Savannah College of Art and Design Top Questions

Finding a college can be very time consuming and stressful, but it is all about keeping your priorities in perspective in order make the right decision on where to spend the next four years of your life. At the end of the day, one must ask themselves the question: "Am I where I want to be doing what I want to do at this very moment?". Any negative response should result in self-reflection. My answer is always positive because I am doing exactly what I want to do, going full force towards accomplishing all of my goals. I could not have asked for a better college or people around me to help me with all that I have achieved today. It is all about uncovering your appreciation for your field of study and growing from that enthusiasm to become a successful individual in our world.

Find a career that you are passonate about, then find a college that feels the same way you do about that career.

The most important aspect of college is being able to expand your horizons and to step out of your comfort zone, and to push yourself into unchartered territory. Often, when people stay close to home to go to school, they lose out on the autonomy that comes with growing into a functioning adult. It is important to distance yourself from what you have known, so that you can grow and form new opinions, or just reaffirm what you have already believed. For many people, college is the greatest four years of our lives. Not just because it is the first time away from home, or all of the parties that come with it, but because you will make lifelong connections and friends that will stay with you until the day you die. So when choosing a college or university, be sure to consider your areas of strength as well as your own areas of weakness.

Look at many colleges and apply to 4 or 5, so your options stay open. Unless the student is dead-set on a specified carreer, I would avoid colleges with definite areas of focus. You can always transfer or go to graduate school later when you figure out exactly what it is you want to achieve in life. I have had several friends transfer from Savannah College of Art and Design simply because they decided that they were not artists. Liberal arts colleges and state universities offer a wide array of course options for those still searching, although pressure to chose a major early is heavy almost anywhere you go. If you have an idea of what you would like to do, apply to some colleges that would be more specified to your goals as well as more general schools, so you better know your chances of transfering later, if you so chose.

Visit the school, talk to the professors, and make sure it fits financially.

Pick a college where you can work to gain the skills to do what you'd like to do for the rest of your life. Doing what makes you happy and gaining a higher education for the goal of becoming better at that is what college is for. Don't pick a college just because your parents went there or because your high school friends are going, pick one that will help you create a happy future for yourself. College is the greatest tool for a successful future.

Have the dough, or don't start.

Apply to A LOT of schools - at least nine. Also, don't assume that your guidance councilor from high school knows what they are talking about. Go out there and look hard for good advice from people who are doing the kind of things you want to do, not from people stuck in the guidance office. Don't be afraid to jump on a good opportunity or make a path that didn't exist before.

When one is looking for the right school, i think it is most important to find an atmosphere that they will be the most comfofrtable learning in. I have found that when i am comfortable with my surroundings and the people i surround myself with, i am more enthusiastic about the work that i am doing.

You only get what you put in--work the classes, the curriculum and the programs and you can make just about any college work for you.

College paves the way for your child. Help your child in finding their personal interest so they can follow a passion. I personally found graphic design through using an aptitude testing facility. The Savannah College of Art and Design offers many classes in different majors. All these majors must first complete a foundations program of drawing, 2-d and 3-d design, color theory and more to build a base for the artist at hand. SCAD also offers many varsity sports that mold the artist/athlete into a repsponsible and time managing person.

Your education is the most important thing you have and nobody can ever take that away from you so choose your institution wisely.

My advice to any incoming college students (and their parents) would be to visit the campuses you apply to before you commit to enrolling. Make sure that the school's surroundings are a place where you will feel comfortable and positive.

Students, make sure you follow your heart in what you really want to do. I knew someone who had a great love for painting but went to law school. They were miserable and quit after 2 years & finally left to paint. Life began looking up for them too. If you really love something and have a passion for it, you will do well. Make the most out of college by making friends in the beginning and getting out there, participate in lots of activities.

Predominantly, I would strongly suggest that prospective students really determine what it is they want out of their college experience. Since I'm at an art college, I'll use that field as an example. I have seen handfulls of students arrive at this school who are not entirely serious about what they're there for. They can't handle the work involved, they can't handle the harsh critiques, and so on and so forth. You have to search for a school with intent and serious focus on getting in, doing the work, and getting out. Because in a lot of cases, especially here, students who don't take their own work seriously are an offense to other students who are dedicated and serious about their work. After thinking hard about what it is you want to do, I would suggest looking the environment your college of choice is set in to be sure it's in a place that makes you comfortable. Your environment can strongly affect how you work depending on what you prefer, including the quality of work space, the attitudes of other students toward their own work, and the outside environment surrounding the campus.

While financial considerations are important, I would strongly advise parents and students not to rule out a dream school just because it costs too much. I am a perfect example of someone who does not let a lack of funding get her down. As a current student at The Savannah College of Art and Design, I have to work very hard in order to maintain my enrollment. I have been known to work two or three jobs at once and apply for EVERY scholarship that i can. I have been fortunate enough to earn an $18,000 merit scholarship from SCAD which does put a considerable dent in the $40,000 per year tuition. However, my parents are not able to help me pay for college so this is not quite enough. I did meet a lot of opposition from my family when I was applying to SCAD. If anything, this opposition motivated me to try harder. I have gotten this far and I plan to do whatever it takes to finish my degree on time at the school of my dreams. I hope everyone makes every effort they can to attend their dream school. There is always a way.

First and foremost, college is the determining point between childhood and adulthood. In other words, it was created to instruct and to grow. To transform. Make the most of your college experience, because it will be over before you know it. Many people enter college with the intention of drinking every night, staying out late, and partying away their "golden years." This is the greatest waste I have ever encountered. College is an investment into your future, the manner in which the rest of your life will be run. So, enjoy yourself, but enjoy yourself with an atitude of diligence.

Visit the campuses, meet the students and professors, and dont be afraid to try something new or different from the usual.

Chose carefully, wisely, decisively, and cheerfully where you will pursue your education.

Make sure the location is right for you. You might go to a fantastic school, but if you don't like where you are then it's a moot point. Also, make sure you check out the course list for your intended major. Are you going to be good at all the courses that are required? If you're a national merit scholar, don't put a reach school as your number one choice on the national merit scholar thing. If you put a school that you're likely to get into, you have a much better chance of getting a full scholarship to that school, or at least a substantially larger one.