Kansas City Art Institute (student loans, how much, lawyers)

[CTR36]

Recently my daughter's HS was visited by scouts from KCAI. I am wanting to know if anyone out there has attended this school, your thoughts and experiences, etc. My daughter is a very talented artist dealing mostly with animation and sculpting. She is only 16 so she has about 2 more years to look into colleges.

Any input would be most welcome

[northbound74]

I never went there, and I don't know many who have (somewhat new to the area), but it seems to have a very good reputation around here. The locals like to brag on it. I think it's rated as one of the top 10 art schools in the country.

[Thrillcekr]

Originally Posted by CTR36

Recently my daughter's HS was visited by scouts from KCAI. I am wanting to know if anyone out there has attended this school, your thoughts and experiences, etc. My daughter is a very talented artist dealing mostly with animation and sculpting. She is only 16 so she has about 2 more years to look into colleges.

Any input would be most welcome

They say it's one of the best art schools in the world. I know that a very large portion of the students are from other countries. They've travelled pretty far to go there so it must be very reputable.

[philangees20]

I attended KCAI for two years and several of my friends graduated from there. There's good and bad, but in general it's just a school. I don't think it's worth the insane debt we've all accumulated from our exhorbitant tuitions. Twelve years later, I don't think any of us have made a dent in our student loans. I was in the Illustration Department, and the best part of that program left years ago...Jack Lew. After Jack left, the program seemed to lack leadership and direction. I have no idea what it's like now. I don't know what your financial situation is, but do not make the mistake of thinking whatever will help your daughter is worth the cost. It's not worth it, and she can get a good education just about anywhere. It's largely her responsibility and what she puts into it will be what she gets out of it. If she really has talent and drive, she will flourish where she's planted, regardless of the school. Don't get me wrong. I learned a lot while I was there, but I also learned a lot at the other less prestigious colleges I've attended. I'm disenchanted with KCAI and any other school that puts such a high price on an education in a field where very few, if any, can succeed enough to afford to pay off their tuitions. We're artists, not doctors and lawyers. One of my friend uses her diploma underneath a cabinet to keep it level on a tile floor. It's become the equivalent of an $80,000 matchbook. This same friend is very talented, very driven, and extremely broke. Her bachelor's degree isn't worth the paper it's printed on, and she'll probably be in debt the rest of her life. Be very careful about what you invest in your daughter's education. I wish someone would have told me how much weight I was strapping around my neck when I signed those student loan requests, and how many years it would take me to pay off an education I could've got at a decent public university. I'm sorry if I sound too harsh, but I sincerely wish someone had been harsh with me.P.S. I really enjoyed my time at TWU and I've heard great things from my peers about UNT.

[famusdarlin]

I have a freind who attended and graduated in 2000. He has seen tremendous success since graduating. Here is his website. Sike Style Designs

If you have questions I am sure you can contact him via the site and he will get back with you.

[skrizzle]

I've known several people who attended and loved it and think it's well worth it. The environment there is great. Most people I know who have gone to art school choose KCAI or Chicagos

[luzianne]

Well, it was good enough for Walt Disney...he took Saturday classes at KCAI which was apparently his only formal training. I have heard good things about Colorado Art Institute too.