<p>Our son is interested in the Academy of Art (Illustration) program in San Francisco.<br>
Does anyone have any experiences they can share about this school? I'm concerned because the graduation rates are very low and they have recently been denied Cal Grant eligibility.</p>
<p>Hello ConceptArtist. My sister went to the Academy of Art in SF for fashion design and her boyfriend went there for cinematography, so I can give you a few tips/tidbits I garnered from their experiences. </p>
<p>First, make sure that your son talks to their counselors / advisors ASAP and consistently. The requirements for graduation seem to change frequently. My sister transferred there and she had to spend an extra semester or so at the Academy of Art merely because they kept changing the graduation requirements. This may have been more of a problem because she transferred, however. </p>
<p>At least in terms of my sister’s major, the school is EXPENSIVE. Not only did she have to buy fabric, etc. for her classes, but they had to be of exceptional quality, in large part because she was showcasing her work alongside those of her peers who largely came from extremely wealthy families who could afford thousands of dollars for a few yards of material. I’m not quite sure what your son will need for his illustration classes, but remember that it’s probably going to be more expensive than if your son just needed printer paper and ink cartridges, like most non-artsy majors. This is of course on top of the high tuition cost of the Academy of Art. My sister worked about 30+ hours per week just to be able to afford food and materials for her projects, and even then she barely ate enough some days. </p>
<p>That being said, the professors are understanding if you explain your circumstances. When my sister’s professors asked her why she didn’t choose a more expensive (and nicer) fabric, my sister would simply state that she worked 30+ hours a week to afford the best fabric she could, which was the one she used. Understanding this, they cut her some slack.</p>
<p>For both my sister and her boyfriend, the school was good in terms of making contacts and guaranteeing jobs. The professors in their departments were well known in their fields, and well respected. My sister’s boyfriend, in particular, was able to get gigs working on films, shorts, music videos, etc. while still in school, enough to make a comfortable yearly salary (which says a lot since he was still a full-time student). The Academy was great for him because, in terms of teaching style, the Academy of Art is very hands-on (whereas other art schools can be very theory based, in all majors). This means that, when applying to jobs, someone’s more likely to want the Academy of Art major because he/she actually knows how to work with the equipment/materials/etc. and has had more years of experience with it than someone from another, more theory based art school.</p>
<p>In terms of location, SF could be a good place for your son to go to school depending upon what he wants to do. Remember, it’s in the Bay Area, and South SF is the northernmost point of Silicon Valley. There may be a strong hub of whatever your son wants to do right in SF or near it that your son could tap into. Starting those connections as early on in his college career would be extremely smart. </p>
<p>Lastly, although the graduation rate may be low, people attending the Academy don’t always have to graduate in order to make a living doing what they want to do. My sister’s boyfriend never actually graduated from the Academy, but he didn’t need to. Because he was so competitive in the work sphere as an undergrad at the Academy (having the hands-on experience the Academy is known for in that field), he was able to get the work he wanted that taught him exactly what the classes would teach him and more. He didn’t finish his last year merely because he had nothing else to learn from the Academy – and when it came down to spending $50,000+ on another year of unnecessary schooling versus earning $80,000+ working full-time, he chose working full-time. I know drop-out rate is definitely something to consider when looking at a college, but particularly in this case, you want to consider the reasons why these students may not have completed their degrees. A good number of my sister’s friends didn’t complete their degrees (like her boyfriend), but it was merely because they didn’t need to, and completing one wouldn’t necessarily guarantee them more money in their fields. </p>
<p>I hope this helps. If you have any more specific questions, I’ll see if I can help.</p>
<p>After talking to my sister about your situation, I have three more things to add:</p>
<p>1) Your son may want to consider maybe going the graphic design, marketing design, etc. route instead. Illustration is a dying field, unfortunately, so if he can make his major more specific to the career he wants, that would probably be the best solution. And, of course, he could find great schools for these majors outside of the Academy (San Jose State, for instance, has the top graphic design program in California). If he is dead-set on illustration at the Academy, then he should at least consider double majoring or minoring in something else. It’s important to find something that you love to do, but it’s also important to find something that will pay the bills. Unfortunately, double majoring or minoring would mean he wouldn’t have time to work part-time if that was what he was hoping to do, but to each their own. </p>
<p>2) The Academy may not be the best location for him if he wants to go into illustration. Most publishing houses, for instance, are located in New York, and very few are in SF. When I mentioned that the Academy is near Silicon Valley, I was working on the belief that he was planning on going the more graphic design illustration route. (And if this is the case, he may just want to major in graphic design elsewhere.)</p>
<p>3) Your son should definitely consider whether or not having a campus life is important to him. The Academy’s buildings are located throughout SF, and there is absolutely no campus life at all. You make some friends through your classes, but my sister and her friends mostly made their friends through their part-time jobs. If having the campus social life is important to your son, he may want to consider another school. This is also important for you, as a parent, to realize, as this means your son will be out exploring SF during his free time. You’ll have to be comfortable with this idea. (And if you don’t know anything about SF, at least tell your son to avoid the Tenderloin area.) </p>
<p>And, as a side-note, my sister wanted me to re-emphasize how expensive the Academy is. It’s expensive. Not just because it’s a private school, but also because, by nature, artsy majors require expensive materials for projects. This can be a major deal-breaker for many families.</p>