Parsons or FIT..Help

I need some advice on choosing a college. I have been accepted to Parsons, FIT,

and SVA in NYC. SVA is really out of the question for me , its very expensive

and I didn't get much AID. Parsons has offered me a scholarship for half the

tuition , which is good and FIT is a State school , and I received AID so it

will cost very little.

But what I really need to know is which school, Parsons or FIT would be the

better choice for Photography? Any help, suggestions , input would be very much

appreciated.

Thanks

Only-half-joking suggestion: if you want to be a professional photographer, pick the school with the best business program.

Alexandra, what do you want to do in the broad field of photography after college?

I'm not 100% sure yet what I want to do when I finish college. I have many interest right now. Perhaps commercial, fashion or photojournalism. I'm also very interested in Graphic design.

My passion is music, my dream, Rolling Stone..LOL

I went to visit Parsons again yesterday, I love the school but will it make a difference if I go there or FIT..will I get a better education?

I have to make a decision within a few days..this is hard.

I'm also a good student 3.7 GPA, with a few AP classes.

Please advise

Alexandra, I think the greatest potential benefit from your advanced education will come

from the variety of things you will potentially be exposed to. Parsons will offer you NYC,

which is a truly rich environment for a student. You will have access to far more useful

internships and insights into the real world of professional photography and design.

 

Keep in mind that your success after college will depend largely on your experience in the

working world, what you've learned about business realities, and your connections. I'm

taking talent for granted, because that is a basic requirement.

 

David's point about business studies is a perfectly valid one. When I was considering

Brooks Institute for grad school, a few working photographers at the stock agency I was

doing photo research for told me to take the money I would spend on Brooks and spend it

shooting and on getting a business up and running. In other words, for a self-employed

professional photographer, formal education has its limits of usefulness, whereas practical

experience and an understanding of how people successfully working in the industry have

gotten where they are is worth its weight in gold.

 

Does that make sense?

First, thank you for taking the time to answer my post. I do understand what you are saying about practical experience, I have heard this from many people, especially for photography. I know interning will be an important part of my education. Parsons has some great connections for this. Also, they have their own site for job posting and help with resume writing , portfolio, etc. As of right now , I have had no formal training, so I need to learn from scratch. My Mom is an artist and she has helped me creatively, helping me see things I wouldn't normally see, or create. I'd like for you to look at some of my work, this is the link

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/swaggerr/. A professional opinion would be greatly appreciated.

 

I know F.I.T. is also a good school but I'm not sure their photography program is as good as Parson's. FIT was just about free, it tempted me...that's why I needed some help deciding. I live in NYC, so I am lucky in that respect, it is a wealth of opportunity. Thank you again for your help and please look at my portfolio page, any comments (even bad ones) would be greatly appreciated.

Alexandra

You see well Alexandra. I don't doubt for a moment that you will be successful if you work

on the business side of things.

Well, I just finished my first week at Parson's and so far I love it.

The equipment and books have left me poor and I felt a little intimidated in my Freshman Seminar class, since I am mainly a digital photographer and we are using a manual 35mm. My lack of knowledge in terminology made me squirm in my seat. We were sent out to photograph the streets of NYC for 2 hours, this I can do ! I find the student body a bit pretentious , perhaps trying to hard to look like they just walked out of vogue. But that's ok, I'm focused on my work and am ready to learn. Do I have to be a social butterfly?

Any good tips on discount Photo equipment/books would be appreciated.

And thank you Justin, sorry for such a late response but the past few months have been like the whirl wind of a tornado and has left me with dust in my eyes!!!

Hi Alexandra. I know you asked your question last year so you have attended Parsons for a year. So if you wouldnt mind I have a question for you. I have applied for Parsons and FIT and have gotten accepted to both. I will be a transfer student so I will be starting as a sophmore. Im leaning toward Parsons but I just want to make sure its worth it because it is very expensive compared to FIT. Are you happy with your choice to attend Parsons or do you think you could have saved money and gotten the same education at FIT?