Jake Cooper

Class Year: 2012

Major: Graphic Design

Hometown: Trumbull, CT

Summer plans: Apart from working as a tour guide for RISD this summer, I’m also a RISD Pre College Hall Monitor. I guess it’s a RISD tradition to be up late in Providence - our job is to stay on watch until 5 AM.

What do you do in your free time: I like to design t-shirts for Threadless, they’ve got this great program where if your design gets produced you’re given a $3000 scholarship to your school. Apart from that I love to write (I’m “concentrating” in English) and play guitar. I’ve been playing since I was twelve and began recording since my high school days.

Favorite project at RISD: In one of my classes we had to make a painting while simultaneously taking a shower. It was so hard to work around the constant pounding of the water on the paper, but the end designs came out great. Little hint though: don’t use WATERPROOF ink (sorry custodial staff)

What you like best about RISD: I love RISD’s ability to constantly reinvent what art means to me. RISD really opened my eyes to new approaches and thought processes and helped me apply them in my work. I’ve always felt that RISD taught its student to really consider art for what it is, and to teach us the true value of what it is that we do. RISD really taught me that art is more than just a form of expression, and that art is an entirely what you make it.

Future plans: I’d love to be a published author, and design t-shirts in the future. As well as take my graphic design background and introduce it into a fine arts setting…………..And then there’s always the big dream of being layout editor/photographer/graphic artist for MAXIM and GQ Magazine….If you have any questions about visiting or Admissions, feel free to contact me.

Antonio Peters

 apeters@risd.edu

 AIM: risd1877 

Our admitted transfer applicants are now measuring RISD for a good fit and we hope you’ll get a chance to visit and feel yourself in the community.  Our Big Welcome is out for all.  There are two organized Open House events next week, or we can arrange a visit at any time if your calendar doesn’t match with these scheduled programs.  Get in touch with Admissions at 800 364 7473 or admissions@risd.edu to set a date.

Ed Newhall, Director of Admissions, contact me at enewhall@risd.edu

Our alumni magazine, RISD Views, is published twice a year, sharing the accomplishments of alums and students, and presenting issues important in the world of the visual arts, design and culture.  The spring edition touches upon issues facing the country and the world, and how creative thinkers are being challenged by these issues and energized by the opportunity to play a role in new solutions.  Here’s to all the creative minds at RISD - past, present and future!

Ed Newhall, Director of Admissions, contact me at enewhall@risd.edu

Hello all of you soon to be RISD freshmen-and all of you who are still contemplating being a soon to be RISD freshmen. Your new life is less then 5 months away and I’m sure one of the many things you’ve been excitedly wondering about is living on campus at RISD.  Dorm life is one of the most important aspects of being a freshman.  This is because you are finally completely and unequivocally immersed in a community that is devoted to art. At the end of a long wonderful day of rigorously excercising your creative brains, you get to make your way up the steep, tree lined College Hill to the freshman dorms where 400 of your new family members reside. There you will eat together, play together, hang out together, do your homework together, and the next morning you will start the whole process all over again. You will work harder then you have ever worked before and you will meet your best friends in the process-it will be the most fun and exciting time of your life!
Now let’s talk about what your actual dorm room may be like. The picture above shows a fairly typical freshman dorm room. All of the rooms are spacious with a good amount of natural light.  You will get your own bed, large dresser, drafting table and fire safe trashcan. The rooms have enough space for you to bring a mini fridge, TV and a computer, but before you haul all of that stuff into the family van, you might want to chat with your future roommate first about what they are bringing.  Another thing that you should know about is that throughout the freshman dorms there are large workrooms with workbenches, high ceilings and empty white walls.  These spaces are there for you to work in at any time of day or night. Also, the Met (the main dining hall) is located within the freshman quad area so it’s convenient to eat on the run if you need to. If you don’t feel like venturing over to the Met and you want to whip up a feast to share with your friends, there are a handful of kitchen spaces equipped with fridges, microwaves and stoves in the dorms for you to use. And, if everyone in your hall feels like watching a movie and eating delicious snacks, there are a handful of lounges with comfy couches and TV’s.  There are more then enough bathrooms and showers to go around and there are washers and dryers in several places if you are so inclined to do some laundry.  The freshman dorms will be your home away from home!

Well, I hope this information satisfies your curiosity for now. Once you send in your matriculation fee, we will send you another packet, which includes more information about living at RISD.  If you have any questions about the dorms in the mean time, you can contact Residence Life at 401-454-6650.

Lee Ann Scotto, Admissions Officer, 401-454-6324

 Welcome admitted freshmen! Our first open house was this past Wednesday April 15 and it was great to see you all. Having the pleasure of meeting and greeting all of the admitted freshmen here on our campus brings the process full circle. Its a full  day of presentations from the Dean of Foundation Studies, the Liberal Arts Department, Career Services and more. This is a great opportunity to tour the campus and get all of your questions answered as you prepare to join the RISD family! Speaking of family; the Admitted Freshman Open House gives us a chance to also say hello to all the Moms, Dads, brothers, sisters, Aunts, and Uncles who have supported you through the application process. They are so proud of your accomplishment and we know that its often a full family effort that helped you make this far to RISD.

The next Open House is today, Friday April 17 and the last one will be held next Friday April 24. If you have been admitted and haven’t arranged to attend call the Admissions Office and we will schedule a visit. See you there! 

Leon Paul Hovanesian II
Admissions Officer
lhovanes@risd.edu 

RISD’s campus will be a beehive of activity tomorrow as students and many others participate in a student-organized sharefest of their personal work, projects and interests.  If you’re here, stop by and enjoy, or be sure to visit the site to see what’s going on.  If you join us at RISD, you’ll always be encouraged to challenge the usual, stretch your capabilities and reach beyond the easy stopping points.  So, let us know… Ed Newhall, Director of Admissions,  contact me at enewhall@risd.edu 

In the last post you learned that the decision letters have finally been mailed. We know you have been waiting patiently for a while and we want to thank you for giving us time to complete out reviews. As those letters travel through out the country and around the world we know there are those of you that have made personal friends with the mail carrier in your neighborhood, checking daily for a letter from RISD. Those of you who are still waiting…hold tight, it will get there soon!

To help you through these final days and hours I have interviewed two RISD seniors about their application experiences. They have experience and insight into this whole process and a little advice to offer.

Susanna Vagt is a senior from the Chicago area and Kate Selbert is from Bridgeport Connecticut.

 Tell us about the experience of sending in the application? How did it feel to finally send it in the mail?

Susanna: 

I brought my bike drawing to Portfolio Reviews in Chicago (hometown), for feedback.  The admission officer I met with suggested I rework it and study more from life.  So I did!  The moment of folding the drawings into quarters stand out painfully in my mind, and I still remember writing out “2 College Street” on the envelope.  I sent all the materials at once so the moment had some serious gravitas.  
 


Kate:

I was most excited about the bike drawing. Motorcycle? Tricycle? Can it be a car? Or just a bike. A friend’s mom let me borrow her antique pink bike from the 50s. It was pretty sweet. It had tinsel on the handles AND a basket. I should have just sent in the bike itself (the admissions committee would not have been impressed). Folding the drawings was a bit painful but finally sliding my application into the mailbox was gratifying. 
 


Did you visit the campus prior to applying?

Susanna:

I did visit. My first impression was how joyful all the students were. I watched people carrying canvases and lugging pieces of wood.  There were beaming charcoal-covered faces coming out of freshman drawing studios.  Students at RISD are not angst-ridden, they are glad to be making and studying art.  What could be better?
 


Kate:

I came in the spring so I distinctly remember walking up the incredibly steep hills for the first time, looking at all the magnolia blossoms (there are a lot of magnolia blossoms. My tour visited the apparel department and we saw the lines of dress forms and in textiles; the loom room and shelves filled with spools of yarn. There was a lot to see, I enjoyed it. 
 

How did you feel while waiting for the decision? Were you nervous, excited, relaxed?
 


Kate:

I got my decision pretty quickly because I applied for the early December 15th deadline. I knew by late January so while most of my classmates were still panicking I was sitting around, relieved, waiting for September. I had to wait a while, since it was January. I think I was more stressed waiting for September than when I was applying. While I was waiting for decision I was applying to Cooper Union, but stopped as soon as I got my acceptance letter. That may seem pretty ridiculous, but it saved me a few years on my life (there are a lot more than three drawings due for the Cooper Union application).

Susanna: 

I, too, applied for the early deadline, but I was waitlisted to the second deadline.  It was really difficult when I got the letter from Ed Newhall that my application had been put on hold until April.  So as not to freak out, I used the waiting time to continue making art and re-consider whether RISD was the best fit for me.  By the time the second letter came, I’d calmed down and reassured that my future wasn’t doomed.  But only slightly.
 

Where were you when you finally found out? Explain your experience.

Susanna: 

I was in English class when my mother called.  We’d agreed beforehand that I would open the mail from schools, but with RISD’s letter there was no need: ‘CONGRATULATIONS’ was spelled across the envelope.  
 

Kate:

My mom called my high school guidance office and paged me to the front desk. When I called home there was no answer and I immediately figured something was wrong and that someone was in the hospital. I spent all day panicking and wanting to go home. When I got there, of course, there was the ‘CONGRATULATIONS’ envelope on the kitchen table. I figured out why she had called me pretty quickly. 
 

What advice do you have for those applicants checking their mailboxes right now about the whole process?

Susanna:

Put the time to good use: cultivate a new hobby, learn to play the nose flute, study tree-identification.  (Some people’s definitions of ‘good use’ vary.)  Waiting for the envelope actually was a valuable time for me.  It helped me evaluate my interests and work on art more. RISD doesn’t exist to determine a person’s life; it’s here to fuel a passion for art that already exists and hone skills.   
 

Kate:

Sue is right. I’ve found while being here it’s important to have other things to be passionate about besides art. These interests feed back into your art and make it richer. I know a lot of kids here who join the Brown choir, learn archery, crew, learn Chinese, go running on the weekends or learn semaphore (flag language fyi). This is less advice for waiting for your letter, and more general advice. As for waiting for your letter: learn to knit (it’s more relaxing than you may think). 

Many Thanks to Kate and Susanna for their advice. If you wish to see some more of their art work check out their websites here:

Susanna:  www.susannavagt.com

Kate:   www.coroflot.com/kathryn_selbert

Good Luck everyone!

Leon Paul Hovanesian II

Contact me:

lhovanes@risd.edu

All of our freshman decision letters went in the mail a few days ago and everyone in the Admissions Office is now taking a deep breath.  There were so many wonderful candidates in the applicant pool this year and, as always, we could not admit everyone we felt was deserving, and prepared,  for the possibility of joining us at RISD.  Whether the news you receive from us is positive, or not, or somewhere in the middle (don’t give up you waiting list people), we want to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who made the big effort to apply and share your work and interests and aspirations with us.   For everyone in the Admissions Office and on our faculty Admissions Committee, it is always an inspiring time to see all the energy, talent and hope among this emerging group of artists and designers.  We’ll be in touch!

Ed Newhall, Director of Admissions, contact me at enewhall@risd.edu

It’s reviewing time of year here at RISD, which means that there is a tinge of drawing fixative in the air and we are hunkered down at our desks with boxes of files.  Let me just say that reviewing applications is one of my favorite jobs.  I always appreciate how willing you all are to grant us a window into your lives.  Through the artwork you submit and the topics you choose to write about in your essays, we get to know a bit about your background and interests and view of the world. We learn about your personal tragedies and triumphs.  It’s a very interesting process for us, and not something we take lightly.

Hopefully by this point your college applications are complete and you can take a deep breath and start focusing on all the other important things in your life again.  But what exactly happens to all those application materials that you carefully package and mail off to colleges? Well, let me fill you in on how the process works here at RISD.

Every piece of information you send to us ends up in a file folder with your name and RISD ID number on it.  We spend a good week after the deadline processing all the mail we received, and sending out completion notices to everyone whose application is finished.

Once everything is filed, applications are broken up into two different groups.  Group one is students who expressed an interested in Architecture, Interior Architecture, Industrial Design or Furniture.  Group two is every one else.  The qualities we look for in an application are more or less the same for both groups, but we tend to be a tiny bit more concerned with how 3-D design major students are doing in math and science classes.

Over the course of a few weeks, all applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee - a fifteen person board composed of admissions office staff and faculty.  Each application is looked at twice.

After every file has been evaluated, we meet as a full committee.  We discuss and vote on any applications where there was a major disparity between the two evaluations, and we finalize admissions decisions.  The committee meetings are a great culmination to the review process, because they give us an opportunity to reflect on all the drawings, artwork and stories we’ve encountered over the course of the year.

From there, we compose decision letters and mail notification on April 1st.

So, until then, good job on all of your hard work, and best of luck with your applications to RISD and all the other schools you applied to!

Meryn Hall, Admissions Officer

Contact me at mhall@risd.edu

When I was a young child, my grandmother would always have a jigsaw puzzle under way on a table in her living room.  She taught me the patience and careful observation that eventually brought all those hundreds of pieces together in a new whole.

Choosing the students who will be part of the next class at RISD is a bit like putting together a beautiful/fascinating puzzle.  As we now pass our application deadline and continue to sort all of the drawings, CD’s, transcripts and recommendations into the waiting application folders,  it reminds me of sitting with her and organizing all the individual pieces to begin to create the whole.

Our Admissions Committee members are now beginning the rigorous process of reading and learning about all of the talented individuals who aspire to challenge and develop their skills and their lives over the next four years at RISD.  We are always excited by the anticipation at this time of year, as we “meet” a new generation of creative thinkers, who we know will be shaping our world in many ways in the decades ahead.

You invested a great deal of effort in preparing your application and we will do the same in discussing our sense of how you might benefit from, and contribute to, RISD.  We know we will have more highly-qualified applicants than we can accept in the class, so we will try to make a skillful blend of people with different ideas, skills, perspectives, backgrounds and aspirations to create the most intriguing and inspiring puzzle here in Providence in the coming year.

Hats off to those students who were recently added to our  new puzzle from our first application deadline.  Those acceptances went in  the mail at the end of January and, if you haven’t been there yet, admitted students might want to visit the RISD 2013 Facebook group to begin to meet people who could be your classmates in September.

Ed Newhall, Director of Admissions, contact me at enewhall@risd.edu