good east coast schools with good art programs?

Question

im looking for colleges with both good general academic programs as well as good art programs. my main intrests are english and art. i have a 3.8 GPA, if that helps anyone
can anyone reccomend some schools that i could look into?
[it does not necessarily have to be on the east coast, but that would be preferable]

Answer 1

The answer depends on what type of college you're looking for. For majoring in art, you can choose between a specialized art school or a non-specialized college or university with a strong art program. They both have advantages and disadvantages.

A school focused solely on art will often have specialized majors, such as graphic design, computer art, interior design, etc. You'll take a higher number of art courses, although most will still have some liberal arts requirements for you to complete. At these schools the focus is typically on preparing professional artists, ready to work in an art-related career. The downsides of this route are that if you are not sure you want to major in art, or change your mind, you are stuck with out many other options. It can be difficult to transfer to a regular college from some of these programs. And, some - but not all - of these types of schools are not exactly academic power houses, so it pays to do your shopping very carefully. (I'll discuss this below). Perhaps the best specialized art program on the east coast, if not the nation, is the Rhode Island School of Design.

One other note about these schools - for the best of them, you'll need a portfolio of your work.

The other option, of course, is to study art at a regular college or university. You'll typically take fewer art classes towards your degree (often 10-12 courses over the four years), and have to take a larger assortment of courses in other areas. A plus, of course, is that if you change your mind about majoring in art, you have other built in options. A negative of many college art programs, however, is that they tend to be more focused on fine art rather than the sub-specialties that a more specialized school provides. At many colleges a portfolio is not required for admissions. You'll be admitted on the strength of your grades and test scores like any other student. Several colleges with very strong art programs on the east coast include Skidmore College, Goucher College, Wheaton College (MA), Williams and Vassar. As with the specialized art schools, you also want to investigate the quality of the overall academic experience, not just the art department.

Some art programs within four year schools, however, offer the best of both worlds -- specialized and in-depth art programs that offer room for specialization. Often, there is a portfolio requirement for these programs. An excellent example of an art school within a university is the one at Syracuse University.

A final option worth mentioning is that some colleges and universities have associations with specialized art schools. For example, Brown University students can cross register for some courses at RISD.

Getting back to how to judge the quality of the art program. First, you want to ask about the facilites, and depth of courses offered. You also should inquire about who the teachers are - are they practicing professional artists? How many students major in art? Ask to see some samples of their work, if possible. What do graduates do? And, sit in on some classes to see what they are like.

Another good sign of quality is membership and accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). You can find a list of such schools on their site: http://nasad.arts-accredit.org/ However, keep in mind that many traditional colleges will not be accredited by NASAD so it is not necessarily a sign of a bad program.

I'd like to mention one other resource for you. Every year, at locations across the country, potential art students have an opportunity to have their portfolio's reviewed by art college admissions people. This is a great opportunity to also talk with various school representatives, and get feedback on how to improve your portfolio. The program is called the National Portfolio Day. Even if you plan to attend a college where a portfolio is not necessary, I recommend this program because it gives you a chance to have your talent/skills professional evaluated on the spot. Here is the link for it: http://www.npda.org/

Finally, I'd also recommend that anyone considering majoring in art go to Amazon.com and buy a copy of this book:
Careers in Art, by Gerald F. Brommer and Jospeh A. Gatto. It is an excellent look at all of the possible career possibilities for art majors -- there are many more than most people realize! In the back of the book is a handy list of college art programs that may help you in your search.
Good luck! Carolyn Lawrence, www.AdmissionsAdvice.com

Answer 2

Schools With Good Art Programs

Answer 3

You want a school with strong general academics, strong English, and strong art. Surprisingly, there are a lot of those.

Someone already mentioned Vassar, Skidmore, and Bard, and I second those nominations. I'll also suggest you look at Smith College, Harvard, Brown (due to its relationship with the Rhode Island School of Design), Tufts (due to its relationship with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts), Syracuse, Carnegie Mellon, New York University, Boston University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. All have strong overall academics and really good art schools. But all are general universities, not "art schools", so you get a good, rounded education while you study art and/or English.

Someone else mentioned the New School/Parsons. You can look at that school, but the reputation of Parsons tends to be stronger than that of the New School outside of NYC. Someone else mentioned the University of Hartford. That school is fine, academically and artistically, but it's not as strong as the others I've mentioned.

Answer 4

The New School for Social Research with Parsons School of Design are part of the same educational institution and have great literature, art and design programs in New York City. Living in NYC is not cheap and there are many distractions. However, what city has more to offer in museums, galleries, poet's cafes, writer's groups, etc.? No place like it in the world for what you would like to do. Columbia excels as well but is even more costly.

Answer 5

University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT has a decent art school (The Hartford Art School), and if you are looking to attend fall 2007, the school will be newly rennovated and expanded. General academics are OK. The campus is in the middle of huge rennovations all over the place.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

bard college has a very good art program and also good all-around liberal arts programs. it's kind of in the middle of nowhere, new york, but it's certainly worth a look.
i also recommend skidmore college and vassar. if you have any more questions, feel free to contact me.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

There are a couple great ones in NY city. Don't know the names(can't think). Go to www.ny.com and carry on from there. Good luck.

Answer 10

Some great replies already for this