I never knew how much she needed on a daily basis.

She did have 2 teachers she thought were great. However the work was designed for kids going in who had no art background. She had been producing great pieces by her senior year in HS and lost momentum going into and being in college. The worst mistake we ever made.We also found the adnimistration difficult to work with. Sorry…but my honest take on this school and I am trying to be diplomatic.