I have been maintaining a RISD admissions facebook group for almost two years now, and have really enjoyed answering questions from prospective students on the wall, and in the discussion boards.  One of the very first members of my group was a student named Rob.  He didn’t end up coming to RISD as a freshman, but this past year, reapplied as a transfer student.  Once he was admitted and decided to enroll, he became actively involved in the transfer community at RISD.

Not long ago he e-mailed me asking me why we didn’t have a RISD fan page on facebook.  I e-mailed our Director of Interactive Media, Eric Meyer, and suggested it to him.  3 days later the page appeared.  It now has over 3,000 members, and is a great source of information about things happening at RISD, and what our alumni and students are up to.

If you happen to be on facebook, check it out.

Contact me:

Lucy King

Assistant Director of Admissions

lking@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

November is here, and the application year has suddenly kicked into overdrive.  The reality of college applications is upon us, and questions are coming fast and furious.  My mantra is that the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked, so no one should feel shy about asking a question, no matter how strange you think it is.  Since everyone likes to ask their questions in their own way, here’s a few places where you can get your questions answered:

The Facts + Figures section of the RISD website is a great source of number-ish type information.

In the same area, you can find an FAQ

Call us.  Our office hours are 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday East Coast time.  The main number is 401-454-6300 or 800-364-7473.

E-mail us.  The office e-mail address is admissions@risd.edu.

Finally, I run a facebook group called Lucy’s RISD Admissions 101.  The wall is full of useful information, and every time someone posts, everyone benefits.  I let group members know when our deadlines are coming up, when the notifications have gone out, and when I see interesting things going on around the school.

So if you have questions about RISD, the application process, or anything ask in any way that suits you!

Lucy King, Assistant Director of Admissions

Contact me at lking@risd.edu