Massachusetts College of Art and Design
“She looks like a fibers major.”
PROSPECTIVE STUDENT:
Jay-Z
Architecture
Graduated from high school in 2011 and took a gap year to “just travel and make art”. Our tour guide was so into this: apparently taking time off from school to make art is a common MassArt experience.
THE REVIEW:
First Impressions:
Location - 10
After a strong showing at BC, we soon slipped back into our old pattern of running late for tours. Because MassArt is on the E Line, aka the line that never shows up, even though we left the Back Bay office with just enough time to spare, we were still a few minutes late. Fortunately, the admissions office was very easy to find from the T, as MassArt is just opposite the platform. Additionally, we only missed a few minutes of the info session, which (surprisingly enough) is very boring if you’re not actually planning on applying: how did our parents sit through that without going crazy?
Lobby Appearance - 10
The MassArt lobby looked like an elementary school in the best possible way. It was comfortable, cozy, and supportive: the perfect environment to be told that the art world is very harsh and unaccepting. We were taken to another room for the info session, where the large group was divided in half and taken on two different tours.
Tour Guide:
Andrew, a senior printmaking and art history major.
Personality - 8
Andrew was outgoing and fun. He seemed like the quintessential MassArt student: creative, quirky, and cool. That being said, he struggled with taking control of the group when necessary.
Appearance - 7
Andrew was wearing a bright orange v-neck with an admissions nametag, dark shorts, and a pair of classic Adidas. We liked that we could see his tattoos: not only were they pretty cool, but they also showed off his personality. On the hotness scale, Andrew received a 7.
Ability to answer questions - 8
Andrew was a little uncertain when it came to answering questions (especially about the meal plan), but he did a great job overall.
Ability to relate - 10
Andrew made a point of asking everyone what they wanted to major in and then taking us to those facilities. He spoke to most of the tour members while walking in between locations and shared his personal experiences with the school. And like we said earlier, he totally believed Jay-Z’s story and even shared a similar anecdote about someone he was friends with.
Tour:
Informative (1) vs Entertainment (10) - 5
Once again, we found the perfect balance of information and fun. Andrew even said that he knows what the “cool things” are on campus and makes a point of taking tours there: like the glassblowing studio. He told us everything we needed to know about MassArt, the application process, and life on campus.
Quality/Quantity of free stuff - 7
We got a cute accordion-style book about preparing your portfolio, a large book of information, and even a sticker. We also got a bottle of water at the start of the tour, as it was a hot day.
Quality of literature provided - 10
As befitting an art school, MassArt’s literature was amazing. Not only did we learn about the programs of study, we also got to take a look at various student and alumni experiences at the college. It even turned out that Andrew was one of the featured students in the book. “If you visit campus, you might be able to ask Andrew your questions in person. He’s one of the student tour guides. And he’ll give you honest answers,” the book says. He certainly did.
Length of tour (1=too short, 10=too long) - 5
Once again, it was perfect. MassArt has a lot of facilities in a small space, and we managed to get to them all in an hour. However, Andrew told us that we were allowed to leave once we’d visited the area of our interest. We started with about eight or nine groups, but by the end of the tour it was just us and Andrew. This did give us a great chance for some one-on-one at the end, though.
Quality of tour content - 9
Andrew knew about every single major. He took us to the main space for each major and told us about the program of study. We saw everything from the loom room to the architecture studio to the metal shop to the glassblowing studio. We also got to see inside several MassArt dorms, including the brand new tower that will open in the fall. Andrew took us to the top floor of the new dorm and used this opportunity to show off MassArt’s great location by pointing out all the museums, colleges, and attractions in the area.
Miscellaneous:
Was there Dr. Pepper? 10
Was there a sitcom TV set in the library? 0
Font choice/use? 10 - MassArt is known for their graphic design program, after all.
Favorite tour member? Let’s be real: most of the people on this tour were pretty great. First of all, there was the transfer student who learned (while on the tour) that she does not have housing for September. VDB stepped in and told her and her mom how to use ProArts Connect to find a roommate (thanks, Emerson). Next, the semi-British dad who made a lot of strange jokes that were somehow hilarious. Finally: the bored friend who was listening to her iPod for the entire tour and yelled on the phone in the film studio.
Honorary mention goes to our friend and recent Emerson grad Jeff Eichert, who now attends MassArt for his masters in architecture and was spending the day in the studio.
Last, but certainly not least, we spotted the infamous Wentworth tour guide Kevin Binder on his way to work at the admissions office on the campus next door.
Meal Plan Breakdown:
Students who live on campus get a set amount of dollars per semester that can be used at both MassArt and Wentworth dining halls, as well as the awesome C-Store.
Seriously, this C-Store was awesome. And apparently it’s for all the Colleges of the Fenway. We wish this had been addressed on some of our other tours.
An example of the furniture in the newest MassArt dorm. We love it!
Spotted in this picture (from left to right): Girl Suddenly Without Housing, Her Mother, and Semi-British Dad. This was shortly after they had learned that submitting the housing deposit that day did not, in fact, mean that housing would be available on campus. It’s a good thing VDB saved the day with ProArts Connect! (Speaking of VDB, she loved this girl’s purse and would totally like it for her birthday, hint hint.)
VDB was also really into this pink pool table.
Okay, the view from the top of the new MassArt dorm is pretty awesome. You can even see VDB’s apartment from here!
Friend of Rate My College Tour Jeff Eichert hard at work in the studio. Look at that posture: he’s a born architect!
Can we get a loom room at Emerson? It was so relaxing. We could have hung out here for days.
The infamous glassblowing studio is one of the last stops on the tour. We wish more people would have stuck around to see it, since it’s pretty awesome (even when no one is using it).
OVERALL MASSART EXPERIENCE - 8
This tour was great. We would have rated it a little higher if it hadn’t been quite so open-ended. That being said, we may end up transferring here for real. It’s a good thing we can take elective credits here through the ProArts Consortium!
If you want to know actual information about possibly attending MassArt, head over to StudentAdvisor.com to find out if this is the right school for you.
