Another resurrected FIT post from my old blog (BEAUTYON7TH) that some people have been asking for. Here it is 🙂 –
Over the past few months, I’ve been getting a lot more questions about the Fashion Institute of Technology and my fashion school experience. I thought sharing my answers to these questions in a blog post rather than restricting them to people’s inboxes might be helpful to anyone researching/thinking about going to FIT!
Note: Some questions have been cleaned up a bit to apply to a broader group of people!
Getting into FIT
Which FIT program would be right for me?
I wish I could tell you, but I can’t decide for you! However, I can steer you in the direction of people/resources that can. Research the programs on FIT’s website, talk to your guidance counselor, and assess your strengths and weakness as well as evaluate your goals and interests.
Is FIT strictly for fashion?
No, there are a bunch of students spread out across a number of industries. One area that was growing in popularity while I was there was wearable tech (smartwatches and such).
Is FIT difficult to get in?
Difficult is a relative term, but one thing you can check out is FIT’s reported acceptance rate to get a sense of the number of students who apply versus the ones that get in.
Do you have any tips that will help my essay?
Be yourself! If I remember correctly, I wrote about my passions and how I’d taken steps to achieving my dreams, and explained how FIT could help me get even closer to accomplishing them.
Should I be in programs now that will help on my application when the time comes to apply?
I think extracurriculars, working, and volunteering make for a well-rounded student. It can definitely broaden your world view, and leadership experience never hurts. Based on your area of interest, is there a club you could join in high school, like business club or language club? Find out, but don’t force yourself for the sake of an application.
Anything that can help me build a good application?
Determination. Like I said earlier, explain the steps you’ve taken towards accomplishing your goals, and illustrate that FIT is the best school for helping you succeed.
Do you think X GPA is good enough to get in?
While I’m not qualified to determine whether or not you’ll get in (a number of factors are involved), believe in yourself and the hard work you’ve put into getting to this point of applying. If at first you don’t succeed, apply for spring semester! 🙂
Does FIT really have the great connections everyone talks about?
Yes and no. By that I mean yes, FIT has fostered great relationships with alumni and notable companies, but these connections aren’t just “handed” to you. As you would at any other school, you start a relationship and pursue the connection. I can write more about how to foster relationships/networking in a later post if that’s of interest! FIT connections definitely help, though. My current VP is an FIT grad from the same program, something I was elated to discover during my interview with her 🙂
In terms of commute and dorming, which do you think is better?
Having done both, I think you need to dorm for at least one semester to get a taste of navigating and living in NYC. The convenience is unparalleled – you live right across the street from the classrooms. But with convenience comes cost – it’s super expensive. So, I lived off-campus for a majority of my undergraduate career.
What sort of things do they look for on applications?
I’d say in general, they’re looking for academic excellence, demonstrated interest in the field of study, and a glimpse of your personality. Oh, and perfect grammar + spelling (don’t forget that).
I feel like FIT is a very intimidating school. Am I wrong? I feel as if everyone would be so competitive and it would be extremely nerve-wracking and hard to stand out.
FIT is crazy competitive, but so is the real world. You’re surrounded by all these talented creative people, all vying for jobs in the same 5 or 10 fields. Make an effort to stand out and do your own thing! Take a deep breath, and try not to be intimidated because that closes you off to potentially making lifelong friends!
Is there a way I can also get a job in [INSERT UNRELATED FIELD] that through my degree in FIT? I want to keep my options open.
If you want to keep your options open, start interning in that unrelated field now. At some point you’re going to need to narrow your focus – maybe now’s the time to find common themes in your various interests and pursue them!
And how are the dorms?
There are a few located across the street from FIT designed for first-year students, and one building on 31st & 9th for returning students. It all depends on the building you’re placed in. Truthfully, the ones across the street from the school are very dated, dark, and dingy. The newer residence hall for returning students is huge, with tall ceilings and a kitchen and rather large bathroom. I loved the Kaufman hall dorms. You can get a tour of both on FIT’s YouTube channel .
Is out-of-state tuition reasonable? How much is FIT tuition?
Reasonable is a relative term. For me it was fair, considering it was less than my state’s in-state tuition. You can find details on tuition and fees on FIT’s website.
Transferring to FIT
Any tips about transferring?
Stay organized in your transferring process. Get all necessary documents in on time, do thorough research on the school (so you won’t be disappointed and have to transfer again), and keep positive.
How easy is it for transfer students to make friends?
Pretty easy to be honest. You can make friends doing extracurriculars, working on-campus, speaking up in class. It’s easy to meet people and they’re generally friendly!
Is it difficult to transfer into?
The transferring process was relatively easy – just a number of SUNY forms and an essay or two for the business school. Not to frighten you, but I do recall that during my open house, the chairperson of the department mentioned there was a small number of open spots for transfers.
Advertising and Marketing Communications at FIT (AMC)
I wanted to get my AAS in the same marketing degree that you chose and was wondering how you liked it? Is it really worth it?
Looking back, I liked it, but found a lot of it to be slower paced and repetitive towards the end of the AAS degree. Product, price, place, promotion: I get it.
Do you see careers coming from the fields you studied in?
Absolutely. Marketing jobs are boooooming right now.
How was your course load?
I took 6-7 classes every semester I was there because I was trying to graduate on time (not all of my credits transferred, and SUNY has very specific requirements). It was a heavy load with 6-7 3-hour-long classes, especially when coupled with a part-time job and internship. If you are organized and well-caffeinated, you can handle it!
How likely is it that people with associate degrees from FIT get into the bachelor’s program?
From my understanding, as long as you met the GPA requirements to move on to the bachelor’s program, all it required was a completion of an online form and some payment.
What major did you choose as your bachelor’s? Did you stick to AMC or did you go a different route?
I decided to stick with AMC because I enjoyed the subject and it was “safe.” I came to FIT with the plan to pursue Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing as my bachelor’s program, but chickened out last minute, scared about what I’d do with this degree if I couldn’t land a beauty job. Also, because I started in the spring, my whole timing was off. The Cos & Frag program only admits students in the fall. In the end, I’d say it worked out pretty well since I got a job in beauty.
I hope you prospective students found this helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments of this post.
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