Choosing a University

[taxguy]

There are LOTs of schools noted in various thread that have better reputations then either VFS or Full Sail. You need to ask yourself whether you want a college degree or not.

If not, either Gnomon or VFS might be a good choice or even Max the Mutt.

If you want a degree,and I strongly urge you to get one, you might want to consider schools such as:

1. Ringling
2. Cal Arts
3. Academy of Art University in San Francisco
4. SCAD
5. SVA in NY
6. Laguna College of Art
7. Pratt Institute, computer art department
8. Syracuse University

and others.

[MattShort]

I am going for a degree. Thanks for the list btw. I'm going to look through them when I get home and add more to this post.

I have one other question. Should I get a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree or just a Bachelor's degree?

Thanks!

[taxguy]

Generally, most of the skill base is taught in undergraduate programs. You only need a masters if you want to teach or to specialize in an area that you didn't have a concentration in as an undergrad.

[Robostat]

I am a Sophmore Computer Art major at Syracuse University I would recommend going there the program is getting better each year and it's the great way to get a well rounded specific education that you can base around your digital arts. The university choice brings a lot to the table that is not offered at art schools.

[FrizzleFry0]

Hey Matt,

I know this is a bit belated in reply, but hopefully this still helps. I'm an instructor at Full Sail, and previously was a student going through the program, but I've had the opportunity of working with a wide range of people with tons of different interests, traditional art and technical skills, and personalities. It's good that you've already got a good idea as to the focus of 3D - hard surface modeling. Any college that really focuses on building a traditional art skill set will be a great choice because that helps you all across the board. Training your eyes to see color, form, and movement will be extremely important regardless of the focus.

I feel our (Full Sail) talented traditional artists have the most potential to succeed and do well in the industry - not because they're able to push a series of buttons and tools, but because they're able to see the final, appealing product and know what they're aiming for.

The technically geared artists also can do well, but obviously you would expect that to be more beneficial for scripting, setup (even then knowledge of anatomy is extremely important), hard surface modeling, and visual effects.

I've seen great work from VFS, Gnomon, Ringling, and Cal Arts so that would be a great place to start investigating. Don't let advisors from the school dictate or sway your decision too much, because obviously their job is to pull in more students (for-profit schools anyway). Start talking to graduates from various schools and see what their experiences were.

Remember that no school is going to guarantee that you get a job after graduating. Just like high school, there are a huge range of students that go through college and all have a different level of competency and work ethic. Someone that is only putting in the minimal amount to get by won't succeed regardless of the degree or school.

As far as Full Sail is concerned, there is definitely a bad vibe that has been associated with it from previous years mainly due to the struggle some students face trying to deal with the intense work schedule - it's an accelerated program (BS in 2.5 years). We've grown IMMENSELY since I went to school back in 2004-2005, and I can honestly say that the school is an amazing asset for many artists - again it all comes back to how much you're willing to put in.

Good luck with the school hunt and future endeavors. If you have questions specific to Full Sail feel free to send me an email and I can get into more details.

jedwards@fullsail.com

[MattShort]

Thank you for taking your time to share that information with me. I found this all very helpful!
(sorry if this isn't as much of a reply as you expected, I wasn't exactly sure what to say)

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