<p>I was accepted to Tyler School of Art at Temple University, University of the Arts, and California College of the Arts. I will be majoring in graphic design. I am a non-traditional student (I have 2 years of community college liberal arts and studio credits and I’m 25 years old). </p>
<p>Temple gave me a $2k scholarship and University of the Arts gave me a $17k scholarship. Being a PA resident, Temple is obviously the best deal, but UArts isn’t too far behind. CCA gave me a $20k scholarship, but $57k tuition, it’s not that much. The financial aid package they offered me also only covers $33k per year in scholarship, grants, and loans, so I would have to find private loans to finance the rest. </p>
<p>Any wisdom/opinions into which school I should attend? </p>
<p>I am originally from California and would like to live and work in the Bay Area, hence my application to CCA, but I don’t know if the massive debt will necessarily outweigh the potential networking/internship/job opportunities. It’s a little harder to find public opinions solely about Tyler since it’s connected to Temple. </p>
<p>DS was also accepted to Tyler & UArts. Both schools offered him $$ but UArts started with a much higher price tag so it was fairly even price-wise. He was also accepted to several other schools some with $$, some not. He ultimately decided that he really wanted to go to a university and take advantage of all the things that a university can offer that an art school can’t so will be at Tyler in the fall. </p>
<p>Do you plan to travel during the year between CA & PA? If so make sure you factor in traveling costs. Have you considered attending either Tyler or UArts and trying to do summer internships in CA? Maybe the admissions office at either school could give you an idea of how many alumni are currently in the Bay area. </p>
<p>My S is at UArts but we also checked out Tyler. Tyler has a very good reputation and it’s ultimately your work and talent that will matter most after your training. </p>
<p>I think it comes down to cost and which school is right. UArts was right for my S unlike @mom4cw. He didn’t want too many things that would distract him from his art focus and really wanted to be immersed in a visual and performing arts world. I clearly see the many sides to this decision and I don’t think you can go wrong with either. You just have to get a sense of where you will thrive the most. </p>
<p>As far as CCA, it comes down to whether they offer something that will benefit you so much that it’s worth the money to go there over the less expensive options. For example, if you want to work for an animation studio that only hires from CCA, then going to Tyler or UArts will take your career in a different direction. You may have less debt but you also aren’t as likely to get what you want. Again, I think the field is mainly talent driven but who you know and who knows you is a factor too sometimes.</p>