Sorting your choices of fashion schools by location really helps to narrow down your search. Do you want to be at the centre of a fashion capital, or will any old school near you do?
In my case, I knew I had to travel because there were no fashion schools close by… if any at all on the continent! But I was also pretty happy and excited at the idea of studying abroad.
What drives you when it comes to picking your fashion school? Let me know in the comments section below.
If you are lucky enough to have a fashion school near you, attending that one could save you a lot of money.
Most people will have to move at least to another town, if not another country. In this case, there are a couple things you will have to consider, which you may either view as pros or cons.Keep this front of mind: the location of your fashion school will contribute so many things to the months and years you spend in study. For example…
Make sure it is accredited. Whether that is an
academy, college institute or university. You should be able to find that info in their "about" page. or in
the footer of their website.
As your first contact probably won’t be in person, the school should make a good impression online.
That means a website and preferably active social
media. Although these days, I find that an inactive Facebook page can be somewhat forgiven...
an active and responsive web presence just makes you feel better that this place exists and if they put effort into that, they must put effort into other things.
For that I give 1 point. Just the first one.
It basically says they are interested in communicating with prospective students.
If you are going to travel to get to a fashion school, I like to first look at schools in countries that are closest and easiest to travel to.
In the US, I hear they plan college road trips, to literally check out the schools. Most good schools do have open days when they are open to the public for this very reason. It’s something I honestly think we should be investing in more. On that note, you will probably be interested in...
Top locations to study fashion are in...
Certain countries will advertise in other countries for students to study abroad. That usually makes the whole study abroad process much easier – if applying through that particular school or program.
Where I live, I haven’t seen a huge amount of those for fashion schools, but it is worth looking into where you live. Even if they don’t advertise for specifically studying fashion, the university may have a fashion course.
But there are more fashion schools available now than when I first search for them in 2009. So, you can definitely find one near(er to) you.
By the way, when you are in a foreign country, I have found that often one has to be on a full-time course to be considered for a student visa. Let’s talk about that for a bit…
It can’t be stressed enough. Make sure your travel documents are in order.
Besides a valid passport the next word you will hear is visa. If you have never travelled before, it sounds like a scary word. It’s just a sticker or a stamp put in your passport that says you can enter another country.
Depending on the rules of the country you are going to – and the one you are traveling from – they can be applied for online or must be applied for in person. They may be given to you in advance. Or they may be given at the boarder/airport itself. So, it really depends.
Also remember to check what vaccinations you may need to get and how much in advance. Go by information has come from official government websites of the country you are traveling to.
But You Won’t Always Need a Visa. That depends on the economic zones your country is a part of and visa exemptions. Do a quick search of “which countries (your
citizenship) can travel to without a visa” to be sure.
I counted four things that go into that: cost of living, language culture and education system.
Before we go into each of those factors, think about weighing them based on what you are trying to get out of your new location...
Whichever of these or otherwise is your reason, you may want to weigh your option based on the experience, networking options and prestige that they carry.
That's enough of the general information. Click on any of the links below to look at my analysis of fashion schools in each location. I hope this helps.
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