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Rhode Island School of Design
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Inside Scoop

Quick Stats

School Slang
  • The Beach: The RISD beach, a patch of grass in front of the Quad on Benefit Street (between Angell and Waterman).
  • Pofo: The Portfolio Café
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
  • As a freshman, there are very little associations with upperclassmen.
  • Bringing your own art materials (conventional or not) is significant because art supplies are expensive.
  • Do not bring too much food because (especially freshman year) because the meal plan gives students a lot of food.
  • Double majoring in two departments exists but is not official. Students rarely double major.
  • Getting around campus can be a hassle because a lot of the buildings are detached from one another.
  • Providence undergoes a lot of weather fluctuations and variations, so rain boots and adequate clothing for all four seasons are necessities
  • RISD has a lot of connections with Brown University, but it is hard to become involved in Brown’s community and mingle with its students.
  • The liberal arts are intense for an art institution, which adds to the workload for students.
  • The workload is overwhelming, so time management is vital.
  • There isn’t as much free time as expected when compared to other art/design schools.
Tips to Succeed
  • Balance fun with work but remember priorities.
  • Experiment and expand ideas for projects.
  • Know your resources.
  • Really appreciate the professors (although it's sometimes difficult to understand them) and given studio hours.
  • Take critiques seriously, and if a harsh critique is given, use to to progress and improve.
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RISD Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Inside Scoop at Rhode Island School of Design

knicknack

Printmaking '13

4.6
A

Why Is Risd Different

the facilities are amazing. the faculty is also wonderful. providence is cheaper to live in than nyc

Mar 28, 2012

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Inside Scoop at Rhode Island School of Design

tykang

Interior Architecture '13

3.8
B+

Celeb Hot Spot.

Recently Providence has become known to be a hot celebrity spot. In fact, I know a friend who went to the same Brown party as Emma Watson, and just a couple of days ago I saw James Franco on the elevator up to my class- no kidding. Being a prestigious art school, we gets visits from famous alumni ranging from Nicole Miller to the creator of Family guy.

Oct 26, 2010

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Inside Scoop at Rhode Island School of Design

yahomied

Arts '10

5.0
A+

Aikido

Unlike other Art Colleges, Rhode Island School of Design has a very, physically active extracurricular life for students to get involved with! One in my particular interests (being the Martial Arts) would be Aikido.

Mar 18, 2010

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Page 1 of 1
User rating for Rhode Island School of Design - Inside Scoop is 4.6 out of 5 based on 3 user reviews.

Facts

Traditions
  • Class Ring: While most schools have traditional class rings, in 1994, Tamara Mottl designed the RISD ring which students now wear proudly.
  • Cross-City Pillow Fight: Yep, you heard right. It may not be a long-standing tradition, but many think it’s here to stay. For the last few years, students have managed to hold a giant pillow fight twice a year that travels from one place of meeting through the city (and once the Providence Place Mall) to the canal. People come armored and armed and ready for the beating to begin. It’s usually fairly harmless because there aren’t that many students that participate, and nearly no bystanders get caught in the middle, but it’s always broken up by the police, even though no one gets cited.
  • The Mosaic: Each year since 1988, ceramics students have been contributing to a mosaic in the Quad’s inner courtyard by adding new tiles.
  • Studying in Rome: Each fall since 1966, new juniors and seniors from the European Honors Program venture off to Rome to study art and architecture.
  • Sunbathing at the Beach: There is a piece of grass known as the RISD Beach at the intersection of Waterman, Benefit, and Angell Streets. The spot earned its name because it has been a popular spot for students to sunbathe for over 50 years.
Urban Legends
  • Crooked former Mayor Buddy Cianci and RISD President, Roger Mandle, are like bread and butter.
  • Dunnel House - In the basement, a spirit knocks over trash cans, plays with the light fixtures and television, and brings chills to anyone in the room. On the back stairwell of the second floor, a woman looks through the window.
  • Farnum Hall - Students report apparitions standing over their beds at night and they hear people whispering and walking through the halls when no one is there.
  • Homer Hall - On the fourth floor, a male ghost likes to be seen in the bathroom and often changes music selections and breaks windows. Also, on the fourth floor, a female turns on faucets. On the ground floor, the TV and VCR turn on and off on their own, an old man wanders the halls during all hours of the day, and another ghost bangs on the doors of the passageway between Homer Hall and Nickerson.
  • If you fall into the canal, it will dissolve your skin.
  • In connection with the mob activity and Cianci, there was a body found downtown without its thumbs.
  • Nightingale House - The ghost likes to move furniture and play with the electricity.
  • Pardon Miller House - Two young children are often heard in the basement, and a woman’s voice can often be heard.
  • RISD is super haunted; here is where the haunts are and what they’re doing:
  • There are billboards in Korea advertising RISD.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Helen Koh
Hometown
Chicago, IL
Major
Graphic Design/Painting

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.