Moore College of Art and Design (MCAD)

Moore is all about giving women in the arts the technical skill and empowerment to lead and succeed in their professional careers, students here say. "The small size of the school" and "the all-women experience" are a big draw, as are "great employment opportunities through the very active career center." While some students say "academic teachers can be hit-or-miss," students almost unanimously agree their "studio teachers are out of this world." These "real artists" facilitate "hands-on learning," and "go out of their way to write recommendations [and] help find jobs," and "are truly there because they love to teach and enjoy their students." Students warn, however, "The work is hard and if you don't keep up, it's even harder to pull yourself out of the hole." Opinion of the administration is mixed: "We need a better food service, more studios, nicer classrooms," a piqued sophomore declares. A more even-handed student avers: "When it comes to individual problems or concerns, they are usually very helpful."

The group of women who make up Moore's student body is so diverse for such a small community that I could never pinpoint a stereotypical Moore girl, a sophomore writes. "Each girl is very unique in personality and creativity." Students tell us there are "many different cultures and sexual orientations represented" on campus. While some say "you can tell the design students from the art students," "most art students dress down to go to class and are ready to get dirty and work into their art," while "the design students usually dress up to go to class and are a bit more trendy and appearance-conscious"-students across the board agree "it's an art school, we are all atypical." What's the quality that binds Moore students? "They are up for the challenge," a senior writes. A freshman adds, "We are all a little wacky, especially around finals and big project times."

Don't plan on having much of a life during the school year, Moore students warn. Schoolwork looms large in their lives to the point that one has "nightmares about school and unfinished projects." Less-stressed students take a more organic view of their course load. "The work is diverse and challenging," a 3-D design major writes. "Every day I am opening up my creative self and finding out where it is I want to be in the art world." When students don't have homework, which, they caution, is not often, they "do lots of things. They go out and drink, go to open galleries, go to parties, draw on sidewalks with chalk, and just hang out." There are also "plenty of leisure activities organized by the administration or other students, such as movie nights, relaxation therapy nights (usually toward finals time), trips out and around the Philadelphia area, [and] shopping trips."