mica has a very engaging and accepting environment for students. they seem more generous with scholarships for incoming students than other schools of their caliber. the classes offered are excellent and you will be worked very hard and rewarded for your honest effort.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
ask for scholarships and aid, they are fairly generous. living on campus is pretty great and there are tons of apartments nearby that are nice. it can get a bit pricey, but still cheaper than the dorms, and there are evening safety shuttles offered by mica that will take you to your door if it's close by. be prepared for a lot of work and show up to class! don't sign up for a class if you're going to slack off, that denies a class slot to someone who really needs it. you will need to be on top of registration as most classes fill up quickly! make sure you plan out your degree with an advisor so you can hit all the requirements - it's too expensive to waste time and then have to take an extra semester.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
mica classes, even the basic ones, don't mess around. the standard is five classes a semester, usually two academics and three studios, or one academic and four studios (which i've been doing). you will have something due each week for each class and it's not uncommon to have critiques every week in a class - i had a class with sketches due one week and the final due the next, consistently, so we critiqued either sketches or final pieces each and every week. the academics are intense, too, so try to get into a subject you will be interested in, because you will have heavy reading each week. honestly, by the end of your time here, if you haven't improved immensely, it's because you weren't working. you can't work this much and not improve!
Describe the dorm life at your college.
dorms are pretty great, just super expensive (between $4,500-$5,00 a semester). they require incoming students to live on campus for a while, but you can get out of that if you demonstrate financial inability to pay for it. the meyerhoff dorms were pretty nice, with a downstairs lounge and a buffet. you will be dependent on their heating/a.c. schedule, so bring some blankets and a space heater for the colder months!
Describe the food and dining at your college.
there is a buffet in the meyerhoff dorm that serves lunch and dinner, glace grill in founder's green (the freshmen dorms), cafe doris that serves sandwiches and coffee in the fox (studio class) building, and java corner for coffee and snacks in the bunting (academic class) building. there's another place to eat in the studio building with good lunch options. the best place for your money is the meyerhoff buffet, since you can get a lot of food for one meal swipe (or $10). they do make you swipe twice if you want to eat there and also take a box to go.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
there are tons of events on campus, everything from the monthly coffee house (an evening event with free food and student musical performances), to seminars and gallery openings. there's also a lot of student clubs and almost every event has food! then there's exploring the city, which there are sometimes groups for, and you can always check out the harbor for the aquarium or shopping/food. it's easy to make a trip to dc or new york from here, too.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
no lie, mica is expensive, but well worth it if you work hard. you'll get a respected degree and with the amount of work thrown at you, you'll be very skilled once you leave. there's also the networking opportunities with the teachers, and internships, study-abroad programs, and the career center which will all help you secure opportunities for work. take your workload seriously, try not to blow your money partying while you're here, and use every advantage you can get while enrolled to find some job openings, and the costs will all be worth it!
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
there's a small zen garden behind the fox building and it's very strange to be viewing a buddha statue while cars go by on the overpasses in the background. as soon as it gets warm, groups of people hang out in cohen plaza (in front of fox) and do everything from practice hula hoop performances to hanging out with dogs that everyone can pet.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
i'm pretty academic-minded, so i appreciate the heavy workload and the intensity of the academic classes, but mica in general is also great for more experimentally-minded artists. teachers will encourage you to think outside the box about things like installation, form, and content in your art. honestly, any kind of student that is dedicated to their work can excel here - slackers need not apply!
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
there are so, so many clubs, including one for each major. i'm a big fan of attending events for the food, art, and socializing! i also really recommend the student voice association; they hold meetings anyone can attend and there's free food and you can get some great insight into what's happening around campus and what issues are being addressed within the different majors.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
none! thank goodness.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
baltimore is a pretty tough city, but the campus does its best. there's tons of security cameras, patrols (in clearly marked cars and on segways), and recently-installed emergency phones in outside locations. the best thing they do is offer evening safety shuttles, which will take you to nearby locations, including stores, all the campus buildings, and even your front door. take advantage of those, because quite a few muggings can happen on or close to campus.
mica has a very engaging and accepting environment for students. they seem more generous with scholarships for incoming students than other schools of their caliber. the classes offered are excellent and you will be worked very hard and rewarded for your honest effort.
ask for scholarships and aid, they are fairly generous. living on campus is pretty great and there are tons of apartments nearby that are nice. it can get a bit pricey, but still cheaper than the dorms, and there are evening safety shuttles offered by mica that will take you to your door if it's close by. be prepared for a lot of work and show up to class! don't sign up for a class if you're going to slack off, that denies a class slot to someone who really needs it. you will need to be on top of registration as most classes fill up quickly! make sure you plan out your degree with an advisor so you can hit all the requirements - it's too expensive to waste time and then have to take an extra semester.
mica classes, even the basic ones, don't mess around. the standard is five classes a semester, usually two academics and three studios, or one academic and four studios (which i've been doing). you will have something due each week for each class and it's not uncommon to have critiques every week in a class - i had a class with sketches due one week and the final due the next, consistently, so we critiqued either sketches or final pieces each and every week. the academics are intense, too, so try to get into a subject you will be interested in, because you will have heavy reading each week. honestly, by the end of your time here, if you haven't improved immensely, it's because you weren't working. you can't work this much and not improve!
dorms are pretty great, just super expensive (between $4,500-$5,00 a semester). they require incoming students to live on campus for a while, but you can get out of that if you demonstrate financial inability to pay for it. the meyerhoff dorms were pretty nice, with a downstairs lounge and a buffet. you will be dependent on their heating/a.c. schedule, so bring some blankets and a space heater for the colder months!
there is a buffet in the meyerhoff dorm that serves lunch and dinner, glace grill in founder's green (the freshmen dorms), cafe doris that serves sandwiches and coffee in the fox (studio class) building, and java corner for coffee and snacks in the bunting (academic class) building. there's another place to eat in the studio building with good lunch options. the best place for your money is the meyerhoff buffet, since you can get a lot of food for one meal swipe (or $10). they do make you swipe twice if you want to eat there and also take a box to go.
there are tons of events on campus, everything from the monthly coffee house (an evening event with free food and student musical performances), to seminars and gallery openings. there's also a lot of student clubs and almost every event has food! then there's exploring the city, which there are sometimes groups for, and you can always check out the harbor for the aquarium or shopping/food. it's easy to make a trip to dc or new york from here, too.
no lie, mica is expensive, but well worth it if you work hard. you'll get a respected degree and with the amount of work thrown at you, you'll be very skilled once you leave. there's also the networking opportunities with the teachers, and internships, study-abroad programs, and the career center which will all help you secure opportunities for work. take your workload seriously, try not to blow your money partying while you're here, and use every advantage you can get while enrolled to find some job openings, and the costs will all be worth it!
there's a small zen garden behind the fox building and it's very strange to be viewing a buddha statue while cars go by on the overpasses in the background. as soon as it gets warm, groups of people hang out in cohen plaza (in front of fox) and do everything from practice hula hoop performances to hanging out with dogs that everyone can pet.
i'm pretty academic-minded, so i appreciate the heavy workload and the intensity of the academic classes, but mica in general is also great for more experimentally-minded artists. teachers will encourage you to think outside the box about things like installation, form, and content in your art. honestly, any kind of student that is dedicated to their work can excel here - slackers need not apply!
there are so, so many clubs, including one for each major. i'm a big fan of attending events for the food, art, and socializing! i also really recommend the student voice association; they hold meetings anyone can attend and there's free food and you can get some great insight into what's happening around campus and what issues are being addressed within the different majors.
none! thank goodness.
baltimore is a pretty tough city, but the campus does its best. there's tons of security cameras, patrols (in clearly marked cars and on segways), and recently-installed emergency phones in outside locations. the best thing they do is offer evening safety shuttles, which will take you to nearby locations, including stores, all the campus buildings, and even your front door. take advantage of those, because quite a few muggings can happen on or close to campus.