<p>I am interested in both film and visual art, and plan to study both at college. but i also want to get good liberal arts education so currently i'm looking at WashU and NU and came to wonder which will be better for me. </p>
<p>NU has a pretty big (i think?) film program and has a small art major. while WashU has its own art college but a relatively smaller film program.
I guess it can easily come down to a matter of my preference, but i'm equally into both areas and would like some input from others. </p>
<p>What's also important to me is how much the school is supportive of art/film and how active the arts scene is on campus. The surrounding area (how much cultural resources) is important as well.</p>
<p>Please give me some insights! thank you</p>
<p>well, i must add that I'm not willing to go to any intense film schools by Hollywood. I don't exactly want the Hollywood influence on my film education. But I AM considering NYU, the other great film school</p>
<p>I love Wash U, and maybe it has a better film school than I realize, but I do not freely associate the two. I guess Peter Sarsgaard went there, but I don't know too many big names otherwise. I know kids at USC Film who love it, but you have ruled that out for what appear to be specific reasons. </p>
<p>NYU does sounds like a good option, but I want to throw in one wild card. Now, don't laugh, you would be surprised at the credentials when you look into it. </p>
<p>Film</a> School / FSU - The College of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts</p>
<p>Seriously. It is a great little college town, and the weather is fanstastic. And the film school is very good. On top of that, arts in general are highly rated, including theater, music, and dance. Think about it.</p>
<p>I think Northwestern is much better for film than Wash U. Wash U.'s Fine Arts are much better than Northwestern.</p>
<p>you need to look at the difference between a college that has a Film School, and a college that offers a major in film. i would say that going to a Flim School will have abundently more resources, professors, and "famous" alums. a school that has a department/major in Flim (like Wash U), will be easier to get involved in other things in addition to film, and will still be able to provide the typical resources like internship placement and a variety of courses. there's an inherent difference between the two, as each has it's own goals and missions, so it's hard to compare them side by side.</p>
<p>Wash U's School of Art is really fantastic. It has all the resources, facilities, and professors that you can find at an Art Instititute (like RISD, for example), but has the benefit of being included in a larger University. so you're going to do Art, but you have the ability to take advantage of the other 90+ majors at Wash U. I've been to the Art Museum that's in the Art School complex, and it's really mindblowing with not only how modern the buildings are, but the priceless works of art in the collections. You'd be hardpressed to find another University with the art museum, a printing press, bookbinding studio, fashion design major with catwalks, metalworking, ceramics, large studio spaces, and tons of galleries begging to show Wash U's students' works. </p>
<p>Wash U is one of only a handful of schools ranked in the top 15 that aren't Art Institutues: Search</a> - Fine Arts - Best Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report</p>
<p>St Louis has the Pulitzer Museum, Contemporary Arts Museum, Laumeir Sculpture Park, tons of small independent galleries, the Grand Center arts district, and of course the St Louis Art Museum in Forest Park which is free. The city of Clayton (which is technically the suburb Wash U is located in), has an annual Art Fair which the brochures say is the 5th ranked art fair in the country by some agency that ranks such things. Chicago of course is a much larger city, but St Louis is by no means lacking in artist communities, events, or facilities.</p>
<p>"I think Northwestern is much better for film than Wash U. Wash U.'s Fine Arts are much better than Northwestern."</p>
<p>Yes, and that's why i came to a dilemma</p>
<p>Hellostranger, do you know what you want to do with film?</p>
<p>If you'd like to end up in Hollywood, or at least be in the running for winning an Oscar or Emmy some day.... I think Northwestern is a better bet. There is a huge network of grads in the entertainment industry. My Northwestern alumni magazine spoke of a scene on a sitcom where there is a mention of the "Northwestern Mafia" because the grads tend to stick together and help one another.</p>
<p>If you are interested in Art, but not necessarily going into the entertainment industry, using film as a medium to get your concept across - not necessarily for the masses, though museums are more commonly showing film pieces (at least the modern ones) OR you are not sure what medium interests you most and you'd like to see a broader spectrum, then I think Wash U. has a leg up.</p>
<p>As I look back at one of the benefits of college, it was the people I met.</p>
<p>Many times in my life I have enjoyed the benefits of friends in interesting places, or sometimes useful.</p>
<p>Northwestern's fine arts are extremely weighted to the Performing Arts. Tie it together with their strength in journalism and business, and access to Chicago, and future people "you will know"... </p>
<p>Wash U. is as good a school academically, and it is a fantastically supportive campus. You will also know successful people, in a broader arena of study. You will have an entree to the art world which is "picky" in it's assessment of art programs.</p>
<p>What world interests you most?</p>
<p>I attended NU and the film and theatre students were very prominent on campus and NU has a great reputation in this area. I can't say I recall anything specific about NU in terms of visual art; perhaps someone else can speak to this.</p>
<p>I'm sure you're aware NU is on the quarter system and Wash U St. Louis is on the semester system. How much does this factor into your decision? I personally preferred the quarter system because it allowed me to take more classes before I graduated, but the pace was quite accelerated if you're not used to that. It seemed like midterms were always around the corner. Just something to consider as well.</p>
<p>I took an art class at NU (more years ago than should really be considered relevant.) It was NOT first class. Fine arts were a "throwaway." There because they should be. I did not know a single art major.</p>
<p>Perhaps things have changed though.</p>
<p>As to the quarter system - it has it's plusses and minuses. I didn't like being out of synch with my friends who went to other schools. I did like being able to take a larger number of different classes. As an adult, I am glad to have been able to learn about a broader range of things - and have the luxury of "electives." </p>
<p>This said, you might want to check into how many electives you will be able to take at Wash U. My eldest daughter who is also getting a minor in Business isn't able to take many electives because of the Jr/Sr schedule, and the lack of overlap. My youngest daughter who is majoring only in Business, and perhaps Art/Sci has an amazing number of electives already - and she is just a freshman.</p>
<p>Zach Braff studied film at Northwestern. Stephen Colbert and Ross from friends went to Northwestern as well. It's known as an artsy school. WashU doesn't have the same name in that respect.</p>
<p>artsy in terms of film you mean?</p>