Temple BFA vs MICA Animation

Mamelot
Tue, 29 Mar 2016 00:32:26 +0000

@BrooklynRye - first of all congratulations to your daughter for her accomplishments! She may not realize it at the moment (or for many more years) but she’s in an enviable situation!!! Long ago I had a friend in grad school - let’s call him John Smith - who, when everyone else was struggling to find employment ended up with two tippy-top offers. The guy couldn’t make up his mind and spoke to everyone about it for days - maybe even weeks. Finally we all told him that he had what was known as a “John Smith” problem, defined to be a problem that everyone else wished they had. Hopefully that gave him some perspective. Maybe not. You have to be in those shoes (and vice versa)

My D1 was relieved that RISD turned her down precisely because she really liked both and didn’t want to have to make that choice. So it was a bit easier for her. But given that your daughter sounds enormously talented my guess is that she can probably write her ticket to anywhere. She doesn’t need to hang her hat on just one choice if it doesn’t work out best for her. I say encourage her to give herself permission to change her mind later on.

All of the top schools take transfers and it’s simply no big deal. As good as the precollege programs are at preparing these kids for a rigorous studio program, they can’t substitute for actually being there month after month. Art/design kids have a different way of thinking than most of the rest of us. Their thoughts don’t fit into a neat and tidy box. They need room to grow in their unique direction throughout the entire educational process (and probably even beyond).

The only issue would be scholarships but I think at least as far as Pratt is concerned there are actually scholarships for transfers (you should check on that). If so, then your D might well start at the top and go with RISD. What does she have to lose?

I wouldn’t worry too much about her lack of decisiveness at this point for a major. As I mentioned in an earlier post I find it difficult that someone their age would absolutely KNOW what they want to do. The foundation year is such an eye opening experience from everything I’ve heard and read that I would be afraid a kid’s “tunnel vision” would inadvertently by-pass some great opportunities. RISD has the Wintersession and I believe that first years will be encouraged to explore something entirely new for that course. The only risk with RISD - and probably Pratt - is like what happened to my niece who switched her major from painting to Textiles and had to redo her 2nd year as a result (so five years total at RISD). RISD is kind of “guild” - oriented, for lack of a better description. Once you choose a major you are trained in that major and there isn’t much crossover to other disciplines. It’s not like MICA or SAIC where you can change your major several times and still graduate on time. None of these are better or worse approaches - it all depends on what fits the individual student. That’s why it’s so critical to understand each school’s approach from the get-go.

BTW, Did you all visit Pratt? And I can’t recall but did she ever to apply to MICA or no?

Good luck to her - I’m sure she’ll do fantastic things with her art!