East Coast Junior in HS, thinking about attending the Art Institute of Sunnyvale,CA. (San Jose: credit)

[Bunnyboo09]

Soo... right now I'm a junior in High School, who's extremely desperate to flee the "Free State." I've been doing a lot of heavy research on colleges/Institutes that are focused on Art. I know I have another year left of High School but I think now is the time to really focus on where I want to go with the next step of education and career goals.

First I considered Savannah College of Art and Design, which is a beautiful college but it's also pretty expensive. I tried to research colleges in New York City. I looked at the Art Institute of NY which is just as nice as Sunnyvale..but I don't think New York is the right place for me.I don't think it would be wise to go from a small town to a big city like NY in one leap.

California, especially Sunnyvale seems to be pretty mellow & fun. I could be wrong of course but this is why I'm here, reading about a place is one thing but getting the full scoop from actual residents is another.

If you have any information about Sunnyvale, the Art Institute of Sunnyvale or the area in general please let me know. (Good or bad.)

Thanks very much.

[eureka1]

I live in NoCal and never heard of the Art Institute of Sunnyvale. I just checked their website and it says they only started recruiting students in 2008.!! Why would you pick a startup school over a world-reknowned one like SCAD? Are they accredited? Suggest you make a trip out here and check out the surroundings. If you're set on the Bay Area there's also the SF Art Insititute and California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. Sunnyvale is smack in the middle ofthe most congested part of the peninsula, traffic, traffic, traffic. Among public schools, I've heard Sonoma State has a good ar t Department but that was a while ago. Come visit!

[RoadTripGurl]

May I ask what state you are in? i checked their accredation About Us: Accreditation and Licensure: The Art Institute of California - Sunnyvale, they are a part of the Art Institutes franchise. I would recommend trying a regular 4 year college where you'd most likely get better financial aid and/or scholarship money. you're doing the right thing by looking early

[MisterDuke]

Junior year is a great time to start your search. You are really on top of things by starting so early. Ask your school counselor to help you find a college fair that specializes in art schools. Then you can meet reps from a lot of different places at once. Take your portfolio and ask for advice. You can find out what your strengths and weaknesses are and make changes in preparation for next year.

Unlike most colleges and universities, the Art Institutes are a for-profit business. Don't expect them to toss around much financial aid. I don't think there are too many people who uproot and go across country to attend one. In terms of the education they offer, they aren't that special. If you are really interested, try to take a night or weekend class at one that is near you, just so you can test it out.

What you really want to do is find a school that excels in the field you want to study. Just because a school offers a program in something doesn't mean they do a great job of it. I went to a university and signed on to study multimedia production. It looked good in the brochure but that wasn't something in which they specialized. There were 2 teachers that taught all the courses out of the same little computer lab. There were only 20 or so people in the program and no one was into as much as I was. Being surrounded by students who aren't totally committed can be a soul-sucking experience.

On the other hand, I'd cut through the environmental design building on my way to the parking lot, and it was a totally different program. The university went all out on that one. they had several hundred students and the place was always buzzing with activity. Students would be in the design labs at all hours, building models and working on architectural illustrations, drinking coffee, smoking, hanging out. There was a constant stream of guest speakers, and there were always flyers up advertising some tour that was being put together. I was very jealous. I was paying the same tuition as those guys, but I wasn't getting anything like that.

Morale of the story is ask questions. Tour the campus. Know what you want, and what they are really able to offer to you.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by RoadTripGurl

May I ask what state you are in?

The "Free State" is Maryland.

[RoadTripGurl]

Duh! I totally overlooked that part of the post! Thanks Rich Lee! MD needs to change it to "the chesapeake bay" that's what they advocate the most...

[1059:)]

I am a junior whose leaving the small town of Soldotna, AK for Minden, Nevada. Lately I have considered going to the Art instiute of San Francisco when I graduate highschool. I too am interested in what Sunnyvale is like (?) so if you have any info on what the town is like for a college student that would be great.

I'm thinking it would be nice to be somewhere were you can have fun on a low budget?

[bluebeard]

You should ask this question in the "San Jose" area, because it's a suburb of the overgrown suburb of San Jose.
It depends what you like. Lotsa good restaurants. Lotsa highways and traffic. without traffic, less than 40 minutes to SF, an actual urban city and playground for single 20-30 somethings. With traffic, can be much more.
Definitely look up on that school. There are schools that take your money and give you fake degrees or something. I've even heard of one or two of those in Sunnyvale, although I think they shut them down.

[Adriatica]

Originally Posted by 1059:)

I am a junior whose leaving the small town of Soldotna, AK for Minden, Nevada. Lately I have considered going to the Art instiute of San Francisco when I graduate highschool. I too am interested in what Sunnyvale is like (?) so if you have any info on what the town is like for a college student that would be great.

I'm thinking it would be nice to be somewhere were you can have fun on a low budget?

No part of the Bay Area is exactly "low budget." Housing, gas, food, everything is fairly pricey. Whether or not that leaves extra money for having fun is up to you and how you handle your money.

But if you'd be going to school in San Francisco, why would you live in Sunnyvale and not SF itself?

[watcheronthewall]

It's not low budget...

It's pretty suburban there too.

I lived there for a few months, it'd be great if you had a family & wanted to live in the burbs.