I visited Parsons and the vibe I got was that it is really an international hub. Parsons takes people from all over the world, which I think is pretty sweet, because it brings in so many different perspectives. They have a massive emphasis on sustainability as well, so expect everyone in every department (including fashion, etc.) to be focused on that. I think that is one of the greatest positives about it. The only thing that jumped out at me to think about was that on the tour my guide expressed that the school is extremely political. If you go there, you have to want to be surrounded by that as part of the culture and conversation. If you're into that, great, but if you're not, it is something to consider. 

It's also in a great area of New York, so that's another perk. As for rankings, I'm not really sure... Hope this helps at all

So not an alum, nor have I visited, but I can tell you why. I searched instagram and the internet for student work/research when I was deciding where to apply and didn't find much at all. For the stuff I did find, it wasn't impressive work. I was in NY to visit schools and decided it probably wasn't even worth the time to go visit them after doing a bunch of research. I'm not sure what all of the fuss is about with that school. And I hate their website/branding. This is all just my opinion though.