hi! im lauren, ill be attending mcad this fall for comic art and im looking for a “freshman mentor”, aka just someone who can help me figure out how to budget for this upcoming semester 

im trying to get an average idea of how much is needed per month for groceries, what you need for your dorm and what you can get away with not owning, an estimated cost of supplies, etc— really basic stuff

if anyone is willing to lend me a hand you can email me mokou @ miluda.com (w/o the space of course) and ill ask my questions more proper there

thanks!!

wewt i was officially accepted into mcad! i got a decent scholarship but when i added it up it’s still more expensive than lcad, by like 3-4k haha. even if i got the max amount of grants (my EFC is 0 so i’m sort of expecting some help…) it might get iffy loan wise. 

well that being said, if anyone has MCAD artists on tumblr they want to recommend to me, please by all means share!

college brain storm

SO, i may very well been accepted into MCAD (not officially, but my counselor was like “yeah we just gonna finish your stuff and get you admitted) and now i have to really decide between the two schools. at certain points im like YESSSS LCAD! IM CHOOSING THIS ONE DEFINITELY! but im incredibly indecisive and emotional so this changes often. so lets see….

MCAD

PROS

• dorms
• meal plan (tho very expensive, would only do it freshman year)
• comic art program/designy illustration program
• has events and clubs so incites more of a feeling of a community
• theoretically a cheaper place to live in

CONS

• cold cold cold fuckin’ coooold so sick of the cold
• same ol east coast type city that im used to (yes its more midwest but u kno what i mean)
• way more expensive tuition, though it may even out with grants/scholarships i have to see
• the fact that it does have a community means i have to talk to people when i dont want to and i hate that hahhaaha… #introversion

LCAD

PROS

• CALIFORNIA!!
• ive actually never been to california lmao but i know its sunny, warm, has BANGIN CELEB HOT SPOTS and palm trees and just a totally completely different atmosphere than east coast
• nice weather all year round and this is a huge factor, cause in MN you have to shovel and your car falls apart in shitty cold weather (my experience in CT)
• all the art studios are there like blizzard and shit, its definitely an artsy fartsy state so probably a better chance of being hired there
• my grandparents are really, really into me going to california and have even offered to bring me out there during the summer to laguna beach ahah like.. i feel like they’d maybe even help me out financially and stuff
• i got an 8k a year scholarship which means right off the bat with a pell grant tuition is less than half than usual

CONS

• their resident hall only accompanies 21 people : / i’d ofc have priority living a complete coast away, but still its scary to think if i WASNT able to secure housing. i have to make a $600 deposit by May if i want to be even considered, and if i find out i cant get loans or w/e the money is non refundable. that $600 bucks is also basically all of my grant refund money for this semester so :( idk
• now im still really iffy about their illustration program. mcad has the upper hand in this regard— mcad’s illustration program appears to be focused a lot on what I think illustraion is- manipulating designs, workin for magazines etc. lcad is much more technical based and i have no doubt itd give me the skills i need but idk if if yet to see alumni making work that id see myself making, you know what i mean…
• theoretically more expensive in that if i wanted to live in california permanently id probably have to find an apartment way aways off but yeah

and thats all i can come up with for now… if any of you wanna chime in with stuff that may help me make a decision feeeel free!