Okay, just when everything was working out for me, life comes into the picture.

So shortly after the whole "awkward" incident i come home to find a letter from an art school applied for.

This is a very complicated story but here's its generalization

I applied for the art school, because i hated my current one

I fell in love with the art school and was determined to get in it

I preceded to tell all my friends that i was hopefully getting to this school

All of a sudden...all my friends started opening up to everybody (usually my "friends" are very "keep to themselves" kind of people)

I started hanging out with my friends

I start hanging out with old friends i haven't spoken to in years

I'm head over heels for this one girl who was friends with one of my old friends (not the "awkward moment" girl)

I have the interview for the school, i have no idea how it goes

I decide that even if i get accepted i won't go, it was now just a matter of seeing if i was good enough

I get accepted

....and my parents don't want me to turn down the oppurtunity so quickly (and i don't blame them)

So now i just want to know, from those who might have gone to art school, how did you make your final descision.

I hate making the life altering choices, i need some advice.

PhatScurl
So now i just want to know, from those who might have gone to art school, how did you make your final descision.

When I was in high school, I got an acceptance from all the universities I applied to. One of them was an art school with a very good reputation. Another was a journalism program (8% acceptance rate...one of the only two universities who offered journalism at the time in the province. I also got an acceptance from the other university.)

I ended up accepting the offer of the university that was the easiest to get into.

For me it was quite simple: I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in the future, what career I wanted to get into. I have thought about teaching but I was also interested in the arts and I didn't want to let go of journalism quite yet. The school I picked had an okay art program but it had a TON of student run newspapers. It was also the school that allowed me to do both so I was able to keep my options open until I was ready to make a decision about what I wanted to pursue as a career.

I didn't really think much about my friends but that was because I was going to stay in the city. My friends all went to another university and while initially I wished I was there with them, in retrospective I think I made the right decision. (I couldn't have gotten an Honours BA with both an arts and English if I went with them.) I was able to keep my options open and I made a point to keep in touch with my friends. So I ended up having my cake and eating it too.

My current school was very political and I was really sick of it. Their art program was incredibly bizarre and pushy so I applied to an art school in the metroplex. I got accepted into the animation program where I was told that I could do whatever style I wanted and go where I wanted to with my art. I was sorely disappointed. The education was lackluster in the basics and certainly not worth the price. Now, however, my design instruction and general character instruction was beyond anything that could be expected. Except when they told me I had to completely change my style because it wasn't American enough and wouldn't sell. Mind you this was a couple years ago. Unfortunately because of their lackluster basic courses I lost all my ambition, failed and ran out of money. I eventually just quit having wasted 20 years of saving on a crappy private school.

That's my experience - but I would say that I'm thankful for what I got at that school because my work wouldn't be what it is today without it. So like BlackKitty mentions it's best to keep your options open. I never got to finish school because of my health but if I could I would go to a simple university with an eclectic variety of studies and a loose degree plan so I could focus on what I wanted when it was right.

I'm more or less in the same boat as you; about to go to an art school. The thing with me is: I love drawing, and I want to improve. So school is the obvious choice.

I'd have to agree with your parents. Some schools are very picky and hard to get into. If you get accepted, don't throw it away. Besides, what are your reasons for staying? Your friends? Because they are more talkative now (correct me if I misread or something)? I care about my friends too, but if the choice was hang with them or go to a school that will teach me to improve and do what I enjoy doing; then i'd have to say "peace" to my buddies. I'm sure they'll understand.

If you do get accepted and decline them, there is no guarantee that they'll let you back in if you decide later to sign up (unless you have a good excuse for not going in the first place, I think).

I just want to also point out that as generous as most good friends are, they're not so generous that they would support you for the rest of your life. At some point you're going to have to get a job and the purpose of school is to get an education so that you could pursue a career.

So personally, I don't think it's ever worth it to stay in a school for your friends when there are better options out there. There are other ways to keep in touch and strong friendships can last a few years of school.

I decided to go to a school away from alot of my good friends (for no good reason :/) and sometimes I really wish I hadn't...

But the thing is, so long as the internet exists, you're never going to lose contact with your close friends. I mean, I talk to Zac and Jimmy almost everyday. I sometimes still want to transfer schools and be their third roommate, but even though I'm far away from them we're still just as close as we've ever been through internet communication.

So if you want to go to that art school, do it. Your real friends won't forget you.

Black_Kitty
I just want to also point out that as generous as most good friends are, they're not so generous that they would support you for the rest of your life.

My mom used to say the same thing. She'd say "well are your friends gonna take care of you, and support you? No? Then they aren't that important. I couldn't agree more Kitty. It's true that you may find some friends willing to stick through thick and thin, but they are very rare from my experiences.

Ask her out.
Either way you should go to school.