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John, here is an answer from my g/f. She got her MFA from Art Center in Pasadena (which actually is probably the best in the world for what your friend's daughter wants to do), and is currently faculty at CalArts. She spent time in NY as well so she knows the scenes fairly well:
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Depends on how much your daughter wants to focus on packaging and what kind of packaging. CalArts is an "Art School" and Pratt is more of a "Trade School". Art School is less "worldly" and because of that they can be more innovative and expansive. The Graphic design program at CalArts is very strong in helping students developing visual indentities, especially in the form of print media, web design and typography. However if she is more interested in packaging, especially 3D packaging, then Pratt might be a better choice because they have a industrial design department, which is absent at CalArts. In terms of placement and exposure, in this date and age, I think Los Angeles is just as viable as New York, especially with all the fringe industries around Hollywood. I found that in my own experience the competition might be too keen for fresh graduates in NYC...in terms of campus life, Pratt is very much an urban school (albeit in Brooklyn), and CalArts is situated in the quintessential suburbia!
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