Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider NHTI and Colby - Sawyer.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Southern New Hampshire University and Lakes Region Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Southern New Hampshire University, Lakes Region Community College, and NHTI.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Colby - Sawyer, Southern New Hampshire University, Chester, and Lakes Region Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Colby - Sawyer, Chester, Southern New Hampshire University, and NHTI.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Chester, Colby - Sawyer, Lakes Region Community College, and NHTI.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Colby-Sawyer College • New London, NH
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2004)
• 5/8/2011
"Like I mentioned, I do wish the actual courses had prepared me better for my career. But while I was actually in college, I was blissfully happy, and I do still believe that I made the right choice for me at the time."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I know that others have provided the same feedback as me in the past, so I'm sure the program has been updated in conjunction with modern technology and the focus on web design. The small classes, individual attention, and chance to take studio classes are all incredibly worthwhile. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The program has a great reputation - the professors are all working professionals, there's a great internship program, the equipment is updated regularly. And the classes are kept small, for better hands-on learning. The catch is that not a lot of people have heard of the school, or confuse it with other unrelated schools. |
| Program Quality | 6 | I loved the graphic design program while I was there - I learned a great deal and felt very prepared to face the "real" world. But in recent years, I've wished more time was spent on web design and other new technologies, as well as the business of being a graphic designer (contracts, invoices, etc.). |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 7 | While I was constantly learning and absorbing new information, as is the nature of the arts, some classes were fairly intuitive for me. So they weren't as difficult as others, but they still provided great experience and samples for my portfolio. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the textbooks used in our program were in the history classes - in the graphic design classes, we just had manuals for using the various programs. The majority of our class time was spent in exercises, mostly on the computer, or with brainstorming and drafts for major projects. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I didn't really look into alternative schedules, but I do know people that took advantage of summer courses to catch up on their work. There were definitely some courses that took place in the evenings, but as far as I know that was just coincidence, or because of the availability of the space or teaching staff. I'm not aware of any classes that were totally online, but there may have been some in other disciplines. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school went through some major renovations right as I was graduating, so I'm sure things are much improved now. At the time, some of the class space (especially for studio classes) was a bit run-down, and spread across campus in different makeshift spaces. But the equipment itself was new, and professors kept regular office hours. I didn't make use of tutors or academic advisors (except to make sure I was taking all the classes I needed), but I know those were available as well. |
| Social Life | 10 | The campus activities program was excellent - there were always concerts, movie nights, and all kinds of other events. There was a nice little downtown within walking distance, with places to go out to eat, and nearby ski slopes where we all got free lift tickets. Athletics weren't as important as at some other schools, but that was fine with me - I was glad to be at a place where art and music were just as important. |
| Placement Services | 6 | I've heard of other people having good luck with connections from career services. But in my personal experience, I had to do the majority of the work on my own - they provided some potential leads when I was looking for an internship, but when it came to finding work after graduation (especially since I was moving out of state), they really didn't have a lot to offer. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | I haven't made much use of the alumni network, but it seems like they have a lot to offer. In addition to the alumni magazine, they do a lot on the web (Facebook, etc), and I've heard of a lot of other former students using it to connect and work on business ventures and creative projects. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.