<p>I was accepted to the Purchase Film Conservatory but, to my disappointment, I will not be able to attend. So this isn't a review from a Purchase student, but I got a good idea of the school by visiting, going on a tour, and talking to people. </p>
<pre><code>First of all, the school is ugly. It's gray, crumbling, bleak, and a student told me to bring good boots because it floods occasionally. The film classes are on the lower floor of the music building and during my interview there I could hear operatic singing through the thin walls. In the middle of my interview, the power went out. Everyone assured me that this was not a regular occurrence, but the dimly lit hallways had been flickering the whole time I was there, and I felt like everything was flimsily constructed. They were in the midst of construction, so hopefully the school will receive much-needed extensive renovations soon.
The first thing the receptionist gave me when I walked into the office for my interview was a handout of statistics and quick facts. (The following is from memory since I don't still have the paper- I think everything is correct) I hadn't known how competitive admissions to the Film Conservatory is; last year, fewer than 5% of applicants were accepted. They also state that they have the highest success rate of film school graduates of any film school in the country. No quantifications or citations were provided on this subject, so I'm not sure how accurate that statement is. However, Purchase has one of the best acting schools in the country, so I'm sure that's a huge advantage for student directors. The different conservatories are highly collaborative; students from the Acting and Music Conservatories often work with students from the Film Conservatory.
I finished reading this paper and sat on the bench for another hour or so. Finally, a woman greeted me and gave me a quick tour of the Film Conservatory. Classes were in session and the one I saw looked like a lot of fun. Students were building sets for their films, and although you have to pay for any extra materials you need, they often just reuse materials from other students' past projects. The room was full of wood and random objects from previous sets. Afterwards, I stayed for a while in the equipment room and the student there told me that there are always enough cameras for everyone, which is a definite advantage over the other film schools I researched. The higher level students get the better equipment, but all students are guaranteed access to the resources they need to get their films done.
(Skip this paragraph if you don't want to know about details of the interview process)After the brief tour, she took me to a room and told me that I would have to write about a 5 minute movie clip. The TV wouldn't work right away, but after ten minutes she managed to hook up all of the wires from the five different VCR and DVD drives and get it to play. As I was watching it, several other applicants came in, so we started the clip over multiple times. As I was writing, someone opened the door and told me to come with her for the interview. I was expecting to be able to finish writing the analysis first, so I was a bit nervous. However, the interviewer told me that they only include the writing portion of the application process to eliminate the applicants who have parents/tutors write their application essays for them, so it's nothing to worry about for most people. She told me I was accepted then and there, and then the power went out, so that ended the interview.
Afterwards, I walked around and got to talk to some students. On the whole, they seemed really friendly and open. There was one girl who seemed reluctant to talk to me, and she made disparaging comments about her classmates, but she seemed like an outlier; everyone else was helpful and gave thorough answers to all of my questions. They are diverse, with lots of foreign students and a broad range of personalities/styles. One of the school's strongest appeals to me is the warmth of the students and faculty. They are welcoming, unpretentious, and energetic. It seems like an ideal atmosphere for becoming a filmmaker; supportive and challenging. Since there are so few students, it seems like everyone there becomes part of a family. I'm sure that's a great advantage for graduates moving into the real film world since they'll have a well-rooted network of former classmates who are upcoming, talented filmmakers.
The reason I chose not to go to this school was the cost. For in-state applicants, I'm sure it's different, because they are given priority financial aid. However, as an out-of-state applicant, I was given $30,000 a year in loans, and they refused to bargain with us. To put this in perspective, the $50,000 college I'll be attending in a few months gave me $40,000 in grants, a few thousand dollars of work-study, and a few thousand in loans.
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