Making Decisions: FIT Verses London College of Fashion

One of the many reasons why I chose to study apparel design at Purdue University is the amazing opportunities involved with the major. There are great study abroad opportunities available—Beijing, China, London, England, and Sydney, Australia—to not only take classes but to fulfill your internship requirements. For apparel design majors we need to have at least 2 internships: 1 in a retail setting and 1 in design. Besides the study abroad internship opportunities there are 2 major places to go for 3 potentially amazing additions to your resume and list of experiences:

1.   Attend the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York for one year as a Fashion Design student. When you graduate from Purdue you will not only receive your degree from Purdue but you will receive an Associate’s degree from FIT for apparel design.

2.   Attend FIT for the Fashion Merchandise Management (retail) program for a whole year and receive an Associate’s degree in this when you graduate from Purdue.

3.   Attend London College of Fashion for a semester (or 2 if you want) and take 3 mandatory classes (6 credits total) and choose from a list  of elective classes such as shoe making, fashion illustration, and corsetry, and decide on 10 credits (for a total of 16 for the semester). For a list of classes go here: http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/study-abroad/design-semester/

The Needle and Button in the Fashion District in NYC.
Picture taken from bus tour when I went to NYC.

These are all GREAT chances to gain a lot of experience and stand out with your resume. However, you can only pick 1 out of the 3 chances. You can only apply to 1 place for 1 major, meaning you can only apply to FIT for either design or retail, not both. And you can’t apply to FIT and London; it’s either or, not both. To top it all off, getting into the design track for FIT is incredibly challenging and requires a portfolio. FIT for retail and the semester in London are based on grades and other academic qualities. Also, you apply fall of your sophomore year (so for me this fall, October I think) in order to go your junior year; which means if I want to apply to FIT for design I have a short amount of time to create a kick ass portfolio. However, there are pluses and minuses to each. If I apply to FIT for fashion design and get in, then I face an extremely difficult year in which I do nothing but focus on my coursework. If I apply but don’t get in, well then I lose a huge opportunity for my junior year. If I apply for FIT in retail and get in I can most likely do an internship while attending classes because the class schedule and options are more flexible than the design track offered. Once again, if I don’t get accepted I do nothing extraordinary my junior year. If I get into London College of Fashion, then I can take specific courses and learn specific talents I can’t learn at Purdue. Also, you go to Paris during the semester (which is probably a main reason I am leaning towards London). And, just like the others, if I apply but don’t get in I waste an excellent opportunity. But which do I decide on? Where should I try and spend my junior year? What if no one else from Purdue goes to London for their junior year and I am utterly alone by myself, I can make friends and such but it really would be nice to go there with a familiar face and have someone else in the same situation as you when you return. Also, what classes count for my required classes? I really don’t want to spend more than the 4 years to graduate from Purdue. I feel as though all of these questions will be answered once I get back to school and can talk to my adviser and other students. Personally, I think deep down I have already made the decision to go to London, but if it would cause me to stay an extra semester at Purdue, then I might not go.

Me in summer of 2010 visiting England and Wales for
a soccer tournament and tour.

Every time I talk about this topic with my friends they don’t understand why this is so difficult, or life changing. I want to get the most out of my years at Purdue and I want to graduate with an exceptional resume and transcript, I want to have lots of experience and be able to stand out among other candidates when I apply for jobs. However, I also want to have a great time and enjoy life, which is one more reason I might choose London. I can see myself there having a wonderful time and really learning more than just sewing techniques and information.