Maybe in an ideal world, but usually, unless you are in the sciences, you aren't going to get shit. Maybe paid a slight amount to be a TA.

Well... for a PhD you can often get your tuition fees waived and maybe get a stipend. I guess that's what I meant by "paid". I should have been more clear.

polly, it's not even age. i'm 17, 2 and a half months from being 18. i want to go to new york.
my mom hasn't spoken to me in a week now, because of this.
besides a few sentences. it's so awkward. this is really frustrating

I stood outside of Pratt today. There were people yelling at each other on a basketball court.

thats why i want to go

hand me the ball bitch.

i got a free ride to vcu.
this only makes things more difficult in terms of going to new york.

this should be your mantra through this whole thing.
kick some ass, girl.

Man. I don't know how I missed the original posting of this thread, but congratulations. Sorry for all the money crap. Debt is a bitch, even if you do "only live once". You have the potential of creating "live once" experience that really sucks because you never own anything...not even your education.

But, I think that if Pratt is the best place for you, then things will work out. I am no artist or even a valid critic of art, but the things I have seen of yours are WAY above and beyond the things I have seen from many others I have known in art departments across the school. You will be a success, for sure.

Yeah, but if Pratt was worth the required loans before it must still be now. Though it never hurts to call up, let them know that you have a full ride offer elsewhere, and ask them if they can sweeten the deal. Worst case: they say nope. Same choice as before.

Is VCU really your second best choice? I thought some other places were in the running, too.

VCU is my last choice.
The only reason i'd ever want to stay is because.. well.. a few reasons.
I love the Church Hill overlook. I'd miss the fucking hell out of my cats. I'd miss my family. I'd miss my car. I'd miss two friends from Richmond more than anything. I've become much better friends with one of the two in the past month or so than I ever have been and I can't imagine leaving her. I have so much fun with her it's unbelievable... but I believe with a true friend you can maintain your friendship nomatter what.
Oh yeah. I'd miss our record store, and i'd miss Richmonds cheese fries.

oh well. Corcoran demanded that we file taxes before they tell us how much money I got (did I ever mention this.. the admissions guy from the Corcoran calling me up and telling me to send a cd of artwork that he'd take to the board himself to get as much money for me as possible. this guy is amazing) well we don't know how much I got from that.

Cooper Union is the only school I haven't heard from, which is weird..but I know I didn't get in, which is okay.

So.. It goes:
1)Pratt
2)Corcoran
3)VCU

Cooper Union is left off because I know that I am going to get rejected.

I see no hope in anything other than VCU. Blue Milk is leaning towards NY and my parents are still leaning towards VCU so ultimately this is going to end in intense disappointment in terms of what college I am attending and massive heartbreak from losing my best friend of a long time and boyfriend of 2 1/2 years.

I hate my future already

Why do you see no hope outside of VCU? Did Pratt offer you a penny of aid? If not, it sounds like Corcoran (which you prefer to VCU) is pretty desperate to do what it takes to get you (are the taxes filed, or is mom holding out?).

If you hate your future even with cats and cars and the guys in the record store, obviously you won't miss them enough to make staying worthwhile. If it were up to me, your new mantra would be It's my life.

no i don't hate my future because i don't know what will happen.
i'm scared of losing everything but i'm scared of not going, either. i don't want to stay but i want to take these people and animals and items with me.

typical shit you hear from someone who is going to college.
i don't know.

pratt is giving me 9,000 per year.

I see your point. I misunderstood the last post. A tough one, but you can work it out for the best. Seems like the art folks here think you're the real deal - you'll find a way to get it out there.

thanks for your encouragement. that goes to everyone else too..

i'm just very scared of making the wrong choice. a free ride sounds nice because i will not have any baggage but i feel like if i go to vcu i will be compromising myself and taking classes with those who are very far under the skill i've obtained thus far. i don't mean to sound like a royal prick when i say that but i'm just judging by art i've seen and what i've heard from other CFA students who went off to vcu.

you can go on to honors classes to get away from the shitty beginner students but still. i want small classes and i want to know it was relatively tough for me to get where i was and i want to be with the cream of the crop.

i feel so terribly sick and tired right now that i don't know what i'm writing. if any of it is incoherent or sounds very rude or harsh it's not intended.
i'm no better than anyone else, in terms of a person overall. they may be stronger in some points of their work that i am not. but i cannot fathom why i should go to school with the type of artist that i saw about a month back from vcu that was terrible. then again that one person doesn't speak for everyone. vcu is growing to become one of the best public art programs in the nation.....
but i want more. i want more of a city and more of an adventure and a small school where i get more attention (especially for the money i'll pay) and i'll get more connections. connections in new york. mmm.


oh well. i don't know. goodnight

There is absolutely nothing wrong with recognizing that you're better than average in what you do. Everyone else seems to see it too. Don't preface everything with self-deprecation. That's what I do and it has me living with my parents at 26.

Like you said, if they're true friends, even the boyfriend, then they will last. I have had a friend that is no less close to me than he was 10 years ago. I have known him for 16 years. He has crossed friendship lines and become like my brother. Don't be afraid of what you'll lose. I know it sounds cheesy, but there is so much you will gain. Some of my closest friends I gained in college. Most of my high school friends dissipated into a once every couple years sighting. But, the core friends are still there. I have two friends from my childhood that I keep up with and make extra efforts to see on a regular basis. Recognizing fear is one thing, but giving into it so that it keeps you from doing something you will most likely regret in the future is something to avoid at all costs (pun intended).

I don;t care who tells you what GO TO PRATT!

PM if you want the whys and wherefores

if the whys will convince my parents then sure.

i don't need the convincing.

You're the only one who has to live with the choice, so if you're convinced, go. Even if your folks say no. You'll be 18 by the time school starts.

pratt just sent me a financial aid email and from them, in grants i got a total of 18,670 dollars. with loans i got full tuition.. my parents are paying 13,000 of my tuition so that puts me up to 31,670 which means i have roughly 10,000 to pay off per year myself.

i think that's really awesome.
for some reason though, today when i drove through richmond it felt right to me. being in richmond, i mean..
but new york is really pulling me.

My advice is visit again.

Then do what feels right.

again? i've never been in the first place. i kind of like the idea of not ever visiting and seeing it in all of its glory (or not) the day i move.

Yeah, New York City features a lot of glory-holes; what's your point?

as cool as that sounds c.p. its really not a good idea.

The campus is in a pretty cool area, and if you're awake on sunday morning, hit up mike's diner on the corner by the campus...they have a chicken and waffles special that is fanfucking tastic.

everytime I visit, you will find me in there, trying to recover from saturday night. its a tradition since my friend lives right around the corner from the pratt campus.

A romantic notion. I did the same thing with school when I went to Cleveland, it was kind of a last minute decision, but they offered me stupid money and it got me away from my family, so I went for it. I ended up falling in love with Cleveland, but at first it was a shock, and not a good one.

In theory, it's not a sound idea, but in practice, i'm guessing it would work better with NYC than Cleveland.

If you don't go there, where will it be?

well i don't eat chicken, but i like waffles.