College question?

[SeeIn2D]

This is a very specific question so I'm not really expecting anyone to have a really clear idea about an answer but I'm hoping someone will lol. Basically I'm applying to Penn State's digital art program from out of state. I know this school is extremely competitive, but I also know that they have a specific population quota they have to meet of out of state students, and digital art is still a fairly new market so I'm assuming that it can't be THAT competitive to get into. Does anyone have any idea of the acceptance rate of this school for out of state students? If not then how difficult is it to get into any out of state school generally? Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Hungry Donner]

If not then how difficult is it to get into any out of state school generally? Any help would be appreciated!

If they don't have these statistics on their website I'd suggest stopping by a library or bookstore and thumbing through a college guide, you may be able to get this information there. If not you'll probably have to call them.

As for accepting out-of-state students, this is sort of an interesting situation for a state university. On one hand their purpose is to serve in-state students, on the other hand out-of-state students have to pay more. I went to Binghamton University (part of the SUNY system) for grad school and Bingo actively courts out-of-state students, I'd argue to the point of being a detriment, and this is coming from someone who applied as a NH resident. Most state universities, from my understanding, aren't so gung ho as Bingo but I imagine it's a common slant for the larger ones to take - they're the ones with sufficient name recognition to attract a lot of out-of-state applicants, and it's hard to say no to more money.

But all of this being said, unless you are looking at a very competitive program (and it appears you aren't) it's unlikely this issue will have much weight. While bureaucracy can be problematic with college admissions a strong application will still have more weight than your residence.

 

[Erana]

digital art is still a fairly new market so I'm assuming that it can't be THAT competitive to get into.

If you're interested in an artistic field, please, for the love of God, know what you're getting yourself into, because it is never easy.

That being said, I take it you're going to get your Bachelor's? You've got plenty of time to explore your interests. Take classes in every subject! I know far too many people who went years one one path, only to discover a real passion in senior year.

I'm not saying, "Don't do art," outright, but it is honestly something I cannot in good conscience recommend without making sure that you are well aware of the risks of and have done plenty of experimentation in other education so as to not miss something else that you don't miss on what could make you even happier.

 

[Harkonnen64]

A lot of the competitive colleges (short of the ivy leagues) have an admission rate of 10% of their total applicants.

 

[DevilWithaHalo]

I know this school is extremely competitive, but I also know that they have a specific population quota they have to meet of out of state students, and digital art is still a fairly new market so I'm assuming that it can't be THAT competitive to get into.

Err... considering you haven't specified what type of digital art you are going to specialize in, I will say that yes, it is *THAT* competitive. Average work at my school is awarded with C's. The higher you go, the more demanding the requirements get and stricter the grading. Must be why there's only a 35% grad rate. And if you're a C student, don't expect a great deal of oppertunities when you get out.

Like other posters have said, it's not a matter of scaring you off; it's a matter of going into something with realistic expectations. You can't go into a highly competative field thinking it's going to be a breeze because you think you're a good artist. You're going to get a harsh wake up call.

 

[aba1]

digital art is still a fairly new market so I'm assuming that it can't be THAT competitive to get into.

If you're interested in an artistic field, please, for the love of God, know what you're getting yourself into, because it is never easy.

That being said, I take it you're going to get your Bachelor's? You've got plenty of time to explore your interests. Take classes in every subject! I know far too many people who went years one one path, only to discover a real passion in senior year.

I'm not saying, "Don't do art," outright, but it is honestly something I cannot in good conscience recommend without making sure that you are well aware of the risks of and have done plenty of experimentation in other education so as to not miss something else that you don't miss on what could make you even happier.

I really have to agree its somthing you either go full out on or you don't. Litterally I spend 6 hours a day or more working while school is going and then on holidays I have to do projects on the side to help build up my skills and portfolio I don't recomend it if you dont already have experiance.