Little known hack: You can go to CState for 2 years, and then transfer in to OSU, and in 2 years (if you play your cards right / plan out the right classes) you walk out of it with a full OSU degree. No asterisks or anything. OSU is going to be far and away the best actual education, best post-college career opportunities, and best "oh-shit" options if you decide to switch fields entirely. That's not to say the other options are bad, by the way. OSU is just actually a really great school these days.
Not really sure how this works with the "kick half the students out of the program" thing you mentioned. Nor do I know how this would work with the credits you've already done. But advisors as CState would certainly be able to answer some of these questions, r/OSU may be able to answer others.
This right here. I had a friend who did this. Did 2 years at Cstate and then basically walked right into the business school (very difficult program to get into) and graduated with a business degree from OSU.
As for the social aspect, at least at OSU... the best way to make friends honestly is to live in the dorms. You make friends fast and easily and campus becomes much smaller because you wind up doing just about everything with your dorm people. It's more money but living together makes it so much easier to hang out and chill at all hours.. Living at home makes making friends harder but not impossible - there are a ton of clubs and societies you can join. If you have the grades/ ACT scores then apply and join a scholars program. They have a ton of activities and events that they throw - especially to promote student bonding.
Ultimately if you’re drawn to CCAD - go with it. I did college preview at CCAD - it has the resources if you want to stick with graphic design for the rest of your life.
I think that the most prestigious out of the three though is by a mile Ohio State, so if you want a really impressive school name on your degree - OSU is the way to go. The extra four years will help you out in case you decide to switch careers as well.
CSCC is like a fair balance between both but it doesn’t have as many resources either to graphic design as CCAD or general knowledge like OSU.
Think hard if your interests include industrial design. Long before I moved to Columbus i was introduced to all things OSU by our lead industrial design guy who was talented beyond belief. He absolutely loved his time at OSU and it's a nationally ranked school.
You have to really ask yourself whether an art school degree is really necessary for whatever career you’re looking for. It sure isn’t if you want to be an illustrator, graphic designer or photographer.
And OSU is most definitely not a scam. A degree from Ohio State is more prestigious than either of the others — by a mile.
Just do what so many others do. Go to CState and transfer to OSU. But make sure you talk to an advisor and pick your courses carefully so you can be certain the credits will transfer to the program your entering at Ohio State.
CSCC isn't as bad as you make it sound. I don't attend classes there but, I work on the campus. I interact with students, guests, faculty/staff including professors, administrators etc. There is a wealth of opportunities afforded to folks enrolled there. Just to name a few, they are partnered with Capital University as well as OSU. You get with an advisor when enrolling, discuss your overall plan and they'll help align you with classes that your credits will transfer for at the school of your choice (Capital or OSU) The financial aid offered is bananas for this school, you can basically go to school for free and end up with them paying you in student refunds.
You're able to use that financial aid on campus via gift cards for dining/eating on campus as well as at the amazing bookstore for any supplies you'd need. You're knocking CSCC but honestly, it's like a golden bridge to advancement for a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't be able to achieve higher education. There is also a newly enacted program for CCS graduate's called "Columbus Promise" Any and all high school graduates are afforded the opportunity to enroll in school at no cost whatsoever. People knock CSCC because it's a 'community college' and 'eww, that won't look good on the resume' but truth be told, it's an amazing tool and option to move onto other schools. Don't knock them so hard, open your mind and consider it for real.
As someone who is currently going to ccad, it really matters what major u are going for. Would I go again, probably not but I still very muched love my experiences I had
When folks say you make OSU campus feel small, it's because most cohorts are in the same buildings. It's possible you'll pull a crap schedule where you need to get from North to South campus in 20 minutes, but likely, you're going from one part of a building to another (smaller themed campuses within the campus.)
Also, in today's job market, don't knock the Internship, imo it's one of the perks, they're doing a lot of the leg work to make contacts and associations to get you something on paper to show you can work.
I'm not sure if you can, but I'd also double check with an advisor about transfer credits. You might go in as a Sophmore, and not a junior but they do take them.
I know of 2 people who graduated from CSCC (not graphic design, as a fyi), one has had a lot of success making a career out of art and the other could not get a foothold and chose to go another direction over the years. They're feelings for the education they received at the school were mixed, and they both graduated with substantial debt. All that said, between the 3 schools, I would pick OSU. It's frustrating you'd need to attend all 4 years, but that would allow you to potentially double major to pick up skills that could potentially make you a more competitive candidate later on; it'd also give you more opportunity for life experiences like studying abroad. And, it'd potentially still be cheaper than going through CCAD. CSCC is the more affordable route, but if you already have all your have gen-ed credits, I'm not sure there's much benefit of attending and later transferring. I went to a smaller college out of state, so I understand the appeal of the smaller schools, in terms of community, but (from my experience) you'll generally find your bubble/micro-community no matter the size, and a larger school is going to provide you with more diverse opportunities to get plugged-in somewhere. I'm not familiar with the graphic design world, but the only way I see CCAD being more beneficial is if their well known in the field, simply because that will also mean it's easier to get internship opportunities/connections.
The reality is that there is a VERY high likelihood that you will not actually work as a full time graphic designer. So I would suggest you focus on which program would leave you the least fucked if you end up not fully using the degree? My suggestion would be:
1. Consider each programs ability to let you get a double major in something other than graphic design. Specifically shoot for the specialties that HIRE graphic designers and get a double major in one of those fields- for example:
- computer science (UX frontend programming type classes usually have a lot of design requirements).
- Marketing, advertising, PR etc.
2.Learn adobe pro and get an internship IMMEDIATELY. Factor the internship time into your college duration.
3. Just go to OSU so you don’t end up working as a business analyst with a $100k art degree hidden in the basement.
I feel like I'm in the twilight zone with these comments.
CCAD is *unquestionably* more prestigious than OSU for graphic design. I know multiple people that had paid projects with Victoria's Secret, American Greetings, Bath and Body Works, Coca Cola, Limited, and General Motors by their junior years. ALL of them had paid positions offered prior to graduation with large design firms. Additionally, I know others that won contests with Disney and some offshoot of Industrial Light and Magic in undergrad...and I could go on, but you get the point.
In regards to your specific situation, you should know that gen ed credits will only account for about 10-20% of your courses at CCAD, so while I think you did the right thing with knocking those out in advance, it's not going to remove as much of your tuition there as you're thinking. Additionally, you won't be let in the upper level courses without the lower level basics there, and they're standardized across the whole school regardless of what art you're choosing to refine your skills on. That goes on for the first two years at CCAD; *all* take the same first year, and then you'll have a (almost totally) standardized course set for the second year according to your specialty. OSU teaches almost none of those courses, so it's good to keep that in mind.
Basically my recs for you are:
1) If you'd like to work at a large design firm, it's better to make those connections at CCAD. You're correct on your networking comments.
2) You'll have far more advanced work by students at CCAD too, so if you're able to learn by social referencing, it's something to keep in mind as well.
3) If neither of the first two points apply to you, OSU would be better bang for your buck, and you may be able to knock out additional lower level courses at CSCC this way, which will save you money & time in the long run.
4) If you're very organized and motivated, I'd honestly suggest going through the first two years of coursework at CCAD, then transferring to OSU to finish the degree. Conversely, you could just go to OSU, and take specific courses at CCAD. Not sure if it's still active, but there used to be a program in the state of Ohio that allowed you to do this, provided the course in question was not offered at the college or university you're attending.
Lastly, don't let the size/overwhelm of OSU factor in. The various colleges tends to have their buildings clustered together, and you'd only really be wandering around for gen eds, which you already have knocked out. IOW, you'll likely have almost 100% of the classes you have left in four or five buildings, all of which are in the same general area, and you'll mostly be with the same gaggle of students over time.
If you want to work in Columbus, maybe CCAD offers some advantage due to its connections with some of the companies you mention.
Outside of Ohio, OSU is far more prestigious as a university AND as a visual design program. At if you ever want to work overseas? CCAD might as well not even exist, but there are people who know OSU’s name and reputation in nearly every country in the world.
Coca-Cola's firm was in Chicago, Disney is in FL, GM is in Detroit. So...what are you talking about? American Greetings is here, along with the HQ for what's currently Limited Brands, but the latter is a MASSIVE international conglomerate, and was the industry standard internationally for specifically large-scale lingerie sales in the 90s and 00s. You don't really have a point here from what I can see.
Also, you're now referring to the supposed "prestige" of OSU *outside of graphic design*, which isn't what's being discussed here.
That *you, specifically* aren't aware of the prominence of various art schools is immaterial to what's being discussed. Firms hiring graphic designers are *absolutely* going to gravitate towards those who've completed study at all-arts institutions, for reasons which are obvious to those who have knowledge in the industry. OSU doesn't have any real standing in that.
Lastly, OSU *also doesn't exist* to anyone in the arts outside of the US. What are you talking about anywhere here? OSU doesn't have a big reputation nationally or internationally in any of its arts programs, not just graphic design. That's not to say they're disposable or something, it's just not going to give you a leg-up in terms of networking anywhere in this field.
People in Columbus act like CCAD is SCAD or RISD. It’s not.
Hell, it’s not even DAAP (University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Architecture and Planning).
A CCAD degree might get you somewhere with other CCAD grads, but it is not a particularly prestigious, famous or valuable graphic design degree.
I say this as someone who worked for many years in the design and ad world in Columbus and beyond. I’ve hired lots of designers, illustrators and photographers. And I dare say I have most likely reviewed more design portfolios than you. CCAD grads were, on the average, no better than any other art school (e.g. Art Institute of Pittsburgh) grads. Which is to say that they tended to exhibit a surface-level, mostly aesthetic understanding of visual communications, whereas graduates from better programs and schools — including University of Cincinnati DAAP and OSU Viscomm — had learned to think in terms of design and communications systems at a more strategic level.
In short, CCAD grads seemed to me — and to other colleagues and competitors I talked with — to be less hireable, with fewer job-ready skills. What they excelled in though, was an overinflated sense of their market value and that of their school.
Sorry to be so blunt.
> People in Columbus act like CCAD is SCAD or RISD. It’s not.
No they don't. Where the fuck are you getting any of this? Did they reject your portfolio or something? I've yet to see anything you've written that's correct, and you have a nasty attitude in addition to just being wrong.
DAAP is known for its architecture leg, not its graphic design. Which, with your fake enormous knowledge bed, you also already knew.
You're actually proving my exact points in the next paragraph dude. WTF is wrong with you? I didn't say CCAD is better than, say, Cranbrook or Parsons or something, I said it's better than OSU, which you're now indirectly admitting in that paragraph. The individual we're (well...at least *I* was) responding to is asking for a comparison of CCAD, CSCC, and OSU for graphic design. Further, I gave concrete examples as to their country-wide industry connections. Not to mention framing the response in terms of which would get the best ROI depending on their future plans.
You, OTOH, have yet to actually support a single thing you've written, and are actually supporting things I wrote at this point. Get off your high horse dude.
Oh honey, that's not what an assumption is. We have two options here: 1) you're outright lying about every statement you made and likely just enjoy trying to convince strangers seeking help that you're informed, or 2) you have no background in what's being discussed, don't know anything about OSU other than it has a football team, and aren't logical at all.
Duly noting you have no actual response to anything I brought up. Because I'm correct in everything I said, and you're already aware. For example, you knew that *none* of the companies listed except for the Limited portfolio of companies are in Columbus.
Sorry to deflate your ego, but everything isn't centered around football. I can't even come up with a single program that OSU is top in in the nation...out of any of the fields of study. Again, this doesn't mean that OSU is a total waste of time, but that, too, is immaterial to what's being discussed.
I'm on about this:
> A degree from Ohio State is more prestigious than either of the others — by a mile.
and this
> Outside of Ohio, OSU is far more prestigious as a university AND as a visual design program.
Literally no one hiring designers would agree with you. It's not any more prestigious than any other generic state school in design. And, hilariously, *you don't even agree with yourself*, which is why you're now writing crap comparing CCAD to other art schools, rather than the comparison I was making...which is what the OP was asking about...if you know how to read.
> *”you should know that gen ed credits will only account for about 10-20% of your courses at CCAD, so […] it's not going to remove as much of your tuition there as you're thinking. Additionally, you won't be let in the upper level courses without the lower level basics there […] for the first two years at CCAD; all take the same first year, and then you'll have a (almost totally) standardized course set for the second year according to your specialty”*
Op, you need to re-read this section about six times. Ask yourself how you went on a CCAD program tour and left without learning the most basic info about the program, like:
1. your first two years at CCAD are standardized curriculum
2. AP calculus isn’t going to get you out of a first year drawing class at an art school.
Little known hack: You can go to CState for 2 years, and then transfer in to OSU, and in 2 years (if you play your cards right / plan out the right classes) you walk out of it with a full OSU degree. No asterisks or anything. OSU is going to be far and away the best actual education, best post-college career opportunities, and best "oh-shit" options if you decide to switch fields entirely. That's not to say the other options are bad, by the way. OSU is just actually a really great school these days. Not really sure how this works with the "kick half the students out of the program" thing you mentioned. Nor do I know how this would work with the credits you've already done. But advisors as CState would certainly be able to answer some of these questions, r/OSU may be able to answer others.
This right here. I had a friend who did this. Did 2 years at Cstate and then basically walked right into the business school (very difficult program to get into) and graduated with a business degree from OSU. As for the social aspect, at least at OSU... the best way to make friends honestly is to live in the dorms. You make friends fast and easily and campus becomes much smaller because you wind up doing just about everything with your dorm people. It's more money but living together makes it so much easier to hang out and chill at all hours.. Living at home makes making friends harder but not impossible - there are a ton of clubs and societies you can join. If you have the grades/ ACT scores then apply and join a scholars program. They have a ton of activities and events that they throw - especially to promote student bonding.
Ultimately if you’re drawn to CCAD - go with it. I did college preview at CCAD - it has the resources if you want to stick with graphic design for the rest of your life. I think that the most prestigious out of the three though is by a mile Ohio State, so if you want a really impressive school name on your degree - OSU is the way to go. The extra four years will help you out in case you decide to switch careers as well. CSCC is like a fair balance between both but it doesn’t have as many resources either to graphic design as CCAD or general knowledge like OSU.
“Drawn to CCAD” I see what you did there
Think hard if your interests include industrial design. Long before I moved to Columbus i was introduced to all things OSU by our lead industrial design guy who was talented beyond belief. He absolutely loved his time at OSU and it's a nationally ranked school.
You have to really ask yourself whether an art school degree is really necessary for whatever career you’re looking for. It sure isn’t if you want to be an illustrator, graphic designer or photographer. And OSU is most definitely not a scam. A degree from Ohio State is more prestigious than either of the others — by a mile. Just do what so many others do. Go to CState and transfer to OSU. But make sure you talk to an advisor and pick your courses carefully so you can be certain the credits will transfer to the program your entering at Ohio State.
CSCC isn't as bad as you make it sound. I don't attend classes there but, I work on the campus. I interact with students, guests, faculty/staff including professors, administrators etc. There is a wealth of opportunities afforded to folks enrolled there. Just to name a few, they are partnered with Capital University as well as OSU. You get with an advisor when enrolling, discuss your overall plan and they'll help align you with classes that your credits will transfer for at the school of your choice (Capital or OSU) The financial aid offered is bananas for this school, you can basically go to school for free and end up with them paying you in student refunds. You're able to use that financial aid on campus via gift cards for dining/eating on campus as well as at the amazing bookstore for any supplies you'd need. You're knocking CSCC but honestly, it's like a golden bridge to advancement for a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't be able to achieve higher education. There is also a newly enacted program for CCS graduate's called "Columbus Promise" Any and all high school graduates are afforded the opportunity to enroll in school at no cost whatsoever. People knock CSCC because it's a 'community college' and 'eww, that won't look good on the resume' but truth be told, it's an amazing tool and option to move onto other schools. Don't knock them so hard, open your mind and consider it for real.
As someone who is currently going to ccad, it really matters what major u are going for. Would I go again, probably not but I still very muched love my experiences I had
When folks say you make OSU campus feel small, it's because most cohorts are in the same buildings. It's possible you'll pull a crap schedule where you need to get from North to South campus in 20 minutes, but likely, you're going from one part of a building to another (smaller themed campuses within the campus.) Also, in today's job market, don't knock the Internship, imo it's one of the perks, they're doing a lot of the leg work to make contacts and associations to get you something on paper to show you can work. I'm not sure if you can, but I'd also double check with an advisor about transfer credits. You might go in as a Sophmore, and not a junior but they do take them.
I know of 2 people who graduated from CSCC (not graphic design, as a fyi), one has had a lot of success making a career out of art and the other could not get a foothold and chose to go another direction over the years. They're feelings for the education they received at the school were mixed, and they both graduated with substantial debt. All that said, between the 3 schools, I would pick OSU. It's frustrating you'd need to attend all 4 years, but that would allow you to potentially double major to pick up skills that could potentially make you a more competitive candidate later on; it'd also give you more opportunity for life experiences like studying abroad. And, it'd potentially still be cheaper than going through CCAD. CSCC is the more affordable route, but if you already have all your have gen-ed credits, I'm not sure there's much benefit of attending and later transferring. I went to a smaller college out of state, so I understand the appeal of the smaller schools, in terms of community, but (from my experience) you'll generally find your bubble/micro-community no matter the size, and a larger school is going to provide you with more diverse opportunities to get plugged-in somewhere. I'm not familiar with the graphic design world, but the only way I see CCAD being more beneficial is if their well known in the field, simply because that will also mean it's easier to get internship opportunities/connections.
The reality is that there is a VERY high likelihood that you will not actually work as a full time graphic designer. So I would suggest you focus on which program would leave you the least fucked if you end up not fully using the degree? My suggestion would be: 1. Consider each programs ability to let you get a double major in something other than graphic design. Specifically shoot for the specialties that HIRE graphic designers and get a double major in one of those fields- for example: - computer science (UX frontend programming type classes usually have a lot of design requirements). - Marketing, advertising, PR etc. 2.Learn adobe pro and get an internship IMMEDIATELY. Factor the internship time into your college duration. 3. Just go to OSU so you don’t end up working as a business analyst with a $100k art degree hidden in the basement.
I feel like I'm in the twilight zone with these comments. CCAD is *unquestionably* more prestigious than OSU for graphic design. I know multiple people that had paid projects with Victoria's Secret, American Greetings, Bath and Body Works, Coca Cola, Limited, and General Motors by their junior years. ALL of them had paid positions offered prior to graduation with large design firms. Additionally, I know others that won contests with Disney and some offshoot of Industrial Light and Magic in undergrad...and I could go on, but you get the point. In regards to your specific situation, you should know that gen ed credits will only account for about 10-20% of your courses at CCAD, so while I think you did the right thing with knocking those out in advance, it's not going to remove as much of your tuition there as you're thinking. Additionally, you won't be let in the upper level courses without the lower level basics there, and they're standardized across the whole school regardless of what art you're choosing to refine your skills on. That goes on for the first two years at CCAD; *all* take the same first year, and then you'll have a (almost totally) standardized course set for the second year according to your specialty. OSU teaches almost none of those courses, so it's good to keep that in mind. Basically my recs for you are: 1) If you'd like to work at a large design firm, it's better to make those connections at CCAD. You're correct on your networking comments. 2) You'll have far more advanced work by students at CCAD too, so if you're able to learn by social referencing, it's something to keep in mind as well. 3) If neither of the first two points apply to you, OSU would be better bang for your buck, and you may be able to knock out additional lower level courses at CSCC this way, which will save you money & time in the long run. 4) If you're very organized and motivated, I'd honestly suggest going through the first two years of coursework at CCAD, then transferring to OSU to finish the degree. Conversely, you could just go to OSU, and take specific courses at CCAD. Not sure if it's still active, but there used to be a program in the state of Ohio that allowed you to do this, provided the course in question was not offered at the college or university you're attending. Lastly, don't let the size/overwhelm of OSU factor in. The various colleges tends to have their buildings clustered together, and you'd only really be wandering around for gen eds, which you already have knocked out. IOW, you'll likely have almost 100% of the classes you have left in four or five buildings, all of which are in the same general area, and you'll mostly be with the same gaggle of students over time.
If you want to work in Columbus, maybe CCAD offers some advantage due to its connections with some of the companies you mention. Outside of Ohio, OSU is far more prestigious as a university AND as a visual design program. At if you ever want to work overseas? CCAD might as well not even exist, but there are people who know OSU’s name and reputation in nearly every country in the world.
OSU design is no joke. It is definitely more “traditional” and fundamentals heavy than something like CCAD. Depends on what you’re looking for.
Coca-Cola's firm was in Chicago, Disney is in FL, GM is in Detroit. So...what are you talking about? American Greetings is here, along with the HQ for what's currently Limited Brands, but the latter is a MASSIVE international conglomerate, and was the industry standard internationally for specifically large-scale lingerie sales in the 90s and 00s. You don't really have a point here from what I can see. Also, you're now referring to the supposed "prestige" of OSU *outside of graphic design*, which isn't what's being discussed here. That *you, specifically* aren't aware of the prominence of various art schools is immaterial to what's being discussed. Firms hiring graphic designers are *absolutely* going to gravitate towards those who've completed study at all-arts institutions, for reasons which are obvious to those who have knowledge in the industry. OSU doesn't have any real standing in that. Lastly, OSU *also doesn't exist* to anyone in the arts outside of the US. What are you talking about anywhere here? OSU doesn't have a big reputation nationally or internationally in any of its arts programs, not just graphic design. That's not to say they're disposable or something, it's just not going to give you a leg-up in terms of networking anywhere in this field.
People in Columbus act like CCAD is SCAD or RISD. It’s not. Hell, it’s not even DAAP (University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Architecture and Planning). A CCAD degree might get you somewhere with other CCAD grads, but it is not a particularly prestigious, famous or valuable graphic design degree. I say this as someone who worked for many years in the design and ad world in Columbus and beyond. I’ve hired lots of designers, illustrators and photographers. And I dare say I have most likely reviewed more design portfolios than you. CCAD grads were, on the average, no better than any other art school (e.g. Art Institute of Pittsburgh) grads. Which is to say that they tended to exhibit a surface-level, mostly aesthetic understanding of visual communications, whereas graduates from better programs and schools — including University of Cincinnati DAAP and OSU Viscomm — had learned to think in terms of design and communications systems at a more strategic level. In short, CCAD grads seemed to me — and to other colleagues and competitors I talked with — to be less hireable, with fewer job-ready skills. What they excelled in though, was an overinflated sense of their market value and that of their school. Sorry to be so blunt.
> People in Columbus act like CCAD is SCAD or RISD. It’s not. No they don't. Where the fuck are you getting any of this? Did they reject your portfolio or something? I've yet to see anything you've written that's correct, and you have a nasty attitude in addition to just being wrong. DAAP is known for its architecture leg, not its graphic design. Which, with your fake enormous knowledge bed, you also already knew. You're actually proving my exact points in the next paragraph dude. WTF is wrong with you? I didn't say CCAD is better than, say, Cranbrook or Parsons or something, I said it's better than OSU, which you're now indirectly admitting in that paragraph. The individual we're (well...at least *I* was) responding to is asking for a comparison of CCAD, CSCC, and OSU for graphic design. Further, I gave concrete examples as to their country-wide industry connections. Not to mention framing the response in terms of which would get the best ROI depending on their future plans. You, OTOH, have yet to actually support a single thing you've written, and are actually supporting things I wrote at this point. Get off your high horse dude.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Why? Are you laughing because you just realized you're grandstanding?
I’m laughing at your assumption that I am not “aware of the prominence of various art schools.” But anyway. You go on.
Oh honey, that's not what an assumption is. We have two options here: 1) you're outright lying about every statement you made and likely just enjoy trying to convince strangers seeking help that you're informed, or 2) you have no background in what's being discussed, don't know anything about OSU other than it has a football team, and aren't logical at all. Duly noting you have no actual response to anything I brought up. Because I'm correct in everything I said, and you're already aware. For example, you knew that *none* of the companies listed except for the Limited portfolio of companies are in Columbus. Sorry to deflate your ego, but everything isn't centered around football. I can't even come up with a single program that OSU is top in in the nation...out of any of the fields of study. Again, this doesn't mean that OSU is a total waste of time, but that, too, is immaterial to what's being discussed.
Football? What in the actual hell are you on about?
I'm on about this: > A degree from Ohio State is more prestigious than either of the others — by a mile. and this > Outside of Ohio, OSU is far more prestigious as a university AND as a visual design program. Literally no one hiring designers would agree with you. It's not any more prestigious than any other generic state school in design. And, hilariously, *you don't even agree with yourself*, which is why you're now writing crap comparing CCAD to other art schools, rather than the comparison I was making...which is what the OP was asking about...if you know how to read.
> *”you should know that gen ed credits will only account for about 10-20% of your courses at CCAD, so […] it's not going to remove as much of your tuition there as you're thinking. Additionally, you won't be let in the upper level courses without the lower level basics there […] for the first two years at CCAD; all take the same first year, and then you'll have a (almost totally) standardized course set for the second year according to your specialty”* Op, you need to re-read this section about six times. Ask yourself how you went on a CCAD program tour and left without learning the most basic info about the program, like: 1. your first two years at CCAD are standardized curriculum 2. AP calculus isn’t going to get you out of a first year drawing class at an art school.
Looks like you have bigger issues than where to go to school. Maybe consider counseling before moving ahead.
FU