The Academy of Art University

Major: New Media, then 3D Animation.
Years attended: 1998-2005.
I've been an on/off student with the AAU since 98. I marked that I would attend a different university given the chance not because of the school, but because I've decided to change my career path to performing arts, which the AAU doesn't offer (though I think they are starting to, with some acting classes).

When I began in 98 as a New Media major (graphic design), there did seem to be a lot of fluff classes that I didn't think were really important. I did enjoy them though. Also, I was miscatagorized in the New Media major. I had always intended to be a 3D animation major. I do think the advisors and other staff at the AAU are a bit hard to deal with. You need to be firm with them. My interactions improved after I began going to them with my preferred classes already marked in a list. I thought more about the direction I wanted to take and asked a lot more questions about the courses themselves. The advisor I have does know what a lot of classes are like and usually directs me to the teacher that will be teaching for the semester I signed up for so that I can question them myself before the class starts. I learned to take charge of my schooling and my advisor and classes improved a lot after that.

I think the AAU cut out some of the fluff classes of late. I do hear a lot of students complaining about having to take some basic art classes. All I can really say to this is that I've noticed maybe 2 or 3 students who were actually beyond needing to take those classes in my entire time at the AAU. I'm a fairly talented artist, but basic art courses at the AAU did help to refine my skills. Even the students that I don't think needed to take the basic courses could have still refined their skills with these courses. The teachers were also generally nice and very willing to help all students improve. You have to want to improve though. Most students that just "coast" their way with minimal passing grades are only hurting themselves. Almost all of my teachers also had art degrees from respected colleges, as well as their art in galleries, impressive portfolios, and were readily able to demonstrate their skills and were active and successful in their respective industry. I've had less than 5 teachers who weren't able to demonstrate skill and weren't active in their respective industries.

On the other hand, I did have some shockingly horrible teachers. Les than 5 total. I would transfer out of those classes or drop them, if I felt that a.) the teacher was subpar, b.) that I couldn't pass with a high grade. I don't understand why some students would continue to take classes with a subpar teacher. You get subpar teachers (yes, even ones with teaching creds) at any school. I do think that the New Media major has a lot more subpar education than the 3D animation/modeling/FX/Games majors. I didn't really enjoy my brief time as a New Media major. That could as much from being in the wrong major as the learning experience. At any rate, I've generally gotten a lot of good information and skills from all my classes. You can only learn as much as you want, and if you do find a class that is lacking, drop it or switch to one with a different teacher. Do it within the first week if possible, but definately by the 3rd week.

One thing: the school isn't the best to go to for some majors. I wouldn't go to the AAU for film, fashion, or traditional arts (painting, sculpture, illustratio, etc.). I don't know about New Media, Advertising, Interior/Industrial Design. Those disiplines aren't something I'm knowledgable about. I do like the school for the other 3D arts majors though. Perhaps there are better schools for 3D arts, but I think all are rather the same at this point. I've worked in the games industry with a major publisher for over 4 years now while in school (personally, I just want the piece of paper because I like to finish what I start). They hire heavily from the AAU. In the 3D industry, a degree doesn't mean much and where it's from means less. I'm sure some HR person might be impressed, but it's your talent, skills, and work ethic that will really get you in and keep you in. The portfolio is important. I don't think the school pieces we do in class are good portfolio pieces. Students should be making creative stuff on their own time for that. School assignments are usually to build skill, not creativity. Networking is also important.

Things to know before attending the AAU:

Research and be knowledgable about where you want to take your career. If in doubt, ask questions and get your answers. Be bold.

The AAU teachers can change the course material at any time. It can differ from what the catalogue says. Read the fine print and don't be afraid to drop a class before it's too late.

Don't snub the basic drawing classes. 98% of the students attending the AAU honestly don't have the artistic skill they need to get a job. Or the talent. You can learn skill and nurture talent, but if you have both already in full force, skip the whole diploma thing and get right into being a professional artist.

The AAU isn't cheap. Calculate the costs and really think over if this is worth it to you. If you found out later that you think the school is a mistake, then you'll soon learn it's a very costly mistake.Really research the industry you will be getting into and where it's going. My career path change is motivated by my distaste for the industry. I've already got a job in that industry and don't like it. It's not creative at all. Just like school. You get assignments and you do them to the best of your talent and skill. Work doesn't really care if you are feeling creative or fulfilled. That is the reality of working for other people in any industry. Research what it's like being a freelance artist too.

5th Year Female -- Class 2005

Surrounding City: A+, Extracurricular Activities: C-

Review of art school
What it takes to be successful
From my own personal experience, becoming a successful professional artist, requires you to be a business person. You as a person are a brand seeking to sell you're work or service. AAU does not take this approach. It teaches, get a degree, right a resume, make portfolio, and apply apply apply apply apply. THey'll tell you constantly, "disney wants to see this, pixar wants to see that, O DISNEY'S COMING TO GIVE A PRESENTATION TALK!" YAYYY as if disney(or any other art studio company) is giving jobs away like amusement park rides. It just doesn't work that way.

Professionals Will Tell You What it Takes
The most telling evidence is what EVERY SINGLE TEACHER(proessional) explicitly states. "In my (insert year)yrs of work, i have not once needed to provide my art degree." As further proof, I've got freelance artist friends making 80k a year range, and all, ALLL, ALLLL(including myself) of them saying the same, they don't give a FUCK about your degree. IT JUST DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY. Yes, there are a few that will snag a position or two at some gaming company, but it doesn't happen very often. There are not enough openings to provide for the thousands of qualified graduates every year. Disney alone, only hired 2 concept artist from aau out of the past 6 years that i can recall. 2!!!! WTFFFF??? isn't obvious? The bottom line, they have to like your work. Done simple, i don't care what school you came from what degree you have, do I like your work? If you have outstanding skills and ideas, welcome a board! Plain and simple.

How Is this a Scam
Now, half of the stuff you have to learn is, the "liberal arts(general degree courses)," A FUCKING MONEY MAKING SCAM! This is suppose to be an 'ART ACADEMY" A career and skill building school! Not a pay "60k$ worth of non art related courses just to fulfill your requirements to graduate scam." Yes, completely UN ART RELATED! for example, you must pay for classes like psychology, sociology, even spanish and math classes that are well over 2k each, JUST TO FULFILL the 60+ unit requirements. And you have to do this while studying the overrated art courses(many of which can be learned for 10% of the price elsewhere).

Cost of School
So as you can see, a big concern is cost. I have 80 k of debt. And that is with discount. 30k from grants 35k from transferred courses. (3 yrs comminity college). Essentially the full price someone who is planning on enrolling after high school is 150-160k depending on where you living as well. I saved money living an hour away, outside of the city for cheaper rent. If you were to get a dorm, it can be easily 180k. THey call this affordable financial aid.

Getting Life Started
I am not able to get my life started get married and have children, because of my debt. Most of the money I make goes to loans. 1k+ a month on loans a lone. This is the debilitating leg up on the industry AAU gives you! It's So debilitating, losing said leg maybe more appealing.

Half of Half of Half of the teachers were AMAZING!
Lets divide this into a pie. Out of all the courses, Off the bat, half of the courses are bs. The useless "liberal art courses(astronomy, english, math,shit you don't need as artist). As explained, useless for finding an art related job. So we can agree on that. So now, we lose 50% of the teachers. We only have 50% left to talk about. There will drama and politics between teachers and students, as there would be anywhere, ESPECIALLY art school. Sadly, there are teachers who never grew out of their ego. Their art got to there head. Can't blam'm their human too. Let's be frank, making art is easily turned into a popularity contest. MY ART IS BETTER THEN YOURS! A lot of bloated egos. I'd say 20 percent of the remaining 50% had this problem. No matter HOW MUCH work you do, or HOW good you are, diligent, the teacher plainly think you suck as person. PLAIN AND SIMPLE, why? *whisper* because you are better then them. It's a competition out there, and these children teaching, feel threatened by other competition. Your presents threatens to take their thunder away. So it is their duty to take YOUR'S. That leaves us now with 40% great teachers. Honestly, i learned EVERYTHING i needed to learn in my foundational classes. Meaning, my beginner courses, learn how to draw a ball, a figure, color, and perspective. All taught in the first 3 years. EVERYTHING ELSe, the 3-5 years you may have left depending on wether you transferred units, is complete waste of time. SO half of 40% is now 20% So my rating on how much of the school was worth it? 20%!!! These teachers were IMO were the best of the best.

How many jobs did i land as a result of school portfolio work?
All the work that i ever got, were from personal pieces. except one, that paid total 10$hr total payout was about 500$ Considering the amount of time spent the job, cost of school. THIS WAS hardly work at all. Iv'e gotten several gigs, that put me at 20-30$ hr from works completely personal. Doing what I like gave me work. Focussing on things i wanted to draw, GAVE ME WORK. A piece that i did 2 years PREVIOUS to AAU garnered me a 10k gig. In short, I could've done without Art School. Matter of fact, i'd have 10xs more in the bank had it not been paying for cost of school.

How is the school growing
This is how they doubled in size from the time i started to the time i left. Honestly, the student works i saw in their promotional dvds from 2007 were quite mediocre. Some better then others, but nothing compared to the work today. We built them up through the work the best of the best showcases in their yearly even, The Spring Shows(all of the work go on to dvds that get sent out as mail to prospective students). Students pay tons of money to produce art work for the school, that they use to advertise to future students. Kids at home say to their parents, " LOOK AT WHAT THEY TAUGHT THEM, LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL WORK THEY LEARN TO DO!" It's the equivalent of saying, look at all the lovely work at deviant art, if I join deviant art, i'll be JUST AS GOOD. It's the craziest scam ever pulled this art school system. The fat cats are laughing their asses off, because we are essentially giving up an arm, a leg, and our first born, in order to advertise FOR THEM. Paying them tens of thousands in order to WORK FOR THEM. It's brilliant. hindsight is 20/20...

Take responsibility for yourself
yes, i was young and gullible, and under the traditional mindset. School is worth the investment. I'm the one who took the leap of faith. I'm the one to blame. Do your research, look at testimonials. Look at what alumni are saying, not just what the school is saying.

What did I gain from it.
I'd say a handful of friends. Did that network help me find ANY of my current or previous jobs? Naw, none. But hey, i met some WONDERFUL people that I would not have otherwise. This isn't a guarantee either. It's not like you pay 180k and you meet awesome people, that's dependent on your own social skills. Many artist i've met were very anti social and hermits. They didn't have very many friends at all. So meeting those people is heavily dependent on you. And a big problem in ANY school is, politics. Many people seek to be your friend because you have something to gain. You might as well join a club in your local community college, and make friends there. So you'll have to ask yourselves, after ALLLL of this, is AAU worth it?

Who benefitted the most.
A hand full of star athletes. The 1% of the graduates. These are the best most talented students. These guys are the job winners. Even so, the poster children of the schools, the ones that get chosen to give talks at their school, GET LAYED OFF! And it's not their fault. The art industry is very cut throat. You have to think of art school like training to play for the nba. Only the greats succeed in finding the big corporate jobs. The rest, survive on their own. By hustling. Even then, you'd have to be great.

Preparations for a Stable Job
There is no such thing, especially in the art world. You are constantly hustling, which is a good thing, it teaches you not to get comfortable, so that in case of a crisis, you lose your job(which in many cases you don't lose work, you finish work), you can easily stand back up and find another, most times you'll work 3 jobs simultaneously. Where as in other types of work, once you lose work, it may take years to get back up. This is the greatest thing, IMO about being a freelance artist. You are the sole provider of your well being. You depend on yourself, and not a company. And AAU did NOT NOT NOT teach me how to be self sufficient. They teach you how to be a cog in an already crowded machine. Freelancing means you are you're own money making machine, you are your own sustainable wheel. You spin for yourself.

Clueless TeachersAfter all of my time spent at the school, i now feel, they didn't have a fucking clue on how to be successful. They teach whatever course they are told to teach, then they receive paycheck and live their life. Those teachers got their position through the system, so of course they'll be teaching according to the system.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

I've been reading these past comments on this school, and all I can say is that you're going to get out what you put in.

I'm an animation major, and so far I've been challenged and have grown as an artist from my experiences. However, I am also a student who works really hard for my grades. I've had great professors in all of my classes, and if that is what seems to be problem--then do something about it! If you really are hating the class within the first weeks of class, then get out of it, there might not be a time which is as appealing, but at least it would be a better option. Don't just sit there for the 15 weeks and just flounder around being miserable the whole time.

While the "higher ups" of the school are rather aloof and concerned only with themselves: you shouldn't be concerned with them. Worry about your education. Do your school work, go to the workshops, ask questions, be alert, go to class, and you will be rewarded for your effort.

Many people come to this school expecting it to be easy, as if they had done poorly in high school, and since this school doesn't require a portfolio, they think that it'll be an easy option for their education needs--no, instead they'll find themselves unprepared and drowning.

Money seems to be the other complaint. Sure, the school is expensive, but it must be taken into account as to how moderately priced it really is compared to other schools. Here you really do get what you pay for, as long as you are willing to put your full and entire effort into your school work. Don't give up from reading all of these negative reviews! There are bad things about the school, and there are good things as well. You just need to take it as it comes and make the decision for yourself.

1st Year Female -- Class 2012

Friendliness: A+, Extracurricular Activities: D+