So, lately I've been noticing the difference between schools.
There's good and bad schools. And this comes on so many levels but it amazes me how many schools are so quick to treat education like a business, yet are so unwilling to extend the basic courtesies that accompany a business.
As I'd mentioned before, when I was at School of the Art Institute for the tour, the tour guides weren't even informed on what sort of facilities there were, let alone being able to show us said facilities. When meeting with an admissions counselor, I had to wait twenty minutes for a meeting that took fifteen minutes, and would have ended earlier if I hadn't been insisting on asking a lot of probing questions. (Many of which she also could not answer.) There was a general lack of concern for the issues presented and virtually no attempt was made to address the concerns of those attending the tour.
Now, this school cost $25,000 a year, which would come out to at least $100,000 for college education if,in fact, you finish in four years. (Which many students these days do not.) Rob said it best "If I had a client that was going to potentially drop $100,000 over the next four years, I would do everything I could to make sure they go with me and not someone else. I would never provide that level of service and expect to get their business."
Yet so many schools do, and it's absolutely insane. Schools will argue, as tuitions rise and quality of educations drop, that they are not philanthropists and that education is a business. Okay, let's say I buy that for a moment. I have ethical problems with this mindset but let's just say for one moment that I buy this mindset. Well, if school is in fact a business, then shouldn't the school be providing a certain level of customer service? Shouldn't they be showing you the facilities you will be using, telling you the placement rate of the program you want to enroll in, and spending time to explain why this investment is better than the investment down the street? Show me one car dealer that would expect you to buy a vehicle and tell you that you couldn't take a test drive because it was a "bad time", show me one real estate representative that would try to sell you a house and when you asked about the neighborhood say "Oh, I don't know, but I'm sure it's fine" and expect you to be satisfied with that?
And let's get into information requests. This is a very basic thing. If you were to spend $50,000 to 125,000 on anything else, you would expect a prompt response to requests for information. However, I have received an appalling lack of response to my requests for information from colleges. At the start of my search, when we realized we weren't going to stay in western Michigan and I wouldn't be transferring to Kendall, I sent for information from school of the art institute, UM Dearborn, UM Ann Arbor, Center for Creative Studies,Northeastern University, Illinois Institute of Art, Fashion Institute of Technology, School of Visual Arts, Parsons School of Design, New York University, Pratt, Moore College of Art, Drexel and University of Arts.
Of these schools, the only ones to get back to me were: UM Dearborn, Center
for Creative Studies, Illinois Institute of Art, Fashion Institute of
Technology and Moore College of Art. So only about 1/3 have responded.
And then, the most appalling of the response, is Pratt. I tried to call Pratt to schedule a tour for when I'm in New
York. I sat on hold for awhile, then got tossed into voice mail. I left a
message stating I wanted to tour while I was in New York, gave the dates I
would be in New York and left a number asking to be called back. They never
called me back. I followed up with an email, stating that I had left a
message but it was never returned, and again told them when I'd be there and
please let me know if it would be possible to schedule a tour while there.
That also was left unanswered. Suffice to say, I am no longer interested in
Pratt.
Now, I fully realize that Pratt isn't hurting for applicants. They only accept about 20% of their applicants, and to a certain extent can afford to have a bad attitude. But, for allthey know, I could turn out to be the most brilliant artist of the decade. They could see my work and give me a full scholarship. But they'll never know, because their complete lack of responsiveness has completely turned me off. As the saying goes "that's just bad business".
There's no escaping that schools consider themselves a business to a large extent. It's a sick thing, it's wrong, and is a bastardization of education, but it's a fact. Student loans are given to us as an investment, not much different than the reason why banks give home loans. Schools are more and more keeping the eye on the bottom dollar. Well, what can we do about it? Simple. Treat college choices like a business deal. What? You say you're an artist and no good at business and practical matters? Well, if you can make a sound business choice in where you get your education you'll already have a major edge for when you try to get your dream job.
So what should you look for? Well, like with any business deal, you should look for the right balance of customer service, impressive statistics and charisma. Customer service, meaning they respond to your requests in a timely manner and seem willing to take the time to answer all your questions. Impressive statistics: placement rates, a solid internship program, typical loan default rate and average financial aid award. Look for grants and scholarships within the school. (Successful alumni who are happy with the education they received will often set up funds to make sure others can attend the school. Businesses that know a school produces the best graduates will often set up grants and scholarships as well.) And then, charisma: how you feel about the school, how much it impresses you, how much of a good "fit" it is. Because no matter how impressive it is on every other level, if you don't feel 100% comfortable there, you won't have a good experience.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Not only does treating college like a business investment cover your ass, and makes sure you get the most bang for your buck, but it also forces the school to give students their money's worth--because instead of relying purely on glitz and reputations which may have outlived their worth, they have to prove that the service they provide is worthwhile or risk disappearing off the map.