Polaroid photo of Norah Gilbert
Art Education

Norah Gilbert ’26

Why Tyler? 

Tyler has state of the art facilities and intimate classroom settings that most large universities don’t offer, while also having the resources and opportunities of a large university. I also chose it for its amazing location, being situated in Philadelphia, and close to both NYC and a beach.

What is your major and why do you love it?

Sophomore Art Education major. I love it because of the mix of education and art studio classes. I get a healthy amount of strict academic classes that support my interests in education, while still having the opportunity to take a wide range of studios and work hands on with materials. It’s the perfect balance for me.

What are some tips you would give to applicants?

Don’t be worried about critiques or foundations year. Critiques are actually one of the most fun, helpful aspects of studio classes. I’ve found that you receive far, far more positive feedback than criticism, and the criticism you receive is very constructive and growth-based. High school teachers like to act like college professors have no interest in helping you and you’ll receive no support, but the professors here WANT to help you succeed, and are extremely kind and collaborative. Get to know them! 

What is a positive experience you’ve had at Tyler so far?

In my foundations drawing class, I got to work from observation with live models for the first time, introducing a new passion for me that I had no idea I would love so much. In the same class, I had the opportunity to work on massive pieces of paper - the final project was a close up self portrait on 3.5x5ft paper, and it was amazing.