Art Institute- Any experience with them?

[Martha7]

My DS is looking at Film programs, and the Art Institute International Minneapolis is one that we're checking out. He can get a BS in three years, (he'll have to go during the summers too.) I'm not finding much info online, so I was hoping that someone will have something to tell me. It's either this school, or the Minneapolis Community and Technical College, which also has a film/digital media program. Anything that you guys can tell me would be great! TIA!

 

[JunieJay]

I went to NYU and Pratt Institute (for my Masters) in Manhattan, both have excellent programs for students in interested in media arts/filmmaking. I dabbled a little in filmmaking before deciding on a fine arts major. I'm not familiar with the Art Institute International Minneapolis, but giving this a bump for you.

Good luck to your son!

 

[Martha7]

Thanks, JunieJay!

 

[Martha7]

self-bumping...

 

[luvflorida]

I'm not familiar with the schools you've mentioned, but DD16 is very interested in the California Institute of the Arts, (CalArts), which is located 30 miles north of LA. Their biggest department is the school of film/video, (31%), followed by the school of art, (24%). My daughter is interested in the dance program, which is the smallest field of study at CalArts, (6%).

They've sent my daughter some impressive info packets and I've found that they're very good about answering any questions we have. It's a very small school, under 1300, including graduate students. It's also expensive and the acceptance rate is 32%.

It's not our first pick for our daughter, but we're going to visit the campus next April, and try to keep an open mind.

 

[Straitlover]

I think that's the one that has all the ads in magazines where you draw a cartoon, send it in and they sell you art lessons. There was another thread around here recently about it.

 

[Martha7]

Hey, Luvflorida!

I'm not sure the two schools are related, but I do know that Cal Arts has an excellent reputation! (I'm from California, and my cousin studied there for drama some time ago.) It's hard having these artsy creative kids, when we want them to actually make enough money to feed themselves one day! Good luck on whichever school your DD decides upon! How great that she's into dance! We were watching "So you think you can dance" a few months ago, (it was the finale), and my DS recognized a girl who went to school with him in Weston, FL! I didn't really believe him at first, but when he looked on the show's website, there she was- a Pembroke Pines resident! Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the Arts Institute here will run about $75,000 for three years!

 

[Martha7]

I think that's the one that has all the ads in magazines where you draw a cartoon, send it in and they sell you art lessons. There was another thread around here recently about it.

OMG, I hope not! I'd better do a search right now!

 

[luvflorida]

Hey, Luvflorida!

I'm not sure the two schools are related, but I do know that Cal Arts has an excellent reputation! (I'm from California, and my cousin studied there for drama some time ago.) It's hard having these artsy creative kids, when we want them to actually make enough money to feed themselves one day! Good luck on whichever school your DD decides upon! How great that she's into dance! We were watching "So you think you can dance" a few months ago, (it was the finale), and my DS recognized a girl who went to school with him in Weston, FL! I didn't really believe him at first, but when he looked on the show's website, there she was- a Pembroke Pines resident! Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the Arts Institute here will run about $75,000 for three years!

Not to derail the topic again, but my daughter and dance friends are totally obsessed with SYTYCD. We were lucky to get tickets to the tour when they were in Boston, and the show was fantastic! My daughter and some of her friends took classes taught by Travis Wall, (the second place SYTYCD winner), at a dance competition/convention a few years back.

I know what you mean about a paying job! You want so much for them to follow their dreams, but you also want them to understand the reality of a career in the arts. Good luck to your son and in finding just the right school!

 

[luvflorida]

I think that's the one that has all the ads in magazines where you draw a cartoon, send it in and they sell you art lessons. There was another thread around here recently about it.

Which school are you referring to?

 

[JunieJay]

Hey, Luvflorida!

I'm not sure the two schools are related, but I do know that Cal Arts has an excellent reputation! (I'm from California, and my cousin studied there for drama some time ago.) It's hard having these artsy creative kids, when we want them to actually make enough money to feed themselves one day! Good luck on whichever school your DD decides upon! How great that she's into dance! We were watching "So you think you can dance" a few months ago, (it was the finale), and my DS recognized a girl who went to school with him in Weston, FL! I didn't really believe him at first, but when he looked on the show's website, there she was- a Pembroke Pines resident! Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the Arts Institute here will run about $75,000 for three years!

I was an artsy creative kid, and fortunately my parents were like you -- they stood behind my decision to pursue an education in the arts, even if it wasn't their first choice. I've made a decent living in the arts for pretty much my entire adult life in one capacity or another, if it makes you feel any better. Best to let them follow their heart.

 

[RSoxFan]

If you're talking about the AI schools (I think there's a bunch of them all over the country) then I can honestly say "Dear God, NO!"

I went to an all women's college that was hurting for money. My junior year, they rented one of the dorms to AI New England. Holy God Almighty. They were mostly guys, mostly older college students, a good number of them had been tossed out of other schools already. The drugs were rampant. Most of them took maybe two or three classes a semester, at night, which means they were around all the time. They would skateboard into the cafeteria, blare boomboxes in the middle of the library. It was awful!

This is their website: http://www.artinstitutes.edu/boston/

Now, I'm not saying that everyone who goes there is a bad person, or that all of the schools are like that. That's just my experience with that one school.

 

[golfgal]

I don't know anything about AI either but I seem to recall years worth of TV commercials about Brown Institute. They used to have a good reputation for their tv department. What does he want to do, like film production, tv show production??? I know the Southwest MN State has a tv/film department. It isn't in Minneapolis but it is a 4 year college in the State college system.

 

[Martha7]

Thanks, Golfgal. He's primarily interested in editing now, but doesn't want to limit himself before he gets exposure to all aspects of digital media production. In his dream, he'd be working with music videos. He really hustles in this area and goes to shows, introduces himself to the performers and tries to get gigs doing videos for them. He's only 18 though, and this hasn't turned into a paying job yet! He has a professional Canon XL 1S camera and a MAC G5 computer for editing. Thanks for your suggestion!

 

[phorsenuf]

If you're talking about the AI schools (I think there's a bunch of them all over the country) then I can honestly say "Dear God, NO!"

I went to an all women's college that was hurting for money. My junior year, they rented one of the dorms to AI New England. Holy God Almighty. They were mostly guys, mostly older college students, a good number of them had been tossed out of other schools already. The drugs were rampant. Most of them took maybe two or three classes a semester, at night, which means they were around all the time. They would skateboard into the cafeteria, blare boomboxes in the middle of the library. It was awful!

This is their website: http://www.artinstitutes.edu/boston/

Now, I'm not saying that everyone who goes there is a bad person, or that all of the schools are like that. That's just my experience with that one school.

You went to Regis College, didn't you? LOL
My son did a year at that school and had a room in the dorms there. He hated having to commute out there. He was never into that whole dorm life thing and took classes during the day.
He hated it so much he dropped out early. The school itself was good and offered great courses, but the student life he didn't like.

 

[Martha7]

Phorsenuf~ That does sound like a nightmare!

I think the part that I'm missing is the ability to talk to current or former students. We took the tour, and the admissions person was very encouraging. I've gathered from my research, that almost everyone is admitted. Unfortunately, my Ds's grades in high school weren't what they should be, which is why we're choosing between the community and technical college, and AI, (which is commercially oriented).

I don't know if my Ds has what it takes to hang in for four years of college! He will do well in the workforce and has great editing skills, but I have no idea how he transitions into the workforce without at least some education. Minneapolis has lots of media production opportunities though, which is a good thing! Thanks for everyone's suggestions, good and bad!