Overview of California Institute of the Arts

CalArts has a vibe that no other school has. Everyone is friendly, helpful, talented, and not afraid to be who they are. There's no trashing new-coming students and there are no sororities or fraternities. Meeting new people and making new friends is not difficult, especially with art galleries and parties happening every Thursday night. We also have many events to allow new-coming students to make friends. (My first year, the first years and transfer students were invited to go on a trip to Santa Monica together on a bus.) Not only do you get to meet people, but you get to enjoy creative art in so many different aspects. You come across some strange things that inspire and also arouse different emotions from looking at art, listening to music, to observing dance performances. But you have to prepare yourself because this is a VERY liberal school--no one is afraid of being naked (the Chouinard dorms have a clothing-optional swimming pool, and there are people swimming or tanning naked there. We also have a Naked Gamelon. You'll find out what they are when you arrive ;) ) The parties are outrageous; our Halloween party is the craziest. I've heard that it's been ranked by Playboy to be one of the top 10 parties in America. Also, as I have mentioned before, not only is the social life here great, but the education is awesome. You learn from both your professor and your peers. Everyone is very supportive and encouraging. You also have to keep in mind that this school is relatively small compared to other universities (CalArts acceptance rate is 31%; it's relatively low.), but I think that it's an advantage because you receive more concentrated attention and critique in your work and you develop a close relationship with your professors. (Graphic designers have barbeques together and invite teachers and we all mingle and drink. It's really awesome.) The average class size is around 14 people. In my year, I had 17 other first year Graphic Designers, which were a lot compared to the other years. The graduating Graphic Design class of 2011 was only 8 people. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but it's a tough school. There are drop outs every year. The professors don't even get paid as much as other professors at different universities, but they work here because they are really dedicated in teaching their students and helping them to grow. I can't imagine being at any other school!

I enjoy being in California. I think I will enjoy attending this university I look forward to learning animations and earning my Bachelor's in that field.

I love being at CalArts. It is a balance that everyone needs to achieve when coming into the school. So much of the culture is networking, collaborating, however also living life for the moment. If you come into CalArts with an open mind for life, love, and challenge then you will soar.