The Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Date: Nov 11 2004
Major: Fine Arts - Painting/Sculpture/Photography/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
I entered Mass Art after having spent a few years out in the world working and was a highly motivated student. I dove into my courses with an enthusiasm that came from having an idea of who I was and what I wanted to. I watched the kids that had just graduated from high school float around and get overwhelmed by what was expected of them.There was a lot of required writing and reading, more than most people expect when they applied. I found, much to my disappointment, that often there were only two or three students who actively participated in class discussions and debates. I was under the impression that many of the kids that had chosen to go there had decided to go for the same reason that most kids take art in high school: because it's easy. There seems to be a pressure to be innovative and original and most kids fresh out of high school haven't really the technical or emotional foundation from which they can derive that. Because the student body is comprised of people from so many different backgrounds and age groups (in addition to the fact that there is limited student housing) it's easy for less motivated students to get lost and lose their focus. I don't think that the teachers have a whole lot of incentive to spend lots of time with students who are having trouble or are confused. It's a state school after all. I think you have to be self motivated, therefore you are that much more free to experiment. If you want a classical education, it's easier I think, but there a certain teachers who really encourage you to find your voice if you are ready. The facilities are excellent, especially for sculpture and printmaking and the art history is better than any liberal arts college. I think the experience is enhanced by the fact that they have a significant number of older students, not to mention graduate students who are more focused and driven than the average 19 or 20 year old. After I graduated, I met a lot of working artists who had graduated from Mass Art and found it encouraging that a BFA from there is a respectable achievement in the real world.