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Small, "prestigious" Maryland Institute College of Art specializes in "turning promising talent into undeniable skill." Majors here include an "incredible painting program" and "one of the best" illustration programs in the country. While MICA obviously focuses on art, there's also a respectable array of required liberal arts and art history courses and a thorough foundational curriculum. "The school makes sure everyone has a strong foundation...so that, for example, even a photo major will still be at least decent at drawing." Extensive internship opportunities and a throng of study abroad options are other perks. Classes are "wonderfully small" and often "very long." "The workload is quite heavy." "It is insanely time-consuming to be a student here." "Everyone works their [butts] off and complains about it," says an illustration major, "but we all really love what we do." The faculty at MICA is largely comprised of "actual artists living and working in the real world." There are "really exceptionally amazing teachers and horrifyingly bad ones." For the most part, though, professors are "dedicated" and "readily available" outside of class. "They challenge students on an individual basis and critique with expert eyes." The administration is "a little disorganized." "They take forever to get back to you on any issue," gripes an exasperated senior.

Students here are "passionate," "hardworking, ambitious," "incredibly observant," and usually "very liberal." Many come from "wealthy suburban" enclaves on the East Coast. They are "very fashionable." Many "go to class looking runway-ready." There are "droves of hipsters" who get "most of their clothes at Urban Outfitters and the rest at the thrift store." Beyond that, this population is hard to classify. MICA is full of "oddballs" who "were the misfits at their high school." "The whole campus is basically atypical students." "There are so many atypical students that they become typical." "Strange haircuts" are customary. "There really is no way to stand out by being weird." Socially, MICA is "very cliquey." "You can tell what major kids are just by looking at their clothes," maintains a senior. "Every department has a clique."

This "tiny, urban campus" boasts "exceptionally nice" dorms. There is "no rah-rah school spirit" and very little in the way of traditional college life. Basically, "people have art on the mind 24/7." "Studio work is very demanding" and takes up huge chunks of time. Students definitely let loose when they have a chance, though. "There's a lot of drinking," and "a lot of house parties with loud music and bad beer." "Hardly a weekend goes by [when] there isn't a sweaty warehouse party with killer dance music." More mellow fare is also abundantly available. "Groups of friends get together at each other's houses a lot." Gallery openings and independent theater and film showings are popular. Trips to New York City and the District of Columbia are fairly common. The surrounding city of Baltimore is "charming for some, terrifying for others." Critics point out that the neighborhood bordering the north of the campus is "a rough place." Devotees of the city insist that it has "unique and interesting restaurants" and "an excellent music scene." "It's an exciting place to live right now," says a sophomore.