Leave of Absence/Exiting...to prepare to apply for another art school?

Transfer Students
1

Hello, I made this account to ask some burning questions because I have no clue.

Long story short, I just finished freshman year at SAIC (School of the Art Institue of Chicago) (out-of-state) and am now back at home for summer. SAIC was not one of my first choices, and in the second semester, I decided that I really want to do CINEMATIC animation…and that SAIC is really not the place for it.

I want to apply for “transfer” for at least two other art schools (one of which I applied to before and didn’t get in.) My mother said I should take a leave of absence (not just quit) because she feels it is better to “have an affiliation” with a school (and also because it serves as a safety net.) Also, if I fail to get into the school I want, I’ll probably work on making my portfolio stronger and getting other real-life experiences, not go back to SAIC.

  1. Is my mom correct in saying it’s somehow “better” to have an affiliation with a school while trying to transfer to another school, rather than dropping out and trying to “transfer?”
  2. If I quit (rather than LOA) before my sophomore year at SAIC starts and want to move schools, would it even be considered a transfer? I know for my number one choice school’s Character Animation program, there IS NO transfer anyways, so for that school, I’d be starting from year one…but I mean for the other schools…?

Sorry if I sound like I don’t know what I’m asking, because I don’t know what I don’t know, if you know what I mean :stuck_out_tongue: General information and advice related to this matter would also be appreciated.

2

You have been in college for a year already. Most places will require you to file a transfer application. Whether they accept any credits for transfer is a whole different story.

Take a leave of absence. If you decide to not go back ever, that is up to you. But it will make your mom happy, and it will leave the door open in case you would decide to return in a year.

3

It’s all quite confusing. I know someone quite well who withdrew from SAIC fairly recently - and I strongly support your thinking. ESPECIALLY in the field of cinematic animation. SAIC is quite weak (although they don’t admit as much during their admissions selling process) - and their incredibly theoretical approach to the visceral, instinctive field of art can be difficult.

But your question is practical. A leave of absence is probably a smart tactic - although I doubt if the other schools will make much of a distinction between withdrawing from SAIC and “I’m on a LOA from SAIC”. In either case what you’re doing is saying: I want to study at your school not theirs.

The experience of the individual I mentioned was that the SAIC administration was quite supportive and helpful - a lot of students leave and they do what they can to minimize the problems.