Last time i posted, i was conflicted btwn U of Michigan Ann Arbour and U of Cincinnati. After giving it much thought, I decided that UC was the place for me. However, just today I got into Carnegie Mellon, a school I thought I had no chance in getting into. Now, I have an even harder choice. CMU is ranked number 4 in the country in ID, and they have a great business school in the Tepper School of Business. This college thing is getting a bit ridiculous. UC or CMU… please, I will take any feedback!!!
It’s about what school can help you do what you need to do to get to the next level… that school best for you might not be in the top 5… in fact it probably isn’t because those rankings don’t have any real world bearing.
Things that job interviewers probably won’t care much about.
SAT score
College GPA
Masters degree
School you went to (and it ranking )
If you whereon the (insert school team or extracurricular activity here)
Not saying that you shouldn’t do your best on all of those things or participate, just that you should do it for yourself.
Things a potential employer will care about:
Portfolio
Experience (internships)
Recommendations (can someone they trust recommend you)
Attitude ( super important )
Personality ( are you a dimensional person they would want on their team )
Ability to get stuff done
and… Portfolio
I’m also a big advocate of taking an exchange semester. Most Art schools will let you do an exchange semester at another school. I loved it, not only did it make me appreciate my school a bit, it helped me balance out my education by getting a taste of a different philosophy. The school I exchanged at was pretty much a polar opposite to my own… as a designer I ended up somewhere in the middle.
Sorry for the digression, I’m procrastinating from doing an expense report…
I think it is great you have applied to a bunch of schools. I recommend visiting each of them. Steer clear from listening too much to admissions people and department heads… they are not going to give you the truth about the school. Insist on sitting in on classes and talk to students. Tour the department building, see the dorms… then you will have some first hand information on what fits you best.
Good luck. Sounds like you are putting a lot into the decision and I’m sure you will be in good shape to make the right choice for you.
my two internships were HUGE when i graduated. I went to a small school, but i did well. when i graduated, both internships totaled to almost 2 years (so i guess that totals to about 10 years in the biz now). my first job, i was hired with another person who had no experience at all. it was obvious.
how do you get internships? ask your potential schools, or get_them_yourself. i was surprised how many of my fellow students would WAIT for a professor to recommend them for an internship. i landed one by going out and asking the company directly.
if you want to be a designer, start thinking like one when you’re looking for a place to goto school. look for a solution based on your OWN research.
dude, dont even go to school. just sketch a bunch read core blogs and get internships. If you want to go the extra mile just move to the city of your choice and sit in on a bunch of studio classes at whatever college. This way you get all the benefits without having to pay a dime.
if you decide thats not working out just hit ctrl z