I recently visited CCS and was pleasantly impressed by the school. I am seriously considering going there but there is one thing that bothers me. They accept whole bunch of people (something like over a hundred) to a first year but after the second year they leave only 18? So I wonder if somebody who is already a student at CCS could tell how it feels in this environment? What happens to those who don’t make it to the third year in trans design?
Basically, it's EXTREMELY competitive and nerve-wrecking the first two years. This is how it went down when I enrolled. About 115 are in the ID program freshman year. Out of those 115, a maximum of 26 students are allowed into the sophomore clay/interior studios. From that 26, only 16 (sometimes 18) students are handpicked to continue with the automotive design course. The rest went straight into product.
The way I understand it, the new batch will have a choice of either going into product or transportation (meaning all-types of transportation other than cars). The current transportation design students (like me) will be known as the automotive design students. Let me know if you have anymore questions. Oh, and what/whose work did you see at CCS?
CCS Automotive Senior "Use no way as way, Have no limitation as limitation" - Bruce Lee "Take notes on the world, there will be a test" - Chris Bangle
I went to CCS my first year trying to become a transportation design student. Out of high school I pretty much sucked and didn't make the first cut at the end of the year. I strongly recommend not going to CCS unless you're pretty good in trans. Don't go until you're completely ready otherwise you won't make it all the way through. I ended up taking a year and a half off to better prepare myself and apply to Art Center College of Design in California. Today I just received a letter of acceptance. This is such a greater opportunity than at CCS. I'm already in the Trans. program and they only take about 20 a year. A lot better school with more connections to the industry by far. Plus it's in So. Cal which is sweet. If you want it bad enough you'll do the homework necessary to get it done. Good luck!
Originally posted by cardesign85: A lot better school with more connections to the industry by far.
Nothing against ACCD, but so is that why CCS has been consistently putting more graduates directly into the industry (both in terms of internships and full-time jobs), and has more sponsored projects than any other school, and was the only american school invited to participate in the Fiat competition?
CCS Automotive Senior "Use no way as way, Have no limitation as limitation" - Bruce Lee "Take notes on the world, there will be a test" - Chris Bangle
When I was there in January this year they had Toyota sponsored projects. All concepts looked Very good. Details, surfaces, paint, etc. Sketches and final renderings looked even more impressive. It was third year project. I didn't take any pictures. I felt like it was more important to ask questions. I talked to the gay who runs the CNC machine. Saw the Blimp at the autoshow. Everything looks very impressive. I've been to Art Center and it definitely has a better location: California itself and that hill they are located on. The view is awesome. It also seems that everybody in the industry know their name. They have a CNC machine that can cut a full size wheel: very cool. Also in Art Center if you are accepted you know that most likely you will graduate when in CCS you don't. That is kind of scary...What if you don't make it? I don’t want to be a looser. cardesign85 what do you mean by pretty good in Trans? Is this good? drawing1 drawing2 drawing3 drawing4 Can you have friends among your peers in this environment?
I was part of that project, let me know if you have any further questions about it. As for your sketches, you need to get better at perspective and line quality. Don't render anything at this point, just work on those two things.
CCS Automotive Senior "Use no way as way, Have no limitation as limitation" - Bruce Lee "Take notes on the world, there will be a test" - Chris Bangle
Hey I am a sophomore Trans so I am not out of the woods yet. You can defiantly have friends in Trans, you are that much closer for your shared experience, some people might get to guarded and competitive but it is really up to you to maintain a sense of humor and reality (these are the people you will be working with later and might get you a job at some point) our class is great, we go to bars after class regularly and after final presentations everyone went out to celebrate together even though no one had slept for days. I mostly agree with what as already been said. Your work might or might not be OK but your no one is safe. (Search the portfolio section for CCS, some sophomores and juniors just put some stuff up to give you an idea of where you will need to be to be) personally I did engineering and took art classes at community college before coming here and defiantly do not regret it. Another way of looking at Art Center vs CCS is that the cuts will happen one way or another, you won’t get a job if you don’t have the skills. CCS cuts people within the program, artcenter is harder to get into and might not get as many people hired either way graduating in trans means nothing if you cant get and keep a job. oh and dont get caught up with the flashy computer/marker stuff yet, it is pretty easy when you get to that level. Focus on clear correct pen/prisma pincil sketching for now like mod says.
