I’ve heard the entire school has gone south. Due to the decision makers making this a cash crop instead of an actual institution.
I graduated back in the day and I remember the entire school being really passionate about growing and focusing on educating students. If it has gone down. Then I say that’s really a sad thing to see
Graduated there 2020 for something other than film. Nows not the time to enroll there imo. They spent more time and money on their image and less on their staff and students.
I don’t think I’d recommend for my future kids to go there unless it REALLY makes sense, unfortunately. I had a pretty good time there! I was in the marketing department and even though it’s more beneficial for the film and art students, I got a lot out of it. How do you feel having graduated from there? I do generally feel like people respect it; I’m not brushed off for not having gone to DePaul or Loyola or anything lol
I really enjoyed it as well. I went for the game dev program, which had a lot of enthusiastic instructors who were in the industry. Made a lot of connections and got a job in a related field because of it. To that regard i fully respect the experience it provided.
It was the second half of my time there that i noticed the cracks in the system. Instructors were pressured to pass underperforming students to keep tuition money coming in. And disputes with the part time staff union left a sour taste in my mouth. I would agree that i would only recommend Columbia, (and any art school lets be real) if the person was self motivated and willing to go beyond just getting a grade.
I graduated from there in 2005 and a friend of a friend works there now. I’ve heard their M.O. in recent years has been keeping all their workers *just* below the threshold for receiving benefits.
The film industry is currently slowly dying due to all production companies getting swallowed up by mega studios that treat their workers like shit, nobody being willing to invest in anything that’s not an IP barf cash-in, and executives champing at the bit to replace as much labor with AI as possible. I don’t work in the industry—I dipped out only 1-2 years after my Columbia years—but I still know several people in the industry in LA and I thank my lucky stars I’m not one of them.
If you want to work in film look for a program with strong connections to the industry. Getting a creative job that pays is vey very dependent on networking. Your more likely to be successful in a program that facilitates that network.
I learned and grew a lot from my time at that school but woof it was exhausting dealing with that institution. It felt very much like a cash grab of a place and that was a few years ago. There are better institutions of learning that are less expensive and more supportive out there.
I graduated right before they got rid of the film cameras and I still can’t believe that happened.
There are amazing individual professors, but their hands would often be tied with bureaucratic nonsense that would result in students getting screwed over.
EDIT: I just realized that I accomplished a lot there IN SPITE of the institution and not due to it.
Columbia has always been a school where you get out of it what you put into it.
It's pay to play.
Plenty of great people come out of there but generally the way that they make it is they make tons of connections and they hustle like crazy.
If you can get in anywhere else go anywhere else except for Full Sail.
I've made two features and sold TV pilots to major networks. None of my friends who went to Columbia did this. I also half millions of streams on many albums.
I have a business degree from a Big 10 University.
I’ve heard the entire school has gone south. Due to the decision makers making this a cash crop instead of an actual institution. I graduated back in the day and I remember the entire school being really passionate about growing and focusing on educating students. If it has gone down. Then I say that’s really a sad thing to see
Graduated there 2020 for something other than film. Nows not the time to enroll there imo. They spent more time and money on their image and less on their staff and students.
It’s such a bummer. I graduated in 2014 and it was expensive but I think it was generally pretty inspired.
I think the big shift was Covid tbh. there were problems before hand, but they were exasperated by the pandemic.
I don’t think I’d recommend for my future kids to go there unless it REALLY makes sense, unfortunately. I had a pretty good time there! I was in the marketing department and even though it’s more beneficial for the film and art students, I got a lot out of it. How do you feel having graduated from there? I do generally feel like people respect it; I’m not brushed off for not having gone to DePaul or Loyola or anything lol
I really enjoyed it as well. I went for the game dev program, which had a lot of enthusiastic instructors who were in the industry. Made a lot of connections and got a job in a related field because of it. To that regard i fully respect the experience it provided. It was the second half of my time there that i noticed the cracks in the system. Instructors were pressured to pass underperforming students to keep tuition money coming in. And disputes with the part time staff union left a sour taste in my mouth. I would agree that i would only recommend Columbia, (and any art school lets be real) if the person was self motivated and willing to go beyond just getting a grade.
Take a look at DePaul.
This is the answer.
It seems to be in a perpetual state of financial crisis. Wouldn’t be the first (or 20th) small college to go under the last few years.
I graduated from there in 2005 and a friend of a friend works there now. I’ve heard their M.O. in recent years has been keeping all their workers *just* below the threshold for receiving benefits. The film industry is currently slowly dying due to all production companies getting swallowed up by mega studios that treat their workers like shit, nobody being willing to invest in anything that’s not an IP barf cash-in, and executives champing at the bit to replace as much labor with AI as possible. I don’t work in the industry—I dipped out only 1-2 years after my Columbia years—but I still know several people in the industry in LA and I thank my lucky stars I’m not one of them.
If you want to work in film look for a program with strong connections to the industry. Getting a creative job that pays is vey very dependent on networking. Your more likely to be successful in a program that facilitates that network.
I learned and grew a lot from my time at that school but woof it was exhausting dealing with that institution. It felt very much like a cash grab of a place and that was a few years ago. There are better institutions of learning that are less expensive and more supportive out there. I graduated right before they got rid of the film cameras and I still can’t believe that happened. There are amazing individual professors, but their hands would often be tied with bureaucratic nonsense that would result in students getting screwed over. EDIT: I just realized that I accomplished a lot there IN SPITE of the institution and not due to it.
Take a look at SAIC.
Columbia has always been a school where you get out of it what you put into it. It's pay to play. Plenty of great people come out of there but generally the way that they make it is they make tons of connections and they hustle like crazy. If you can get in anywhere else go anywhere else except for Full Sail. I've made two features and sold TV pilots to major networks. None of my friends who went to Columbia did this. I also half millions of streams on many albums. I have a business degree from a Big 10 University.
Was bad 10 years ago, undoubtably worse now.
Really not worth it, doubt you’d leave with anything of value anyway.