Ringling College of Art and Design 2013 Hopefuls

[anomalexie]

Maybe at the end of March or early April..?

[KellyDKim]

Eugh wait. I thought acceptances come at the beginning of March....

[anomalexie]

They do, I called yesterday and they said they were in the process of finalizing decisions so we should get the letter sometime this week or next. We were just discussing when they might put up the new student theses.

[MangMang]

@anomalexie , you cannot actually postpone your acceptance in Ringling, they can keep your app and such and you can reapply the next year with an updated portfolio (optional but recommended). I Got accepted into GAD last year and decided to take a year off for a few reasons, and I had to get chosen again this year (thankfully I did for GAD again), but especially for something like CA, they have to put your through the selection process again.

Do you think that having the history of being accepted the previous year will up your chances of getting in the next? I am thinking about taking a year off. Ringling is expensive, and I want to get into their CA program so bad, but my Dad died a year ago, and it might be best to take some time off and cope before submerging into a giant creative environment. Ya can't be super creative in CA when you're depressed. I mean, you CAN, but...well, it's hard. May as well try to get the most out of your education, and make sure you're mentally prepared for it, you know?

But I may suck it up and just go if it means I won't have a good chance of getting in next year.

O.O

(If anyone would be down to look over my portfolio and critique it for me, that would kick 9000 asses. Link is below, in my signature.)

[MangMang]

Lectriece: YO. Thanks for your advice, bro. Very helpful, indeed. Might you know anything about student loans? I may have to take some out. I just filed my FAFSA, and it looks like I am only eligible for loans. Grrr... Is there still a 6 month grace period after graduation before you have to start paying them off? Also, do all loans build interest while you're still enrolled in school, or does the interest increase after graduation?

Also, I just applied for CA... but I have heard good things about GAD, too. What would you suggest the best choice would be for learning 3d modelling, character design, character animation, and concept art? Ideally, I'd like to get into character design or 3d character modelling for games (or animation, although in most cases, games have more detailed characters). I figured CA was the best because you learn a wide range of skills regarding the animation process, some of which pertain to the game industry, also. I dunno, what do you think about both of them?

COUGH..

(If you or anyone else wants to check out my portfolio and critique it, that would kick 9000 asses. Link is below, in my signature. YES. K thanks. O___O)

[Zaqschlanger]

Do you think that having the history of being accepted the previous year will up your chances of getting in the next? I am thinking about taking a year off. Ringling is expensive, and I want to get into their CA program so bad, but my Dad died a year ago, and it might be best to take some time off and cope before submerging into a giant creative environment. Ya can't be super creative in CA when you're depressed. I mean, you CAN, but...well, it's hard. May as well try to get the most out of your education, and make sure you're mentally prepared for it, you know?

But I may suck it up and just go if it means I won't have a good chance of getting in next year.

O.O

(If anyone would be down to look over my portfolio and critique it for me, that would kick 9000 asses. Link is below, in my signature.)

If you were previously accepted, you do have a slight better chance (I got in last year, but took a year off, and got into the same major I was aiming for: GAD) But I still added a few pieces to my portfolio. I cannot guarantee that you will have a better chance, but I think they see you got in and therefore have less work to do to accept you

[MangMang]

If you were previously accepted, you do have a slight better chance (I got in last year, but took a year off, and got into the same major I was aiming for: GAD) But I still added a few pieces to my portfolio. I cannot guarantee that you will have a better chance, but I think they see you got in and therefore have less work to do to accept you

Right on. It's a little silly, but I do worry about my age, too. I do hope I'm not the only nontraditional student to possibly attend this school. >.< I'm 24 now, and oh goodness, if I put a year off, I'd be 26 by the time I begin courses at Ringling. :/ Ah well, life does not pan out the same for everyone, I guess. Are there any other students older than 18?

[themegagod]

Do you think that having the history of being accepted the previous year will up your chances of getting in the next? I am thinking about taking a year off. Ringling is expensive, and I want to get into their CA program so bad, but my Dad died a year ago, and it might be best to take some time off and cope before submerging into a giant creative environment. Ya can't be super creative in CA when you're depressed. I mean, you CAN, but...well, it's hard. May as well try to get the most out of your education, and make sure you're mentally prepared for it, you know?

But I may suck it up and just go if it means I won't have a good chance of getting in next year.

O.O

(If anyone would be down to look over my portfolio and critique it for me, that would kick 9000 asses. Link is below, in my signature.)

I think it's just a reapplication process. I'm pretty sure they judge you against all of the other portfolios just the same whether you got in before or not. I think this is especially true for CA.

I think the only difference whether you got in before or not would be your own personal confidence level.

And I'm sorry about your dad. Mine passed away back in November 2009. It's the only reason I can afford to go to Ringling- but it still sux to say it as simply as possible.
I can say the depression still occasionally hits even this 3+ years later, so waiting may not work, unless you plan to do it for the next 10 years XD. But honestly, the first year after my dad died it was hard to even go to community college, much less something intense like Ringling. Yes there was a lot, going on in my case with lawyers, family, in-laws, intestate... but i think even without the legal hurdles, it still would have been rough. BUT if I had gotten into Ringling, would I have risked postponing it? For better or worse, I think I personally would have attended. Nothing better than intense amounts of work to distract you from sad thoughts. If you do get in, and do decide to attend, just funnel all of those "blue" feelings into dark emotional art.

I could have sworn I did critique your portfolio, but just in case, here's a quick one.

Overall: I like it- It seems quite good. you have color pieces, lots of gestures and figures, and a good deal of observational work.

Favorite: Technique-wise, I'm most fond of the figure of the woman, reclining backwards- the anatomy seems really accurate, and the foreshortening is done very well. The one that "calls to me" is the llama trying to eat the apple. It's bright, and dramatic, and somewhat disturbing in subject matter- my kind of art.

What you might want to watch: Personally I'd like to see more fully rendered work in your portfolio. Besides your vibrantly (somewhat unrealistically) colored pieces, you really don't have any fully rendered pieces. I know that Ringling doesn't seem to ask for fully rendered pieces, so it may not be anything to worry about, yet It may help to show more lighting and form on your pieces so they seem more than slightly more in-depth contour drawings.

*Oh and I'm 21 now- going to be 22 by the time of classes- and most likely 26-27 by graduation. If I remember right, another hopeful said they were already 28*

[Cnyx]

So i emailed the admissions office today to ask when they'd send out letters/packages, and they told me that they're not done with decisions yet and we won't find out until mid-march. She told me that there were over 425 applicants, and there are only 65 seats. Oh jeez, guys, i'm so nervous xD

[anomalexie]

Thats a little over 15% of applicants...

[Cnyx]

Yeah...it's pretty crazy :/

[anomalexie]

This is making me really nervous XD I was expecting to hear news this week, dgdfhdhbdrs

[Cnyx]

Same! I don't know what I'll do if i don't get accepted. I was considering going into the Illustration major, but on the other hand i got accepted into traditional animation at SVA in new york, and SCAD...but i don't really want to go there :| This is difficult. I'm just afraid I'll be forever poor if I major in illustration, because there are so many illustrators out there to begin with, ya know? sighs.

[anomalexie]

You could always reapply next year, go to community college and take some liberal arts classes and keep practicing for next years cycle of applicants if you really dont want to go to SVA or SCAD :/ GAD and Motion Design are really good majors to think about too, so yknow.

[Cnyx]

Yeah, i'm taking just about everything into consideration right now. Just gotta keep our chins up, i suppose :p

[anomalexie]

Yeah my dad's making me think of backup plans. If I dont make it into CA this year, I'll probably switch majors to computer programming at the university I currently attend and maybe try again next year. But idk, just gotta keep thinking optimistically

[themegagod]

geez... 15% I do not envy you guys right now. I guess there may be a good deal of applicants with their hearts set on other schools like CalArts, and some who really have ship-shod portfolios. Wow though- 65 out of 425... that's going to be 360 people getting bad news... I wonder how the judges decide when it gets down to the last few who are really good but not phenomenal. Do you think they ever just "eenie meenie miney mo?"

And cynx, that's actually why I DON'T want to do ILL. Like a part of me dreams of creating a published, decently distributed comic one day- but I've read a lot of comic book artist, who are decently famous, still make close to minimum wage. ILL seems like something you either take extremely seriously to become the top-best of the best, or you have it more as an enjoyable hobby- and I don't think I have it in me to be the best of the best.

[Cnyx]

Exactly (to pretty much everything that you said, haha). I might look into GAD if they offer it to me (thus saying that I don't get into CA). I never really thought about it too much, but I've always preferred realistic animation of GAD to the more cartoony styles of CA, but I'd want to use it in a more story-oriented manner rather than more a legitimate game. Hmm. Well it's something to consider, I suppose.

[escaphilia]

MangMang - *laughs* I'm 28! So, you shouldn't worry about that! I hate to sound cliche, but age is just a number. There is no rule that says you must be finished by this by this age and have this amount of success as a result. Honestly, no one really cares and if they do - well they probably have no lives themselves. The only thing I'm worried about is going there and spottin' a cutie and then coming off like some kind of Cougar LOL jk..maybe

I remember seeing your portfolio, but I don't think I commented. First off, I LOVE the alpaca. I don't know why but that piece just really, really make me happy. lol I like your color choices with that as well; so vibrant. I also love the storyboard for Busby, it reminds me of this persian cat I used to have, she was all grey with white right under her nose so she looked like she was sporting a mustache lol. All in all, your work is really good - on the biker dude the anatomy looks a little off kilter, but that may be because the first half has value and then it goes to just contour, but something about his chest looks off - idk might be just me. I wish I had something more of value to contribute because the rest of my 'advice' would just be subjective xD

Themeagod - Yeah, the comic book industry is yet another industry with uncertainty I hope though, that when the economy picks up then the entertainment industry as a whole begins to pick up otherwise its will still be sink or swim for us art folk.

To the rest of the convo - Yikers!! That's pretty intense and I guess by those odds we'll be consoling each other more than congratulating each other potentially haha. I'd like to just get into the school ,and I'd definitely be fine with going into GAD or illustration.

[steampoweredseagoat]

Ahahahahahaha....man those odds look awful. Thank god I applied to like, four other schools. xP

[anomalexie]

Right, and out of those 65 there are gonna be a lot who "applied just to see if they could make it" or decided to go elsewhere cos it's cheaper or, like steam did with other schools, applied as a backup because this is their other school. As long as you make the top of the waitlist, you should be good to go

[Zaqschlanger]

geez... 15% I do not envy you guys right now. I guess there may be a good deal of applicants with their hearts set on other schools like CalArts, and some who really have ship-shod portfolios. Wow though- 65 out of 425... that's going to be 360 people getting bad news... I wonder how the judges decide when it gets down to the last few who are really good but not phenomenal. Do you think they ever just "eenie meenie miney mo?"

And cynx, that's actually why I DON'T want to do ILL. Like a part of me dreams of creating a published, decently distributed comic one day- but I've read a lot of comic book artist, who are decently famous, still make close to minimum wage. ILL seems like something you either take extremely seriously to become the top-best of the best, or you have it more as an enjoyable hobby- and I don't think I have it in me to be the best of the best.

What's crazier is that GAD is technically smaller, it has less demand, but unless the class size grew, GAD is 35 people out of the applicants.

[mkmcm]

Oh boy...only 65 seats? Now I'm getting even more nervous. I thought that it was usually a class size of 80-100? That's what I heard at the open house anyways. Not that it's much of a difference, but it's certainly better odds!

[anomalexie]

@ zaq: isn't GAD rolling admissions too?

[Zaqschlanger]

@anomalexie yeah it's rolling, glad I got in early ahha

[Lectriece]

I am going to contradict myself here, but I wanted my last post to convey the situation you may find yourselves in by choosing this path. Most of you are going to pay for your schooling with loans, no matter where you go. That's really it.

I am going to advocate you check out this site as it can probably provide you far better facts than I can: https://studentaid.ed.gov

I don't think I mentioned this before, but if you can do the Pre-college thing, it's highly recommended by many students who did it (I did not). Don't feel horrible if you can't afford it or can't attend, though.

@anamalexie - I don't want to tell you not to save your seat, especially if you are in a rolling admissions case. I would hate to see you lose out this year from the major you want to be in because of my advice if this is your top choice school, you know? I highly recommend working out some numbers for yourself so you have realistic expectations and a backup plan to keep yourself afloat. I know everything in the culture seems to be telling you otherwise, but you really don't need to start college right now if you are not ready and can't afford it. If you are the kind of person that likes to do it all in one go and you don't want to be interrupted if you run into financial difficulties, maybe getting a job and doing some training on your own would help give you the time and a bit of buffer your finances. Again work out the numbers as best you can, as I don't know your exact situation. The majority of my friends have 30k to all in loans.

In response to the financial questions, I will provide this disclaimer-
I am personally about $100,000 in loan debt, the majority of how I paid for school is loans. I get a lot of help from my parents and have a small scholarship through the school (lower end of average). My last bill from the school was between $17-18k, and I live off campus. I am a senior GAD and I entered Ringling directly out of high school. The reason I have the loans I do is because of my parents and their good credit, co-signing for me, etc. [Extremely grim, but useful tidbit- it may depend on your loan agreement(?), but if you have a cosigner they could be forced to pay for your loans if you die before paying them off. Discuss with your co-signer if you have one, read carefully, research this if needed, etc.]

Plenty of students have come before all of you and most of them graduate with a large amount of loans.

I asked around a little bit to see how some classmates paid for their school- most paid with loans, either the entirety of the amount or a very large chunk. I personally went into my situation pretty ignorant of what I was going to be paying, and I did it semi-intentionally at the time. I weighed my options and in my own way I decided this was the only option for me (major wise) and Ringling had the best reputation on the east coast that I had found at the time (for their CA program), since GAD is new at most schools- I felt I was making a responsible decision coming to Ringling rather than a school that lacked the credibility and the employment rate of its graduates that Ringling had. For the most part I am happy with my education.

I have met a few students who served in the military and are receiving some help that way, I cannot honestly give an opinion on going this route. The link above can offer more detailed info.

I know a few people who either worked on/off campus to help support their tuition and living expenses. Those who worked for at least the first two years do not seem to be harmed by this and are on par with every other student. This could be an individual thing, but I think it is possible. I do not know of a senior in GAD with an off campus job (though some in CA students may have one, I do not know everyone after all).

In general there is a very good scholarship for anyone with an interest in games which portray women/girls positively which you will be notified through the school about. It is open to both sexes up until their junior year ends (however it doesn't seem like a lot of guys enter, I like to hope out of respect for their female peers).

There is also a scholarship for LGBT students who have been disowned financially by their parents which comes from a third party organization also. It has been offered in the past and hopefully will be again.

Finally there have been several monetary annual competitions hosted in conjunction with students/the school, these vary quite a bit. There are a few awards given to the best student in every major, best project of the semester+grade level, etc. annually through best of Ringling. They are usually $100+ awards, and there is also a specific scholarship that goes to the best student in the major (they choose the best male and female student, and then decide on which one) for about 8-10k (I think it is a 1 time deal, not sure on the details). (Hopefully I'm not giving out info I'm not supposed to be, I think it is discussed on the website or school forums.)

I sincerely hope you are able to get some financial aid to help you with your situations if you need it. If you have not already try looking into grants and see if there is anything available, this was something I didn't really know about until late in the game.

If any of you qualify for a Pell grant from your FAFSA, go for it.
http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html -short and sweet with a link to the site above for more info.

Here is another simple little site from California State University, it may be worth checking out.
http://www.csus.edu/sfsc-ymm/03_stud...oans_main.html

Keep in mind if you have a permanent address in Florida the school will be cheaper to attend- double check me on this though.

I am going to agree with another of platformerbg's posts in that it is true in many cases where you do not need to have a degree, but you do need the equivalent knowledge and quality portfolio. It is entirely possible this will change in the next four years, as the the high cost of schooling may result in less graduates and more self trained artists in their respective industries. I recommend staying up on at least a few job listings and seeing if they absolutely require a degree or not, no matter where you go to school.

So individually-
@themegagod - (I'm gonna spell your name wrong again soon, just you wait) - Keep up the worker attitude, but don't let yourself burn out, remember to chill a little here and there once you get started. I think your analogy between film roles and the majors is pretty spot on, though I would add most CA's also are actors themselves (at least in private). That tuition amount seems a little low to me, and like I said they raise it every year by about a grand. What are you buying supplies wise - 2k seems pretty high for us, although freshman year can vary.

And yes, most schools truly want you to believe you will be the spot on student and spend 4 years. Quite a few do it in four, but I know a decent portion of my classmates in past years are completing their education in five years for a variety of reasons. I did it in four, if I had the money I may have willingly done it in five (but I don't >_>; ).

Failing classes is hard to place on the list, I will tell you it is pretty common, but failing is usually a very individualistic thing- it depends on the student, the course, the teacher, the weather, external factors, etc. I highly recommend that if you are struggling you talk to your professors early as possible and even academic advising and counseling if needed. Prioritize yourself and your well being above all else. Other than that -
Cost is a common reason students can't do it in 4 years. It is probably the most common reason. Stress is very common, stress compacts into health problems. Family is pretty common, particularly illness in immediate family members.

Ok so failing a liberal arts class will not set you back a semester, unless you need that credit to graduate your senior year. It will set you back those credits, and I think you are expected to retake any class you fail and don't drop out of to gain those credits. I recommend online or local summer school to replace a liberal arts class if you fail one.

Your major classes are very distinct than the liberal arts classes. You generally will have 2-3 major classes every semester. If you fail one, you probably don't fulfill prereqs to do the next semester. You can then decide to stay and do a liberal arts major as "undeclared," switch majors (don't do this if you plan to come back to CA/GAD), or leave the school for that semester and return to complete your failed class (provided they let you back in). From what I have been told if you fail one major class in CA or GAD- they make you retake that whole block of classes with a few exceptions, but these depend on the semester you fail a class in. So yes.

@Praemium, I fully agree with what you are saying. Word of warning though, there are a few infamous classes in libarts that are easy to fail, and quite often are (I can give my dish on this via PM if anyone's interested). Campus gossip is good to keep up with from upperclassmen and on Facebook + ratemyprofessor type sites. Even the advisers know which classes are commonly a struggle- don't let them fool you into thinking they don't.

@KellyDKim I tried to answer your questions, hopefully I did. I completely understand what you are saying, it is a really scary situation to think about. Hopefully you won't mind answering the questions I have at the bottom, even if Ringling isn't in your future maybe another option can get you what you want and be more plausible for you.

@themegagod again, the videos are usually delayed by a few months on Ringling's website (content control for those seeking jobs, etc). The videos on the site are only the very best of the best, and if you are local I recommend getting the full set of thesis films from past years via Ringling's library. You can also try youtube. I think these are a good thing for everyone to watch, as schools will (understandably so) only promote the very top students and I think you should be realistic as possible with student works. I expect the summer months, maybe June-July, not 100% sure.

@MangMang I am sorry about your Dad, I think your decision depending on how you are feeling a wise one. If you got in previously, I hope you would update and improve your portfolio somewhat in-between, but your chances are still very good. You have already proven what they want to see, the key is that you won't be outshone by new applicants, you know? There is a 6 month grace period still, if the above don't clear up loan questions ask me again. ^^ ; You will really only learn animation in CA. The rest can all be learned in GAD, and there is a bit of wiggle room for those interested in animation (an extra traditional animation class, independent study opportunities, personal study, etc). Both majors and motion design have 1 semester of traditional animation for you to test the waters and learn the ropes. CA character designs are traditionally exceptionally weak in my opinion, but because they animate they can have an advantage in some character design situations. Like I said 50% of CA's used to go into games, I don't know if that is still 100% true since GAD takes a portion of that now? I am one of the younger people in my class, but most people graduating GAD this semester are "non-traditional" and in their mid 20s. Age is nothing but a number and a better developed personality. The majority of students I have met are actually older, the older/more mature students tend to group up easily in my experience. If you are older your classmates tend to look up to you a little more in a lot of situations. XD

@Cnyx - I don't meant to contradict admissions, but they usually accept more than they expect by just a few, especially if it is a good year of portfolios. Keep in mind, GAD isn't animation focused.

@themegagod again, Ill students are hit or miss. A good portion make it big, go into any industry (games and animation included, often for vis dev / concept)… many struggle. I don't think they eerie meenie it, it may come down to your supplementary materials, they may just accept both students anyway and hope someone drops.

General- The numbers I heard from a professor for our current freshman, at the time of acceptance were 85 CA, 55 GAD. The idea was GAD would be the place for the already 50% of CA who went into games anyway, except those who wanted to do animation for games. Keep in mind GAD only has 6 faculty at this time… CA has about 15?
My year had 130 accepted CA and 35 GAD. We are not graduating with those numbers.


For all of you, feel free to answer what you are comfortable with (PM's are ok too)-
List out the benefits of going to school here, what do you think they are?
What is it about your chosen major that really interests you?
Do you have a feeling towards what you want to do already, if so what?
What will you do if you don't get into Ringling or choose not to come here?
What is your backup plan if you don't end up pursuing your dream major?
What is a subject you have struggled most with in school?

[themegagod]

List out the benefits of going to school here, what do you think they are?

First off the location suits me the best. The move would be the shortest, since Right now I live in Tampa. I have family still up north, so schools in the New York areas could also be options, yet that would mean traveling back up into the cold.
Before Living out/down here, the main benefit was the the apparent quality of the education. Realizing the gallery is the cream of the crop work, I also realize this is the same situation with all schools. That being the case, I was first sold when I saw the student gallery films- no other school seemed to have comparable videos, at least as far as the animation program was concerned. Though their are some (seemingly) very good game art programs spouting up all over the place, the few gallery videos that I've seen, are still above average.
Finally, I almost went to an art institute for animation after high school graduation- and no offense to anyone who has gone to one, or anyone who has had any success from those programs- but I was petrified after that near debt experience, to wind up going into a diploma mill. I know I will spend a lot of money going to this school, but I would rather the money go to an education worth having, than spend less money on next to nothing. Basically after the AI experience, I wanted to find something which had a background of success and hard work ethic, and in Ringling I feel I may have found that.

What is it about your chosen major that really interests you?

I have a terrible memory. ask me what I ate for dinner and I can't tell you. I can remember factoids from textbooks and without tooting my own horn, I have really good comprehension on thing I've read and done- but remembering things that has happened in life has always been a bit of a grey area for me, literally.
Except for the cases where it comes to games.
I can remember visiting family when I was young, not because of who I met, but because of the games they were playing. One july barbeque is marked by vector man for the sega genesis- a chrismas by n64s wave racer. All of my childhood friends I can connect to their gamer tags, and their favorite games. I can remember the first Pokemon I chose, and how at level 73, someone saved over my file, deleting my charazrd- I cried over that. My house used to be filled with teenagers playing 007 golden eye- marathons would start first thing in the morning, and not end until it was dark out. as I grew older so did the lists of games. I define my life by games and I've always wanted to be a part of that world. It is my dream to bring the same joy and experience I've had with games into the lives of others.
At 13 i decided I wanted to be a game designer- and then I found out programing was really really hard. I love to draw and create- work in the conceptual. The whole physic and math of things... That was only a massive headache. So I thought games were not a part of my future if I couldn't do that. So at 16 i decided I'd be an animator for video games. fast forward to many years later, and I find ringling based on it's animation merits. I've taught myself 2-d animation, and find it very monotonous, fun but not really the same thing as I originally hoped for. Then I find out more about the GAD program. After a bit of soul searching I realize it is in that program that I may be able to learn the skills for the future I hope to have.

Do you have a feeling towards what you want to do already, if so what?

I like many people with an eye on the game industry, would like to one day see an idea that I come up with become a fully functional game. I want the images in my head to become real worlds others can explore. Real characters people can interact with- in many ways I want to play god to my imagination.
I also realize that realistically, you either have to be a producer, ceo/ cco/ high ranking business person, a senior designer, or the head of/ main voice in a brain storming session in an indie company to even begin to get your thoughts inside to become real games. So this dream may take awhile- like 15 years or so. Until then?
I think I'd like to get into character modeling, though I'm not sure honestly. As I said my main goal is to eventually create whats in my head- but as my strength is in art not programing, I'm pretty sure rather than going the lead designer route, I'd go the lead artist, art director route. but again, these are all eventualities- before then being an artist in the gaming industry of any kind would be a joy. you need to start somewhere, right?

What will you do if you don't get into Ringling or choose not to come here?

Well, I've already got in- and I fail to see not wanting to go- but If let's say I can't afford it; in that case I'd have to go with my plan B; see below XD.

What is your backup plan if you don't end up pursuing your dream major?

Obviously GAD is my dream major, but lets say I cannot attend for some reason. My plan B career path, is to become an educator. I like the thought of being an art teacher- and I think even if I do follow my dream career path, I will still become an educator, even if it is only as a part-time adjunct basis. If I didn't get in, I was thinking of pursuing a university degree in art education. I wouldn't want to teach children though- I'd like to be either high school or professor, so I think After Ringling, I may still pursue a professional degree. HArd part is going to be, finding a school that offers a masters/PHD that coincides with a degree in game art.
I'd also, as I wrote in another post like to publish art at some point, and I'd love too write my own, "how to ..." book - not one of those crappy ones that kids in 2nd grade get, but a real art book. I figure If I go down the educator route, I may try to make my own course book. Again, only time will tell.

What is a subject you have struggled most with in school?

I was generally good at all subject... except history.
In fact I failed a history class and had to take it in summer school. only class I ever failed. It's not that I was bad at history- I just never did the work. It's really boring- at least in regards to American history. I could never find the drive to do the take home assignments. It was really hard to find ways that the information related to me. I know enough that I can discuss historical events if the come up in conversations, but I terrible with names, and dates and so on.
I also have trouble withe memorizing, mathematical formulas, and troubleshooting certain code errors. I didn't do exceptional in my programing class either . I guess my strongest suit is understanding information- not in memorizing it. As I said, my memory is not the best.

[KellyDKim]

List out the benefits of going to school here, what do you think they are?
I would probably say the location since it is only an hour away from where I live, the bright futures scholarship that I am most likely getting for being a Florida Resident and going to a Florida school and the education itself. I feel as though, Ringling has the best student work from what I've seen and seems career focused rather than experimental animation that I've seen at SVA. Although I think those things are interesting as well, I would like to feel secure in job placement during my education period.

What is it about your chosen major that really interests you?
I'm not going to lie and say that money isn't a big factor. From the numbers that I've seen about salary and job placement, it seems as though people in the animation business are usually paid more than illustrators and such. However animation does fascinate me and I love watching the end results. I've also really been interested in concept art so I thought learning the entire animation program would really help me out going into that field. I honestly don't have much direction and goal set like everyone else here. I just know that logically animation is a good choice and that I enjoy it.

Do you have a feeling towards what you want to do already, if so what?
I want to do concept art but I don't really know much about anything so I'm not going to act like I do. I just want to succeed in school and take it from there.

What will you do if you don't get into Ringling or choose not to come here?
I'm planning to do a year at my community college and get some liberal arts credits out of the way and improve my portfolio and try a second time but also put in an application for UF or USF and just do a boring old major like everyone else. I don't know if my financially secure enough for me to be chasing big dreams and putting everyone through financial crisis. I don't know if I can be that selfish.

What is your backup plan if you don't end up pursuing your dream major?
Stated aboveeeee

What is a subject you have struggled most with in school?
I don't struggle in specific subjects just with specific teachers. If I don't like the teacher, I tend not to like the class. But then again, I am in the IB program at my school so it might be just because our course load is extreme that I'm not having as high grades but it depends on my attitude towards my teachers which is a terrible way to live but oh wellll~

[Cnyx]

List out the benefits of going to school here, what do you think they are?
By far I'd have to say the quality of education. I've looked into many schools, ready countless reviews, and sorted out what I felt was worth the money. Ringling's programs seem a lot more serious than many I've seen. For example, SCAD. I applied, I got in. Will I go there? Most definitely not. The work that they display isn't the best quality (though I know that depends on the student) and they accept so many students into their programs without any portfolio requirements. That just screams "unproffesional" to me. Not to mention the large amount of bad reviews I've been given on the quality of the education there. I suppose it may work for some people, but Ringling seems like a better option for me. Ringling seems to have a foot stuck in the door of all major companies that hire straight out of college, so that can't hurt either.
Of course there's always going to be the upside of the location, too. I'm not a big fan of the bipolar, chilly weather up here in Pennsylvania to begin with, but I know I shouldn't let that decide where I want to go.

What is it about your chosen major that really interests you?
I've always wanted to be able to convey the stories in my mind in a more solid fashion. In all honestly, I prefer realistic animation (think "Avatar" or "District 9") to the more cartoony styles (which I still love, don't get me wrong), but I'll do what I can to get there. Simply being able to bring things to life through animation calls to me, whether their my dreams or someone else's. I want to show people what's going on inside my head, as weird as that might sound.

Do you have a feeling towards what you want to do already, if so what?
Let's say I was hired and put into a top-notch company, like Dreamworks or Blue Sky Studios, (or even better, WETA). I feel like storyboarding would be fun, but concept art would be my kind of thing if I'm not in an actual position to animate. I've also been interested in 3D modeling and adding textures to the models. I guess I won't really know what I love most until I learn more about all of the options anyways, however.

What will you do if you don't get into Ringling or choose not to come here?
If I don't go to Ringling, I'll be going to the School of Visual Arts. I got accepted into their traditional animation program (I've considered asking about moving into the Computer art and Animation program instead, though. Not really sure why I didn't apply to that in the first place). I love the school and the programs, it's mostly the location that upsets me. New York City. It's big, crowded, not always the safest, nor the cheapest to live in (I'd be renting an apartment with my fiance). I just don't like the idea of living there. If we wouldn't live in the city, there'd be those long commutes (again, not a fan), and I just wouldn't feel safe there. If I was living on campus it wouldn't matter to me as much, but getting to and from the school from an apartment (probably more than 15 miles or so away) isn't very appealing. I'm sure I'd manage though.

What is your backup plan if you don't end up pursuing your dream major?
Let's say I'd still go to Ringling, but picked a different major. Of course there's the option of GAD, but I'm sure there won't be any spaces left by the time we find out if we got accepted in the first place, so after that my first choice would be illustration. There's some good AND bad things about this. As a major, I would LOVE to go into illustration. When it comes to choosing a career through that major, I start to get worried. You see, as much as I'd love to work for a big scale movie or tv show company like Blue Sky or The Hub, I don't think it would be very easy to land a job there storyboarding, or for concept art, etc. What I would absolutely love is to illustrate books. Children's books probably. Writing is one on my main skills (when I try, don't judge it based on what I say on here, haha), and I'd feel at home writing and illustrating books for a living. Problem is, that just wouldn't pay well. Same with most other enjoyable illustration jobs available. I could make it work, but it would not be easy. Not that anything really is these days, anyways xD

What is a subject you have struggled most with in school?
I've never really struggled too much with anything. Maybe precalculus. Ooh, and geometric proofs. Not fun stuff xD

It feels nice to get all of this out! I've never really written out my jumbled thoughts before. I guess we'll see what happens.

[themegagod]

@cynx: it almost reads like our answers are the same with just a couple of changed words here and there.
And GAD may still have a few open seats, don't lose hope if that is your plan B. Maybe they'll make the GAD class even bigger- as Lectrice said their CA class was way bigger than years past- maybe that might happen with this year's GAD classes.

@kelly: If you do go the "boring old major" route, what would you study? There are a lot of boring majors out there to choose from, lol.
You must be a really compassionate person, being so worried about burdening your family, and that is very admirable. Hopefully you can find a way to both pursue your dreams and not be a burden, whether it is in Ringling or else where, because as I've heard for years, "If you can find a way to do what you love- and be persistent with it- you will find success."
Out of curiosity- if money were no choosing point- as though you were independently wealthy (let's say you won a massive lottery or something) what would you want to study if the pay from the job at the end of the road didn't matter?