The University of Illinois - Chicago

Date: Nov 30 2013
Major: Fine Arts - Painting/Sculpture/Photography/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
Let me start out by stating, looks truly are not everything. Yes, UIC does not look like UIUC or NIU or Harvard for that matter, UIC looks like UIC. It has its own quirky qualities that I thought were pretty charming, majority of the buildings serve as a sort of homage to the brutalist era of architecture of which it was built in. I respect history and enjoy that it is not washed over with idealized, prim "college" architecture and manicured lawns. But hey, to each his own.

My time as an undergraduate in the college of Art has been amazing, but I will say, regardless of what college/field you're in at UIC, you will get out of this university what you put into it. Honestly, that's the protocol of any investment I believe. I know studying art would be ridiculously non pragmatic, financially, given the condition of this slow moving economy, but I knew practicing art was what I wanted to do, there was no other option. Coming to UIC allowed me to build the framework of my practice in a way no other University in Chicago (or Illinois) would have allowed me to. From the 24hr facilities, being in Chicago where contemporary art is on the rise, super supportive and in-the-field faculty, vast research resources, decent class sizes (usually no more than 20), affordability, I could go on. I am truly grateful for the education I received here, and the number of opportunities that education has since led me to. Being a UIC alumni holds some weight in the US market, and I always feel so bummed when I hear or see fellow alumni bashing a great university because a buildings wall had a crack.

If you think that college is supposed to look a certain way, or somehow entitles you to a predefined experience, I believe you're approaching it from the wrong (and non existing) angle. Surely, UIC is not for you if you're basing your decision off of the aesthetics of campuses. However, if you want to take advantage of an outstanding education without breaking the bank, and can deal with a cracked wall or two, apply to UIC! There aren't too many trust fund babies around these parts.