Academy of art university?
Asked by MEEEI went to a career opportunites night last night and there was a booth for the Academy of Art university. I really want to go there soemday but my stepmom said its overrated and has a bad reputation.. but i heard its a very good school and they really focus on the students and a lot of them get jobs after they graduate.
Favorite Answer
Answered by RoaringMice
You're both right. No, really. I'm not being funny. AAU is what you make of it. It's certainly not the best art school out there - others are much better. But it's far from the worst. AAU is blessed and cursed by its admission policy. They let people in without a portfolio. On the one hand, it's great, because it allows people to study art who didn't have the chance to put together a portfolio. But on the other hand, it also means that some students there are unhappy because are ill-prepared for the coursework, and ill-suited for art. This is in addition to the fact that, as with all art schools, it's an *art school*, unlike an art program at a full university, if you get there and realise that art isn't for you, you can't just change your major. You have to leave school and transfer. AAU has a mixed reputation with employers. Some like it, others do not. I find it often depends on what you majored in. But so long as you come out of there with a good portfolio and some related co-ops or internships, you'll do fine in terms of finding jobs or whatever you'd like. In addition, AAU has kind of a "sales" feel to it when it comes to admissions. You'll get a lot of phone calls from them, asking you to enroll quickly, etc. Don't be pressured. Give yourself time to make a decision. If you're looking for an art school with a similar "admit without a portfolio" policy, I actually prefer the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Georgia. If you have a portfolio, you should be looking at stronger art schools, not just AAU. In that region, stronger art schools are Otis, CalArts, California College of Arts & Crafts, San Francisco Art Institute (NOT part of the Art Institute chain!), UCLA and USC. All have better reps as art schools than AAU.
You're both right. No, really. I'm not being funny. AAU is what you make of it. It's certainly not the best art school out there - others are much better. But it's far from the worst. AAU is blessed and cursed by its admission policy. They let people in without a portfolio. On the one hand, it's great, because it allows people to study art who didn't have the chance to put together a portfolio. But on the other hand, it also means that some students there are unhappy because are ill-prepared for the coursework, and ill-suited for art. This is in addition to the fact that, as with all art schools, it's an *art school*, unlike an art program at a full university, if you get there and realise that art isn't for you, you can't just change your major. You have to leave school and transfer. AAU has a mixed reputation with employers. Some like it, others do not. I find it often depends on what you majored in. But so long as you come out of there with a good portfolio and some related co-ops or internships, you'll do fine in terms of finding jobs or whatever you'd like. In addition, AAU has kind of a "sales" feel to it when it comes to admissions. You'll get a lot of phone calls from them, asking you to enroll quickly, etc. Don't be pressured. Give yourself time to make a decision. If you're looking for an art school with a similar "admit without a portfolio" policy, I actually prefer the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Georgia. If you have a portfolio, you should be looking at stronger art schools, not just AAU. In that region, stronger art schools are Otis, CalArts, California College of Arts & Crafts, San Francisco Art Institute (NOT part of the Art Institute chain!), UCLA and USC. All have better reps as art schools than AAU.
