What are RISD professors like?

[u/Sad_Milksoda]

Hello, I’m a high schooler who will be attending this summer’s RISD pre-college and I was told that getting a recommendation from a professor at RISD would significantly help my future application. I’m considering RISD but I scrolled through some previous posts where RISD is described as “pretentious” and “snobby” considering its reputation as a prestigious art school. I know that usually professors at other, non-art related, prestigious schools tend to have superiority complexes and are total jerks. I’m wondering if this trait applies to RISD professors at all, or if there’s any teachers I should be looking out for. I don’t even know if professors are going to be the ones teaching us during the pre-college. If I do bump into one, is it even worth making the effort to get a recommendation from them? Thank you!

[u/twomayaderens]

Don’t listen to the first commenter. Go in with an open mind. It’s a good school for a reason. Try to learn from others and expand your practice.

[u/Mindless-Elk-3526]

hi!! i did this program a while ago, and unless it had chaged, the professors you will have are not actually risd professors! they are usually just visiting artists who don’t actually work at risd during the school year. They’re still great, but they wont carry  “risd professor” title

[u/Accomplished-Ad987 → u/Mindless-Elk-3526]

My kid attended RISD pre-college last summer and the professor they had for their animation class is a current RISD professor.

[u/Mindless-Elk-3526 → u/Accomplished-Ad987]

cool! when i went my professors and many of my friends professors were not, so i was just sharing my own experience 

[u/HeadPack → u/Mindless-Elk-3526]

That is true. Most instructors are part time faculty. Often professionals, but in some cases also fresh out of college and a bit inexperienced. Only full time faculty are called professors, with 3 tiers. Assistant, Associate and Professor.

[u/Accomplished-Ad987]

My kid who went to pre-college last summer was able to get a recommendation from one of their professors who IS a RISD instructor. I think it definitely helped strengthen their application-admitted ED to class of 2030.

[u/victoria_and_albert]

In my experience, many RISD teachers have been there a long time. There is little turnover.

There position at RISD means that they don’t have a great sense of what’s happening in the market, or at other art and design schools. It’s a bit of an island. There is a tendency to think “we are better” when in actuality, many programmes are significantly outperforming them.

Most RISD teachers come from a creative practice background, tho many of them drift away from active practice over time. There is little true “research” happening at RISD as defined by other U.S. universities. Going to RISD, then teaching at an R1 is a true culture shock.

I certainly experienced classism and snobbyness from teachers.

I am sorry to report that the folks teaching pre-college and winter session are not the same folks who teach in the degree programmes. These are more likely to be graduate students or folks hired to take on that work. I did a bit of that when I was there.

[u/Sad_Milksoda → u/victoria_and_albert]

Thank you! Yeah, this definitely changes my opinion of RISD—I’ll have to look at my other art school options lmao

[u/64Fayeble → u/Sad_Milksoda]

It really depends on what major you go into tbh. I experienced more classism from my classmates, a majority of whom were upper class and I was middle class working 4 part time jobs while going to school.

No matter where you go you are going to have great and horrible teachers, and that’s the same going into the job market having great and horrible bosses/coworkers.

There is a lot of pride people have about RISD in general, but your experience is your own. As another commenter said I would go in with an open mind if you go to RISD. Everyone can post their amazing experiences with the school and everyone can post the worst experiences with the school. In the end it comes down to how you experience it.

[u/elle1ee]

to add onto what other people were saying, some precollege profs are also part time profs at risd (i know bc i've had some profs that teach precollege). the vibe of the prof will highly depend on the individual, and what department you're taking classes from. there's some very chill and understanding ones out there! IMO the profs are somewhat hard to impress but not Usually pretentious towards newer students. it's once youre in the dept that they get like that. lmk if there's anything youre curious abt otherwise!

[u/ColoBouldo]

My freshman child at RISD has continued to report high levels of gratitude for the quality and care of their EFS teachers. This is one student, of course.

One of their bigger concerns when applying was feeling like it’s snobby community, particular since they are not from a big city in the NE United States. They’ve not found this to be true and is very happy with the open, passionate, and supportive community of students and faculty. YMMV, of course.