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Fashion Institute of Technology Profile

New York, New York

Fashion Institute of Technology Profile

The Fashion Institute of Technology was established in 1944 as part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of public universities offering comprehensive undergraduate programs in several different fields including art & design, business, and fashion technology. FIT prepares students for careers in fashion and related design professions and industries. The school offers Associate, Bachelor, Graduate, and Certificate Programs within these very challenging professional fields. The school itself is located in Midtown Manhattan on 7th Avenue (Fashion Avenue) in the heart of one of the world’s busiest commercial areas.

FIT is also unique because it’s a small state school located in the main fashion area of the world. The school is situated geographically between 28th, and 26th streets between 7th and 8th Avenue in the Chelsea section of New York City. The footprint of the site is small for a state school, but big enough for an urban institution. FIT was designed to offer students a professional education while still allowing students to enjoy a small-sized public school community. The Chelsea campus offers students approximately 5 acres of city property situated within a large commercial area.

The campus has approximately 10 buildings including lecture, studio, a resource center, and student housing facilities. The issue of student housing on campus is a challenge for FIT because the school has a rather large international, and out of state student population. The university provides housing for 2,300 students on FIT’s campus through a lottery system according to school documents. The university does provide a priority to out-of town students within the lottery system. International, and out of state students can apply for off campus housing through the school’s office of residence life. The number of commuter students at the university also diminishes the issue of housing, which is relatively high at 83%.

The physical layout of the Chelsea campus is unique to Manhattan because the school uses metal gates to block the entrance to 27th street, which allows students to walk in the street like a pedestrian mall. 27th street is also the focal area of the campus because the academic buildings, and residence halls have been designed to separate the campus into 2 parts, for easy access to students. Student housing is in close proximity to the lecture halls for easy access to classes. FIT is a small school that has links to everywhere in the city on a 24-hour basis including private design facilities, cultural events, the international toy center on 23rd street, the international jewelry exchange on 47th street, and many other art & design locations through New York City. Fit’s Chelsea location also allows students to enjoy an urban landscape while having the ability to engage in fashion activities and learning.

The internal campus setting provides students and employees with several types of student services including physical fitness, library services, and cultural meeting places and dining halls. Fit’s observed focal point of reference during the campus tour was the Dubinsky Student, and the Pomerantz Design Centers, which are the main internal student life areas of the campus. My tour guide told me that students come to the campus center to relax, and eat in the dining hall. Students also use this space to socialize and talk about school and life. The facility is large for a small school with offices for all the student clubs and activities, and a school bookstore for students to enjoy. The external observed focal points for the university can be found along 7th Avenue with students enjoying several small restaurants and deli’s within a very short walk from campus.

Fashion Institute Demographics: Fit University is home to an overall student population of approximately 1,000 male, and 5,600 female full time undergrad students. The university also has 800 male, and 3,300 female students attending the school on a part-time basis. Fit also has 10 male, and 100 female graduate students attending the university. The average age of a freshman is 22 years old; all undergraduates are 29 years old. 63% of students are state residents, the rest of students attending the university come from all 50 states, and 80 foreign countries. 60% of students are white, 15% are Hispanic, and 10% are African American, and 14% are Asian.

The Fashion Institute of Technology offers a Liberal Arts and Sciences programs for undergraduate students. The school has a very unique way of evaluating student performance within it’s application process. Fit does not require students to take an SAT exam; the school puts more emphasis on art & design portfolios that demonstrate student potential and individual talent. Each student who applies to the school of arts & science must provide at least 7 examples of finished original work/designs during the application process. Students who wish to apply to the business school don’t need a portfolio; candidates must provide academic performance documentation from high school or their transfer school in the form of transcripts, and AP courses. Potential students to the business school can have their SAT credentials evaluated in regard to Math scores if they already have them from high school, and their transfer school. Below is published general admission data for fit.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

The Fashion Institute does not guarantee housing for undergraduate students who have filed their intent to reside on campus by the stated deadline. The university uses a lottery system to provide housing for students on campus. Fit currently has 4 muti-story residence halls that provide housing for 2,300 students. Information about student housing can be found within Fit’s quick link page in the back of this document. The issue of housing within Fit is unique because 83% of students commute to school according to published campus data.

Off Campus Housing

The Fashion Institute of Technology has been described as a small state university situated within a midtown muti- cultural, mixed residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community of Chelsea is to re-assert the point that Fit’s footprint is small within the neighborhood, and that available student housing in the area is extremely limited. The demand for housing, especially off campus housing is usually a tough issue for institutions attempting to keep students within the general geographical area. Fit has addressed this issue by building business relationships with residential buildings and developing housing networks. Information about off-campus housing at Fit can be found on the quick link page.

Campus Life

The Fashion Institute of Technology is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with an excellent social, and educational atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a very diverse community with students from all over the world. The local community of Chelsea only adds to the universities international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. Fit also addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way. The physical environment is clean and well maintained and the economic conditions are favorable to students and local residents due to the available services in walking distance to the school. The emotional climate and culture of the entire Fit community is social due to it’s close relationship with community, it’s mature student population, and educational resources in my opinion. Fit is an attractive institution because it offers students real world professional experiences in New York City, while providing relationships with major designers through student activities for everyone to enjoy throughout the year. This issue of school culture is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community.

Campus life at Fit is more than academic excellence; it’s about building personal relationships with students and facility that continues throughout each student’s career. The school may not have a lot of sports or fraternities, but it does have a network of very focused students that enjoy everything NYC has to offer including performing arts, history, cultural events, restaurants, and local museums. For example, the City of New York has hundreds of venues to enjoy the previously stated activities including the Metropolitan Art Museum, Madison Square Garden, and Carnegie Hall to mention a few.

The university also has several global education centers in the area for students to learn, and gather information about studying abroad. Fit also develops internships for students through it’s general education requirements to allow everyone to make connections in specific industries, and to gain valuable feedback from working professionals. Students at Fit are also encouraged to work in the school store to gain confidence in the design, and business process, while in school.

Public Transportation

The New York City Transit System has a subway that stops right at the main focal point of the campus, which is 28th Street and 7th Avenue. Students and visitors get off the train and walk down the street to the main entry to the school. The Seventh Ave Line (#1 Train) stops at 28th Street but it also connects with every other subway line within the system. Riders can take the train from south ferry in lower Manhattan to the Washington Heights in a relatively short amount of time.

Public transportation resources can also be found by walking 3 blocks to New York Penn Station that links with trains to Long Island and New Jersey through the LIRR and Jersey Transit respectfully. Amtrak also uses Penn Station as a major hub within it’s Northeast Corridor. All these trains can be linked by the #1 train, which makes stops at Penn Station. Riders who wish to go to northern New York State can catch a shuttle train at 42nd Street from the # 1 train to Grand Central Station for the Metro North Trains.

This complex train system also allows riders the ability to travel to Liberty Airport via Jersey Transit, and Kennedy Airport via the N.Y. Subway system. People who live, work, and visit New York usually travel by some type of mass transit. Students should be encouraged to purchase a metro card to get around. Mass transit information can be found at: http://www.mta.info

Community Profile

The Chelsea section of Manhattan has been identified on maps geographically as north of 23rd Street, and south of 34th Street between 7th Avenue and the Westside Highway. The community has been described in different ways, including a tourist heaven due to the high number of restaurants and galleries on 8th Ave. The area can also be considered a commercial hub due to it’s high number of retail stores and professional buildings in the area. The Chelsea area really can’t be considered a real student landmark because you only find students in, and around Fit. Student population and historical neighborhood architecture can only be found west of 8th Avenue within the overall neighborhood. The greatest number of residents in midtown is in fact working professionals.

The community has a real gritty type feel to it because a large number of people live and work within the area. New York City itself is a maze of local neighborhoods that are unique to the people who live and work in them. Chelsea can be considered a mixed residential area because you have commercial, residential, cultural, and intellectual all within the same block with people walking through the Fit campus on their way to work, or home. The area around 7th Ave is a major pedestrian walkway in midtown for NYC residents, tourist, and commuters because it’s really in the middle of the city. That’s why you can find endless shopping and restaurants in midtown between West 14th Street and Columbus Circle.

The issue of walking alone at night outside the perimeter of the campus gates should be curtailed because you’re in a big city with big city crime. 7th Ave becomes less populated after 7:00PM due to the large commercial establishments in the area. Chelsea has several community parks and ball fields including the Chelsea Pier on the Westside Highway but local police officers have told students to exercise some caution when using the city parks after dark.

Community demographics

The following demographics for New York City describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 8,214,426 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 47.7% of residents are male, 52.3 are female. 43.9% of residents are white, 25.1% are African American, 27.6% are Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% are Asian, 6.3% are some other Race, and finally 2.0 are two or more Races. The median age of population is 35.9 years old. 76.3% of residents are 18 years old or over and 12.1% of city residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in New York is also interesting. 91.2% of all housing units within the city are occupied. 65.6% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 34.4% of units are owner-occupied.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a university experience. New York City enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. New York City also gets it’s share of rain during the spring and summer months as well.

Fashion Institute of Technology Quick Links

The Your College Profile web site also contains an “Everything in New York City” document for families who wish to explore the NYC while visiting FIT. This site contains a full list of hotels, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment, and tourism resources for families enjoying the region. Below is a sample list of local hotels and restaurants in the Chelsea Area.

Lower Manhattan Hotel Listings

Chelsea Area Hotel Listings

Chelsea ( Midtown/ West Side of Manhattan)

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