<p>Is anyone familiar with their graphic arts program, or the school in general? The location is incredible, I just wonder about the instruction.</p>
<p>Anyone?</p>
<p>bump
i have been wondering this as well.</p>
<p>Don't do it, the location may be nice (Chicago resident here), but the school is a diploma-mill. I literally just wrote it off while posting about what schools I was looking at (Film</a> School’er Blog Archive My Schools). </p>
<p>The major problem with Columbia is that it's not accredited, so if anything goes wrong, you don't like your major/location/school and want to transfer, a year of your life, and thousands of dollars are simply gone. </p>
<p>I would look elsewhere if I were you. </p>
<ul>
<li>Film School'er</li>
</ul>
<p>Well, D ended up in NY city anyway. Too bad about the school though.</p>
<p>I wouldn't call Columbia a diploma mill. If you check out their graduation rates, it seems almost noone actually gets a diploma!</p>
<p>Hi - Check it out: Columbia College Chicago is accredited. Saw this on its website: “Columbia College Chicago is accredited at the graduate and undergraduate levels by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Columbia is accredited as a teacher training institution by the Illinois State Board of Education.” Other accredited colleges accept Columbia credits, if a student decides to transfer.</p>
<p>In case anyone was wondering, Columbia accepts everyone and anyone. It’s photography program is getting better and better, but it has a very open admissions policy. They believe that creativity can be taught.</p>
<p>Im a freshmen at columbia.
The film program is intense, and the best in the country.
But if you want to study anything else dnt go.
The graduation rate is low because most people decide it is not worth the money.
I hope to switch after semester for the same reason.</p>
<p>What do you like about the film program? What do you dislike and how is it intense?
I’ve been accepted to the film/video program and trying to find out what students think about the program/college</p>
<p>For the art departments, the only time you need a portfolio is if you want to qualify for merit aid. don’t know about the other depts. Location is south Loop, not as good as School of the Art Institute. Wouldn’t want to walk around there too much at night.</p>
<p>redbug119 — your comment about how you wouldn’t want to walk around the South Loop too much at night made me laugh out loud.
Columbia is walking distance from SAIC. It’s the same area. Completely useless to walk around at night since there’s nothing open or going on. You pretty much walk to the el to go out to another neighborhood where stuff is going on. It’s also right near a few other colleges.</p>
<p>If you think the South Loop is dangerous (which by the way Columbia straddles the border of South Loop + the Loop with some buildings) you probably shouldn’t be living in Chicago.</p>
<p>I lived in Chicago for 30 years and was really not afraid. However, if you are a young white girl, there are some neighborhoods that you just don’t go into unless you have to. (Garfield Park, some areas of the west and south sides) I’m not saying South Loop is one of them, but during our Columbia tour between buildings (not everything is in one building or even next door), you realized the neighborhood could be a little sketchy. Art kids work on things all hours of the night and walking back to a dorm in the wee hours of the morning could be a little hairy for a kid not used to the city. SAIC is on the N end of the Loop and a little closer walk between dorms and studios.</p>