Rhode Island School of Design

Pre-College Program
Providence, Rhode Island


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For More Information, Contact
Pre-College Program
Rhode Island School of Design
Two College Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903-2787
800-364-7473 Ext. 1 (toll-free)
Fax: 401-454-6218
http://www.risd.edu/precollege.cfm

Type of Program: Visual arts study
Participants: Coeducational, students between ages 16 and 18 (born between August 9, 1989, and June 28, 1992)
Enrollment: About 550
Program Dates: June 28–August 9, 2008

Location

Rhode Island offers some of New England’s most scenic coastline, beautifully preserved colonial villages, and the cultural richness of Providence and Newport. Rhode Island School of Design’s (RISD) main campus is on College Hill, on Providence’s East Side, which is home to both RISD and Brown University. Additional facilities are located in downtown Providence’s up-and-coming arts enclave. The elegantly restored homes and gardens of College Hill offer students the relaxed ambience of neighborhood life, while Providence Place Mall, Thayer and Wickenden Streets, and the historic downtown area provide easy access to numerous restaurants, bookstores, specialty shops, and cultural activities. In addition, Waterplace Park, adjacent to RISD’s campus, is home to the acclaimed waterfront festival WaterFire.

Background and Philosophy

The Pre-College Program accepts high school students into an intensive six-week college-like art and design program. In the setting of an internationally renowned design school, a structured curriculum gives each student a strong foundation of skills and understanding in the visual arts. The intensity and focus of the program provide students with the opportunity to experience art as a major academic priority before investing in a college program. Many students create a portfolio for college admissions, while others explore art and design to complement their liberal arts background. Although a previous background in art or design is not necessary, all students should be strongly motivated and ready to commit to a rigorous schedule of study. Students should be prepared to undertake and complete a considerable amount of out-of-class work.

Program Offerings

All students are required to take three foundation courses: Foundation Drawing, Basic Design, and Art History. In addition, students may choose one of the following major areas of concentration: architecture, ceramics, comic book art, computer animation, drawing, fashion design, furniture design, game design, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, interior design, jewelry, painting, photography (digital), photography (traditional), printmaking, sculpture, textile design, video, or Web design.
The required Foundation Drawing and Basic Design courses each meet one full day per week. Another two days each week are spent working intensively in the major area. Two hours of the fifth weekday are devoted to art history, with the remaining time available for completion of homework assignments.

Enrollment

High school students who have reached their sixteenth birthday as of June 28, 2008, and have enrolled as a junior or senior by September 2008 may apply for admission to the 2008 Pre-College Program. Graduating seniors are welcome, as long as they do not turn 19 before August 9, 2008. Other than these age restrictions, all applicants who show promise of being able to benefit from the program are admitted. The approximately 550 students enrolled in the program usually represent thirty to forty states and more than twenty countries.

Daily Schedule

7:30–8:30
9:00
12:00–1:00
4:00
5:00–6:00
7:00–10:00
11:00
12:00

Breakfast
Classes begin
Lunch
Classes end
Dinner
Open studio, social and recreational activities
Curfew (Sunday–Thursday)
Curfew (Friday and Saturday)

Students should know all of the regulations of the Pre-College Program. A handbook, which clearly describes these and other rules, is provided to all students and their parents. Violation of Pre-College Program policies or regulations is taken seriously by the college administration; students may be subject to various sanctions or dismissal if they disregard them.

For example, students are required to be in the dormitories by curfew. They are not permitted to sign out from their dormitory overnight unless previous written permission from a parent or guardian is on file in the office of the resident director. Resident students are not allowed to possess or drive motor vehicles, including motor scooters and motorcycles.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Students in the program may take part in a full schedule of evening and weekend activities. Trips are planned to popular Rhode Island landmarks, including Newport and Narragansett beaches. At RISD’s Tillinghast Farm, a 33-acre expanse on Narragansett Bay, students may enjoy sailing, sunbathing, kite flying, picnicking, and relaxing in the outdoors. At least one trip to Boston and/or a prominent New England museum of art is organized. Excellent theater productions are sponsored by neighboring Brown University. There are also school-sponsored concerts, films, dances, and other social events. In the evenings, students are able and encouraged to work in open studios.

Facilities

The RISD campus is one of this country’s largest and best-equipped centers for the study of art and design. Its forty-two restored campus buildings house studios, classrooms, a library, an auditorium, an excellent museum, galleries, and book and supply stores. The school’s dining and residence facilities are near the center of the campus. College housing has quiet study areas, recreational facilities, and work areas.

Staff

Members of the faculty are drawn from RISD’s regular academic-year faculty, RISD alumni, professionals in the field, and instructors from colleges and universities throughout the country.
The residence staff is made up of RISD’s year-round professional staff members and resident assistants—RISD students who are carefully selected, trained, and supervised. RISD’s Public Safety Department also monitors dormitories.

Medical Care

RISD’s on-campus Health Services is staffed by a registered nurse and on-call physicians. If students have emergency medical problems requiring treatment at the local hospital, they are escorted there and their parents are notified. Health forms are included in the application package. Medical insurance is required.

Costs

The 2007 tuition and fees were as follows: a $5900 program fee for boarding students (includes tuition, activities fee, housing, and dining) and a $3825 program fee for commuting students (tuition and activities fee only). Boarding students are required to pay a nonrefundable deposit of $500, and commuting students pay a nonrefundable deposit of $350. These deposits are applied to the total program fee. The meal contract is mandatory for all residential students. Students may need to spend as much as $800 for art supplies, depending on their major. In addition, there are equipment rental fees in certain majors.
For the 2008 summer session, applications submitted on or before April 9 must be accompanied by a nonrefundable deposit or payment in full. The deadline for full payment is April 25. Applications submitted after April 9 must include payment in full of all tuition and fees. If the application is not accepted or registration is closed, tuition and fees are refunded promptly.

Application Timetable

Early application is highly recommended. All of the major courses have a limited number of spaces, and students are assigned to each on a first-come, first-served basis.
To apply, students must return a completed Pre-College Program Application Form, a short statement of interest, and one letter of recommendation from either an art instructor or a guidance counselor.
Non-U.S. citizens must submit special paperwork by March 31. RISD holds a Pre-College Pre-View in March for students and their families. Details should appear on the RISD Web site in December 2007.