By Sallie Huntting
Vice President
International Outreach and Development
Academy of Art College

Around the world, the United States is recognized as a highly desirable place to study for international students. This reputation stems from the quality of US institutions and curricula, as well as from reasons as diverse as American political freedom, and the attractiveness of our Hollywood image.

The art colleges of the United States share this enviable position. They are known as leaders in many disciplines, including multimedia.

Accordingly, international student enrollment is increasing in the US This growth can not only be seen in student enrollment, but also in the proportion of international students in total student enrollment.

Since art college programs differ from traditional associate, bachelor and master degree programs, the considerations for selecting an art college will differ somewhat from those for selecting a more general institution. Keeping the following criteria in mind will help parents and students select the art college in the US that is right for their needs.

Meeting the students needs

The first step in selecting the right art college is to have the parents sit down with the student and discuss their needs. This is a critical issue that will vary from individual to individual.

The discussion should include: (1) the reputation of the school; (2) quality of the school's classes and instruction; (3) the majors and degrees offered by the school; (4) the school's job placement capability; (5) the community environment in which the school is located; and (6) the special support programs the school provides for international students.

Reputation of the college

There is an old saying that a reputation precedes that which follows. This is reflected in the strong bearing an art institution's reputation has on how the market place accepts and promotes its graduates.

Parents and students will place different emphasis on the elements that make up a college's reputation. Certainly, parents want the best for their children, so they may consider safety and housing opportunities among the most important factors for them.

Students, on the other hand, may feel that a school's reputation for quality programming, for having state-of-the-art special education tools (e.g. advanced graphic arts computers), for providing early access to courses in their major, and for having good social growth and expression opportunities in its student body and community are more important.

Quality of classes, instructors, and instruction

Another very important consideration in selecting an art college is the quality and availability of its classes, its instructors and its overall standard of instruction.

Students and parents should check the catalogs of prospective art schools for the curriculum that they are interested in. In addition, class sizes and the student/faculty ratio are important factors to consider.

Smaller class sizes and student/faculty ratios reflect a better chance for each student to receive personal attention from his or her instructor. Student academic success had been shown to be directly correlated with these factors. The quality of an institution's courses will be reflected by its accreditation standing as well as its job placement level.

The quality of the instructors at an institution is another consideration altogether. Today, art school instructors may be professionals who actively work in the disciplines they teach about.

This can be very beneficial, as these professionals are often the ones who make "state-of-the-art" contributions to the artistic and business communities. They bring real life experience and visions for the future to the academic environs.

It should be remembered, however, that the quality of instruction may be different from the caliber of the instructors. Whereas the latter is subjective, the former is perceived from an objective standpoint. For example, an instructor who may be an acknowledged artist may not be able to effectively teach about art. For this reason it is helpful to talk with alumni of art colleges who have direct classroom experience with specific instructors.

The community environment

The community environment in which a school is located is a very important consideration for students. Does it lend itself to educational opportunities? Does it support the arts in cultural and employment activities? Does it have a strong artistic base to provide educational incentives to students, and to draw good instructors from? Does it have an international flavor which will help foreign students fell more comfortable?

Sue Rowley, vice president of education for the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, California, recommends that you look for an art college in a city that is culturally diverse, and that welcomes visitors and students from other countries. She also suggests that ESL support is extremely important if the institution's classes are taught in English.

Special support programs for international students

International students who lack English proficiency should confine their search to only those art colleges which meet their language needs.

English as a Second Language (ESL) programs and classes that allow students to study art and design while simultaneously studying English are invaluable. Parents and students should also focus on art colleges which provide support programs such as writing labs, tutoring centers, multimedia language labs, conversation partner programs, mentor programs, peer support systems and class study groups.

In summary, international students planning to attend an American art college should select an institution that is language friendly, provides quality classes taught by state-of-the-art instructors, offers a variety of majors, and offers a strong probability of job placement upon graduation.