Why are there no scholarship for Animation.

[Alexander McGee]

Ah, I ask myself this question every single year. Unfortunately, the animation program is not held in as high of an esteem as the actual robot is, with respect to college recruiters. However, there are some options you have and some benefits as well with a lot of good animation skill.

I was hired as a design engineer because of my familiarity with 3ds max and pro/E (similar to Inventor), and work on Industrial Design projects coming up with prototype products and designs. I work with max every day.

However, closer to the college-zone as far as money is concerned, there are plenty of FIRST scholarships that are not “skill specific” and generally are awarded for performance and leadership on a team. I would shoot for one of those and work my way towards a degree as a design engineer. One of my animators tested out of his $2500 freshman Mechanical Design (CAD) class because he proved efficient in the material. This was all thanks to his experience on the team, and it ended up getting him 4 credits here at Kettering.

If you don’t want to be an engineer, and want to lean more towards what my current animation students want (video game design), I would suggest some creative arts universities, or DigiPen in Washington. I would also definitely contact Ted Boardman about scholarships and help with colleges. He has written several books about Max, is active in the FIRST community and has been for years. Check out his website and email him. http://www.tbmax.com/

Also feel free to contact me about any specifics you might need help with, I can try to help and offer suggestions about schools.

-Alex McGee