About Me

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Intro

I don't go for that traditional college/university stuff. In fact, I don't even like the word 'college' or 'university.' I'm an art school, okay? A fine arts school. One of the top fine arts schools in the country, in fact.

Ever heard of the Art Institute of Chicago (also known as one of the best art museums in the world)? It's full of priceless works of art by the best artists in history. Well, I'm the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The Art Institute is part of my campus. I happen to have the largest school-museum campus in the United States. I can be little bit intimidating, I know.

When you think of college, do you picture ivy-covered, Greek-style buildings clustered together? Students hanging out in the quad, insulated from the nonacademic world?

Yeah, I'm not like that. So if that's what you were looking for…womp womp.

My campus buildings are scattered throughout downtown Chicago. They're surrounded by elevated subway trains, skyscrapers, and Millennium Park, which is famous for its public art installations. Like I said, I'm different, and I'm for people who are a little different themselves.

You can probably guess that my students are fairly nontraditional. Official areas of study can be anything from art history to architecture to visual arts. But don't be surprised to walk in on a class where students are turning wool into felt and sculpting it into a feltasaurus rex. People don't come to me just to earn a degree and get a job. They come to me to be inspired.

Name

Artie the Lion

Hometown

My hometown has been called The Windy City, The Second City, the City of Big Shoulders, Chi-Town, and…oh yeah—also Chicago. It's mostly called Chicago. My neighborhood is the Loop, a.k.a. across the street from Millennium Park, within walking distance of Lake Michigan, and far enough away from the Magnificent Mile that you won't feel too gross.

Birthdate

1866

Body Type

I like to stay slim—I accept only the cream of the crop. Every year I have about 3,500 undergrads and 700 or so grad students. I'm like a tiny, arty town plopped down right in the middle of a big city.

Current Living Situation

First-years don't have to live on campus, but most do. You really can't beat living in downtown Chicago and minutes away from all your class buildings at the same time. Plus, living in the dorms means you'll have a chance to meet more of my incredibly international and eclectic group of students. My dorm rooms feel a lot more like apartments than your standard residence halls. You'll get a kitchenette, and your own private bathroom. Booyah.

Of course, a lot of my upperclassmen and most of my graduate students live off-campus, usually in one of the nearby North/Central neighborhoods, like the West Loop, Ukrainian Village, Logan Square, or Wicker Park. (The more hipster the neighborhood, the better.) Thankfully, the CTA's L train makes it easy to get around the city. The train should get you to me pretty quickly, no matter where you are.

Relationship Status

I'm pretty much in constant competition with the top arts schools on the East Coast—Yale and RISD. As far as the rest of the country is concerned, I hate to brag, no one even comes close. Sure, there are other art schools, but none are as prestigious or cutting-edge as I am.

Politics

Hello? Art school? Yeah, basically the definition of liberal. Then again, I do have my fair share of anarchists…

You should apply to me if...

traditional college just isn't for you, you live and breathe fine arts, and the idea of living in downtown Chicago thrills instead of terrifies you. Oh, and having a whole mess of artistic talent helps, too.

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