Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

The Savannah College of Art and Design specializes in ���practical applications��� of fine arts education and preparing students with ���the connections, resources, and opportunities��� they need to find job placement after graduation. The College is ���always bringing in companies��� which ���open doors,��� and students have strong connections with alumni. Unique collaborations come out of these connections with industry contacts, such as the Collaborative Learning Center, ���where multidisciplinary teams of students come together under the guidance of a professor to develop a product, campaign, or solution of a problem for a real world company.��� Other real-world work collaborations include working with ���several major festivals like the Savannah Film Festival,��� which offer bonus opportunities for networking. ���I have been offered jobs solely because I have SCAD on my resume,��� says one student. Another says, ���The networking is incredible. I���ve had my portfolio reviewed by people at the top of my industry.��� Students crow over the school���s ���quality, professional equipment and facilities��� and ���up-to-date technology.��� Each and every program has a ���dedicated staff, beautiful buildings and resources, large-scale events, and a passionate student body,��� which creates an immersive experience that offers ���authentic interactions with alumni and real-world people.��� Students point to the ���dynamic range��� of majors and programs, including Industrial Design and Interior Design, and ���rare��� offerings such as the UX Design and Service Design. The professors are ���remarkable.��� They have ���relevant work-force experience and a passion for instilling passion in students.��� Faculty ���respects students and are respected right back.��� Says one student: ���I am good friends���lifelong friends���with my professors.���

SCAD students are ���incredibly unique��� and ���eccentric��� artists dedicated to ���pushing their work into new, exciting forms.��� This creates an ���environment of constant exploration and creation��� among an ���open and accepting community.��� As a group, SCAD students tend to be ���liberal, innovated, passionate, and motivated.��� Students take pride in all of the hard work they put into the short quarter system. Students mention touring other schools and finding the ���quality of work to blow theirs out of the water.��� Students note that this isn���t just���or even mostly���about recruiting talent, but rather it is indicative of SCAD ���pushing��� students with ���intense workloads that trains us to not settle for average ideas.��� Says one student: ���I would say that my peers are very creative and critical. SCAD definitely trains students to engage in detailed critiques of theirs and others��� work.��� Students come from all over the world to attend SCAD, and ���unite to foster creative thinking and innovation through their work, as well as share ideas.��� As a whole, students are ���very supportive of each other and their work.��� International students feel that their ���needs are taken into consideration��� and appreciate the ���culturally diverse��� classrooms. Students generally feel that ���there���s great integration between U.S. students and international students.��� ���You can really pick up on your peer���s talents,��� a student says. And this being an art school, you can���t overlook the benefits of the student body being ���quite a stylish bunch.���

While campus life is focused mostly on work, the school is well integrated into the city, with ���SCAD buildings all over Savannah,��� and ���you can work in any of them.��� Life in Savannah offers tons of events, such as Art March, Taste Of Savannah, and the farmers market that happens around the city. There���s ���great nightlife,��� as well, with restaurants and a healthy bar scene. For fun in the sun, Tybee Beach is just a twenty-minute drive away. There���s also Forsyth Park, where groups of students often gather to relax or work on projects. There is ���a lot of time spent doing homework, working on projects and collaborative projects across majors,��� but students say the ���work is meaningful��� and often tied to what they are ���passionate about.��� Yes, students work hard at SCAD, but there are good options for de-stressing, including a ���fitness facility,��� ���occasional parties,��� even though ���most people just go downtown,��� and ���weekend road trips to surrounding states.���