School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- 4 Year
- CHICAGO, IL
CollegeGrad School
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- grade C+Overall Grade
- 4 Year
- CHICAGO, IL
- Rating 3.73 out of 5 739 reviews
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Reviews
Rating 3.73 out of 5 739 reviews
1. Professors' Expertise: Most professors are highly knowledgeable and bring distinct artistic styles, helping students broaden their perspectives.
2. Chicago's Artistic Environment: Located downtown, the school offers access to many cultural institutions, with significant student discounts.
3. Conceptual Focus: The school prioritizes ideas and meanings over technical skills, encouraging students to develop and invent concepts within their art.
4. Quality Critique: Critiques are a key part of the curriculum, fostering deep analysis and understanding of artworks.
5. Diverse Skill Levels: The school's high acceptance rate results in varied skill levels, offering opportunities to stand out but also challenges in peer motivation.
2. Chicago's Artistic Environment: Located downtown, the school offers access to many cultural institutions, with significant student discounts.
3. Conceptual Focus: The school prioritizes ideas and meanings over technical skills, encouraging students to develop and invent concepts within their art.
4. Quality Critique: Critiques are a key part of the curriculum, fostering deep analysis and understanding of artworks.
5. Diverse Skill Levels: The school's high acceptance rate results in varied skill levels, offering opportunities to stand out but also challenges in peer motivation.
I recently got enrolled so I haven't seen or experienced much. I'm still trying get some scholarships to add to my merit scholarship from the school in order to continue my schooling.
As a newly admitted student into the Low-Res MFA program, I have been impressed with the consideration given to connect with and educate their incoming cohort about the program. I have valued their efforts (in person and virtually) to communicate program aspects & features ensuring I have visibility to what is possible with the program. Their effort gives me confidence in my decision to attend especially considering the financial commitment implicated in this investment. Additionally, I am beyond excited to attend the program's summer residency taking advantage of all the campus and surrounding resources have to offer. So far so good, my initial dealings with SAIC has provided a great start to what I expect will be a fulfilling experience.
Dedicated faculty and talented student body, exploring the city and it's architecture is fun, would like to see the school's policy on resources change.
I think the school and area is very diverse. It feels like you're living in Chicago rather than on a campus (even if you are), of course the cost of the school is one of the worst I have seen. Despite this, the school feels really inclusive and fun. For example there are a multitude of students groups you can join and all the classes are interesting. There are not many required classes. There are also folks from all walks of life. It's a hub for diversity.
The school is good and encourages students to got to museums and talk to visiting artists. The food is good and the campus is close to a target. the school is in the loop and its easy to get around. The school puts on lots of events to build a community. The teachers are nice and always want to help. you can buy materials for the school and check out equipment. most teachers are also practicing artist. the dorms are nice but sometimes feel very far apart. It is in the city of chicago so there have been rumors of robberies. Many classes and teachers like to emphasize the history of the city and adventuring the city. People are nice but the school is a little cliquey.
I had a great time at SAIC and I feel their studio arts programming is one of the best through most art schools.
There are many class options you can take even if it's outside of your "major". I enjoy the many types of people here on campus. I would like to see the tight hold over money change.
I love SAIC, don't get me wrong-- I made the best friends of my life here, and got to take some very interesting classes. But it does seem like a big shiny veneer when you get here as a Freshman, and slowly over the course of the undergraduate career the scales fall from your eyes. SAIC has wonderful classes, but student life is mostly just neglected and students kind of have to fend for themselves after the first year. Academic advising is a joke, and all the different advisors will tell you different things. The dropout rate is so high because most students get here and don't know what they're doing. The school does not pay their workers enough, especially adjunct professors, and it shows. All in all though, I'd say it was worth it to go here, simply for what I learned and who I met. You really do have to take full advantage of the school to get your money's worth.
I like being able to explore different mediums, but I think there's such a focus on just making art, that they don't really prepare you for how you're going to make that happen feasibly outside of the school. Also, I want music classes and I wish they would listen to students who complained about the new 830 class slot. I also wish the writing department was easier to navigate as a studio major.
Some of the professors are really amazing. They care so much about art and teaching you to be better. However there are some teachers that are the opposite. You really have to do your research on professors. The fine arts program is one of the best in the country for a reason. Apart from the price of being here and attending, it's an overall good school.
The grading system sometimes makes me very confused on whether I'm on track or not. I feel like sometimes it's difficult to speak to faculty about financial issues without a suggestion being repeated or an issue not being directly solved. The professors are cool from what I've experienced and I wish the school hadn't pushed classes up an hour, everything feels rushed to a point. Otherwise pretty cool teaching mention and freedom to explore.
Overall SAIC is a pretty good art college, there's good and bad professors and the school is just trying its best (sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't). A good thing is that the school always tries to make the community connect via cultural and general events.
SAIC offers great arts education focused on conceptual gallery work to industry standard work. The teachers have so much to offer from their own experiences as artists, and the classes are diverse as well as specific. There are a lot of great opportunities to use equipment and facilities offered no where else, and is truly a unique experience. Campus employment and CAPX provide opportunities for employment and internships to round out the arts education experience, like working in a gallery or as a curator of time-based work. Registration can be a nightmare of timing, as registration times depend on class level and accommodations, resulting in full classes - but in terms of requirements, teachers often will be happy to let students into their class. Faculty higher-ups also are sometimes more interested in maintaining profits and the status quo rather than listen to their students, but such is the condition of any institution.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a great school if you are interested in a conceptually driven approach to making work. The faculty is great and most of them are working artists and active in the Chicago art scene. If I had one complaint it would be that there is no traditional "campus" because the school is divided up between a bunch of buildings across downtown Chicago.
Don't waste your time and money. Most of the profs are graduates from here and complain how they don't get paid enough. It's impossible to get the classes you need every studio class in the FIVE different departments that i'm interested in we're all full and advising doesn't help in the enrollment process whatsoever. The students here are, for the most, part stuck up and rude. Reslife is a joke and the staff in the cafes are always yelling. It's been a hell experience so far.
I've been looking for a good college the past two years. I've been to MSU, then to Evergreen State College, but now I've finally found a college that's right for me, and it feels so good to do what I actually enjoy. It's rewarding work!
Overall, a very self-motivated school. Different students with skill levels of all ranges, you must work hard yourself and be internally motivated to succeed.
I love this school, I haven't taken any classes yet since I am a college Freshman going into Fall Term of 2023 but I am excited so far and I have taken several courses
I am an incoming freshman for the year 23-24. I am super excited to be attending SAIC. Throughout the whole process of applying and visiting and everything SAIC has been a big help. They have tons of virtual info sessions about financial aid, portfolio info and more. This really helped me not only apply to SAIC but other schools as well. There’s so many resources at this school and Im so excited to see what it has to offer!