School of the Art Institute of Chicago Reviews

21 reviews

At SAIC, they offer one of the best architecture education in my experience. The professors are exceptionally professional and knowledgeable, with real-time professional experience, some even having been worked with beknown architects around the globe, and receiving first hand education from such professionals is a privilege. Its not just that the school offers excellence in Architecture education, its the fact that it brings the mix of art into it, having art theory classes as part of curriculum, and other opportunities to indulge in Art, art related to technology, and hands-on material classes like object designing, is such an influential addition to the educational background for any student who goes to SAIC. I personally feel extremely honored and grateful to be a part of the SAIC Institution.

The downtown Chicago location is a perfect setting for art students

You will be amazed by the broad range of people, backgrounds, and interests that all come together in this art school. From the first moment I walked through the studios I understood why this place has won the reputation for being the most influential art school in the U.S.

Review School of the Art Institute of Chicago

The school's programs are rigorous and pushes students to dive full speed into the materials and engage with their peers in critical dialog. This program pushes the bounds of what can be possible in the arts and the intersection of art and life.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has given me access to learn from experts in the field who encourage open and critical discussions, enhancing cerebral and important conversations about the arts and how art affects life.

I am in the Low-Residency Masters program, so I am on campus for six weeks of intensive course work and then the rest of the time is online and virtual classes. This program is a smaller group that gets selected, and is great for professional or mid-career artists. The courses can be catered to your specific interest and you have a lot more autonomy of course work, however the foundational course work is laid out as well. The visiting artists that get to work with you and provide feedback into your practice was a huge when in this program for me. As well you get a mentor assigned to work with you throughout the process.

This school has been very supportive and took time to cultivate communication and best practices for success amongst students. The many virtual meetings and recordings throughout the process of applying to this school was also above and beyond. From how to apply and how you should put your portfolio together to how informative meet and greet sessions with plenty of productive Q&A sessions. The amount of pride put into the courses is outstanding, and the list of visiting artists is one of the reasons this school really stood out to me. So far experience is above average.

The instructors have pushed my thoughts and critical skills in ways I couldn’t have imagined and I am grateful for all the work they’ve done, despite the pandemic. Even online, the learning is great.

4/5 stars due to the administrations lack of empathy and imagination on ways to reimburse or compensate for the priceless campus experience that art schools are know to incubate.

Every artist-instructor has been amazing in so many ways! They live what they are teaching and don’t expect you to do anything that they would not do or have not done themselves.

The tuition is insane and the facilities (woodshops, ceramics studios, metal labs) are always way too full so it is hard to get access. It is run like a business, they just want to make money off of students and do not provide them with an education worth the price of tuition. The external partnerships were the only reason I was interested in the school but they were only available if you applied for them separately.
I do not recommend this school to anyone who has to pay for their tuition on their own. This school is meant for rich kids whose parents are footing the bill for them to play around in art school and then go work for their parents or parent's friends. It does not prepare it's graduates at all for a career in the real world. Academia is the only route for you after graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. If you want to be robbed of your future with nothing to show for it this is a great place to study. They are money hungry and I do not recommend this

The academics were interesting but were unusable in the job market. The assignments were thought provoking but none of them were helpful in building a portfolio to seek employment after graduating. The critiques were also unhelpful because the class sizes are too large to give each student the amount of feedback necessary to be helpful. The programs are not difficult at all every class is pass fail. You do not even have to show up to class to pass. This lack of accountability makes the degrees from this school worth nothing. It only depends on if you want to put in the work because everyone is getting a diploma. You basically buy your degree from this school. There are a few professors who care and try to provide an education for their students but the majority are phoning it in and are completely unorganized. Please do not waste your time or money on this place. It is not worth it and all of the professors are just focused on themselves and getting ahead and not on the quality of the

Great variety of programs of concentration. Classes are usually long between 3-6 hours and no letter grade system, these make the school very different from other art schools out there. One major con is limited studio access unless you are in a studio-based program.

Great community to build professional connection, right in the heart of the Chicago art scene. Great learning resources with the museum on campus as free access to all museums in the city. Great variety of programs of concentration. Inclusive and diverse student population.

Get environment for learning and collaboration. Chicago is a great city to be in for studying art. There is plenty to do and see. Great places to eat. Just be careful in certain parts of the city.

Professors really know what they teach. They are knowledgeable and passionate about the work that they do. They are always looking for the chance to include their students into their work.

Okay I love this school but when it comes to financial aid they don't know what they're doing in that office you have to double-check the number is a lot and see why they're over charging you with things they tend to overcharge and not have a reason for it and give you the run-around honestly if it wasn't for that then the school be really good that they need to get their financial aid in advising together

It's alright. I wish I would have done more research before choosing this school as a graduate school. I am lucky to have met new people in the art scene, but the lack of empathy is really alarming.

Review School of the Art Institute of Chicago

I really appreciate the multidisciplinary environment that they foster, It creates an inclusive atmosphere that really benefits all involved.

There is a wealth of knowledge and incredible access to processes and machinery to help get started on your art/design journey. I also find it incredibly well located, in the heart of Chicago's Loop, meaning that there is nothing that you need that you can not find close by.

SAIC is an awesome school for visual arts. I enjoy the visiting artist component of the school. This is where professional artist present to students their works and experiences in the art world.

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