Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): Off the Record - College Prowler (College Prowler Off the Record)

College guides written by students for students.

Rhode Island School of Design Students Tell It Like It Is
". . . every part of the school's environment, from academics to the social scene, pushes students to be who they are as fully as possible at the same time enables them to make work that is personal and original. That is one of the reasons why RISD alumni are so successful. Aside from the weight of the RISD name and the tremendous skill range built up over the course of a student's stay, RISD students are original thinkers and problem solvers and graduate to become leaders of their fields, not following standards, but setting them. When considering an art education and trying to decipher between another art school and the Rhode Island School of Design, the truly important question to ask is not, 'Is art the best I can do?' but 'How good can I really be?'"
Brooke Ackerley, Author

Do RISD students feel as passionately about their school as the brochures say they do?

There's only one way to really find out-see what they have to say about their experience.

"Almost all of my major teachers have been so invested that I'm sure they don't get paid enough for what they do. We have all the contact info for them, and there's been many times where I was having a problem in studio at 10 at night, and I could call my professor and she talked me through it, or she came in to help."

"I love RISD, and I can't imagine being in another school. Everyone is so nice and friendly. You can talk to random people out of your major and feel perfectly comfortable talking to them. I was amazed at how much talent people have and how much you can learn from each other. It's very inspiring to be around a group of talented people; you get new ideas from your peers. I have also branched out a lot and have many friends from other departments."

And is there any athletics scene at all?

"While serious athletics are pretty much out of the question at RISD, students definitely have fun with what they've got. Imagine during parents' weekend, half the campus drunk and yelling obscenities at a team of completely bewildered ice-hockey players while a giant penis in a cape leads cheers from the sidelines. Often, the Jockstraps (cheerleading team) will rouse the RISD crowd into heckling some players so badly that fights ensue. Another rallying move is when Scrotie tries to ram the goalposts tip-first. (Some images really are worth 1,000 words.) Once in a while, there will be a scandal during which Scrotie has been kidnapped by an unnamed group. The ransom demands that all Nads players skate around the rink after the game in their underwear in order to retrieve their precious mascot."

Find out if RISD truly has something for you, straight from the students' mouths.

Visiting campus isn't enough.

Read our Rhode Island School of Design guide and discover what it feels like to be on campus for 4 years.

Discover if RISD is Right For You.