The Savannah College of Art and Design

Social:
Savannah is a beautiful city (yes, city...about 150,000 people live here). However, many restaurants and stores close insanely early (some at 6PM). Not only does this hinder the social aspect of Savannah, it can be hard if you have classes and NEED to get something. Unless you are 21 or older, there is not much to do on weeknights. Yes, there are house parties, but you will mostly likely spend the night driving (or walking) to different houses because some are quite lame. But remember, Savannah is extremely dangerous to walk around at night, even with friends, and most off campus houses are anywhere from 15 mins to 40 mins away by walk. The clubs and social organizations are decent. There are clubs for each major, and limited clubs that branch outside the majors.

The Students:
Oh how I underestimated the artists ego! A majority of the students here are self absorbed and feel as they are special for being...them. Now, that is not everyone. I have a great group of friends. I believe anyone here can get a great group of friends, there is a lot of diversity among the students. It's almost like being back in high school though. You have the stoners, the dumb party girls, the horny party guys, the geeks, the rejects, the wannabes, and the jocks. It's not even funny how true these stereotypes are at SCAD. Also, smoking is a huge social scene at SCAD. However, it branches off even more into Savannah. It just seems like the whole city smokes.

Academics:
The academics are okay in my opinion. Nothing I ever wrote home about. Most of the material I was taught, I either learned by teaching myself or already knew. The teachers, for the most part, are helpful and friendly. There are always the bad ones though, in every school. I had limited art experience and I would say I was not challenged. When you pay around $3,000 per class, I kind of expect to be challenged. Be wary that you'll most likely be creating art, and it is a very subjective matter. I know I spent hours and money creating the best project I could and some people spent 2 hours before the class and they got a letter grade higher than me. The teacher just liked their concept better, again, subjective.

Is It Worth It?
With SCAD, you pay for the name. Now, apparently SCAD's reputation is amazing, I am doubtful though. Seeing how it is run from within the school it is actually unimpressive. And I find many students moving back home after college and waiting tables for a couple months before their degree is put to good use. Let me say, the food does suck and the service is horrible. I cannot order a sub that it actually made correctly. Your ID is your life, if you lose it you cannot go into the dorms or any of the buildings/busses (except York Hall where you pay $35 for a new one). Also, you need a sticker on that ID, you get a new one each quarter. If you don't, you're stuck in the same situation.

The President:
One of the highest paid College Presidents (she gets paid more than the Harvard President!). A lot of scandal surrounds her. She won the college in a divorce settlement and the news around here is that she has been using SCAD money to pay for the construction of her new Chateau (she calls those who work on it "SCAD construction workers). Overall, I am glad I am leaving SCAD. I met great friends and loved the city of Savannah. I will not miss the artists egos however and especially not the housing (did I mention the lack of security here? I really don't feel safe on campus) or food.