Hi!
I was looking into Academy of Art University (formerly Academy of Art College in SF) and was wondering what the reputation of this school is?
Also, I’d love to hear from current and former students about the school (program, teaching, atmosphere, etc).
Thanks much!
From what I heard, the school is run more like a business rather than an educational institution. I recommend not.
I am an ID student at Academy of Art.
If you are serious about becoming an IDer, the school will provide everything you need. It has a great program with excellent computer facility and model shop. Only catch is they don’t push you. You have to push yourself! That works for me and I am really loving it.
Good luck.
The school DID have really bad program before but that has passed.
In fact, an AAU student has won a Gold in student category in 2004 IDEA Award. Go check it out.
Hi There,
I am also attending the Academy currently. It seems like a pretty good school so far. The model department is well equipped and the people running the program really care about the school’s reputation. I think that Tom Matano really wants to build a legacy by making a name for the school and putting it on the map. This is just my take on things but I have been going there for two semesters now and have been pretty impressed by the improvements I have seen taking place. Be aware though that the facilities are a little hokey. Some of the equipment is not in the best shape. The ID dept. is in an old car dealership and so alot of the classes are held in temporary style classrooms, but improvements are being made all of the time. This being said, it doesn’t really matter what the classrooms look like, as long as you are commited and apply yourself.
I had a hard time finding out anything about the school before I started and it looked like there are alot of people out there with bad things to say about the school. “Open enrollment” is one thing that comes up in deriscive comments I have read. It is true that anyone can attend the Academy, but that doesn’t mean that anyone can succed there. If you don’t have an art background (ie. sketching abilities) then you will have to work that much harder to get your work up to a standard that is acceptable to your teachers. They don’t cut slack just because it’s an open enrollment school.
I was never big into drawing but I liked to design things and build stuff. I was a machinist and have a lot of modelling experience so that has helped, but you don’t need to start out as an artist. After all, that’s why your seeking an “education”, right?
Anyway, If you have any questions, post them here and I will check in over the next few days. The stuff CookieJar said is true. Hope this helps.
Take Care,
Pete
The grad department isn’t open enrollment
I think its true that the motivation should b good