I SHOULD be excited

Man... that's a tough call. Good luck with whatever you decide.

My daughter is a HS Senior and wants to go into interior design. We looked at SCAD, but quickly found the cost to be too high for us, so she didn't even apply. She applied to, and has been accepted at, Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC - which is a state supported school - and the only one in the state with an accredited interior design program. It's has a reputation of being a pretty intense/tough program - and I'm told that job placement probability for those who successfully complete it is 100%. However, that was before the economy tanked. Hopefully things will be on the rebound by the time she graduates.

Even though Winthrop is a state school and we'll be paying in-state tuition, it's still going to be hella expensive. They said to figure on roughly $20k/year for all costs combined if you live on-campus with a meal plan (which she will). That's tuition, room, meals, books, supplies, etc. Everything. She qualified for SC's "Life Scholarship" which pays $5K per year, so that'll help the first year at least - but you have to maintain a 3.0 GPA or better with a 30-hour load or more to keep it each year. That's a pretty tall order. I'm going to file the FASFA very soon, but I'm not holding out too much hope there. It's going to be rough.

 

Yea. That's what I have been doing the past 2 years.

I have been going to Pensacola Junior College for free because I have Florida Bright Futures. So I am a full time student with a 3.5 GPA. PJC has one of the best photo programs in Florida, even though it is a junior college. Coincidentally, the photo program was designed and built by a SCAD alumni.

I could go to the University of Florida, and probably have 75% of my tuition paid my the state scholarship. That is if I get into the school.

 

Just found this thread.

It could be worse. My school is $42K for 15 months.

FAFSA and personal loans all the way.

 

Do the junior colleges have any programs that guarantee entrance into the University? The University of California, San Diego has what they call a TAG program (Transfer Admission Guarantee) for students at our community colleges. They don't go through the normal admissions process and gain access if they maintain a 3.0 GPA. I think it also depends on whether or not the degree program is impacted (too many applicants for that degree program).

 

You definitely don't have to know somebody, you just have to be badass and driven to begin with (and willing to work 12 hours a day) if you want a job at the 'majors'. They want the best. Nepotism is far less of a factor for gigs like that. I know somebody that went to Pixar right after getting a BFA, the gig was gotten just because of the push that was made. I also know lots of people that went to work for EA for ~$35k a year after racking up >$40-80k in debt.

I agree that doing the community college 2-yr and then transferring up to the 4yr is the way to go.. but for the arts you can't get a name-brand education that way.

If you go to SCAD, RCAD, RISD, etc and are ridiculously driven and talented, you'll make it -- but there are still only a few that filter to the top, are you one of them? Otherwise, it's a tough market now that newspapers, mags, and ad agencies are slimming down and there still isn't a lot of money or stability in the net.. and too many people seek arts degrees. If you want to do in-house brochures for a med firm (for example) you'll probably have a safe & solid (albeit boring) career, but who plans to do that sort of thing when heading in to school?

Video games jobs are growing, but there is endless amounts of life-sucking whipping-boy work to be had in that field, it's depressing.

 

where the hell did you go to school? Blowjob University?! because thats the only way i'd pay that much for school. free BJ's when you go to the library

 

Disclaimer – I REALLY hate sounding like my Mom and “Adults”, but what I hate more is admitting they where right.

I will give you my .02

It is your dream most people don’t get the chance to do any of their life long dreams. Go to the school.

Total cost of the school will be irrelevant. Suck it up put your nose to the grind stone and you’ll find the money. Go to the school.

You would always regret not doing it, your chances of regretting it if you go is slim. Go to the school.


I can say that b/c at 19 I messed around and didn’t focus on anything life long and I am not much older than that now, 30. I have done quite well for my self since then but I would do it all over again. I never seemed to understand it was the time for me to get my stuff straight for down the road, and I was always in the now. It sounds like you’re not a screw off like I was at that age

My advice would be to sit down figure out what you want out of life or what life you want to build for your self and what it’s going to take to get it; nobody else is going to.

You have the opportunity to realize a dream; don’t give your self excuses not to achieve it.

Life really starts going and you’ll look back at one point to see if you did the most with the past.

I can say 99% of anything you lean while school is not going to be used in present day. You’re going for the education and the experience. That’s what puts you in front of someone else in your field with the same technical skills, usually not the name of the school. Figure out if this dream school is a pipe dream or not. The education and the experience can be had at any school.