The most frustrating thing about SAIC is the online student portal which is used to access information about classes, email, course files, and more. It is very unorganized and difficult to use. The portal needs to be streamlined so everything can be found in one place instead of following links to different places.
There's a distinct emphasis on "conceptual art" or "post modern art" that sometimes can steamroll over other paths. You can take classes outside those fields or areas of interest, sure, but the majority of classes seem to accept that as "standard" with no real reason why.
It's way conceptual.
Academic advising and financial services are less than acceptable. Because it is a pass/fail school, many students don't display their full potential and tend to slack off. Sometimes it is difficult to gain access to particular school facilities, such as the darkroom, editing rooms, etc.
Although it's a great place, SAIC isn't very cheap, and they don't really have a lot of options for scholarships and such. They're also not too helpful on a personal level, it seems that when you call for help, you get tranfered to a dozen diffrent places and a diffrent day means talking to a diffrent person who doesn't always understand the situation. If you're trying to apply from a place outside of Chicago, getting in conctact with the school is difficult to say the least.
The most frustrating thing about SAIC is the lack of counseling, whether it be financially or academically. Because of their laid back approach in leaving a lot of freedom for the students, the system is set up where only people that know how to ask for help get it. This sets a lot of students up for failure who just need someone to guide them through their college expereince. If you are self-sufficient you will do well here, but don't expect much from the staff.
I am doing very well in school but the most frustrating thing about my school is scholarship opportunities. Since their are so many rich students at art school they seem to forget that their are a few struggling within their system. I am president of The Latin American Student Organization and yet I receive no extra aid, this being a free service I do for the school due to my interest in helping out my community of latino artists. We need more resources for aid, because half of my time at school is looking up scholarships that appeal to me.
it's sometimes way to heavy on conceptual, abstract bullshit. if you're interested in learning very technical skills it's definitely doable (although not really within the first year program), but you have to make a concerted effort to find those classes. especially in the first year there is a lot of jockeying to be the most original, shocking, unique, artsy fartsy person out there. there's a certain amount of bullshit you have to wade through, but it's definitely worth it.
The student body.
that it is a really windy and cold walk during the winter
half of the credits are in libral arts
your peers
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