What are some better alternatives to ITT Tech's school of drafting and design?

Hi Cody,

Great question. I was approached by an ITT recruiter years ago and contemplated about the same things. I'll give you my take on ITT schools and then talk about the path I took to lower the cost of college.

ITTs are very specific and straight-to-the-point schools. There is nothing wrong with them per-say, however, getting a full college degree is still highly valued in the work force. I would suggest shadowing someone who goes to the ITT schools, rather than taking a tour. This way you will get a honest look into the realities of a technical school, and not the tailored experience to get you in the door.

My parents are low-income and seeing them struggle with money, made choosing a school and not having a big debt a concern of mine. Since I had to pay for school myself, I had to be strategic about every thing I did, leading up to graduation from college. What I did was went to a local city college (SFCC) to finish all my pre-requisites (English, Math, Public Speaking, etc), then I researched to transfer to a State Universities (SJSU) that specialized in the field I wanted (Design). This wouldn't get you out of school quick, like the months ITT schools guarantee and promise, but you get a more well-rounded education. Most companies in the Silicon Valley, value high education, so anything ranging from State to Private schools are still a big thing. You might want to check out LinkedIn's new universities pages: https://www.linkedin.com/edu. They give you an idea of where people went to school and where they work at now. It's super insightful.

I was able to finish college with $0 debt, but only because I worked during the whole time, applied for EOPS, grants, and scholarships and had FAFSA. All these things helped me finish college and will help you too! Hope this gives you some insight.

Dream big, Vivian

You want a career that utilizes your creativity, then you should consider going to a school that nurtures and challenges creativity. I'm not sure an ITT technical institute is going to do that for you. I'm sure the campus visit was visually cool eye candy with all those computers and models and visions of becoming a great CAD jockey; but just learning how to model something in a computer is not the same thing as deciding what to model. ITT will teach you about the tools of engineering and design, but it will not teach you what to design. For being creative, you want to be the one coming up with the solutions and design that someone models (most likely you) in those computer programs ITT teaches. To become that creative person, you need to study in a place that teaches the fundamentals of engineering and/or design. Look into engineering and design schools. They will teach you how to think and get your ideas made. They will also teach you how to use those eye candy tools (CAD programs and more).

Every engineer and designer I have worked with has come from an engineering or design school; not an ITT tech school. There are great schools in the State systems that many of my colleagues have graduated from (I went to Mass Art; our head of Engineering went to UMass Lowell) that are relatively still affordable. Talk to your guidance counselor and go visit them. They may not look so polished as ITT (though I have not seen ITT) but they are going to give you a much more valuable education.

Hi,
Good question, these type of schools are good if you have money and want a quick education. There are alternatives, you can find a community college or public technical college depending on where you live. There are even online courses in drafting/design.
I would suggest starting with a trip to your Guidance/Counseling office (if you are still in school), they will have more specific information on your local area. Here is a Wiki link that has some good information as well:
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Drafter

Good luck.

If you're considering an online program, check out the following links:

http://learn.org/articles/Which_Schools_Offer_an_Online_Drafting_Degree_Program.html

http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/best-online-drafting-programs/