The Fashion Institute of Technology

Date: May 13 2009
Major: Art & Design Department (This Major's Salary over time)
I grew up in a small town in Iowa where art / design was not valued—hell, it was not understood! So for me to come to FIT and to New York was both incredibly liberating and also terrifying. The liberating part got stronger and the terrifying part got less each year I was at FIT. I had never seen a man in a skirt or dress before so to have people in my class who dressed that way was interesting. I had no theoretical problem with it but I had never seen it. So then I started "experimenting" with modes of dress myself. The sort of thing that would get me arrested / get phone calls to my parents back home! Showing up to an event wearing a black sweater, dark pantyhose and boots … no panties, no skirt … !!! I don't know whether I was rebelling from small town Iowa, exploring options, or what. I guess I expected shock but the response was "whatever, so what, you don't shave your crotch, so what." What is good about the school is that it is very competetive and SOME professors really want to pour their wisdom into you. What is bad is that many students are olut for themselves. No, I didn't expect marching bands and bake sales, but I would have expected a bit more pulling together. Having said that, there were numbers of students who were fantastic. So, I guess like anywhere, find the good people and cling to them and ignore the rest.

If you want to attend BE VERY GOOD at what you do. If you can't roll with almost anything different, don't come here. If you are thin skinned, don't come here. If you are ready to try ANYTHING and welcome others who do the same, and work very very hard on your own … this is a GREAT place.

If, like me, you're from East Bugsnot, don't be naive about New York and New York fashion school. Go for it. Try out ANYTHING. Be stretched like you never thought you would be. And you'll come out a new person.