Hi,
I'm hoping there are a few parents of kids going/who have gone to art school here, because my only other source of information is the schools themselves.
My son is a HS senior; he wants to be an illustrator (not an animator, but would love to do concept art or really any type of illustration). He has applied to and was accepted at RISD, SCAD, Ringling, and SAIC. He also received scholarships at each of them; while they are not full scholarships (those are not really offered), the interesting thing is that, even though there is a $20k variance in tuition/fees between some of these schools, the variances in scholarships have lowered our/his expenses so that they're all going to cost about the same out of pocket. He got top scholarships at all of them, but the cost is still steep, so we are really trying to make the "best" decision. I keep telling myself that he cannot really make a wrong decision since these are all top schools, but maybe there is a better decision?
He prefers the city of Chicago, but I don't think that SAIC and RISD are as tech/job oriented as SCAD and Ringling. Would you agree or disagree with that? I think if he were going into animation, Ringling would be the clear front-runner, but I don't know if the same is true for illustration. I think he will enjoy Savannah and the spread-out nature of SCAD's campus better than Ringling which is more its own world within Sarasota, but his main focus has been on money and who is going to help him to get the best job. I should also add that as of right now, he is a shy kid who prefers to hide in the back of the class. So, while all the schools have great career centers and some opportunities for internships and such, he may not seek them out. I do expect him to grow and be less shy through this process, but I would feel better if he were in a school that a teacher may notice him and force him out of his comfort zone.
As I type this, I really am not sure what my question is! I guess I'm just hoping that there are some budget-minded people here who have been in this situation and can give us advice on how to choose. While the out-of-pocket expense is the same, if I had a crystal ball that would assure me that one school will put him on a better career path than the other, then I would like to know that. I would also love to hear from graduates/parents of students or graduates of any of these schools and their experiences in general. Everyone's experiences are different, and what is right for one may not be right for my son, but I would still love to hear about anyone's experiences, thoughts, and advice.
Thanks in advance!
I'm hoping there are a few parents of kids going/who have gone to art school here, because my only other source of information is the schools themselves.
My son is a HS senior; he wants to be an illustrator (not an animator, but would love to do concept art or really any type of illustration). He has applied to and was accepted at RISD, SCAD, Ringling, and SAIC. He also received scholarships at each of them; while they are not full scholarships (those are not really offered), the interesting thing is that, even though there is a $20k variance in tuition/fees between some of these schools, the variances in scholarships have lowered our/his expenses so that they're all going to cost about the same out of pocket. He got top scholarships at all of them, but the cost is still steep, so we are really trying to make the "best" decision. I keep telling myself that he cannot really make a wrong decision since these are all top schools, but maybe there is a better decision?
He prefers the city of Chicago, but I don't think that SAIC and RISD are as tech/job oriented as SCAD and Ringling. Would you agree or disagree with that? I think if he were going into animation, Ringling would be the clear front-runner, but I don't know if the same is true for illustration. I think he will enjoy Savannah and the spread-out nature of SCAD's campus better than Ringling which is more its own world within Sarasota, but his main focus has been on money and who is going to help him to get the best job. I should also add that as of right now, he is a shy kid who prefers to hide in the back of the class. So, while all the schools have great career centers and some opportunities for internships and such, he may not seek them out. I do expect him to grow and be less shy through this process, but I would feel better if he were in a school that a teacher may notice him and force him out of his comfort zone.
As I type this, I really am not sure what my question is! I guess I'm just hoping that there are some budget-minded people here who have been in this situation and can give us advice on how to choose. While the out-of-pocket expense is the same, if I had a crystal ball that would assure me that one school will put him on a better career path than the other, then I would like to know that. I would also love to hear from graduates/parents of students or graduates of any of these schools and their experiences in general. Everyone's experiences are different, and what is right for one may not be right for my son, but I would still love to hear about anyone's experiences, thoughts, and advice.
Thanks in advance!