Hello! I’m a junior in high school and I’m going to pursue a film production major. I’m looking at various schools and one of them is MICA. If anyone has any information about their film program or has any other reviews of MICA I would greatly appreciate it. (dorms, food, things to do, people, etc.) Thank you!
I am a current senior and next year I’ll either be at MICA or SAIC, depending on how my visit to SAIC goes (I’ve been to MICA and it’s been my top choice for a while). Although I can’t speak to their film program, I can tell you general experience with them so far: wonderful.
Maybe I’m just romanticizing everything because I really want to go there, but it’s all been great. In September I visited to attend one of their senior visit days that began promptly at 10. We were driving from a few hours away and ended up getting lost right before Baltimore. By the time we finally got to MICA it was almost noon. We had missed the tour, panel discussion, and portfolio review, not to mention it was storming outside.
The staff, particularly in the Admissions Office, was so helpful and kind I was a bit shocked. Everyone was understanding and comforting. They ended up giving me a private tour, portfolio review, and mini-discussion. “Well!” they said, “you’re here now so might as well make the best of your time!” I ended up writing them a thank you note because I really did not expect how warm everyone was.
That being said, from what I’ve heard MICA has a reputation for being pretentious…I did not find that at all when I visited. My admissions counselor has been more than helpful, answering upwards of 7 questions in the emails we exchanged. In my acceptance letter there was even a handwritten note, highlighting their favorite parts of my portfolio. They do this for everyone I’m sure, but it goes to show you it’s the little things that matter. I get the sense they really care.
As I said, maybe I’ve been romanticizing them or have just found a perfect fit, but they’re projecting an atmosphere I’m not getting from the other schools I applied to.
If you have any more questions I could try to answer them haha
I don’t know how well MICA’s film program is ranked but I do know a few general things about the school.
My D was just accepted to MICA and I can testify to the little personal touches that go above and beyond our experience with other schools (not that those are bad experiences - but MICA takes it to a new level). The personal notes start right after the first portfolio review and go all the way to at least the acceptance packet. You really feel that they know you well by the time they make a decision on your application. We visited last spring and really enjoyed the campus - it’s worth checking out! A lot of people don’t like Baltimore but after hearing for years about how it’s a dump I was delighted to find that Bolton Hill/Mt. Vernon are fun and seem quite livable. We enjoyed the downtown/Inner Harbor as well. Baltimore is a quirky artsy town filled with lots and lots of students. It has some rough places, to be sure, and I noticed a lot of poverty while there but overall we came away with a very favorable impression of the city, the public transportation system, and the school itself. They give you a wonderful tour of the campus - and the first year dorm is simply the bet one I’ve seen yet - hands down (it’s brand new and apartment style - what more needs to be said on that?).
As a parent, I especially appreciate the prompt, professional and courteous manner in which they get back to me with every question I’ve asked them, from getting advice on which standardized test my D should take to questions about financial aid. A great example: I submitted the MICA financial aid form on December 31 and they personally e-mailed back to confirm it’s receipt (and an addendum I had sent) . . . On Jan. 1! How’s that for service! The school emphasizes professional development of it’s artists and having interacted with the most professional admissions and financial aid office I think I’ll ever encounter at a college - I really do think they take professional development very seriously!!!
For a great perspective of the school be sure to read the book Art Schooled (available on Amazon). The author spent a year at MICA among both MFA and BFA students around the year 2009. I found it to be a great way to understand what goes on at MICA as well as art school in general. I found the sections instructing us on the history of Bauhaus and color theory to be most enjoyable (no, I’m not even remotely artistic). Also the story of the Baltimore Museum of Art and the wonderful Cone collection and it’s relation to MICA.