Thanks New School!

The New Face of Parsons
Originally uploaded by The New School

This morning I was hosted at a counselor breakfast for the New School with presentations by Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and Parsons The New School for Design. Full disclosure, they had me when I walked in and saw that a piece by Kara Walker was in the stairwell up to the second floor where the breakfast was being held. She is one of my favorite artists, so the morning started off on the right foot.

In a nutshell, here is what I learned:

Eugene Lang should be on the radar of anyone looking for small seminar classes in an urban environment. You get the benefits of New York City, without the size and anonymity (and sometimes out of reach selectivity) of NYU.

Jazz and Contemporary Music is a wonderful option for students that are looking to be musicians. It is not a classical conservatory (for that, see Mannes) but it is a really great fit for students that have clear musical performance goals. A live audition is required. They also offer a dual degree program with Lang that can be a good thing for students (and parents) that want some academics to 'fall back on.' FYI-The way to apply for that dual program is to check the box on the JAZZ application (not to file a Common App for Lang).

Parsons may be the face of the New School that people know best, thanks to Tim Gunn and the popularity of Project Runway. But Parsons is not just for fashion designers, they also offer programs in things like photography, product design, game design, architecture, and even business administration! A portfolio, and the 'Parsons Challenge' is required, but what a fun place to make it work! (I couldn't help myself . . . )

Thanks New School for a delicious breakfast!  I recommend students that don't have class today and next Thursday take advantage of touring local schools to get some visits out of the way and not have to miss school doing it.