Parsons School of Design (New York)

“Parsons students are designers, artists, and scholars who learn to apply the transformative capacity of design responsibly, creatively, and purposefully.”

Parsons, embedded within The New School, has a reputation that was more than confirmed on my trip. First, I feel it is of utmost importance to explain the process of getting to Parsons. It is located in Greenwich Village (close to Washington Square Park-right) and about a 30-minute train ride from where I stayed. New York is definitely known for its accessible subway system that drops you 10 minutes away via Washington square station. This school is embedded within the city, surrounded by businesses and stores on every corner.

If you love the city and don’t mind a walk, then this school might be a good fit for you.

The school itself has several studios and work spaces for the different colleges within the New School. Parsons focuses on design in all facets; architecture, fashion design, and textiles are just a few majors within Parsons. As I walked through the different floors of Parsons, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of spaces for students to work. Pictures (above and right) are just a few open spaces students can use to develop their skills and work on projects. Professors were seen working with students cutting fabric, molding clay, and assisting in the process of designing a website. When it comes to an artist’s dream workspace, Parsons is close to it. The challenge for this school can be the housing (often times a train ride or 20-minute walk from campus) and amount of walking for many students. One counselor met with a student from Maranatha who attends Parsons and has had difficulty adjusting to the fast-paced, rough lifestyle of New York City.

**Our encouragement to all students would be to get as involved as possible right away. If you are someone who loves advocacy, the arts, and will step outside of your comfort zone to get involved; then Parsons will be a good fit for you.

Here is some info on the basics:

*top 2 design and art school in country 10,000 students #1 for small class sizes

Eugene Lang (Liberal Arts college) -largest flexibility in combining areas of interest • Internships offered at UJ • Lots of study abroad opportunities

Performing Arts College • BFA degree in drama, Mannes, jazz

Parsons Academics • All students take same courses 1st year o Art, media, tech are only offered at Parsons Paris • 55 minors across disciplines o BA/BFA pathway (Parsons/Lang connection) Application • Don’t need tests or essays • Slideroom portfolio of 8-12 pieces in application o Create a variety of pieces • **national portfolio day-can bring portfolio for teachers/professors to show and get feedback • “Parsons challenge”-take original piece from collection and create a new piece & write supportive essay about it (look into application requirements) o BBA (business administration) has the same challenge focused on the business side of design • Scholarships: automatically applied for scholarships when apply for the school o Look into 3rd party scholarships on website!