Let’s say I’m in this position: I’m not completely sure that industrial design is for me, and thus I would prefer not to enroll in a specialized ID school (top choices are UC, ASU and Virginia Tech).
One of my other interests is also a somewhat specific school (USC for video games), so I can’t really go to a generalized university and dabble in ID then switch majors.
If I were to attend a random university and (planning this ahead of time) took classes that fulfilled the general ed requirements. Then I transferred to Cincy, ASU, or VT, about how long would I expect to be in school? Assuming that I am only taking industrial design courses. Would I still be there the whole 4-5 years, or would that time be cut down by my elimination of the pre reqs? Does anyone have experience with this?
Also related; does anyone have experience with the Art Institute and if their credits transfer? I was thinking about taking an ID course in the summer to see if I like it. If not, perhaps a CMU class would transfer?
I would say that it depends on the program. Some schools have a set four or five year curriculum that can’t be shortened due to things like co-ops (Cincinnati comes to mind). I’ve heard of some kids taking some general-ed credits at a community college, then finishing up at a four year institution. This was in Texas, but I’m sure it could apply to other places as well. As a person who is about to finish up two degrees (Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design), I’ve learned that most places have stringent rules with regards to transfer credit, but individual appeals to those in high places with a sincere and appreciative attitude can get you farther than you realize.
Whatever you do, go in with a PLAN. If you aren’t careful, it can turn out disastrously. I had a friend doing the same program I am. The advisers in our college told him that he was on track to graduate with dual degrees. Turns out they screwed up and he had to leave with a double major. Regardless of what they tell you, audit your curriculum every semester, and get EVERYTHING in writing with regards to approvals and exceptions. Good luck.
And not everything will transfer depending on what school you choose, so you may be forced to take an additional English class here or there. But, if you take basic, basic classes you can’t go wrong. As was already said, you could even take classes at community college. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. You’ll most likely be taught by a professor, instead of one of a professors many minions.
I’m pretty sure most University’s are accepting fewer and fewer transfer credits - it’s just not in their interest. and if they do - they transfer “down” not “up” the academic food chain.
if you know ahead of time what program you will be transferring to, and particularly if the school you will start at has a relationship with school #2 (ie they know which of their courses transfer and for what) it can really help alleviate many of the transfer issues people are referring to. the Community College I started at dealt with TONS of transfers to the school finished at, so they knew exactly what would and wouldn’t transfer and were incredibly helpful. I am primarily talking about gen eds and such though, pretty much any classes core to the ID curriculum will need to be, or should be taken at school #2 or a similarly accredited ID institution.
It is true that many folks recommend taking your gen eds at cheaper places such as community colleges and transferring to a well- known design school in order to save money. However, this isn’t the whole story.
First, some credits might not transferw,which is always a problem
The bigger problem,however, is that many schools are harder to get admitted to as a transfer student than as a freshmen. You could be literally “biting your nose to spite your face.”
There was a kid who posted on another forum who attended Brown as an undergrad and wanted to transfer to the University of Cincinnnati for ID. He clealy would have gotten into Cincinnati as a freshmen since he had sterling SATs and a very high GPA in high school.However, his GPA at Brown was not as sterling as his high school GPA,which is the case for most college students. Moreover, as a transfer student, most schools don’t take SAT scores into consideration. Thus, he probably has little chance of getting into UC.
You should investigate this potential problem with any possible schools of interest to you.
no_spect, good memory. Yes, there are about 8 open transfer slots for each program each year, at least for the first two years. Personally, I think it is a lot harder getting admitted to UC as a transfer student in DAAP then as a freshmen.