Helloooo I recently got accepted to NYU Tisch for Film and Television and Chapman University Film Production. I am having trouble deciding which program to select. I live in Southern California so I’m super close to Chapman University. I know NYU is notorious for having one of the best film programs in the nation, but I wasn’t offered too much financial aid and that is a pretty big factor in my college decision. Chapman I got a good amount of money from and I understand they have a pretty good film program as well. I would like to be apart of feature film productions in the future and I know that LA is the film industry capital of the world, and I don’t know how well New York City is for creating a foundation for feature films being so far from the film industry. So I guess my question is how much better is an NYU film education? Is it worth the graduation debt? How hard is it to get involved in the film industry after NYU? What are some pros and cons to both schools? Any advice or suggestions will be gladly taken. Thank you!
I don’t know much about NYU’s film school, but as you pointed out, you do have great access to LA’s film industry which is a big advantage over NYU and Chapman is high ranking. Personally, I would go with Chapman financial wise and also based on location.
Avoid going into debt as much as possible. Both have great reputations. Sounds like Chapman is the better choice for you. If you haven’t toured Dodge, you should.
At chapman there is a lot more focus on storytelling and making something that people will want to watch, rather than the focus on a lot of experimental filmmaking at NYU. Also if chapman gave you money then you will have a lot more freedom to work entry level jobs when you leave college rather then having to find a job just to pay off massive student loans. You should definitely come to Chapman’s Preview day on April 21st! There will be a ton of people from the 2022 Film Prod class!!!
@darthbader What did you decide? Both great choices–very different atmospheres and focuses.
@monstermama I ended up choosing Chapman! After weighing the pros and cons Chapman seemed like the most fitting and responsible decision for my situation.
@darthbader You had 2 great schools–no wrong answer! Sounds like you weighed everything carefully and made the best choice for you. 
As far as film “rankings” go–they are quite close. (Hollywood Reporter listed them as #2 and #6 last summer–very close in the rankings, and Chapman seems to be on the rise.)
I’ve toured NYU twice (middle S was a film major at Syracuse). Middle son liked it; younger son didn’t like it at all and didn’t apply. Different strokes for different folks…
These decisions are often difficult. My S turned down Ringling College (animation) and the University of Chicago, among others, to follow his dreams to Dodge.
No looking back. You made a well thought out decision, just like my S! Chase your dreams and be happy!
Best of luck to you! Dodge is truly awesome! (And the weather is better 
)
How did your middle son like Syracuse Film Program? My S was admitted to Syracuse but waitlisted to Chapman.
@RVF312 He really enjoyed his time at SU. It was a great fit for him He enjoyed being in a University vs. being in a college that was more of an art school because he could take courses outside of his major and have a more rounded college experience. (This was also a big factor for my Chapman S.) Additionally, he’s an avid sports fan, so he got his fix there!
It really does get cold and very snowy, so anyone going there needs to be okay with that! The campus is beautiful, and there’s plenty happening within the university.
The surrounding area, like all cities, requires common sense to navigate safely.
The film program is very good, and there are opportunities to take a semester in Prague or LA. My S went to LA during the fall of his senior year and had a great internship.
Hope your S finds his happy place! Best of luck to him!
For others reading this: At Syracuse, there are 2 programs–one in Newhouse (Communications) that is focused more on tv/broadcasting and one in the Visual and Performing Arts College that focuses on film (BFA).
Thank you for your reply @monstermama. We visited Chapman last year and were amazed by their facilities and equipment. We are very happy with Syracuse (despite the expected snowy weather). However, if we had one reservation about Syracuse, it was regarding the quality of the film facilities and lack of a sound stage. Did your S have any issue with that? Also did he feel his advisor was helpful? Is he still at Syracuse? If not, what is he doing now? My S was also waitlisted at NYU.
@RVF312, I sent you a DM. I didn’t want to hijack the topic
@RVF312 Chapman’s facilities are definitely superior, but something pointed out to us when we were visiting Syracuse by kids in the film program manning the equipment cage: “Who shoots inside? When you make a film, you go on location.” As it turned out, that was true for my middle S, especially during his Senior Thesis–all the kids shot on location. There are good indoor facilitates in the Newhouse building, which are used for tv. I think there was a house for location shooting available off-campus for VPA film, but you should double check on that.
With green screen usage, of course, you need indoor facilities. There was a very small green screen when my S was there, but he never used it to my knowledge.
Personally, I’d like to know the facilities are there, even if I didn’t use them!
For my younger S, in-house equipment is key because he is majoring in Animation. Dodge has a whole building dedicated to the Animation program with all state-of-the-art equipment.
Another plus for Dodge is access to internships during the school year.
My older S decided to focus on editing and quickly found a job in a production company. Advisor was fine, but all kids need to ensure that they actively stay on top of their courses and any opportunities to network, no matter which school they attend!
Overall, Dodge is extremely well-respected and a top film school. It’s all about the best fit for each kid from what’s available to him/her. Any of those 3 schools would be a super launching pad! Best of luck to your S!
“Who shoots inside? When you make a film, you go on location.”
@monstermama, that make sense to me. So S19 asked, if half of the academic year is in snow, where do you shoot in Syracuse?
@romns116 hahahahaha All over! Inside churches, at restaurants, in apartments, in the center of town, etc. And sometimes other places–one student filmed a lot of her thesis in Wyoming during the summer! You take your raw footage and do the rest on your computer
Of course, tv is a different animal, depending on the type of show.
All good advice. Thanks and best of luck to all.