Gimme a Reason

Very recently I saw a discussion about art schools and why someone would go to SCAD versus SVA or some other art college. This is a great question I ask almost everyone I meet. Even though I'm in school already and don't plan on applying anywhere else any time soon it's a great way to figure out what other's impressions of other art colleges are.

Coming from the east coast I always ask about schools like Parsons, Pratt, RISD, MICA, etc. A lot of people turned their noses up at those schools because the people are too uptight and snotty. Which I understand, a lot of people have this impression that an art school is filled with dirty hippie painters who will end up living in cardboard boxes when they graduate. This is probably because most schools make the curriculum around letting you just do art. There's no real focus to get a degree, you just paint what you want to and try to improve so you can maybe one day have a gallery exhibition somewhere in your small town.

Whereas SCAD is focused on getting you a job after graduation. Tailoring their curriculum around a career in the art of your choice. This seems to be a pretty common reason a lot of people I asked chose this school.

The other common reason is because they were enamoured with the professors, everyone is really great and very knowledgeable.

Those are probably the most common reasons I've come across. It's a nice experiment and a great way to find out what really makes this school appalling, I highly suggest asking people at your own college what their reason for attending there is. You might be surprised at the diverse answers.