Industrial Design

[NUcat72]

I think I suffered the same fate at RISD as well my friend. I emailed them again today and I was told this:

"Dear ____,

Your letter has been mailed, you will see it soon."

Sheesh, talk about a kick to the nads...

[prickly pear]

@helsinki: i am so sorry. hopefully good news will come from another school soon. where else have you applied?

i'm not sure who has applied to art center, but i just received an admissions packet in the mail. risd _furniture vs art center_industrial design? any words of wisdom or suggestions?

[NUcat72]

They are both fantastic programs, so you should sit down and really think about what it is you are wanting to accomplish once you have graduated, and other variables that comes with attending grad school. Weigh out the costs beyond the tuition as well, including cost of living, etc.

Congrats on getting into Art Center by the way. I was afraid to apply there since I am coming from an art background.

[prickly pear]

@nucat72: thank you very much. great advice as well. also, i just saw your acceptance to RIT! that's awesome! with art center vs risd, it's almost like techie (art center) vs artsy (risd)... do i want to design cars etc. or have the chance to create one of a kind pieces of work? ah, risd's program is also three years for me since i have a background in architecture.

[helsinki]

Tough decision between AC and RISD, but it's a good problem to have. At that point it becomes too personal for anyone to give any constructive advice, assuming you know the gist of the programs. It comes down to what you want to dedicate yourself to.

In response to your question, I only applied to three programs. I was accepted at Carleton (in Ottawa, Canada), and I'm waiting on Pratt.

[NUcat72]

Hmmm, anyone hear from Pratt yet? It seems as if all Industrial Design programs are running a little late with decisions this year (probably due to the increased apps, no thanks to the current gloabl economy).

[prickly pear]

@helsinki_woot to an acceptance! if you get into pratt will you go?

still nothing from pratt on this end. i heard from saic designed objects last nite...this week seems to be the week product/industrial programs have begun sending letters. im pretty floored with how long it has taken them.

[NUcat72]

Just received an admissions packet from RISD!!! I couldn't have been more wrong in my earlier post. The admission's advisor was screwing with my mind a bit I guess. Looks like I'm RISD bound. Funded as well!!! This is amazing!!

Sorry for all the exclamation marks...

[prickly pear]

dude that is so awesome!! congrats!!! perhaps we shall be risd bound together! with two tiny departments I'm sure we'll run into eachother!

[prickly pear]

(as in the furniture and industrial design dept.)

[NUcat72]

Of course lol. I would be crazy to pass up this offer from RISD, so I have made up my mind. RISD bound, hope to see you there as well! Granted I won't be on campus until January 2012 since I was accepted into the 2.5 year program.

[prickly pear]

woot! my brain tells me to go to art center, but my heart lies with risd--they're also providing funding. i'm going to visit art center next week, and hopefully make a decision afterwards. good luck to you and congrats!

[helsinki]

I think I need to know the decisions from Pratt before I can think about making a decision. Too many hypotheticals otherwise.

I got an email from Pratt, after I inquired via email:

"Decisions are being made as we speak. They will start notifying them next week. "

[prickly pear]

good to know. i was starting to think they just forgot.... with so many other school's decision deadlines quickly approaching it's about time!

just received a scholarship from art center. woot. excited to see the campus this week.

[helsinki]

Rejected from Pratt

fuck it all

[helsinki]

maybe if I look at the letter again...

...nope...

[prickly pear]

helsinki: chin up. carleton has a great program.

[NUcat72]

Plus you will graduate from Carleton close, if not debt free, and that is something to be excited just in itself! I didn't get anything from Pratt yet. Did you receive a letter in the mail?

[prickly pear]

I received an email, as did a friend of mine. @NUcat72_ if you get in are you still planning on risd. pratt gave me 50% of the scholarship art center did and 25% risd did...so they're out. for sure.

[NUcat72]

Yup I'm still set on RISD. I've been doing crazy research on the school and the area, and will be sending in my matriculation fee tomorrow. Feels weird about to seal the deal, ahhh!

In regards to Pratt, I guess since I didn't receive any emails or anything, then that must mean that I got rejected. I'm not sad about it though since it would have been difficult for Pratt to beat what I'm being offered at RISD. Did you visit the Art Center campus yet? What's it like? You definitely got some thinking to do I'm going to visit RISD next month, very excited!!

I got into a few other state school programs as well, but I won't be attending any of them since I made it into my top choice.

[helsinki]

I don't think is reasonable to assume that you got rejected because you haven't heard anything yet. Especially after making that assumption about RISD. You don't know until you know. In response to your question, I got an email and they said that a letter will be sent. I don't see why the letter is necessary...

I wonder what it is about my application that they deemed unworthy... it could be that I'm too young (early 20s) or from an engineering background, but they said that they've had students from both of those demographics before. By the way, what is the apx age and background of everyone else? I'm assuming it comes down to the portfolio, and although they say they take varied backgrounds, a background that illustrates thinking with visually-oriented results is given more value than anything. Seems a little antithetical to their claim to welcome varied backgrounds. Yeah, I'm bitter, but it's been less than 24 hours. Fuck it.

Ottawa seems like such a let-down compared to Brooklyn... with respect to sources of inspiration and like-minded people anyhow. Prickly Pear, what have you heard that makes you say Carleton has a great program? It'd be good to know all that I can as I decide whether to accept or not. I'm wondering if it might be better to just work for a couple of years (or indefinitely). Since my ultimate goal is to start my own business eventually, maybe it's best to get experience and stop distracting myself with checkpoint-tye goals and instead just get to it.

I still haven't had the drink that this calls for. Once I get that over with I'll quit moaning, but for now I can't help but think of all the energy I've wasted. Ugggggggggggggggh.

[NUcat72]

@ helsinki: I just turned 26 a month ago and have been working as a graphic/interaction designer/anything I could do design related since I graduated from college about 4 years ago (I studied relational art/experience design as an undergrad). I also used that time to develop a design portfolio that displayed a wide range of my ability, from graphic/interaction design, to photography, sketching, and personal industrial design projects with an emphasis on my thinking and design process rather than "final" product. I think my work experience is what helped me the most in addition to my portfolio though.

I wanted to apply to graduate school earlier, but I figured that I would take the time to really learn what design is, since I was from a more artistic background and still a bit confused as to what it meant to truly design something. Believe it or not, although I had always been interested in industrial design, I was dead set on studying Architecture at the graduate level until I went and worked in an Architecture firm after graduation. I quickly realized that my talent aligned better with industrial design and the principal of the firm saw that as well and really helped me along in my pursuit. From there, my journey really took off and I spent the next few years working full time in numerous design fields, volunteering at small ID firms in my area, and reading up on ID while working on my portfolio at night (all while trying to spend as much time as I could with my needy loving wife, safe to say I was VERY busy lol ). If I never took those steps though, I think I would be on a totally different path right now. That's a little on my background I guess.

So keep your head up, and yes, bitter time is much needed. Here is the perfect song to vent/be bitter to. It was my favorite to listen to after my first couple of rejections

Ceelo Green "F*** You"

Edited April 7, 2011 by NUcat72

[NUcat72]

I just got the wait list consolation prize from Pratt. I'll be taking my name off to free up space on the list for other folks

[Schaf100]

New to the forum but came across it and wanted to share my own experience.

I'm 28 and my professional background is in entertainment but I started a social media network 3 years ago which exposed me to entrepreneurship as well as interaction and web design. I did my undergrad at Johns Hopkins in International Relations but have had a major personal interest in Industrial Design since I was in high-school. I love to sketch, build things, work on cars and have done a ton of graphic design work despite my career choices . I always regretted failing to pursue that path and 10 years later decided to hit restart and get my graduate degree in ID.

I empathize with all of you guys here - it was an intense process as I came into it 8 months ago with ZERO design background or portfolio material. I busted my ass, left my job and took several continuing ed classes - ulitmately I put together a portfolio I was very proud of. I got accepted to SCAD and Art Center last month and just got the Pratt acceptance yesterday. RISD rejected me outright (no waitlist).

I think it's important to note that these schools are making highly subjective decisions regarding admissions and oftentimes are trying to "build" a class that they believe will work well as a unit - one in which students will be able to learn from each other as well as from their professors. Getting a rejection always feels like crap but if you can (and it's hard to do!!!) don't take it as a rejection of your potential success in the field or the quality of your portfolio - it's most likely a commentary on the class makeup that school is trying to achieve.

I live in NYC and have already sent in my enrollment fee to Pratt; would love to meet anyone else who is planning to be there this fall.

Good luck to everyone in their pursuits - it's an amazing ride we're gearing up for and I'm extremely excited!!

[NUcat72]

Wow another ID person! One of us... one of us... j/k It's always nice to see other ID people! We are 4 strong in this forum now (credit to helsinki for creating it) with probably a few more "lurkers" hanging out in the shadows and reading the posts lol.

I bet you are excited about Pratt Schaf100, they have a great program. My wife was always afraid of the possibility of living in New York (she is a southern bell and watches too much CSI and Law and Order lol) but I guess she doesn't have to worry about that now, though we might take a few trips up to visit the city. Congrats on your acceptance!