academy of art university
12-08-2004, 02:38 PM
#2
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No.. it's not competetive. You give them a hundred bux for registration and you're basically in. From my experience... (2 or 3 years ago before it become a "University"). I decided not to go because it wasn't hard to get in. And I heard many bad stories about them. Who knows, it might be different now. For a little more money and a top notch school that will be much harder to get in to and rated a huge amount better, go to CCA (FKA- CCAC California Collage of Arts and Crafts.) 
But then again... it's all up to your abilities and how well you learn. You can go to City College of SF and get a degree there and land a nice job because of your portfolio. It's up to your creativity and your skills. It's not really the school. But I'm not saying that schools don't help.. of course they have the resources and such to help you get the skills. but anyhoo.. good luck with your choice. I'm sure you'll be good.
But then again... it's all up to your abilities and how well you learn. You can go to City College of SF and get a degree there and land a nice job because of your portfolio. It's up to your creativity and your skills. It's not really the school. But I'm not saying that schools don't help.. of course they have the resources and such to help you get the skills. but anyhoo.. good luck with your choice. I'm sure you'll be good.
Last edited by sireatalot; 12-08-2004 at 02:41 PM.
12-08-2004, 02:45 PM
#3
Originally Posted by sireatalot
No.. it's not competetive. You give them a hundred bux for registration and you're basically in. From my experience... (2 or 3 years ago before it become a "University"). I decided not to go because it wasn't hard to get in. And I heard many bad stories about them. Who knows, it might be different now. For a little more money and a top notch school that will be much harder to get in to and rated a huge amount better, go to CCA (FKA- CCAC California Collage of Arts and Crafts.) But then again... it's all up to your abilities and how well you learn. You can go to City College of SF and get a degree there and land a nice job because of your portfolio. It's up to your creativity and your skills. It's not really the school. But I'm not saying that schools don't help.. of course they have the resources and such to help you get the skills. but anyhoo.. good luck with your choice. I'm sure you'll be good.
But then again... it's all up to your abilities and how well you learn. You can go to City College of SF and get a degree there and land a nice job because of your portfolio. It's up to your creativity and your skills. It's not really the school. But I'm not saying that schools don't help.. of course they have the resources and such to help you get the skills. but anyhoo.. good luck with your choice. I'm sure you'll be good.yeah..in todays job market school isn't as important as it used to be. But it is incredibly helpful along with a great portfolio and talent.
The graphic design field has been flooded over the last 10 years.
I have a good job right now. Pays decent. I got it coming out of a crappy tech school with a graphics certificate. That was 7 years ago. If I tried to do the same now....people would laugh at me. With a BA from someplace like CCA or academy of art..or pretty much any decent university, I'd have it much easier finding a new job. And probably be worth anywhere from $25-65k more a year.
I have the experience and skills for an art director job...many of them are $115k plus a year. I don't have a BA. None of them even look at me.
if it is within your abilities financially and what not to get a degree....do it.
I'm not doing academy of art because it's too expensive and I couldn't get a teaching credential out of it...... I'd like to teach in the future.
Bah...I need to go back to school.
12-08-2004, 02:47 PM
#4
This Guy Can Hella Draw!
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I went there when it was $250 a unit. By the time I got out it had gone to $400/unit. Not that competitive to get in. A little competitive once you are in. AAC (AAU now) helped me a lot. The illustration faculty was excellent when I was there. What you going to study?
Imprezzy goes there currently, you can shoot him a couple of ?'s.
- Marc
c/o 98
Imprezzy goes there currently, you can shoot him a couple of ?'s.
- Marc
c/o 98
12-08-2004, 03:38 PM
#5
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yeah.. if you can afford it, you should go. I heard that the graphics dept. is not all that good at AAU. I'd go there for Product Design... or Transportation design...
12-08-2004, 03:54 PM
#6
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Originally Posted by OneManArmy
I have the experience and skills for an art director job...many of them are $115k plus a year. I don't have a BA. None of them even look at me.
I'm a Sr. Art Director for a Interactive Agency and I dropped out of college and have no degree. Having no degree has not hindered me at all in my professional life. Hell, I even had a teaching gig for a bit.
I went to Academy of Art, SF in 1996. I left after one semester. It was so sterile I wanted to stab myself. I went back to a smaller more traditional arts school and never looked back.
That said, If you are looking for training on tools, the Academy has great facilities.
12-08-2004, 10:54 PM
#10
I go to AAU myself. It is a fun learning environment so far and a lot of people are quite talented in all different kinds of mediums. I go to late classes since I have to work full time in the day. I decided to go back and get my degree in animation. In IT now but I'd rather be doing something I like. My wife is in graduate school at Berkeley and that is the only reason I haven't quit and gone to school full time.
Gunslinger- Where did you end up getting a job and doing what?
new to the forum as well.
05 rb STI
Gunslinger- Where did you end up getting a job and doing what?
new to the forum as well.
05 rb STI
12-08-2004, 11:09 PM
#11
I'm studying Industrial Design at AAU right now. The IDS department is a completely separate entity from the rest of the school, so I'm not sure if what I say applies to anything but IDS.
The school does have open enrollment, but the morons are weeded out throughout the semester because of the insanely heavy work load. The IDS department has gone through a lot of changes over the last few years. AAU is one of the few schools that teaches trans. design that will even accept an application without a portfolio. Considering the fact that the school starts with completely inexperienced students and in 4-5 years has them turning out results that are just a notch behind the more reputable schools (Art Center and College for Creative Studies), I'd say it's a pretty good school.
Yes, I'm spouting off a lot of propaganda, but I wouldn't repeat it if I didn't believe it.
The school does have open enrollment, but the morons are weeded out throughout the semester because of the insanely heavy work load. The IDS department has gone through a lot of changes over the last few years. AAU is one of the few schools that teaches trans. design that will even accept an application without a portfolio. Considering the fact that the school starts with completely inexperienced students and in 4-5 years has them turning out results that are just a notch behind the more reputable schools (Art Center and College for Creative Studies), I'd say it's a pretty good school.
Yes, I'm spouting off a lot of propaganda, but I wouldn't repeat it if I didn't believe it.
12-09-2004, 07:44 AM
#13
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the band i'm in just had a video shot by a group of grad students there. we were on site up there using their blue room for a day...that university sure has an insane amount of the most high end technology i've seen in any university. the grad students did say it was a chunk of change to get in....plenty of hot art girls to go around too.
12-09-2004, 09:45 AM
#14
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I'm currently getting raped by tuition at AAU. I'm graduing this spring in New Media. The decision on going to that school rides solely on what you want to do. If you're gonna get into web, interactive, and print design. I can tell you what you'll be getting yourself into. I was gung ho about going to the Academy when I got in at the age of 18, but 5 years later, I have mixed feelings about that school. Long story. Mostly my fault for not busting my *** as much as I would have liked. However, I turned out okay despite going into that school not knowing jack squat. Most people I've met have had SOME experience with Photoshop, Illustrator, HTML, and such. I didn't. Haha. So I was a late bloomer myself. Even a schumck like me ended up learning a crapload of stuff in my major.
In my major, if you're going to that school just to enrich your artistic creativity only, look elsewhere. If you want to get a career and a job with this sort of thing, look no further. They'll drill you hard in your final 1-2 years to crank out stuff according to "industry standards" and train to you get a job like you're a clone from Star Wars. The Academy of Art is the LA Lakers of all art schools. You can think about that quote in a few different ways. Sometimes, even "overrated" comes to mind. So that hangs over my head every single day when I tell people I'm an art school student from the Academy. =)
-Holland
c/o 05 New Media
WTF, there's an Arts Institute banner on the bottom of this thread! Ah well. My school ****** itself on TV 24 hours a day anyway.
In my major, if you're going to that school just to enrich your artistic creativity only, look elsewhere. If you want to get a career and a job with this sort of thing, look no further. They'll drill you hard in your final 1-2 years to crank out stuff according to "industry standards" and train to you get a job like you're a clone from Star Wars. The Academy of Art is the LA Lakers of all art schools. You can think about that quote in a few different ways. Sometimes, even "overrated" comes to mind. So that hangs over my head every single day when I tell people I'm an art school student from the Academy. =)
-Holland
c/o 05 New Media
WTF, there's an Arts Institute banner on the bottom of this thread! Ah well. My school ****** itself on TV 24 hours a day anyway.
Last edited by Hollandaze; 12-09-2004 at 09:55 AM.
12-09-2004, 11:52 AM
#15
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You don't want to know what happens after graduation. I have gone to the GDC and Siggraph depositting my demo reel. I have also sent a bunch out to open positions found on the internet. The closest thing I got was an art test to EA Canada for Need for Speed UG 2. I am currently working at visual concepts as a game tester. I have kept in touch with a bunch of people I graduated with. Some have made it but more have not. It's a very competitive world for the 3d Artists.