The Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Date: Dec 15 2010
Major: Art & Design Department (This Major's Salary over time)
Cheaper tuition than most but they make up for it by hidden charges that crop up out of nowhere at the worst time. I just got charged $100+, went to the office and had it explained, paid it, then came back to a bill for nearly $500. There was no mention of this beforehand and I got it 2 days before the due date and my schedule can be withheld for the Spring as well as a $200 late fee charged, Happy Holidays to you too Massart.. This is the norm. They send things out as late as possible, then God forbid you're even a day late.

They swindle money out of you at any given moment.

Not only did they screw up my admissions, they also didn't have a dorm for me even though I sent paperwork promptly. After going back and forth, they put me in a studio (several thousands of dollars more) with 2 other girls. We barely have walking room. THEN they have the gall to tell me they'll charge me as if I were in a single, not forced double(cheaper), if my third roommate transfers(thankfully she didn't). When asked to explain that jump of logic, they just kept telling me to look at their maze of a website where you can only find things if you have prior knowledge of it. When I finally found the pdf, it still didn't make sense.

That's another thing. They pretend like you know everything even though it's your first year there. Unless you go into the compass program(they select you) or have an upperclassman for a roommate, you won't find anything or know anything about departments, resources, etc. The "campus map" is a general map…basically exterior view/blocks of buildings huddled together, no mention of what floor has what or where entrances are. A nuisance considering some buildings you have to enter by going through other buildings. The cafeteria website is basically a farce, the "scheduled meals" are always empty and any holiday change to the schedules are not put up unless asked for. A lot of times you'll get really snotty cafeteria servers as well, although there are a select few that are friendly. Prices for food are crazy, half a bag of m&ms is $3.99, a cup of cereal with no milk is $3.99 as well and a small box of cereal is $5.59

You're required to have a meal plan if living on campus.

Basically, their answer to everything is a loan. I've heard a lot of people have trouble transferring credits even though Massart gave them the greenlight beforehand. They constantly lie/ never stick to what they say. You have to get EVERYTHING in writing, they'll lose your paperwork anyhow and that form you just filled out? Yeah, they'll get to it when they feel like it, how's three months from now sound?

They have a new residence building under construction right now but, it's not going to help ease the lack of on-campus dorms. They're just going to accept more freshman to help pay back the cost of the building, then half of the freshman class will be forced to be commuters because they'll only tell you AFTER you accept to go here and get everything ready to be paid off.

EVERYONE has to go through studio foundation year, even transfer students. You're basically duped into thinking that you'll be getting a little of everything(glass blowing, paper making, clay? how exciting!) WRONG. You get one elective for one semester, no elective the other semester. That's it. Everything else is Visual Language(just gouge your eyes out now, 5 hour bullcrap critiques), 2.5 hour art history classes(view slideshows) twice a week that everyone just falls asleep to atop their $100 useless textbooks, writing classes twice a week and a 5 hour studio drawing class of basics. Most schedules will not let you have any time to participate in school events/shows/anything fun by keeping you in class from 9am - 8pm or 9am - 6:30pm. The floor parties are a joke. Less artsy people and more valley girl cheerleader types/jocks/losers that basically go here to pretend they want an education. You'll be hearing "like" injected into a sentence more than 10 times as well as "what-not" and the pretentious "I enjoy this piece because…" I feel like I'm back in high school with several clones with the occasional wacky hair dye to pretend they're 'different'.

TLDR; this school is a joke. Save your money for something better. Keep copies of everything and get things in writing. If you find a good teacher, try to stick with them for the next semester. Have thick skin to ward off the whole "Mean Girls" scenario of pretentious clones and try to get at least a sliver of education as you hand over your money, your life and your soul.