<p>Nevertheless, it sounds like the publics continue to offer the best fit in terms of finances and a more non-traditional/older student body. </p>
<p>Let us know how things go, NRK. The Visual Arts forum is rooting for you. :)</p>
<p>Wow!</p>
<p>You know, I just hopped on this thread to check something else and after getting caught up in this incredible story, I can’t even remember what it was! </p>
<p>So it occurs to me (rather fancifully) that rather than going for a film degree you should sell the film rights to your life story! How gorgeous a film would that be set in Amsterdam and SoCal! Contrasting places (very rainy vs. very sunny, old vs. new, just for starters…), yet tied together with the theme of water. I can even imagine the underwater images of the waving kelp beds. And all these background images and unusual life experiences weaving together to form the interesting character that is the real person of nrk700!</p>
<p>Best of luck finding the right fit. Any of these places should feel lucky to have you! (Heck, simply the ability to speak Dutch should demonstrate superior academic skills!) And let us know where you end up. In case we don’t catch the movie…</p>
<p>I know I have said this before, but I really cannot thank you guys enough for your help! It is very tough trying to figure out what to do and where to go with little guidance or moral support. </p>
<p>I think one of my biggest dilemmas is finding the balance between what objectively is the most practical decision and what my heart/soul wants. I really don’t like having feelings of regrets, and part of me really wants a do-over, but the reality is that there are no real do-overs in life and at 29, I really need to be practical more than anything else. I’m trying to look on the brighter side of things, but it is frustrating to keep ending up in the should’ve-could’ve-would’ve mindset. Basically, I went from growing up with my own room, phone, and car to use in a nice part of LA to watching that disappear overnight and having to figure out how to get a roof over my head and transportation with zero credit history, no job, and no-one to as much as co-sign any of it. I ended up renting a room from my grandparents’ former cleaning lady in a gang-infested part of town and got to experience how life here is like a chicken-and-egg problem, where there simply is no beginning without a beginning helping hand. Always knew that LA was expensive, just never quite realized truly HOW expensive . Now that I have a decent place, which I went through hell to get, in a decent and rel. safe location and extremely close to the bulk of jobs/internships, I am counting my lucky stars and would be crazy to move. </p>
<p>I see so many great schools and programs, but most of these are not very practical at this point, not to mention costly. I really like Chapman, and would have applied if it was actually located in Los Angeles. I have a friend in Tustin (adjacent to Orange), and it is not commutable to the majority of jobs or internships I can think of either nor is it a location I’d want to uproot my life for. In my first post I (jokingly) said I hope I only get into UCSC, because I know how insane it is to leave LA for the redwoods if I have any hope of being employed/interning in the near future. At one point it would have been easy to do as I had a place to come back to, but now it would essentially mean having to moving back to L.A. and starting over after all is said and done, but it would also be one of the fastest routes to graduation. I am also a lot more at ease in more intimate educational settings, so the massive UC/CSU’s are off-putting to me in that sense, especially with all the problems going on there right now. </p>
<p>My situation is making the college search not a very exciting or enjoyable one, but like jtmoney pointed out, I really shouldn’t sell myself short and assume the worst. This thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1390427-25-deep-debt.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1390427-25-deep-debt.html</a>. reminds me that I am at least very fortunate not to be stuck in this type of dark hole and need to keep it that way, but that doesn’t mean that I have to “settle” before even trying </p>
<p>After your advices so far, I’ve decided to add a few to my list. I don’t really want to think about tuition/time cost until I get a clear picture of the cost, which is only possible if I apply, but it is more than likely that the publics will cost me less, so I’ve added CSULB to the mix again and UCLA to the not-a-chance-in-h***-but-might-as-well-try list (where I also put CalArts and LMU). I’m starting to think that if it takes more time to graduate due to sequential course requirements or such it might not be disastrous if it puts me in a better position to intern/work alongside. I’m not big on the sorority/frat/athletes lifestyle and never have been, but I don’t want to nix schools for such an unimportant thing, so Jtmoney, how long has your D been at LMU? The concerns I have for LMU (and CalArts) is entering the program half-way in, and handling all-consuming expensive BFA courses. Has your D had time to work/intern alongside her studies? What about production costs? Gladiatorbird, your S chose Chapman over USC right? Am curious to know why he didn’t like USC (aside from being more expensive)… </p>
<h2>New list</h2>
<p>UC: Santa Cruz, LA (micro-microscopic chance, but can’t hurt?!)
CSU’s : CSUN, CSULB, HSU, CSUMB
Privates: CalArts, LMU</p>
<p>Hi NRK,
Yes, son was accepted to USC SCA, Chapman and LMU–for digital arts (though he is an avid filmmaker, as well, and I think his experiences overlap (mostly) for the film production majors). He loved all three programs, actually, and was dazzled by USC’s facilities and world-wide reputation. It was only when he spent a full day at SCA that he decided the atmosphere at Dodge was a better fit. I don’t know how or if his observations apply to USC Film Production, as he was accepted for animation. But he found it odd that 4 of 5 SCA students he met had no independent work to show. They also said they didn’t have to work “too hard,” which only served to put DS’s teeth on edge, LOL. He still was very impressed, of course–it’s USC, for Heaven’s sake! :)</p>
<p>But ultimately, he liked Dodge best. He loved the sassy can-do optimism there. The students in the Digital Arts major knocked his socks off with their drive, focus and reels of independent and extremely sophisticated work. He is VERY industrious, quirky and driven…and ultimately felt that he fit in best at Dodge. We were happy with that choice, as USC would have cost us a small fortune. </p>
<p>He loved LMU, also, by the way. </p>
<p>Son was also accepted to various publics and several seemed to have a lot to offer (CSULB, SFSU, UCSD, UCSB, etc).</p>
<p>P.S. Some part of his decision likely had to do with the ‘frat’ feel at USC. No question that many students at USC feel likewise and there are lots of non-Greeks. USC has a wonderfully diverse campus–far more diverse than Chapman’s. But son is very averse to frat culture and I think this also swayed him in the end.</p>
<p>Hi Gladiatorbird,
It is great that your son got to choose from so many great programs, and it shows a strong sense of self that he did not get swayed by the general perception of SCA. Truth be told, I haven’t seen or heard all that great things from SCA either, save for networking opportunities. Most attention/resources go to the MFAs, project expenses come out of pocket, and it is quite rigid and old-school in its approach and hinders true creativity. I have also heard several people in the workforce say that they (non-trojans) don’t like SCA grads because its students think that a degree from SCA will guarantee cushy/above-the-line jobs off the bat and that they don’t work as hard as others. I’m sure this doesn’t apply to everyone. I too find Dodge to be a lot more appealing than SCA and am very happy for you that his decision was his to make and worked out so well! At 18/19, I am pretty sure I would have gone to SCA with a blindfold on and ended up miserable as a member of the $188,000 debt group! No film degree is worth massive debt!</p>
<p>Ps. I really can’t stand USC’s greek-life/frat/sports obsession either ;)</p>
<p>Shakespearefan,</p>
<p>Your hilarious post just put a huge smile on my face! Thanks for the encouragement! Never thought of it that way, but it is indeed a very cinematic life story. Who wants to team up and make it happen?</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Well, that matches the impression my son formed at USC. He spent an afternoon with SCA undergrads and found them “entitled” (his word). Not all of them, of course, but more than he expected. DS is the opposite of that and he actually came away angry (unusual for sunny, even-tempered son). </p>
<p>He was impressed by the USC MFA students he met; all had interesting projects underway and work reels of lovely stuff.</p>
<p>Well, I guess I’ll jump into the discussion on USC. My 2 sons are in SCA. One graduated in May and had 3 job offers before graduation. He continues to get connected to current jobs and we cannot say enough about the opportunities he’s found at USC. I’d guess most of the SCA students are not in frats and, as the school is made up of the same sort of film students you find in every college film program, they tend to lean towards creative, witty, impassioned, artistic individuals. I’m truly surprised at the SCA comments since we know many of my sons’ friends who are engaged, intelligent and adore USC–many who are in the honors program and many who are not. I’ll add that neither of my boys is into following college football (although my husband and I are) and they found a huge cohort of kids that were like themselves.</p>
<p>I am not sure about each of the individual majors in SCA; for instance gladiatorbird’s son was interested in animation and that is a very specialized/different program within SCA requiring a bit of separation from the production/critical studies and Interactive Media majors. I think screenwriting is another small major that has some differences as well. </p>
<p>My concern when I read this forum is that well-meaning students and parents tend to post rumors and feelings about SCA while they endorse with great gusto their own programs. I am truly supportive of all these other schools/film programs as we hear many good things from parents who post here. But I am always soured by the fact that these posters seem to want to slam a school and program they have not experienced themselves. </p>
<p>No one should feel they need to spend a fortune they can’t afford to attend a certain school or program over any other. Fit is most important. And some majors at some schools may really offer more than others, so withing the Film Schools one needs to look at their specific major.</p>
<p>Madbean, you are in far better position to provide info on USC, of course. This thread definitely has gone far afield, as its topic is ‘lesser known publics.’ I was responding to NRK’s question and presented what was only an impression, nothing more. </p>
<p>As mentioned above, USC was dazzling, no question, and incredibly diverse. It’s widely known as the best-of-the-best for good reason. I did not intend to slam anything and apologize if it came off that way.</p>
<p>In the interest of providing balance along with the gusto: <em>All</em> programs, even very good ones, have strengths, as well as relative weaknesses–perceived and/or real. Exploration of those areas seems a reasonable topic for CC, as long as it’s fair-minded. </p>
<p>Chapman’s relative weaknesses: Dodge is a young upstart with less prestige, a short history and few established alumni, as compared to the titans (USC, NYU…). I think everyone who looks seriously into the film schools knows this already…but I’m saying it, anyway. </p>
<p>Now, back to the lesser known publics…</p>
<p>Madbean,</p>
<p>There is no need to get upset with what we’re saying about USC, and I feel that you are taking what we said out of context completely. First of all, the vibe about USC is something I speak of out of experience from having spent the summer at the Architecture department. SCA and Arch Majors are somewhat isolated in that they have far more work, less sleep, and can get extra crabby about as much as having to see frat/sorority/jocks daily when in this state of mind (ME). </p>
<p>All I was doing was commending gladiatorbird’s son for having chosen what is clearly a better fit for him, regardless of the amazing facilities, reputation and network that are at SCA. I even said that I would have paid full sticker price and sold my life away because its reputation is that great. There is not a single school in the world that is the best for everyone, but many kids (and adults) don’t see that. They get swayed by the the fancy names.</p>
<p>Furthermore, how often do people actually talk negatively, on this site or elsewhere, about schools like HYPS, which in the film world is SCA?! All I hear is people dreaming about the chance to go to SCA and crying when they don’t or breaking their backs trying to pay for it because it is #1 bar none. My thread is titled lesser know schools, schools most people would think of as subpar. If you read my postings, you’d know that I keep talking about how messed up and limited my chances are for completing my degree, let alone getting to go to an amazing film school such as USC, and find it incredibly obnoxious that you need to come on here to gloat about having 2 kids at SCA under the guise that some kids might read what I said on here about USC and decide not to go. For one, this entire thread is too long for this generation of kids to have the patience/desire to read and any kid who is seriously contemplating USC is not interested to read about 3rd rate schools, let alone take a 29 y/o undergrad’s opinion into consideration.</p>
<p>Now, back to the lesser known publics indeed!</p>
<p><<csulb: read="" nice="" things="" about="" the="" program="" but="" school="" is="" impacted,="" not="" to="" mention="" located="" in="" south-bay,="" which="" either="" means="" living="" pits,="" doing="" an="" ungodly="" commute,="" or="" paying="" $$$$$$="" live="" a="" area="" (haven’t="" won="" ca="" lottery="" yet="" ).="">></csulb:></p>
<p>There are a few affordable spots near CSULB that are not too-awful-in-the-pits. Seems worth considering and makes sense for you to have it on your list. I know two recent grads from this program: both took 6 years to graduate, but they landed good internships (including Pixar) and one year out are doing pretty well (aka they are <em>WORKING</em>). </p>
<p>Similarly, even SFSU has some sorta-affordable housing. Daughter lives nearby and she finds occasional craigslist listings in the $550 range. Yes, that’s still a lot…but not much less than the UCSC or CSUN areas, I’d guess. (And you’d need no car in the city, at least until you were doing internships elsewhere, I suppose).</p>
<p>Gladiatormom, </p>
<p>Thanks for steering the thread back on topic ;)</p>
<p>I am indeed adding CSULB to the mix, but the impaction and current CSU situation makes it a long-shot. I realized that I need to spread my chances more, especially since I am a non-trad. As much as I’d love to spend a year at Santa Cruz, it really is smarter to stay in LA. My CC gpa could end up being 3.5ish, so it’s worth a shot and while not local I am at a CCC. I could live in Mar Vista or such to be between school and jobs (405 is a killer but I wouldn’t be the only one suffering). I really like Manhattan Beach a lot but it is o so pricey. more time to finish matters less if i can be WORKING. Never thought I’d ever be dreaming of employment, sigh…</p>
<p>SFSU: I am amazed at the $550 ish for SF! Is she sharing a place with a gazillion people?!Maybe I should put it back in the mix… What is she doing up there? Problem is that I now have a car, which is hassle dealing with in SF. I also starting researching the companies in and around the city and was disappointed to see so few.</p>
<p>PS. I got a bit carried away in my rant and wanted to end the off-topic discussion about USC and failed to see a huge grammatical error. In no way did I mean to insult an entire generation of kids for not having the patience to read. The thing is, I have yet to have students chime in on this discussion and would suspect any kids that come on here for non-specific purposes would stop reading at:</p>
<p>"…I am looking to transfer to a UC/CSU film program from a CCC. I’m a dual citizen, have blotchy complicated foreign academic records, am about to turn 30, and female. I already know that UCLA and USC are the best out there, but given my stats I’m aiming (a lot) lower."</p>
<p>The rest would be boring and irrelevant for them to read. I got a bit upset, because judging by the few Film School posts available and the number of views of my threads, there are plenty of other students out there who have little to no chance in heck to get into and/or paying for USC/UCLA/NYU/(Chapman/LMU etc), heck even CSULB and CSUN are difficult to get into for a lot of students out there yet every thread is about these amazing schools, so it is nice to have a place to get information about lesser known schools and non-traditional student woes, which is why I started the thread. Which reminds me, I’m still waiting to hear from kids actually attending these lesser knowns, so if you are out there, please chime in! </p>
<p>Also, Gladiatorbird and her son have probably gotten more raised eyebrows over his decision to go with Chapman than true understanding. Her son and others like him deserve praise for having the conviction to make such decisions without getting flack for it.</p>
<p>And to all the kids that did make it this far into the thread and are contemplating going to USC or whatever other renowned school. If your heart (or budget) tells you otherwise, that is perfectly O.K. too. I went to a renowned tough-to-get in film school abroad, and like some other people I was simply blinded by prestige and facilities and failed to realize that it was not the best place for me personally. Some people thrive at USC and the likes, while others thrive elsewhere. Some schools are great on paper, but that doesn’t mean they are the best fit for everyone or that there is no hope without it.</p>
<p>Ps. Ps. The reason I asked Gladiatorbird about her son’s decision making re USC/Chapman etc. is that she has been very helpful so far in providing input and advice for my dilemmas but given that we are all random strangers to one another, knowing what their thought process was in their own college search is very helpful for me in determining how much value to place on what she is saying. Gladiatorbird’s son’s film/digital arts combo and clear non-conformist attitude gives me a sense of security that I am indeed getting sound advice from someone who actually understands my POV.</p>
<p>I am no expert on film schools. I’m sharing what son learned during his intensive, year-long exploration of CA programs at all levels (last year). Everyone must sift through the information on CC and elsewhere and determine for themselves how it applies. I responded to your thread, NRK, because son also found a striking dearth of information on the lesser known publics and a thread like this could be helpful to many, as you note. He, too, wished that more students posted about their experiences at these schools. But CC tends to draw HYPS types, so that won’t be changing any time soon. </p>
<p>“Gladiatormom”…LOL. I am a licensed falconer, hence the gladiatorbird handle. But gladiatormom works, too. :)</p>
<p>CSULB: you are right, it is impacted and quite competitive for admission. </p>
<p>P.S. Re rents and COL in SF: A Craigslist search is a good idea. Daughter (25 y/o) works in the financial district and has lived in both expensive and outlying areas of the city. She searched the area around SFSU last year. Rents are sky-rocketing (rising to dizzying heights as each month passes), so there may be very few $550 rooms out there now, one year later. These listings were for small rooms, a short bus ride from campus, and they received massive numbers of applications, of course. Daughter is currently scaling down to a $640 room nearby–nice apartment, 2 room-mates, each with equally decent, individual rooms–in order to save money for a year abroad. She does not have (or need) a car in the city. Everything else costs a fortune, of course.</p>
<p>Gladiatorbird,</p>
<p>Apologies for the namecalling! LOL I don’t know know quite how I missed that one… Of course, if you think about it, there definitely are some similarities to handling falcons and kids ;)</p>
<p>“I am no expert on film schools. I’m sharing what son learned during his intensive, year-long exploration of CA programs at all levels (last year). Everyone must sift through the information on CC and elsewhere and determine for themselves how it applies.”</p>
<p>I could not agree more! I am getting ready to go check out most of these programs soon, and will see for myself. In part II of this trilogy, I will report my own findings for myself and others to take into consideration. </p>
<p>Each person is different, and wants or needs different things from a (film) school, so I do think it is good to provide some background information. You might not be an expert personally, but I’m sure that you’ve picked up a lot from your son in his search. While I’m hesitant to label anyone an expert, his lengthy process in determining what was the best fit for him comes extremely close to my own value system for choosing a film school.</p>
<p>I personally tend to like newer school better as (generally speaking) they are less rigid than the old ones. The school I attended was THE country’s film school, and was seeped in tradition. Sure that gets you facilities and connections to ogle over, but a free-spirited artistic person will generally be happier and feel more encouraged in a more open minded environment. Similarly, an opposite type of person will not perform well in a more chaotic school. Of course the problems with newer programs is that they don’t have the reputation and might not even survive that long. The first program I attended had yet to graduate the first class, and now, a decade later the program does not exist anymore in its original form. Too chaotic, and with a head of department who was 28 and could not for the life of him explain what “Design for Virtual Theater and Games” actually meant. LOL. good times! Please note that the school itself does still exist and is a well-known art school. </p>
<p>“I responded to your thread, NRK, because son also found a striking dearth of information on the lesser known publics and a thread like this could be helpful to many, as you note.” </p>
<p>For some of the programs I found, like HSU or CSUMB, I cannot find ANY information other than what is published on their site. It is almost like they don’t exist. We need info from people with first/second hand experience!!</p>
<p>“He, too, wished that more students posted about their experiences at these schools. But CC tends to draw HYPS types, so that won’t be changing any time soon.”</p>
<p>Indeed, other parts of CC are filled with the HYPS types, but I refuse to believe students without those stats are lurking around here. I dare even say that they just don’t post on the site because it is discouraging to see so many kids asking for chance me’s when they have insanely good stats. As I starting saying in my initial post, I had been reading CC for a while and felt more discouraged than anything, thinking I have no chance in heck to get into a good school because it was ALL I was seeing. There needs to be more threads like this, where kids don’t have to feel so discouraged and see that there are other options out there, and that there is no single route to a successful and happy career. </p>
<p>Being successful as a filmmaker is something that simply cannot be defined by where you went to school. Lesser known schools could have equally great programs, but just lack the reputation and need independent minded talented students to create that.</p>
<p>Hope you don’t mind, but I couldn’t resist sending your second post to my brother. He works in the film industry in LA, and we have talked about some of the issues you touched on in your second post.</p>
<p>PS. My son checked out many of the same programs you are, and is at LMU (admitted for film and television, but switched to engineering, a sophomore), and it is not religious at ALL, at least compared to his K-12 experience.</p>
<p>BUT, my favorite quote from one of his friends is " God is up in the is b#@&h!".</p>