No love for AI?

[SugaCrcl]

Hey everyone,

I was reading all the comments posted on the education threads about all the schools everyone has been recommeding; Ateliers, PAFA, self-teaching, etc. I hope I am not shooting myself in the foot for asking this, but did anyone go to an Art Institute? I went to AIFL, for media arts. I have friends who cursed the school upon graduating, or dropping out. my buddy calls it, "the school that shall not named", he's a potter fan. I'm thinking about going back to art school, but for now, im teaching myself and will come here to CA often. I was just curious if anyone went to an Art Institute, and if you did, what did you feel about it?

[nilaffle]

Whoops, just noticed this thread. hi SugaCrcl, I went to the Art Institute of Washington, and I wasn't impressed by it. I transferred after a year and majored in communication arts. Six years later I'm back in art, majoring in computer animation at the Ringling College of Art and Design. There are a few more people around here who have attended AIs all over the country, we all have different views, and if you search this forum a bit you'll find various discussions on the subject.

[Storyboard Dave]

Do realize that a lot of people graduating from art institutions WILL grumble & bemoan the place they went to because it didn't give them everything they needed in order to compete. That will be said of any top notch major art college as well as smaller institutions like AI.

I'd want to know more about your friends who've graduated and grouse about the place. What happened to them? When did they realize it was lousy and when they did, why didn't they drop out? Why did they stay and complete their program then? Was it more about them than the program?

As far as the people who've attended AI, hated it and moved on- obviously they saw something lacking and chose something hopefully better. Bravo to them for making an attempt, being savvy and choosing a better course.

[SugaCrcl]

My opinion of AI is that you will spend 3 to 4 years and $50K becoming a jack of all trades. I have a couple of friends who have graduated from AIFL and are currently successful. I also have friends who have dropped out and are successful themselves. However, when I talk to them about their experience at the school, they do grumble about it and we change the subject. Dropping out was not an option for me. At the time, I never heard of communities like conceptart, or imaginefx where I could ask for advice. I don't regret going to AI, because I built some great friendships along the way and we were all learning together what AI did not teach us. For the record, I am not bashing AI. I should have attended a school that was specifically geared to drawing alone, and not so many other disciplines.

Alumni buddies
Michelle (http://www.pixlyte.com) 2004
Bob (http://bobhumeroom.blogspot.com) 2003

they dropped, but found success :)
Richard (http://richardjgaines.blogspot.com/) 2002
Cole (http://goombaman.cgsociety.org/gallery/) 2002

[PuppyKitten]

I was planning on going to AI SoCal (Orange County branch). I got invited in for an interview and brought my portfolio and the lady talking to me asked how I was planning on paying and had a whole convo about money with my mom and the lady pretty much welcomed me to the school right on the spot.

Not one person at any point in the process asked to see even ONE of my drawings, let alone my entire portfolio.

After taking a few tours and realizing the art on the walls for display looked like poopoo, I realized this was not the school I had in mind when I originally applied.

I can only assume this attitude was limited to office staff and NOT the individual teachers and students. But I was not going to risk 76k of my mom's money just to find out my first impression was correct.

[SugaCrcl]

PuppyKitten,

the best way to use your college fund is to find an art school that will train you for the career path you want to take. You are in a good place in Cali, so make your best decision. I have to get over there :)

[Medieve]

One of the major complaints I hear about AI from the employers attending the portfolio shows is that AI doesn't really produce outstanding students, the students are either self-motivated by themselves or otherwise their portfolios just are just very bleh. I've heard the schools are compared to an assembly line process where they are just cranking out students.

[Icon]

I'm actually an AI graduate.. and well quite frankly I’m really disappointed.

I went to the AI in Fort Lauderdale, which is renown for its great culinary department, graphic design and interior design....... not animation, or game art, and the illustration department is too young to really say.

AI is what you make of it. For the most part the students are clueless on the caliber of work that's out there. Which can be extremely dangerous as most of them end up satisfied with minimum amount of work...but that can also be said about any other art school.

However AI has gotten extreeeemly pricey over the last three years, a bachelor's degree used to cost somewhere between 30-40 grand... now it's up in the 70-80's!!! I changed my bachelor's to an associate's mid-way and I'm still paying about 60,000! Quite frankly, it wasn't worth it...I could've gone to Ringlings, or Art Center for that kind of money...hell even a community college would have been great!!

Mind you, you might get lucky enough to get an amazing teacher... but quite frankly all the Ai's seem to suffer from the same problem, so if I were you, I'd look at other options.

[Nightblue]

My experience at Ai pretty much ended when I went to the Dallas branch for a tour and was pushed and pulled to pay $100 application fee up front (no, I didn't pay it!) They also had a wall of graduates who found placements, and out of the entire wall there was one job I considered acceptable, and my standards aren't even high.

I heard the CA branch is better though. My advice would be: 1. look for student portfolio, 2. look for student placement rates. 3. if they hide these infos, the school is probably not that amazing.

I laughed the other day when I found collins college's webpage. Their one successful story for game design is a game tester. Their website is more revealing than I would have guessed.

[Storyboard Dave]

I heard the CA branch is better though. My advice would be: 1. look for student portfolio, 2. look for student placement rates. 3. if they hide these infos, the school is probably not that amazing.

Beyond the percentages, I'd ask where they graduates were placed. Schools can always flub numbers to their favor. Just because they claim to place a high number of people in jobs beyond their walls doesn't mean they're in the field even. Asking about their alumni has always been my barometer as to the success of an institution.

[Sway West]

I'd recommend exploring other avenues.

I studied animation for almost three years, ran up a significant debt, and wound up with very little to show for my time and money spent. Mandatory, general education classes ate up a large portion of my time there, and the core-classes were rarely challenging or stimulating. Most of the students were unmotivated, lacked any technical skills, and would rarely participate during critiques and outside activities. In tern, this bred apathetic instructors who really didn't care either way.

I was lucky enough to have two, or three influential instructors who pushed me to better myself, but aside from that, I've learned more from reading through a tutorial on here than I have in a quarter's time in class.

AIP had no illustration department, and their traditional study classes (like painting and drawing) were spread so thin amongst the hodgepodge of majors that no one could possibly benefit from them. As an animation student, I was given the option of three life drawing classes. Three. An animation student... three. Meanwhile, I was on my forth math-related course.

I chose AI because it was conveniently close to where I was living, it was close to the cultural district in the city, and they boasted a great job-placement history. What I didn't know was that AI considers placing a Photography major in the Photo section at Walmart a successful placement.

[Daetrius]

I'm also a current student at AiP. I have more criticism than praise, but I'm not really one to complain. I agree with just about everything that has already been stated though. However I'd like to think that it depends more on the individual's determination rather than how crappy their school is.

The reason I chose to go to the school is because I was told a bunch of half-truths and lies when I toured the school. To the eyes of the ignorant it looked pretty promising. But I'm here and I'm making the best of it. There are some glimmers of talent in a sea of slackers and half-asses which is pretty refreshing.

I guess what I'm getting at is: If you're thinking of applying to an Art Institute you may want to reconsider, or not. And if you're already enrolled, then take it in stride. Work on your own stuff for yourself and learn independently. Think of the $80k you're paying as excessive motivation to get a kick-ass job. I have learned some tips and tricks during my time here though, so it's not all a waste.

That's about it.

[PuppyKitten]

PuppyKitten,

the best way to use your college fund is to find an art school that will train you for the career path you want to take. You are in a good place in Cali, so make your best decision. I have to get over there

Ah, thanks for the advice, but I just bought a house and I have a family of kitties to feed. No moneys for college anymore (my mom revoked the offer to pay when I turned 21).

I will prolly start saving for some courses at an atelier if I do anything school-wise anymore.

[Storyboard Dave]

The reason I chose to go to the school is because I was told a bunch of half-truths and lies when I toured the school. To the eyes of the ignorant it looked pretty promising. But I'm here and I'm making the best of it.

While I applaud you for your dogged determination for sticking it out there, I'm still wondering why you still chose to go there despite the "half-truths and lies"? Wouldn't it have made better sense to go somewhere else and get some form of satisfaction in your education?

[Daetrius]

While I applaud you for your dogged determination for sticking it out there, I'm still wondering why you still chose to go there despite the "half-truths and lies"? Wouldn't it have made better sense to go somewhere else and get some form of satisfaction in your education?

You're right. I do kick myself at times for not going to an actual art school. There is another reason for my attending AiP.

At the time there were no schools around me that had my interest. I lived in virginia and the only thing near me was Ai Washington which I had heard nothing but horror stories about. I narrowed it down to 2 schools. Either I move to Georgia for SCAD or Pittsburgh for AiP.

I had been contacted by both schools after graduating and both looked good, but at the time my illustrating was more of a hobby than a potential career path. I was actually more in to digital model building, mapping, texturing and character design. I thought I wanted to make games (this was before the game making craze and crappy comercials began...)

SCAD didn't offer anything in that field, so I chose AiP. I looked at the school and it was nice. They told me it was different from all the other Ai's because it was kind of like the "mothership" of all other Ai's. They said all kinds of things. Like that we could see straight in to the baseball stadium from our dorms... (lie) and that there were always a plethra of computer labs free to use whenever we needed (maybe 1 or 2) and the short walk from "on campus" housing (40 minute walk, lol) I liked the city though. It was a small-town atmosphere with big buildings.

Anyway. After a couple of quarters I reallized I missed drawing way too much. It had always been my true passion and I just wasn't able to illustrate in the major I was in. So I switched to Graphic Design (Game art and Animation blew) and that's where I am today.

This reply is getting lengthy so I'll wrap it up.

There are some great illustrators here that I really look up to and have learned a lot from. The city is well cultured and artistic so inspiration is rarely in short supply. There are also a lot of workshops around and things of that nature so even though the school isn't the best. I'm still getting a lot accomplished.

Ok, done with my life story now. lol. I hope that answered your question in the longest way possible. :)

[Storyboard Dave]

I hope that answered your question in the longest way possible. :)

I hope you didnt think I was persecuting you for asking you about your choice for school. I guess I just never want to see anyone going through life with any regrets- especially when it comes to the investment in themselves.

I hope things work out for you because of your determination; because it still doesn't sound as though the school is offering up much for you.

[Daetrius]

No no no, not at all. No offense taken. I actually didn't mean for such a long response, so that's why I said "in the longest way possible". Just being facetious.

I agree it's not offering up what I'd like, but hopefully I won't regret it. Worse case scenario would be for me to go back and get my master's at a better school.

I suppose only time will tell.

[Icon]

I chose AI because it was conveniently close to where I was living, it was close to the cultural district in the city, and they boasted a great job-placement history. What I didn't know was that AI considers placing a Photography major in the Photo section at Walmart a successful placement.


Amen to that sister!!!!!!

Career services calls me non-stop to offer me horrible jobs and all of them, not related at ALL to illustration/animation! The list goes as follows:

-A Crappy t-shirt graphics place that pay you 8.50 dollars for your designs, while the company makes thousands and thousands off of them.

-A starting video game company looking for interns...when the lady from career services called she insisted on this company, and after talking with her for a couple of minutes she wasn't too sure if the company was valid.

-Every other job offer has been ludicrous, the pay awful and the terms of contract horrid!


Even when I was with AI I only used their job search once and was incredibly disappointed! They sent me to a newspaper telling me they needed a cartoonist... I got the job, and all I did was call for investors and answer the phone...a sale's person and a secretary is what they really needed. >:|

[starzik]

I guess I'll post a reply here -

Currently I am attending the AI in Schaumburg - when I was touring they boasted the 3rd best game art school in the country - well now three years later that's far from true.

I agree with the person who said it was full of half-truths - I really didn't know what I was getting myself into.

I attended the first Artimation event they had - for those who don't know, it's a digital arts fair where they rent out two movie theater rooms from the ultra fancy AMC theaters in Barrington and present, what they deem, "top" student works from video, game art, and animation majors. The first year I was there..it blew me away. Keep in mind I'm a game art major and therefore paid little attention to the digital video entries.

Ever since that year however...it's been gradually worse.

And don't believe the "you can graduate in three years!" nonsense. The way they do registration is a nightmare...there's three levels of people and some people get to register a day in advance before others. With luck, I'll be graduating in 3.5 years. WITH LUCK. I haven't been able to take four classes a quarter in a whole year.

I am one of those students who tries as well. There is hardly any talent at the school. No, they don't care about your portfolio - they are more concerned with you paying them.

I worked at Dick Blick art Materials when I first started going to the school. I worked with two graduates from the school - and I agree about the "job placement" stuff. I worked with one girl who graduated with graphic design and had been working at Blick for two years after she graduated - they considered her "working in her field." However, after two years she did get a job working for resteraunt.com. Based solely on a connection she made with a woman during an internship at AI.

There are good teachers there...and there are terrible ones. I'm one of those people who thought, "as long as I try, I'll be okay." However, in a class that lasts only three months - what do you think will be accomplished!?

I feel terrible. I begged my mom to let me go here and she fought me tooth and nail - saying it was too expensive. Unluckily, I got stuck with a terrible guidance counselor in High school who said I should go for it anyway.

This same guidance counselor also set me up to go to this portfolio show where she THOUGHT the AI of SanFran Rep was going to be there. Well I went there and mistakenly talked to a Rep from the Art Institute of SanFran - once he figured out I thought he was the rep of AI - he reprimanded me and laid into AI, saying they weren't a "real art school." I was so shocked I couldn't say much else. I walked away seriously embarrassed.

Well, idiot as I am...I am currently attending AI...I've pretty much decided it's a bad idea...but I'm so far in...that I don't know what to do. I intend to make my own thread asking what I should do...but for the time being, there's my bad experience with AI.

However, in these three years I have had fun. I've made friends with similar interests, and I've met a few kids here and there who are as adamant as me about "making it into the industry."

As far as core classes...they are fun. But I just don't know if they leave enough time to produce the caliber of art needed to make it.

If after all this you do still intend on going to AI - take this little piece of advice - GET A BACHELOR IN GENERAL EDUCATION FROM A CHEAP COMMUNITY COLLEGE BEFORE YOU GO TO AI. There is NO POINT in spending the outrageous prices for the same quality you'd get at a community college.

That's all. Sorry for rambling and any spelling / grammar mistakes.

[Flat]

Hello. I'm currently attending Ai of Phoenix. I haven't seen anything on this thread that I disagree with. When I started, I wanted to make games. That was it. I was not very focused. This is a good school for my type. They train you in everything from texturing to modeling with more emphasis on the latter because of the higher "demand" for modelers. That being said, have you ever heard of the phrase, "Jack of all trades, master of none"? You will see most all positions in the game industry when you go to this school, but you aren't well versed in any particular field *UNLESS* you are the type to go out of your way. I'm sure it's the same in other schools, but I am able to sit in on any class I choose.

As an animation student, I was given the option of three life drawing classes. Three. An animation student... three. Meanwhile, I was on my forth math-related course.

I have 3 nude life drawing classes in my course, but I could easily have 50 if I found the time and patience to sit through them all (spanned out through 3 years of course). I suppose when you have a job as well as a full time schedule it's quite difficult to squeeze in extra classes. I just wanted to point out that it's possible to have more if you sit in.

A couple people discussed the lack of talent and motivated students at Ai. That is 100% true. There may be 10 people that I respect here. My cousin had complained about this at her school as well though (not Ai). I just figured it was normal that the general populace didn't care to go above and beyond. Maybe if Ai was more strict on entrance qualifications we wouldn't have that problem.

There are maybe 8 really great teachers here, including Steve Swink, that give you the ability to be great. It's all on the shoulders of the student. So many people come here and play WoW, that are fine with the C's they pull.

I like it here. I think there is a possibility of great placement when I get out of here. My former roommate went to Neversoft as a character modeler straight out of school. You just have to have the drive.

[IntricateChaos]

I currently attend AI Inland Empire, I'm an animation major. So far I like it, I don't think it's quite and in depth as other colleges might be, but I have a lot teachers who came from the great Disney 2D layoff and guys from Blizzard who are just awesome. Opinions seem to very between schools.

[Daetrius]

Hey guys. I'd just like to warn any current students of Ai about freelancing. Ai just screwed me over so I thought I'd pass my experience along to avoid it happening to anyone else.

I found an ad on craigslist.org from a company looking to get a mural painted. They were looking for art students (I would too, they're cheaper) so I applied and got the job...

*Note: keep in mind that I did this all by myself. No involvement with the school whatsoever.*

Anyway, so I show up, take my measurments and all that good stuff. Had a nice long talk with the owner and he was really excited about what I had in mind. He loved my thumbnails and everything. It was all a green light. So I tell him that I would charge him $20 per hour as opposed to $40+ being the normal rate. I expected him to think it a bit high because most people do, but usually you can talk the average person up because they have no idea what is normally paid anyway.

Well to my dismay he had apparently contacted my school before he had posted the ad looking for students and they told him that a student of Ai would only do it for $10-$15 an hour. Sooo... There went my asking price.

The school completely screwed over any student trying to freelance for themselves because they had already given a crappy price range for them.

So that was that. There was no way I would have been able to talk him up $5

If you're looking to freelance make sure to not mention you being a student of Ai, or make sure the client has never spoke with Ai. Otherwise, you can kiss your asking price goodbye.

That's it. :)

[Tomy24]

Did you end up getting the job at least?

The Art Institute? What can I say? Terrible sums it up nicely.

[Daetrius]

Yeah, I did get the job, and was able to talk the guy up to $15 an hour. Still aggrivating though. :/

[MidnightDream]

I'm guessing I'm the only one that has had good luck with the AI schools...I haven't really had any of the problems that most of you have talked about. I guess its really is what you make of it.

Daetrius which of the schools was that? I know the one that I went to always told us to charge much higher then 20 dollars an hour...and as for 40 dollars an hour being the average rate I don't believe that to be true. In fact I think he was basically ripping you off, as I know some people that charge 100 per hour or more.

[Daetrius]

It was Art institute of Pittsburgh, PA. And yeah, about pricing I've found it's different all over. One of my illustration instructors muralizes a lot and he told me $20-$30 is the local area rate for unless you're an experienced muralist. Then it can get closer to around 60.

You could very well be right though. I'll look in to it and research a bit more and I'll get back to you.

[TheMightyTrio]

I kinda wanted to pipe in here about the AI of Washington.
I'm currently a GAD student.

It's gotten better, the animation degree actually has a head of the department that cares!

Honestly it's alot alot alot of money I've been here for a year and was given a 35k scholarship from the school, and thats basically paying for my housing costs. =.=;;

Just about everything said about every other AI is true with Washington but our Animation DPT is getting better and better and the GAD department is right behind (( that is if the animation teachers don't steal all the talent! I will not switch majors!))

really look into an AI before you go there and i mean really really look into it, i was rushed by my parents, "go to school by next fall!", and won myself a big shiny amount of money, which has turned out not to seem all that great now, and I've gotten myself stuck. But I've found a good number of teachers that are really trying to push all the students to be their best and those teachers are a big reason for my staying here.

[Meon]

I've been looking for a school in america for sometime now, and i found that the art institute of seattle would be good for me because thats the only place in america i've got family

im from norway.

Is there anyone that has been to AI-Seattle and graduated the game art and design program? would YOU recommend it?