where, oh where, should for art school i go?

[satire]

ok, same old questions but i thought id ask anyways. heres my situation.
i am 19 and have been in college for 3 years already studying art, so i am ready to transfer (yay!) into art school. i am in california (near sf) but i really wouldnt mind (and would actually welcome) a good move to shake things up a bit. ive already done some research, and the schools that really apeal to me are RISD and SVA, with calarts at ringling coming in close seconds. im fairly confident about my chances with admissions. so, best case scenario (i get to pick from any and all of the colleges i apply to) which one of these have the best program for someone like me- im into animation and illustration, and am good with puters- or which ones do you have personal experiance with? other colleges i might have overlooked (yes, i have checked into art instatute/academy, CCAC, and SCAD) and just general advice. i would like to know more about ringling on a first hand basis, as i know the least about it. thanks for all your help~
meredith

[beechdbum]

"where, oh where, should for art school i go?" kinda depends on what program you want to get into, sounds like your interested in computer animation, traditional animation, and illustration to me, might want to narrow it down a bit, any ways theirs a good thread bout ringling in the art schools and education, do a search for it theirs endless amounts of info

[Magicjuand]

Looks like you posted this a while back but I just read this and I was in the same predicament you were in not too long ago so I thought I would post this and hopefully you'll read this some time.
Narrowing what you want to do is very important but that comes with time... sometimes you know exactly what you want to do and then that changes , then sometimes you can only know what you want to do through trial and error.
It may be a wise investment to schedule a tour and take a plane out to these schools. Tour the schools and visit the area and ask alooooooot of questions to students and faculty maybe even alumni. Here's one thing I learned about touring a few schools, there are really great students and faculty at most schools and there are also really bad students/faculty too. Touring the schools will let you know what you are getting into so you can make better choices, (classes to take etc.) once you are there. COnsider the areas/ cities too. You may want to go to a school that is near a big city so you can try to make proffesional connections on your time off or your summers.
At my school, RISD, there are students who transfered here from alot of places, SVA, Ringling, Art Center, included because they were'nt happy. That still amazes me because those schools are great... why did they transfer? So its led me to beleive that it really doesnt matter where you go as long as it has a solid well rounded program in what you want to do.. and YOU are happy being there. The puter or 3d classes at RISD are Im sure not as involved as the programs at Ringling or possibly SVA. There are also other good schools people have mentioned on other threads.
Remember not every school is perfect and surely if you attend one of these schools you'll be missing out on something. SO it is your responsibilty as a committed artist to continue educating yourself during summers and beyond the limited 3 or 4 years you attend art school. I think it was Robert Henri who said that the best art school is yourself... in more or less words. And I find this to be true... the students that are kikin butt are the ones that have taken classes (beyond their art school) to sharpen there skills and are hungry for information. You may understand this since youve been studying in college for three years. These are truly for whatever reason motivated and hardworking people that will continue to practice grow and learn throughout their lives. Also consider your alternatives. Sometimes I feel the courses I took in community college were at times better than some at my current school. Night classes at different art schools like Watts Atalier or a community college and the likes can prove to be amazing. Just find the knowledgeable teachers who dont BS and milk them for information. It's good to know these rescourses to continue your education once you graduate.

I got accepted to all the schools I applied to including the supposed "top" art schools. My choice came down to a serious financial situation. I did not even have a cosigner to sign the heavy loans some of these schools take to attend. Your choice may also come down to financial aid. As everyone knows on this site, art schools arent cheap and you may want to attend the schools that offer you a decent financial aid package.

Meredith I wish you the best in your artist adventures and I hope this helps in some way or another. I also hope I havent typed your ears or your eyes off! Good Luck.
:nod:

[Elwell]

Originally posted by Magicjuand
I got accepted to all the schools I applied to including the supposed "top" art schools. My choice came down to a serious financial situation. I did not even have a cosigner to sign the heavy loans some of these schools take to attend. Your choice may also come down to financial aid. As everyone knows on this site, art schools arent cheap and you may want to attend the schools that offer you a decent financial aid package.

Wait a second...you're going to RISD for financial reasons??!

Back when I was applying to schools (mid '80s) they were notorious for giving no financial aid, especially to new students. Their philosophy seemed to be "spend all your money and then maybe we'll give you some."

[Magicjuand]

Wow yah I think most art schools have that same financial aid philosophy although I am not sure how RISD works their fin aid since the eighties. Maybe some schools have a larger endowment? I hope I did not sound like I am just going to school here because of the financial aid, though , I am still acruing some debt, but this is a great school and I am learning alot.