risd is an amazing opportunity and one of the best art schools in the world. if it's really for you, one visit seals the deal: you won't want to go anywhere else and the price of admission will seem trivial in comparison with the amazing opportunity. be prepared to work very hard, but love every minute of it because it doesn't feel like work to you.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
the recurring tips i've heard for any applying students are (1) make sure your portfolio has a lot of variety (risd eats that stuff up), and (2) don't slack off on academics because it's just an art school. although the application is judged primarily by the portfolio, if your grades are low, you might get rejected just because of that.
- if you're interested in risd, sign up to receive their information in the mail. the stuff they send you is helpful.
- the cost of art supplies adds up. bring whatever you can from home. buy from second life, a store on campus that sells secondhand supplies. you only need new paper, you don't need a brand new ruler / paintbrush / drawing board.
- providence is like san francisco for several reasons: (1) it's liberal (2) it's arsty (3) there are so many hills your calves are gonna grow calves of their own. travel light on campus.
- don't bring your car to campus. the buildings are close together. if you want to cut your travel time, ride a bike / scooter.
- bring a fan and an extra-heavy winter coat.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
heavy, heavy workload, i hear, although the liberal arts classes leave much to be desired in terms of academic quality. but it's an art school, not a liberal arts school.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
nothin' special, just what you need. bed. four walls. closet. i've heard it's fairly small. i wouldn't expect to spend much time in the dorms, anyway, especially freshman year, due to the long studio hours and with a city to explore. so it's more like a room for sleeping. what more would you need?
freshmen and sophomores have to live on campus.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
i toured the met cafeteria, which was awesome. they've got everything you could ever want. they even had a little miso soup dispenser / bar.
if you're looking off campus for somewhere to eat, after my tour, a student recommended geoff's sandwich shop, which was excellent. the sandwiches they have there are creative and delicious. the service was great, too. they replaced a bag of chips for us free because we didn't like the flavor of the one we bought.
there are also a couple of student-run cafes, which can be a work opportunity.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
work.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
very expensive, financial aid is not generous and complicated to get. while i advise you take what you can get from this school, look elsewhere for the aid you need.
housing is also very expensive, but it's more expensive to live off campus.
still, if it's really for you, i think it's worth the cost.
as i mentioned above, the cost of art supplies adds up. bring whatever you can from home. buy from second life, a store on campus that sells secondhand supplies. you only need new paper, you don't need a brand new ruler / paintbrush / drawing board.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
you've probably heard about the (unofficial) mascot scrotie from other reviewers.
there's a room full of dead (and a few living) animals, and if you go on tour you'll probably get to see it. that was pretty cool.
in the same building was a microscope lab where students can study microscopic samples for the purpose of creating art.
library is amazing example of repurposed architecture. it used to be a huge marble building with big empty rooms, but they added a bunch of cool, modern structures to it to facilitate studying. huge collection of art books. i believe it was designed by architecture students there. look it up on google images, or, better yet, visit!
there are some random pianos all over campus.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
- you work hard anyway
- "homework is my high!"
- you have nothing better to do anyway / in high school you didn't have a life
- you get super absorbed in your work and don't want to be interrupted for hours
- you don't mind being antisocial / not seeing the light of day for weeks because it's finals.
- you know how to critique
- you create art with a purpose and can defend your thought process
- if you have a bad teacher, you're the type to step up and fill the learning gap with your own studying
- you like hills, walking up hills, walking down hills...
- you were raised in new england so you don't mind erratic weather, below zero weather, or ten feet of snow
- you love old architecture (providence has some beautiful houses)
- you have a sense of humor & deeeeep thoughts
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
risd doesn't really advertise its clubs and activities. they also usually aren't very interesting, but it depends on what you're into. there are also a lot of organizations based on ethnicity, so what risd lacks in diversity, it makes up for in resources.
it does have a site dedicated to the clubs: http://csi.risd.edu/clubs
from what i've heard, nobody in the clubs really cares, and you might not have time to join, but there is a large number of clubs available.
in terms of athletics, there are a few teams, but they're play-for-fun types of teams. they do have really... creative... team names: the basketball team is called "the balls," the fencing team is called "the pricks," the sailing club is called "the seamen." you get the idea. risd does love its sports.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
there is no greek life at risd, but brown has one, and i hear that risd students can sometimes get involved.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
from what i saw when i was there, providence looks pretty safe, but there are also people available to give you rides around campus when you don't want to walk across the city in the dark. but according to some reviewers, providence can be dangerous and sometimes the shuttles don't show up. others advise you always travel in groups when leaving the studio at night.
on an unrelated note, apparently health services are horrible. just try not to get sick and you'll be fine.
risd is an amazing opportunity and one of the best art schools in the world. if it's really for you, one visit seals the deal: you won't want to go anywhere else and the price of admission will seem trivial in comparison with the amazing opportunity. be prepared to work very hard, but love every minute of it because it doesn't feel like work to you.
the recurring tips i've heard for any applying students are (1) make sure your portfolio has a lot of variety (risd eats that stuff up), and (2) don't slack off on academics because it's just an art school. although the application is judged primarily by the portfolio, if your grades are low, you might get rejected just because of that. - if you're interested in risd, sign up to receive their information in the mail. the stuff they send you is helpful. - the cost of art supplies adds up. bring whatever you can from home. buy from second life, a store on campus that sells secondhand supplies. you only need new paper, you don't need a brand new ruler / paintbrush / drawing board. - providence is like san francisco for several reasons: (1) it's liberal (2) it's arsty (3) there are so many hills your calves are gonna grow calves of their own. travel light on campus. - don't bring your car to campus. the buildings are close together. if you want to cut your travel time, ride a bike / scooter. - bring a fan and an extra-heavy winter coat.
heavy, heavy workload, i hear, although the liberal arts classes leave much to be desired in terms of academic quality. but it's an art school, not a liberal arts school.
nothin' special, just what you need. bed. four walls. closet. i've heard it's fairly small. i wouldn't expect to spend much time in the dorms, anyway, especially freshman year, due to the long studio hours and with a city to explore. so it's more like a room for sleeping. what more would you need? freshmen and sophomores have to live on campus.
i toured the met cafeteria, which was awesome. they've got everything you could ever want. they even had a little miso soup dispenser / bar. if you're looking off campus for somewhere to eat, after my tour, a student recommended geoff's sandwich shop, which was excellent. the sandwiches they have there are creative and delicious. the service was great, too. they replaced a bag of chips for us free because we didn't like the flavor of the one we bought. there are also a couple of student-run cafes, which can be a work opportunity.
work.
very expensive, financial aid is not generous and complicated to get. while i advise you take what you can get from this school, look elsewhere for the aid you need. housing is also very expensive, but it's more expensive to live off campus. still, if it's really for you, i think it's worth the cost. as i mentioned above, the cost of art supplies adds up. bring whatever you can from home. buy from second life, a store on campus that sells secondhand supplies. you only need new paper, you don't need a brand new ruler / paintbrush / drawing board.
you've probably heard about the (unofficial) mascot scrotie from other reviewers. there's a room full of dead (and a few living) animals, and if you go on tour you'll probably get to see it. that was pretty cool. in the same building was a microscope lab where students can study microscopic samples for the purpose of creating art. library is amazing example of repurposed architecture. it used to be a huge marble building with big empty rooms, but they added a bunch of cool, modern structures to it to facilitate studying. huge collection of art books. i believe it was designed by architecture students there. look it up on google images, or, better yet, visit! there are some random pianos all over campus.
- you work hard anyway - "homework is my high!" - you have nothing better to do anyway / in high school you didn't have a life - you get super absorbed in your work and don't want to be interrupted for hours - you don't mind being antisocial / not seeing the light of day for weeks because it's finals. - you know how to critique - you create art with a purpose and can defend your thought process - if you have a bad teacher, you're the type to step up and fill the learning gap with your own studying - you like hills, walking up hills, walking down hills... - you were raised in new england so you don't mind erratic weather, below zero weather, or ten feet of snow - you love old architecture (providence has some beautiful houses) - you have a sense of humor & deeeeep thoughts
risd doesn't really advertise its clubs and activities. they also usually aren't very interesting, but it depends on what you're into. there are also a lot of organizations based on ethnicity, so what risd lacks in diversity, it makes up for in resources. it does have a site dedicated to the clubs: http://csi.risd.edu/clubs from what i've heard, nobody in the clubs really cares, and you might not have time to join, but there is a large number of clubs available. in terms of athletics, there are a few teams, but they're play-for-fun types of teams. they do have really... creative... team names: the basketball team is called "the balls," the fencing team is called "the pricks," the sailing club is called "the seamen." you get the idea. risd does love its sports.
there is no greek life at risd, but brown has one, and i hear that risd students can sometimes get involved.
from what i saw when i was there, providence looks pretty safe, but there are also people available to give you rides around campus when you don't want to walk across the city in the dark. but according to some reviewers, providence can be dangerous and sometimes the shuttles don't show up. others advise you always travel in groups when leaving the studio at night. on an unrelated note, apparently health services are horrible. just try not to get sick and you'll be fine.