Why Pratt?
Internationally recognized as one of the leading professional schools of art, design, and architecture in the country, Pratt Institute offers a wide variety of majors for undergraduates in art, design, and architecture, as well as a creative writing program and a program in critical and visual studies in our School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. At the graduate level, Pratt has long been recognized for the strength of its art, design, architecture, and information and library science programs. Take a minute and browse through our majors at www.pratt.edu
Pratt provides students with an outstanding professional education and a traditional residential college experience within the exciting creative environment of one of the pre-eminent art schools in the US. Pratt receives almost twice as many applications as any other art school in the country with over 5000 applications for 645 freshman spots.
Pratt students tend to know early in life that they enjoy and are good at making art, building things, or writing. Some find out later that they are "good in art" or that they write well. But almost all are certain that they want to lead a creative life working in a field they love.
Pratt's location is ideal, on a 25-acre campus with five residence halls in a residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the art center of the world, Manhattan. And although New York and Pratt may be intimidating at first, students quickly realize that this is an opportunity to learn from the best, to work alongside other students who were the best in their high school or college, and to develop their craft in an inspirational setting.
Rankings
Pratt's graduate interior design program was ranked number one in the country by both US News and DesignIntelligence. Industrial design was ranked third. Pratt's undergraduate interior design program was ranked 2nd nationally for the sixth straight year in the 2009 survey published by DesignIntelligence,a journal for professional designers. Industrial design was ranked 6th. Architecture was ranked ninth in 2008. Although US News no longer ranks undergraduate art programs in its specialty art schools section, it can be useful to check acceptance rates, 25-75th percentiles for SAT scores, retention rates, etc. as well as to see the listing of all the specialty art schools. Pratt is among the most selective schools in that list.
Top Three Reasons Students Choose Pratt
(1) A distinguished faculty of practicing artists, designers, architects, writers, and librarians, many of whom have received awards for their work and are leaders in their fields. Often it's faculty connections that land you your internship and eventually your first job whether it's directly through your instructors or through our Career Services Office. Pratt's professors are working professionals who take time off from their successful careers to teach, mentor, and help students find internships and eventually jobs. Google any professor's name at Pratt, and you'll find that he or she is at the forefront of contemporary art, design, architecture, writing, or library science. Ask students why they chose Pratt, and invariably they will say, "the faculty." The fact that Pratt is one of the largest art schools means that you get to choose from hundreds of faculty and courses. Classes are small so that you can work alongside your professors, receiving feedback on your work, advice about your strengths, and an education focused on your own interests.
(2) The professional nature of the curriculum which starts in the first year as opposed to a traditional liberal arts college where you choose your major in the third year. Because of Pratt's size, you get to choose from an extraordinary variety of majors and concentrations including majors in creative writing and critical and visual studies. Read about Pratt's programs at www.pratt.edu (Areas of Study)
(3) The Campus: Pratt is the only East Coast art school with an enclosed campus. Twenty-five acres of tree-lined bricked roadways, grassy areas, five residence halls on campus, and outstanding facilities offer students plenty of "green space" in which to work, relax, and spend time with friends.
Careers in Art and Design For useful information on life after art school, visit the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design at http://www.aicad.org/career
The contemporary sculpture garden on campus, ranked among the top 20 in the country, is a popular draw for visitors and provides students with the extraordinary opportunity to live with an ever changing display of contemporary sculpture.
