The Academy of Art University

I've been here a little under a year and I will admit I am enrolled in one of the school's best departments. I have only taken seven classes and in my experience so far, I haven't had any uninterested, unprepared or discouraging teachers. All of my teachers have been industry professionals and all for motivating us to push ourselves. They've encouraged us not to just settle for the bare minimum amount of work as well as they've showed us how important it is to constantly seek inspiration from other great artists and sources while you are a student. I think I can honestly say that when I worked my butt of for a high grade, I got it, regardless of the teacher or how I started off in the beginning.

This last semester, I had a class that was taught by a teacher who was said to be one of the best, most difficult and unforgiving in the entire school... and she was. I started off with really low grades in the class and was this close to dropping out from fear of not passing. And over the entire course, I despised her attitude and harsh demeanor. Nonetheless, I put all my "sweat and blood" into that class and I did push myself, and I did end up with that A (to my surprise!). I think she measured my endless effort along with my super-improved final result in the class.

Although, I did have one class my first sem. that left me feeling inferior and rejected once it was coming to and end. About 85% of the class got at least one of their projects into the spring show and I was not one of them lol. The thing that bothered me was the teacher's response to me once I was not chosen. It seemed as though immediately following the decision, the teacher came over to me and said nothing and walked away like a total snob! No words of encouragement, no farewell, nothing. Even though I wasn't a star student in the end with all my work in the spring show, I paid for a little more instruction/teacher interaction than that!

In general, it often seemed as though having more money meant having a better chance at succeeding. It seems like it's 50/30--50% your ability to spend on only the best materials, resources, etc. and only 30% your actual talent or potential. I guess it is about being able to strive for the best with presenting your work, but I know I've fallen short of a high grade before because I couldn't afford the absolute best paper or printing.

It absolutely seems like the institution is way more about money and being snobbish with your ability to spend whatever it takes to make it. You DEFINITELY get more attention/respect from the administration and even faculty if you are able to whip out your (or your parents--even better and more popular) checkbook/credit card to buy yourself the best opportunity for being recognized.

I am also sickened by the fact that the president is making SO much money and seems to give SO little back to the school to make our facilities better and our resources better, for EVERYONE, not just the rich. There are no school scholarships, loans or grants provided by the school for the undergrads. Only high school students have a few opportunities--because they want to suck them in! If you don't have rich parents, the administration leaves you out in the dark to figure out how to finance your education and they offer little to no help with offering alternatives or showing you your options. It feels like I have to spend most of my time fighting to be able to afford to stay at the school, with no time left to figure out a good plan for my classes so that I can be out of here in less than SEVEN YEARS ( I can't believe a few students have been there that long!!).

I also can't believe how easy it seems to be able to get into the graduate programs. It doesn't seem fair that as undergraduates here you have to have this amazing work to make it through, but you can come from anywhere with any little cut and paste, lame portfolio and get into the masters program, without having had to break your neck through undergrad studies. I know someone who slacked their way through a state school, barely passing to graduate, and just got into the grad program in my dept. I ask her questions sometimes about technical stuff or her opinion on some issues with design and she is completely clueless... (she says "I don't know" or "I can't remember"), I can't believe that she holds a degree in the subject and that she is now about to start her MASTERS program. So now that she has been "accepted" into the grad school at AAU, she thinks it's because they REALLY loved her portfolio. Sad to say, I've seen her "portfolio" and stuff I produced after first semester looks better lol. It seems like the state schools, or at least the one she went to, give you templates to customize and your "portfolio" ends up being the exact same as the next peron, with some minor adjustments.

So, before I've even been here long, I am able to come a few conclusions. One is that this school is for two types of people: rich and/or FULLY financially supported by parents or fin. aid and those TRULY dedicated students who are willing to work full-time while taking 5+ classes per semester to get done on time. I am neither of those and am seriously considering transfering to another school that I have in mind, before I try to scrape up another $6600 for tuition. I dont want to try so hard to stay here when I will only end up not being able to afford to take some of the upper division classes or the $3,000 (a teacher showed us these expensive portfolios and said they cost 3k to produce!!!) senior portfolio!I believe it is true that if you have the money and happen to have the talent, you can come out of this school with a spectacular looking portfolio that will stand out from the average. But it should NEVER cost that much money just to show what you've learned and that you have a lot to offer an employer/client. I STRONGLY suggest that you THOROUGHLY research (BetterBusinessBureau.com, google searches, student work, college site profiles, etc.) ANY school before you attend!

1st Year Female -- Class 2008

Surrounding City: A+, Individual Value: F

I wish I could have left this school. They lied about their program and they flat out lied about being accredited. Once I found out that I COULD NOT TRANSFER (due to their lack of accreditation) I had to either drop out and pay thousands and thousands of dollars worth of loans for nothing - or stick it out and at least get a degree. I did. Nobody is interested in a graduate from this school. In the Bay Area the school has a reputation as nothing more than a real estate endeavor. The open admissions policy is evident in the uninspired student body. The instructors who are largely on a part-time only basis consider this a throw-away job to pad their income. The only positive aspect of this school is their large selection of accessible equipment. And believe me - you pay for it.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

Okay, this is the first time articulating my "Academy Experience" since dropping out way back in 1998. I was originally enrolled in the program where when you have a Bachelor's Degree in non-arts but you spend a year beefing up your portfolio (which of course I didn't have one) and are admitted into the Graduate program.

Anyways, I had graduated w/ a bachelor's in english (1994) and virtually no art training. I used to draw my own comics and stuff at school (anything to avoid writing papers). Unfortunately, the academy managed to quash what natural creativity I had for years.

My first phone interview with a "counsellor" (i.e. salesperson) promised so much that would never be delivered. He said that with a year's study in the accelerated program I would be able to get into the graduate program, eventhough he had never seen my portfolio...

Flash forward to my first year at the academy. It was clear right off the bat that my personal style was "wrong" (C- grades). When it was time for my "review" my portfolio was filled with pitiful attempts to mimic the "academy style" (and of course I took everything they said as gospel without thinking they could be wrong). Because there was no way to get into the graduate program I decided to go for a second bachelor's degree.

I did manage to make some marked improvement in giving them the style they wanted. My grades improved a bit (C+/B-) in spite of some terrible teachers (I was in a section of Design and Color that EVERY STUDENT withdrew from because the teacher was so bad. They reluctantly gave us all a refund.). Of course there were some great teachers (like Shannon Abbey) but they were few and far between.

I was ino my full second year of classes when I discovered that I couldn't transfer to another schools because they weren't accredited (are they now?). Going into my third year I'd had enough. It was too much of a struggle between bad teachers, the adminstration, and having to work full-time that I finally said f*** it and I dropped out. About two weeks after dropping out, I painted a self-portrait. It was the first time I actually ENJOYED painting! I was finally free of the Academy's drudgery. After being laid-off from my job in 2001 I took a couple of refresher courses at City College. I was finally able to synthesize what I had actually learned at the Academy (the tuition being 1/40th of the academy's certainly didn't hurt). I'm now doing animation, Flash, and game design. I have no regrets attending the Academy, I just wish it hadn't cost me $60,000 in loans.

3rd Year Male -- Class 1998

Surrounding City: B+, Individual Value: F