<p>Try to get in contact with admissions officers or other school reps and ask them the hard questions as to whether the philosophy and spirit of the school is in line with your D’s interests. There are a lot of great art schools which you can find just browsing this forum, but whether they’re the best fit for your D is up to you to find out.</p>
<p>For example, Cooper Union is unquestionably a great art school, but it tends to be more fine-artsy, abstract, and radical. If your D is interested in commercial illustration, then, CU might not be the best fit. Or some programs are known for specific programs above all else, like CalArt and character animation. If she’s sure that she wants to do that, CalArts would be the school to shoot for; if not, more general schools with broader foundation years are the best option. School reps should be able to answer honestly about whether the school is more digital, or traditional, or whether it’s particularly known for certain programs.</p>
<p>Look at the school’s structure and ask questions about it. Some art schools admit students to a department before their freshman year begins; others don’t ask the student to declare until later and start with a general “foundation” year. You may decide it’s better to get a full four years in a particular field or you might think your D needs a year to decide and explore what’s out there.</p>
<p>If she’s interested, look at what the school offers in terms of liberal arts. Do they actually employ liberal arts professors with tenure, or are most of the liberal arts professors adjunct or visiting? Do they have an arrangement with a nearby college? The differences can be huge.</p>
<p>If you can, get the admissions office to put you in touch with current students. I never thought of doing that during my own college search, but I wish I had.</p>
<p>Definitely avoid for-profit institutions like the Art Institutes (as distinguished from Art Center) and Full Sail. There are some good Art Institutes but as a whole they’re not worth your time.</p>
<p>This is a monster post but I hope it helps.</p>