Parsons School of Design
Parsons School of Design Admission - Parsons School of Design Undergraduate Program
Parsons School of Design Application
The Facts
Parsons School of Design is a rather moderately sized, private art and design school located in the city of New York that is home to over 2,313 undergraduate students and approximately 455 graduate and part-time professional students. The school is actually part of the larger New School University that encompasses several other specialty schools in the area. Parsons is perhaps best known for its fashion design program that has turned out some of the most prolific designers of the 20th century including Donna Karan, Anna Sui, and Zac Posen. The school offers its students a multitude of preprofessional majors in various areas including fashion design, communication design, architecture, interior design, product design, illustration, fine arts, photography, design and technology, as well as integrated design. Some of the most popular degrees at Parsons include majors in fashion design, communication design, design and management, photography, and illustration.
Admission to Parsons is fiercely competitive, and most of the programs require that students submit a portfolio for artistic review, which is often followed by an in-person interview. Last year, over 1,630 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 690 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 300 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming Fall semester. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 990 to 1280, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 24 to 30. Additionally, over 51% of those admitted were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.1.
Parsons has a terrific student to faculty ratio of 10:1, and most of the classes are held in small hands-on settings. The professors are often leading professionals in their respective fields, and offer students invaluable advice on the industry. Parsons students are also required to take various liberal arts classes including courses in drawing, two and three dimensional design, digital design, art history, english, and other liberal arts courses.
The Social Scene
New York City is one of the most vibrant metropolises in world, and is a perfect laboratory for design students. Manhattan offers students plenty of entertainment options, and many students take advantage of the museums, galleries, shops, restaurants, performances and parks the city has to offer. Parsons itself doesn’t have a traditional campus, however, the buildings are located in the heart of Greenwich Village, a hub of alternative and popular culture.
There are no fraternities and sororities at the school, however, students aren’t really the type anyway. Most people would rather hang out in the cities many stylish bars, clubs, and eateries, or in small groups in the various dorms. Drinking is a popular activity, but it’s no problem if you aren’t the type to party. Expect lots of liberal artist types who are more into their blossoming design careers rather than partying hard in the weekends.
The dating scene is amazingly exciting, and even better if you are a member of alternative sexualities... expect piercings and Prada alike...
What’s Good
“This is the place to be if you want to network within the vibrant New York fashion community. There are internships available at some of the most major fashion houses in the world.”
“New York is incredible, and if you ever are bored here, there is something seriously wrong with you.”
“People are really focused here, and it’s quite easy to keep your eye on the prize and work to your heart’s delight.”
What’s Bad
“People are really competitive here in a rather unhealthy way. Everyone seems to be fighting to be at the top.”
“The housing is few and far between, and off campus housing throughout the city is really really expensive.”
“The liberal arts program here isn’t the best, and you don’t really have time to focus on those classes anyway.”
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