college crisis - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

02/04/2008 08:49:27 PM · #1

ok so im a juinior, and i really need to decide on a college...

my number one choice is rocky mountain college of art and design its a 4 year school at 10gs a semester, minimum 7 semesters to finish...
and tied with that is antonelli institute about 36grand for a 2 year associates but they have a decent job fair at the end of the year

i dont know what to do, i dont hae a great "art" portfolio but my graphic design and photography portfolio is decent... any suggestions?

i would lie to go where it snows...because i am a snowboard instructor level 2 and that gaurentees me a teaching job in the winter... colarado oregon vermont all good i just want to go to an art emphasis college and get on with my life please help!

thegrandwazoo

Nikon D750

02/04/2008 08:55:56 PM · #2

If I could go I would prolly go here. I am sure there are just as good or better out there. Good luck man!

//www.brooks.edu/

Message edited by author 2008-02-04 20:56:03.

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

02/04/2008 09:09:14 PM · #3

wow i will deffinatly consider... they offer like different sections of photography.... im digging that and in cali...verry nice thanks soo much!
however i had trouble finding tuition costs

Message edited by author 2008-02-04 21:09:35.

I Enjoy Ham

Canon EOS-30D

02/04/2008 09:12:29 PM · #4

Originally posted by Jib:

Hey man my first bit of advise here is to chill out for a little bit. I'm a senior and just got through with the college application process and all i can say is that it is wayyy too early for you to be "deciding" on a college. The second bit of advice is to visit any school that you want to go to. And my third bit of advice is to not underestimate your portfolio. A lot and i mean A LOT of colleges are lenient with their scholarships to people who have shown commitment to the art they want to study. And my last bit of advice for now is to not limit our choices to just art schools. I understand that you love photography and graphic design but in 5 years you might not and there are plenty of schools where you can go to study photography but still get a good business education.

LN13

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM

02/04/2008 09:21:17 PM · #5

I'll second what Ham said. Visit the schools that you are interested in. My daughter just finished her first semester at Maryland Institute College of Art (sorry, not too much snowboarding here). It was her first choice of school, but pricey. We visited Cooper Union in New York. If you get in, it's free. She didn't even apply. She hated it. We visited a couple others, and she liked them, but not as much as MICA. MICA came through with some nice scholarship money, and she's a happy camper, and only 45 minutes from home and 10 minutes from my office (not that that matters to you).

The point is, you have to check it out and make sure that you'll be happy there. You may really have your sights set on a school and end up hating it.

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

02/04/2008 09:55:42 PM · #6

thanks for all the advice... it will get kind of pricy to visit al these colleges though seeing as im in pennsylvania and all

I Enjoy Ham

Canon EOS-30D

02/04/2008 09:59:01 PM · #7

Originally posted by Jib:

thanks for all the advice... it will get kind of pricy to visit al these colleges though seeing as im in pennsylvania and all

I'm just throwing this out there but Pennsylvania has a bunch of really awesome schools. The main one being university of penn however penn state has a great digital media/ graphic design program it is pretty hard to get into. There are also a lot of great schools in NY which is only a 3hr drive away. If oyu don't mind me asking how are your grades?

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

02/05/2008 08:17:07 AM · #8

my grades arent that great i mean i usually get like B history B sceience C english D math

but however A web design Agraphic design A adobe illustrator 1 Adobe illustrator2

valkner

Canon EOS-7D

02/05/2008 08:40:45 AM · #9

Wow, you have high school classes in web, graphic, and illustrator? My high school had woodshop and autoshop!

I know it's nowhere near any good snowboarding, but consider looking at RISD in Rhode Island. I'm finishing up Graphic Design there this year, but I have a lot of friends who have graduated from their photo department and they have loved it. There are a lot of really great teachers (Henry Horenstein is of note) and they do give financial aid and scholarships (I wouldn't be there if most of my tuition weren't covered by my scholarship). Don't stress it too much, but definitely find schools you're interested in and make a point of visiting them this summer. A friend and I did a road trip to check out schools and we were able to crash at friends' places to keep it cheap.

ErikV

Nikon D7000

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

02/05/2008 09:01:01 AM · #10

Definitely visit as many schools that you are considering as you can. Being there in person will give you a much better idea of what you do and do not like. This summer is a good time to do so. Good luck!

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

02/05/2008 10:44:03 AM · #11

i atend pa cyber charter school so they have many great web program classes also they teach macromedia flash as well as MAYA and video game design photoshop 1 and 2

however, no photography :(

I Enjoy Ham

Canon EOS-30D

02/05/2008 06:30:17 PM · #12

Originally posted by Jib:

my grades arent that great i mean i usually get like B history B sceience C english D math

but however A web design Agraphic design A adobe illustrator 1 Adobe illustrator2

Have you looked at any of the SUNY schools...i know that you are out of state but they still have a very very very competitive tuition. I got accepted into the computer art program at SUNY oneonta and that program is great and not too hard to get into. They have people working for ESPN and all of the top newschannels doing advertising stuff and layout.

I am just going to re-iterate what i said before, your a junior i didnt even start visiting schools until the end of spring during my juinior year, you have time, see how you do on the standardized tests and how you do this year in school.

Ristyz

Apple iPhone 12 Pro

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

02/05/2008 07:33:14 PM · #13

Robert,

I am a graduate of Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design. I enjoyed my time there and took many other classes besides my degree of Advertising and Design. They were in the process of implementing the bachelors degrees while I was enrolled.

At that school, when I signed up, I had to pick a major. The first semester is ALL base courses that all majors have to do so you can change your major easily. Second Semester was still half base courses and a few stragglers in 3rd semester. It is very easy to double major there as well. You aren't locked into an exact program with zero variation like many trade colleges do. There are some classes that are only offered in some semesters so you do have to pay attention to those.

I toured 3 schools in the Denver area (the three that didn't charge more for out of staters) , Colorado Institute or Art... the place was way too clean and showey for me. Platte College (don't know if they still exist or not) they were all about the digital age. I walked into RMCAD and knew instantly I was in the right place. It wasn't messy but there were signs of creativity and creation all around. I wanted to learn the computer part too but I wanted the art classes first. While I was there they did develop their computer rooms and offer more and more digital classes all the time. I was there a long time ago. (learned Photoshop 1.5 and QuarkXPress when it was only available for Macs.... heck, they still had Amigas then!)

The best part of RMCAD (then, anyway but Im sure it's not a policy they changed) is that every instructor had to also be working in the real world doing what they taught. Some of my old instructors are still there... I went online and checked recently. ;-) and I revisited them a few years ago as well... they all still remembered me!

They did require a portfolio to enroll but they weren't too stringent on it... they couldn't have been, I didn't have much of one! My 2 art classes in High School were taught by a teacher that should have been teaching grade school art. (Tempera paint set included, blue really really stinks)

If you want to know any more you can PM me. Do keep in mind I attended RMCAD quite some time ago. I know they have grown and expanded and even moved thier campus since then.

Prof_Fate

02/05/2008 07:45:06 PM · #14

What do you want to do in 5 or 10 years? (after college, etc)?

Schooling can be a great thing, but if you want to open your own photography business then you need to learn BUSINESS (accounting, managing, sales, marketing, planning, etc) as much or more than the photography part of it. And you'll need $30,000 to open the business, or more.

You can go to school and spend 4 years or so and $100,000 or so that you have to pay back later.
Or you could take some classes specific to what you need to know and work for a photographer, attend PPA schools (or those specific to your field of interest - $1000 for a week including lodging is the average price) 10 PPA schools and you'd know so damned much your head would explode.
You could spend the same 4 years learning on your own and apprenticing and at the end know more practical knowledge and not have the debt, and be ready to start your own business -and succeed.

Just a thought. Not one that might sit well with most parents though.

photodude

02/05/2008 07:47:32 PM · #15

Originally posted by I Enjoy Ham:

Originally posted by Jib:
my grades arent that great i mean i usually get like B history B sceience C english D math

Have you looked at any of the SUNY schools... I got accepted into the computer art program at SUNY oneonta and that program is great and not too hard to get into. They have people working for ESPN and all of the top newschannels doing advertising stuff and layout.

Did you know that Oneonta is the Indian word meaning "Land of Sex and Drugs"?

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

02/06/2008 09:56:38 AM · #16

i would love to run my own shop but i wouldnt mind doing stuff for other people im still stuck betwn graphic design and photography but im actually really looking into brooks now im likeing the celebrety photography and commercial photography and

Ristyz how close were you to the neartest ski area

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

02/06/2008 10:20:00 AM · #17

Originally posted by photodude:

.............Did you know that Oneonta is the Indian word meaning "Land of Sex and Drugs"?

Sounds similar to where I went to university. ;-)

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

02/06/2008 10:31:48 AM · #18

Brooks Institute is a VERY good school for aspiring professional photographers. Back in the day, half the assistants I hired were recently-minted Brooks graduates. Juts bear two things in mind: 1, they are EXPENSIVE, and 2, if it's the way it used to be, it's HARD to get in; they get way more applicants than they have spaces available. The campus is beautiful, the location (Santa Barbara) is a small slice of heaven and it's within relatively reasonable driving distance of the Big Sur country :-)

R.

skasuba

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

02/06/2008 10:42:11 AM · #19

plymouth.edu

I went to Plymouth in NH for graphic design and had the best four years of my life. And...you like to ski? You'll be right in the middle of the White Mountains...it's beautiful up there. I also had an amazing photography teacher-we shot film. I got into digital after college. just a thought if you wanted to check out that college! :-)

LoudDog

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

02/06/2008 11:23:43 AM · #20

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

I hate to say it, but I agree 100% with this! :)

option

Nikon D200

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

02/06/2008 11:27:12 AM · #21

One of the issues of future snowboarding from this fall has a feature on the best "schools of shred." Its on their website, you might want to check that out...