Why did you choose your school?

I got into all the schools I applied to but it came down to money. I ended up going to my back up school (state school) because not only was the tuition low they game me a ton of scholarshop money. After 2 years and most of my liberal arts & foundation art classes out of the way I transfered to the art school of my choice.

because of the program for the bac. in commerce
french is my first language and in montreal (quebec) we have english and french universities, was looking to improve my english, 45 minutes of public transit.

this is where i go: http://www.concordia.ca/

cee ya

I went to San Francisco State University. Why? I don’t really know. I had a bad first year at UC Davis, and figured it would be a good rebound. It actually turned out that way too. Although SFSU’s philosophy is infant at best, the professors they do have are really hands on and try and help you succeed. It’s a very small community. The actual courses I had taken there weren’t all that impressive, as the professors aren’t too hardline on breaking bad habits, but like I said it’s a new and growing department. Besides, the experience of linving in the city was awesome and amazing. Although you had to work twice or four times as hard to push yourself on an individual basis, the access to some of the worlds best designers was a priceless experience. Of course the choice to take advantage of these opportunities has always been an option that had not been excercised by all. But of those who did, there was a very tight and excited community of young design students. Now if given the opportunity again would I have switched schools? Yes, I think that what I would have learned more from going to Art Center or Pratt. And the networking alone would have been worth the cost. But at the same time I could say that I learned alot and saved about $20,000. But still I think I would have rather gone to Art Center, if I knew what I knew today.

I didn’t want to learn how to give birth to more crap in the universe.

I wanted a school to teach me not just how to design but help me figure out who what where when and why to design.

I chose mine based on:
Only ENGLISH school in the city with ID. (there’s concordia with design art, but thats not the same).
Tution below 200$/semester (arount 100-170 depending on courses selected)
School was 3 minutes walking distance from home. (my highschool was 5 minutes walk)
Damn fine ladies at my school :smiley:

Would I go again?
Yes… however I’d love to have teachers that moved on to stay for longer.
Started out with really great teachers. Finished with good teachers, just not as diversified (opinions and teaching styles).


And to respond to the guest who would return only if they fired the idiot who’s running the program… Not pointing fingers, but it has been my life long experience that if they hired an idiot in the first place, they’ll hire another one to replace him.

I chose Pratt because I love NYC, and Pratt is the only grad program here.
I have been living and working in NY/NJ for many years, so I thought I could go to grad school while I work part time. I am saving lot of money because I commute to school.
Although I had never studied ID, I have BFA in Finearts/Computer arts, and these studies were very helpful to understand the Designs in general.
After a year later, I quit my job and just focusing in ID.
If I am not qualified to find an ID job even after ID grad from Pratt, I can continue work in graphic design relation while I keep develop my portfolios and audit other schools’ design courses.
The passion for my life is the Life itself-not just an area or a company that I can sit and work. Through out my undergrad and grad in arts, meeting many different characters of people and struggled for becoming an artist in NYC, I realized that honesty and hard work back up the survival. The other thing that I am learining in NYC is that there are always people better than I am, but there are always people who are not a better person than I am no matter what degree or college education they have. People can not make into somekind of form. If they are blinded by ego and hatred, they are just who they are for their own struggling life.

I had a friend who got her undergrad in ID (in the States), then went to Domus for a Masters in ID. I visited her there after, and the experiences she told me about were really cool. She said that she wished she had done something other than ID (mainly because she had already done fashion), like fashion. Apparently the fashion program at Domus is Ace.

I applied to 3 schools, got into all of them.

I didn’t like the environment of #1. There was no water nearby…I need water to be happy. Plus, the campus wasn’t the most diverse.

#2 Looked like a decent school, but it was 8 hours from home and going to cost me 3-4 times what it costs me to go to…

…school #3, which is 2 hours from home and a great campus (we have underground tunnels connecting every building, and skyways between some others). Plus the program seemed the most balanced - ie., not a focus on styling, but on industrial design.

All in all, I have to say that I am at the right uni, and doing the right course, and I abosolutely love it!

Im doing graphics at the LCP and it was the best move I ever made. I was wanting to stay in bournemouth after my foundation but was offered a place at the LCP and Vrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooom!

My advice to others? Look up ALL the options, pros&cons of the course, location, access/transport, housing & cost of living, these are all factors that are more important than how pretty the campus is. Talk to friends & randoms who went or are still going there for uni.
Go to UCAS fairs and Uni open days, and question the socks off the people about eveything you want to know about the place!

So now thats done, I was wondering if anyone could give me a hand?

I’m planning on doing a 3 month exchange with the diploma in industrial design next year to get some real experience of working in industry - can anyone give me any tips/hints about this?

(btw, i think this website is fantastic, the real bees knees! I’ve been looking for something like this for years! even tried setting one up myself… still trying actually! Good on ye mate!)

I chose to go to CCS because I had friends there that rode bmx. I knew that I would study some sort of art or design. I applied to fine art, photo and ID. I was accepted to all. Initially my love was photo but after evaluating how much an average student spends on supplies and equip I ended up in ID. Funny how it all ended. I love the industrial design profession. I can’t imagine a better career fit for me. Detroit…what a bombed out hole! But I made the best life long friends and acquaintances during my time in Motown.
I can say, my school was top knotch and my instructors were excellent …the only problem…I didn’t ride bmx (bicycle motocross) as much as I thought I would…the program was demanding and didn’t afford much extra time for goofing off on a small bike! All in all it was the best haphazard decision I ever made.

c!

I am just planning to go to domus, I need your valuable tips and suggestion

what is ID?

I went to University of Washington in Seattle. I enrolled as pre-acrchitecture student first, and found ID in my sophmore year. I picked the school because I grew up in Seattle, and I was already living in the neighborhood.

I would attend the school for ID again if I was in the same situation, living in Seattle. If I was somewhere else, I would attend another local college.

Knowing what I know, and how it is out in the industry, I understand now that school isn’t everything. Unless you are getting into a nitch market like auto design, I think students can learn all they need to learn in any school.

I went to school in the 80’s. My parents had three kids going to college at the same time. NC State tuition was only $400 per semester for in-stste residence. Pretty much ended up being a no-brainer for me.

I went to school at MIAD simply because at the time, Brook Stevens (not the firm but Brooks himself) was a professor. He passed on to his students, how to be a designer and understand the business of design.

Very insightfull. To this day, I believe, business comes before design.

Cheers,

did you go to syracuse?

probably San Jose State Uni… judging by the user name

My junior high school son, who has been interested in car design since he was 2 years old, needs to choose a college. He is math challenged and an average student, who is talented at CAD and actual car design. We are thinking about Industrial Design as a major. Is that a good fit for his desires? What about graphic design? What is the difference for someone like him with his interests? Also what schools are the most desired for prrospective employers? Any of your actual experiences will be helpful to us novices. Thanks. Mo[/b]

Mo,

I know exactly what you are going through. Our son is a senior in High School with the same passion. We have gone through this whole process and I can share with you what we have learned.

For starters this whole issue was already addressed by my post
“Concerned Dad - Career/school choices” - Concerned Dad - school/career choices

The Transportation Design Schools are:
(We have visited all, except ACCD)

ACCD - Art Center College of Design - Pasadena
The average student age is 23 and I understand that they rarely take in incoming freshman. Also they do not provide housing, so your kid is on his own

CCS - College for Creative Studies - Detroit MI
Great Design School in the Heart of Motor City. The problem is that you have to be accepted in the Transportation Design department in your Junior year. I understand that it is quite competitive - less than 20 out of 100 industrial design students make it.

CIA - Cleveland Art Institute - Cleveland OH
5 year program - 1st two years are on foundation studies

UC -DAAP University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, OH
Great Co-op program with many students working at Auto Companies.
No portfolio needed for admissions. But Trans program is quite competitive academically - requires good SAT, GPA and class ranking of at least 10%

Pratt Institute - Brooklyn NY
Competitive portfolio required

Good luck! E-mail me if you have any questions.

For transportation design you are going to want to check out these links (BTW, graphics is a totally different field, it’s like the difference between a podiatrist, and a pediatrician, they’re both doctors, but not interchangable)

“So you want to be a car designer” article link below:
http://www.cardesignnews.com/news/2001/010430aac-cole/index.html

Licting of schools that offer specialized degrees in auto design
http://www.cardesignnews.com/directory/schools.html

Various auto school senior shos:
http://www.cardesignnews.com/features/2004/index.html