Location vs Name

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Parents, please let me know your wise thoughts on my DS college choice. Flyboy is sure he wants to be on the business side in the entertainment industry, specifically Hollywood. We are from NYC area.
Through FOMD, he has had a very successful internship at an LA studio albiet in the talent end, not the business end. That internship convinced him that he wanted to be involved with the deals rather than the arts. So the killer portfolio that took most of his HS years to perfect went unused when he applied schools. Accepted at Chapman as a business major and intends to leverage the location and supposed school connections to launch.<br>
Also accepted at UMiami, much better school.</p>

<p>No differences in finances.
Sage advice requested, thank you.</p>

2

<p>Based on the significantly different academic levels of the two schools, I’d say flyboy has filed a flight plan that heads WSW.</p>

<p>Your S sounds like a bright enthusiastic kid. I’m sure he’ll find success in life.</p>

3

<p>He has a plan and ambition. I’d let him run (or fly) with that.</p>

4

<p>Very Punny comments. So location trumps academic reputation?</p>

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<p>What if he changes his mind about what he wants to do, would Chapman still work?</p>

6

<p>In general, I would not say that location trumps academic reputation, but your son seems to have a well-thought out reason for preferring a given location. If he preferred the location because it provided more beach/ski run/bar time, etc., then, as a parent, I would question the wisdom of going with a school with a lesser “reputation”. The thing about college reputation is, that the reputation depends a lot on the biases of the observer. If your son thinks the connections are better at the “lesser” school, and he is sure of his goal, then that school may not be lesser at all–for him.</p>

<p>Just my opinion, of course. I don’t know anything about this particular industry. I am impressed with young people who know themselves and aren’t afraid to have a plan.</p>

7

<p>I’m the Mom of a son who turned down Harvard for Carnegie Mellon because CMU was better in his field. It sounds to me like your son has a good reason for his decision. I’d let him go with it.</p>

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<p>You might try to PM Paying3tuitions. She has a son at Chapman who is very happy there. He wants to be a screenwriter. I know that that is the “arts” end, but I’m sure they have a handle on the school.</p>

<p>And some people start in that business without college, so he’s already ahead.</p>

<p>I am sure studios are used to funneling in Chapman grads, and maybe not so much UMiami. If he changes his mind, he can transfer, though I know that is not an appealing thought going into college.</p>

<p>A good friend’s daughter left BU for Berklee School of Music. No regrets.</p>