What's the best college?

[Miki]

I was wanting to know, what college is the best when it comes to Graphic Design. Which one has the lowest # of students per class, and all that.
I don't matter where it is, Japan...US..Hong Kong...ect. I just want to know where and what college is the best. Thankshttp://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

<SUB><SUP>A capricious girl's change
<SUB><SUP>If you can embrace each other on this earth
<SUB><SUP>If you notice a person's an imitation
<SUB><SUP>Pull my strings...Make me live

Post Edited (Miki) : 6/30/2004 10:59:26 PM GMT

[olcvisual]

Not sure about the absolute best but here are good possibilities in the Chicago area.

College of DuPage, the largest and perhaps best community college in the U.S.
http://www.cod.edu/

Columbia College
http://www.colum.edu/index.php

Illinois Institute of Art
http://www.ilia.aii.edu/

Westwood College
http://www.westwood.edu/

Robert Morris College
http://www.rmcil.edu/

But STAY AWAY from ITT Tech -- the worst school in the U.S. I was enrolled in their Multimedia program and didn't learn a thing. I wasted precious time and money there.
http://www.itt-tech.edu/index.cfm

Good luck.

[killercasimir]

i'd look in to a visual art school and none of the above. check out Ringling school of art and design. I'm am a current senior there and they have an excellent program.


www.ringling.edu (http://www.ringling.edu)

[D-Zine]

There are tons of great schools. You should research them and then see which one is right for you. I can't speak for others but I went to SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) http://www.scad.edu and it's rated tops. There are alotta ppl on this board that didn't attend an actual design school but are extremely successful so I would say ALOT depends on you and what you put into the school. I mean you can go to school for 4 years at the #1 design school in the world and not learn sh!t or you can go to a joe schmoe university and know the ins and outs of design. Depends alot on the person and what you put into it. Find the college that BEST suits YOU and your needs!

http://coastalcarousel.com/GDF/metatag3.jpg

[Big Perm-dizzle]

the right college makes a big difference but its you that has to learn NO one can pour this stuff in your ear and POOF your a graphic designer....

hard work = maybe a possiblity of a job

JUST LAUNCHED - www.hirethisdesigner.com (http://www.hirethisdesigner.com) - check it out

[Big Perm-dizzle]

i cant say whats the best college because I have not gone to every college....

look for a college with the newest stuff out...CS versions of adobe new monitors etc...

make you they teach you

adobe photoshop
adobe illustrator
quark and or adobe indesign
some sort of web design class either hand coding or macromedia dreamweaver
and Macromedia Flash

those are pretty manitory anything else is a plus...if they have new stuff atleast you will be able to teach yourself if need be....

however I WENT to a college (before I transfered)

that had all those classes EXCEPT
there was one class for illustrator and quark mixed together...which is impossible to learn two programs completely at once...

the school I transferred to

had 2 illustrator classes 2 quark classes and they threw in an INdesign class when the new version came out...and 2 photoshop classes....

JUST LAUNCHED - www.hirethisdesigner.com (http://www.hirethisdesigner.com) - check it out

[Holliday]

Don't get too caught up in if they have a photoshop 101 and photoshop advanced 602. You can teach yourself any software on the market with the help of a book and the internet. Hell, you could learn just about everything from this board alone!

If it were me, I'd look for a school that's going to help me think differently. That's going to be the most valuable thing, IMO. Any schmoe can learn photoshop but you want to be able to have BIG ideas. Especially as software gets easier and easier to use, you're going to want to have the skills to get to the top and stay there. To me, that's the ability to come up with great concepts and great thinking.

[Big Perm-dizzle]

having extra classes forces you to spend time on the programs which is how I learn and get faster....

I have seen plenty of students that have great idea and can draw crazy good but they suck on the computer...because they dont spend the time on the programs...maybe after like 3 years of prepress they migh be descent but right after college they suck

JUST LAUNCHED - www.hirethisdesigner.com (http://www.hirethisdesigner.com) - check it out

[Silence04]

my friends goto ringling, it the 5th best in the country i think...
There is an excelent Art school in Savana, Georga... i know that ones up there, maybe #1.
also the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, FL i've heard is one of the better ones...


http://www.jdcgraphics.net/banner.gif

[D-Zine]

Yep Silence..that's my school...Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I dunno about now but when I went there (grad in 1997) they were rated #1 in the Nation. Sorry...I'm always pluggin SCAD bc they truly are a great school.

http://coastalcarousel.com/GDF/metatag3.jpg

[olcvisual]

Ideally, it would be great if you can finda school that focuses on creativity and software. But if I had to choose I would select a school that puts more emphasis on creativity, specifically schools that help you use the visual language to communicate ideas, philosophies, products, services, etc. I'm fairly proficient in design software but my conceptualization skills are average at best so I'm taking illustration and design classes at College of DuPage. If I had this attitude years ago my career would have been more enjoyable and lucrative.

[Fusiondesigner]

Vancouver Film School. Some of the stuff that comes out of there is sick.

www.vfs.com

http://fusioneffect.com

web::identity::design

[paulrandfan]

I'm hoping to go to Savannah for my MFA,

I think college it what you make of it, and everyone is looking for different things. You have to find the school with the program that caters best to YOU.

'To Design is much more than simply to assemble, to order, or even to edit; it is to add value and meaning, to illuminate, to simplify, to clarify, to modify, to dignify, to dramatize, to persuade, and perhaps even to amuse.' --Paul Rand

[defjoe]

the college of the real world... nothing beats it.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

[D-Zine]

Paulrand - you comin down to Savannah to SCAD for your MFA? sweeet!

[reuber1]

Yeah, I'm thinking about going to get my MFA as well...primarily thinking about Iowa State because it's close, but I don't want that to be the only reason. It's been many, many years since I've been to Savannah, but I may consider that, or possibly the Illinois Art Institute. Then again, I wonder if I can even attempt an MFA in Graphic Design because I graduated with "Computer Graphics" and I've never had any "formal" graphic design training.

"The college of the real world" is wishful thinking, but I've heard that some employerswon't even fart in your direction if you don't have a Bachelor's or higher...maybe fart on your resume, but give me some beans and I'll fart back with greater-than-or-equal-to ferocity.

"Oh wow man! Right beside the snack bar man!" -Tommy Chong

[reuber1]

Just an FYI, miki, I first went to a community college (www.nicc.edu (http://www.nicc.edu)) to get my Associates in Internet Administration where we were taught a lot of IT subject matter. Afterwards, I went to the University of Dubuque (www.dbq.edu (http://www.dbq.edu)) to get my Bachelors in Computer Graphics which is considered to be one of the better schools, albeit private, in the midwest (Iowa at least). How have I been doing since then?

There's a chance you can find the answer athttp://www.graphicdesignforum.com/default.aspx?f=13&amp;m=60226

Put it this way, I consider myself pretty good (or at least decent) at GD, but I haven't been extremely proactive in my job search, at least not as much as I could be. I've gotten to the point where the only thing that I'm doing day in and day out is going to work, stopping at these forums for a little bit, sprucing up my portfolio, and job hunting. I highly recommend maintaining a portfolio early on as possible, and make it as modular as can be so if you decide to change the appearance of your portfolio (digital or physical) that it won't be a gigantic pain a$$. Also, study up on GD early on by reading books...most of what I've learned was from books I bought from Amazon.

"Oh wow man! Right beside the snack bar man!" -Tommy Chong

[Liam]

i have learn't a lot about gd, on my own, what i want from college is to learn a lot of technical stuff that i havent learnt on my own, an example would be learning a lot about file types and what file types are best for what, and i also want to learn more in depth color theory than i learnt in high school. i love being creative, and i doodle all the time, and i can use a few programs, i just want to get all the background i need for the job. even tho' the most important thing is to be creative, think of new ideas that havent been done and try to make it work, be original but at the same time analize other peoples GOOD work so you get an idea of how GOOD work is done.
good luck studying graphic design, i am in the same boat (i am going to go to a community college that has nice puters and a good graphic design associates program, then continue that degree in a four year college to get by bachelors)
all i can say is that AND use this forum, it will make you a much better designer, remember that theres never such a thing as a dumb/bad question if you have questions, there are people on this forum that have awansers ;)

[ liam ]

http://www.ice-design.ws/v5_HeaderSmall.gif

http://www.ice-design.ws

[reuber1]

http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/offtopic.gifWhoo...jogging makes you feel good, except when you have to break into your own damn house because I locked myself out...

Anyways, Liam it seems you definitely have down what you want to know, and pretty good advice too for others like myself. Get the book "Designing Web Graphics 4" from Lynda Weinman (New Riders, I think) to learn what graphic files are best for what...web's really the only tricky area,print is less anal retentive. I took a half-credit course (yup, you heard right) strictly on graphic files, and that book basically allowed me to get the entire class done in a week's time. It worked for me.

If you want to learn about the technical side of things, community colleges are good for that and they are cheap too; I took a loan out only for a summer semester, everything else was paid for and this is coming from someone who's high school grades sucked...speaking of grades,some words of wisdom from a recent college grad;don't think your high school grades are a reflection of what your college grades will be. I went from all C's and the occassional B and D in high school to only A's and B's in every semester ofcollege...and no I did not join a goddamn frat.

"Oh wow man! Right beside the snack bar man!" -Tommy Chong

[wango]

I check out AIFL (Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, FL), or any school in the Art Institute system. They have a great design program & 96% job placement. Plus you can't beat the climate, and isn't that what this whole graphic design thingy is really about?

(Word of caution MIKI...keep in mind what location you plan to start your career in, GD in the east is a whole lot different than GD in the west. You should select your school accordingly. Their are several great design schools in the East, no need to go to the States or our good friends in Europe to get a good design education.)

-Vince: Surreptitiously planning for world domination since 2003

Wangaworks Design

www.wangaworks.com

[Big Perm-dizzle]

'Plus you can't beat the climate'

you could not pay me to live in South Florida....climate??? they have one season...HOT

---- Sheriff of Boobie Island --------

Wayne: Our enemy is wicked, so...
J.D.: Dude, she's Freddy Krueger.
Wayne: Damien.
J.D.: Dude, she's Vader.
Wayne: No! She's the Emperor.
J.D.: Yeah, but with really great ****.

[wango]

Now, Big Perm my friend...do you think that makes girls wear more clothes, or less? :)

-Vince: Surreptitiously planning for world domination since 2003

Wangaworks Design

www.wangaworks.com

[Ryan8720]

How exactly do you go about researching colleges? Going to their website isn't really going to give an idea of how good a school is.

And thanks for the tip on ITT Tech, Ocvisual. I see their commercials all the time, but wasn't sure about them.

http://edgewebdesign.org/ryan2.gif (http://www.edgewebdesign.org)

'Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.'
- Albert Einstein

[Big Perm-dizzle]

South Florida is toooo hot....I would rather experience some weather changes and maybe a couple weeks of snow then sweat my balls off and look at girls that ONE: dont speak english TWO: think its all about the bling bling and THREE: first thing they ask you is 'what frat are you in? or What does your dad do? then its 'buy me a drink'

---- Sheriff of Boobie Island --------

Wayne: Our enemy is wicked, so...
J.D.: Dude, she's Freddy Krueger.
Wayne: Damien.
J.D.: Dude, she's Vader.
Wayne: No! She's the Emperor.
J.D.: Yeah, but with really great ****.

[kb]

I am considering applying to grad programs (or possibly certificate) in NYC - SVA, Pratt, Parsons and possibly SCAD. Has anyone heard anything about these programs? Ryan is right, going to their websites do not give you an idea as to what the dynamics are -
How compeditive the program is, just to get in as well as in the classroom setting.
If I make it in, do I have what it takes to survive kinda thing.
If it is warm and friendly or is everyone out for themselves only? etc.

I have been unable to find any good resources/reviews to aid in my search - or any first hand experiences.