AAU or SCAD

[seewhatimesdone]

Hey everyone. I'm having a really tough time deciding which school to go to. I'm majoring in animation and i've been accepted to AAU and SCAD (I was accepted to Ringling's illustration program but I can't afford it). I really need some opinions on the schools. I've tried to look up reviews but both seem to have good and bad as to be expected. SCAD is giving me a large scholarship but the tuition is still quite a bit more than AAU. I know you don't have to spend a boat load to get a good education and it's really about attitude.

Is AAU a good place for me to study? I really don't want to waste my time or money. I'm really torn and any thoughts would be really appreciated. Thanks

[rossipoo]

Okay.. this is just from the stuff that i've read and heard about so feel free to disagree with me,

a year ago, i was looking at potential schools for animation or illustration, and back then i was SO CRAZY about AAU, mainly because that was the only art school i knew about and was fairly close to my house.

I don't know much about SCAD, but i heard AAU is in it for your money. They accept ANYONE, but its a matter of survival, i heard its easy to get in, but hard to stay in. Good thing about that is they give a chance to everyone, Also i heard their illustration program is good, i heard that they'll tell you anything to get you in, Don't know much about their animation program.. I heard that the teachers don't really care about it and the lectures.. well they're just there to teach and don't care much if you're improving.

But after i found CA i took a look at a lot of schools and i found out AAU isn't for me,
my friends told me to stay away from school like those. Might be different for you though of course.

Here's a site that lets people rate their schools in different areas, I don't use this site to judge schools i want to go in specifically because probably some of the schools have really bad ratings because the people didn't get accepted and chose to just write something bad about the school because of their anger, but since AAU accepts everyone and anyone, here

http://www.studentsreview.com/CA/AAC.html

Theres a comment/review section next to he Rating chart, so you could read all the reviews and see what you think about it

Hope i helped.


Cheers, Ross.

[Gorgonzola]

Not to knock SCAD or anything (I'm an alumni, had a good experience and all,) but I'd advise to take a good, long hard look at SCAD's animation department and see what some of the folks are putting out before you commit to SCAD for animation.

SCAD, like AAU, does more or less accept everyone, as there's no real portfolio review or anything like that. Not necessarily a bad thing, but you do have to keep mind that means that not everyone is on the same level of knowledge as you.

The SCAD animation program, for better or for worse, doesn't foster technical drawing skills as much as it probably should. They mostly focus on 3D animation, and again, not a bad thing, but because of that they don't focus nearly as much as they should on traditional drawing or anything like that. And if you ask anyone, it's as much about how strong are your traditional skills as it is about your technical prowess with the software.

If you are considering going to SCAD for animation, I'd advise to also looking into a minor or double major for Sequential Art, specifically looking at classes run by Paul Hudson. They're terrific, workaholic classes, and the education you'll get out of them if you apply yourself is priceless.

Hope this all helps. I've no experience with AAU, so I can't vouch for it, but SCAD isn't too bad, it's just a matter of understanding what you should get out of it and where to get it. Don't just talk to animation students, talk to other students, Illustration and Sequential folk specifically. You'll get a good sense of what's what.

[seewhatimesdone]

Thanks Gorgonzola! I will be sure to look a little farther into SCAD's animation programs.

Rossipoo, I appreciate you taking the time to post but I really need opinions from alumni. I've heard mixed things as well, that's why I want the truth, not speculation.

[seewhatimesdone]

No one else has anymore opinions on SCAD or AAU? The animation departments are beginning to sound on par with each other the more I look into it.

[Meloncov]

If you haven't looked at the controversies section of AAU's wikipedia page, it would be worth a look.

[seewhatimesdone]

I have taken a look at them. Their real estate does not interest me. What interests me is the quality of the education! SCAD has had several controversies as well. What school hasn't?

I guess I will just have to weigh the benefits of each.

[Gorgonzola]

It might be best if you post any specific questions you might have about one or the other. Again, I know nothing 'bout AAU, so can't help ya there, but I can try and answer any questions you have regarding SCAD, as I'm sure other people will be able to as well with one or the other.

[Meloncov]

I have taken a look at them. Their real estate does not interest me. What interests me is the quality of the education! SCAD has had several controversies as well. What school hasn't?

I guess I will just have to weigh the benefits of each.

The real estate isn't a major issue, but their practice of repressing any voices who deviates from the administration lines, to the point of firing an acclaimed professor and shutting down the school news paper, is rather alarming.


Here is Pixar animator, and former AAU teacher, Andrew Gordon's thoughts on the school:
http://splinedoctors.com/page/4/


In short, go to SCAD. It's a better school, and if you got a scholarship, probably end up being cheaper (cost of living in SF is horendously high).

[Ian RB Webb]

I'm a sequintial art major, just starting this fall. Everyone else has more input as to animation, but let me say something real quick about money. I am dirt poor, no joke. My family and I can't put any towards my tuition, but luckily after all was said and done I got an overall fininancial aid package of $32,00; granted that's not enough but I mean as far as overall costs go, that was a lot less in private loans than I was expecting to have to take out. (Between you and me, I was a kind of sucky student) So yeah, scad's pretty good on the giving out money front, or at least better than I expected. I say go for it, you've got a head start, and there's always the next financial aid season to factor in. It's not all that bad really. But ultimately you gotta decide for yourself (cliche I know, but hey)

[jackpot_anjr90]

In short, go to SCAD. It's a better school, and if you got a scholarship, probably end up being cheaper (cost of living in SF is horendously high).

That's highly subjective, isn't it?
But anyways, seewhatimesdone, if you're tight on money and SCAD is offering you a good buck, it seems like the more reasonable choice. They're both great schools and as long as you make sure to stay on top of your work and put in the extra effort to give 110%, you can't really go wrong with either one.
San Francisco is a gorgeous, artistic, and inspirational city but like Meloncov said, the cost of living there is high. See if you can talk to students and teachers from both schools to learn more about them. Also, look at artwork from both schools. If you can't visit them, look at their websites. I know AAU just recently updated their gallery with this year's spring show.

[Meloncov]

That's highly subjective, isn't it?

It seems to be the fairly universal opinion of everyone I know associated with AAU. I've never heard anyone question whether SCAD students get the foundations they need.

[jackpot_anjr90]

It seems to be the fairly universal opinion of everyone I know associated with AAU. I've never heard anyone question whether SCAD students get the foundations they need.

Exactly. Everyone you know doesn't account for everyone who's gone to both of those schools let alone those who've found success or failure upon graduating from these schools. Regardless of how many people share your opinion, it's still just an opinion. Saying that one school is better than the other as if it were a fact is a bit much. Fact of the matter is that there are people who are happy and unhappy with what they gained from these schools...it's subjective. Rather than push our opinions, we should provide information we do have so that the person can make the decision that best suits their own interests.

For seewhatimesdone...I just read your first post again and realized that even though SCAD is offering you a hefty scholarship, it still costs more than AAU. Even so, it costs a lot to live in San Francisco so it's tough to know which decision would be cheaper. I'd say weigh the positives and negatives of the schools and see which suits your best interests.
I was in the same position as you just a couple of months ago when I couldn't decide between Ringling, SCAD, and AAU. They were all pretty even to me in terms of what they offered, so what it really came down to for me was location. Coming from a small school (graduating class of only 46 students) I wanted to find a college with a large, diverse student body. I also wanted to be in an urban environment not too different from my home in New York City. I also took into consideration that the state of California is a good location to be in for someone looking to be an animator or concept artist.
But my point is that if you come to a point where you can't decide which school is better for you based on academics alone, you should look at other details like location, etc. My final decision may have been a little biased since I spent the summer at AAU's pre-college program, but after that experience, talking to students and teachers of other schools, and visiting these schools, I was able to come to the conclusion that AAU is the best fit for me. It's in the middle of a gorgeous city and the teachers, while not all the best, are good for the most part (to say the least).
It's really based on personal preference though. If you're not looking for a hugely populated school in the middle of a city then you might want to reconsider AAU. Their acceptance policy isn't strict either so you'll meet your fare share of goof offs for the first couple of semesters (they either leave or drop out by that time). You'll be fine if you keep yourself dedicated to your work and surround yourself with the right people.

[seewhatimesdone]

Thank you so much for all the replies. They really do help. I'm visiting the campus next week so hopefully I will get a feel of how things are. Unfortunately, I can't visit SCAD so I have to see how I feel about AAU. It is a tough decision for me because i've heard good and bad things about SCAD and AAU but there seems to not be a huge amount of information on either.

I really just want to work my ass off and become an amazing animator so I have a shot at Pixar somewhere down the line (cliche I know) but I want to do whatever it takes to get there. I just want to make sure that the school I go to has the tools that I need to learn everything I need to learn.

[Amber Alexander]

If you're ultimate goal is Pixar then see about contacting them and asking the actual people who work there what things they like to see in they look for. However no matter where you go you already made it clear that you are going to work your ass off to succeed and because of that, you will become the animator that you want to be.

I haven't looked into SCAD but I will be going to AAU in the fall and I did go there for a year along time ago. Anyway during that year the classes were very hands on, taught by people in the field, small classes. One thing to consider if you want to go to AAU is that you don't have to live in SF to go there. BART (bay area rapid transit), similar to the subway stops about 1 block from the main AAU building so it is MUCH cheaper to live outside the city and commute into SF.

Personally I don't see why it matters on someone's skill to getting into these colleges. I actually find it refreshing that anyone can get in.

[tlockh20]

Well, I am a current SCAD student, acrtually, i've heard that SCAD is becoming more and more picky as to who they accept now. I'm not going to lie, the school is expensive even with a large scholarship like mine but I'm glad I'm going here and will be starting my junior year in Fall. I'm not going to bother going over the bad stuff because you probably already know most of it. The professors for the most part that I have had were all very professional, some not as easy as others but, you definitely learn alot. I am an animation major (2d) and there are a lot of kids here that are talented. Heck, the batch of freshmen that came in this year were really good! The competition is great, and the people in savannah are nice, the school has a very nice atmosphere overall, the food kind of sucks 45% of the time though.

[tlockh20]

ohh and there are SCAD graduates who work for Pixar now. Pixar actually came to our school twice this past year, as well as Dreamworks(twice i think) and Laika (Coraline). Pixar just recently hired a scad grad I think, maybe 2 years ago, not sure, i know it was a girl though 2 or 3 years older than me.

[seewhatimesdone]

If you're ultimate goal is Pixar then see about contacting them and asking the actual people who work there what things they like to see in they look for. However no matter where you go you already made it clear that you are going to work your ass off to succeed and because of that, you will become the animator that you want to be.

I haven't looked into SCAD but I will be going to AAU in the fall and I did go there for a year along time ago. Anyway during that year the classes were very hands on, taught by people in the field, small classes. One thing to consider if you want to go to AAU is that you don't have to live in SF to go there. BART (bay area rapid transit), similar to the subway stops about 1 block from the main AAU building so it is MUCH cheaper to live outside the city and commute into SF.

Personally I don't see why it matters on someone's skill to getting into these colleges. I actually find it refreshing that anyone can get in.

Thanks for your input. I'll definitely check out living in BART instead. I was just curious, why did you only attend a year at AAU? Did it have anything to do with the school itself?

Well, I am a current SCAD student, acrtually, i've heard that SCAD is becoming more and more picky as to who they accept now. I'm not going to lie, the school is expensive even with a large scholarship like mine but I'm glad I'm going here and will be starting my junior year in Fall. I'm not going to bother going over the bad stuff because you probably already know most of it. The professors for the most part that I have had were all very professional, some not as easy as others but, you definitely learn alot. I am an animation major (2d) and there are a lot of kids here that are talented. Heck, the batch of freshmen that came in this year were really good! The competition is great, and the people in savannah are nice, the school has a very nice atmosphere overall, the food kind of sucks 45% of the time though.

Thank you as well. It's nice to know that if I choose SCAD they have a great program as well.

[curt]

I wouldn't recommend SCAD unless you have at least a 15k+/year scholarship or some very helpful parents. If you're paying for this all yourself, go to community college for 2 years and get your foundations done. Seriously.

Oh, and Savannah sucks unless you get an apartment right in the middle of the city part (pricey). Savannah is basically all ghetto with small sugar coated areas for students and tourists. I'm used to ghettos as I live about 15 minutes from Boston, however the locals are much more aggressive than up north. Lock up all your shit if you plan on going. I was punched in the eye (luckily I got away, they were chasing me on my bike and probably would've taken all my shit) my first week there riding my bike in the middle of a main road back to the dorms, and since then a few of my friends have been robbed (one while he was even inside the house sleeping).

And no, even if you "play it smart" like everybody says before you get there, there is no way you can prepare yourself for what Savannah has in store. It's a shame because the school and facilities are great, but the area fucking blows.

[Gorgonzola]

To be fair, all art schools are expensive, and run about the same price from what it sounds like.

There are plenty of folk I've known that have gotten through SCAD fine without having help from parents, and without enormous scholarships. Taking on part-time jobs, apply for every scholarship imaginable, look into financial aide, government grants (though this might only be useful for folks seeking a masters...). It's just a matter of knowing how you can worm your way through the system and milk it for all its worth so you get the education you deserve.

[seewhatimesdone]

I'm touring AAU today so i'll try to get a feel for it while i'm there. And people keeps saying to go to community college first but the credits really don't transfer. Even to a regular college. I've known several people who wasted time and money at a community college just to get to a four year and not have their credits transfer

[Space_Gnome]

And no, even if you "play it smart" like everybody says before you get there, there is no way you can prepare yourself for what Savannah has in store. It's a shame because the school and facilities are great, but the area fucking blows.

It's not that bad. It really is quite lovely walking around, great parks, festivals (beyond what SCAD offers) and that sort of thing. Just watch out for hobos! There are lots of them. *wink* And don't talk to strangers.

The competition is great, and the people in savannah are nice, the school has a very nice atmosphere overall, the food kind of sucks 45% of the time though.

I think I'm like the only person who really enjoys SCAD's food most of the time.

[seewhatimesdone]

After touring AAU this weekend i've decided to go there. I honestly don't know what people are talking about; the facilities were amazing. They have everything an artist would need. And it's still way cheaper than other schools. I think it will be an awesome school

[MCM]

I attend SCAD Atlanta. Yes, it is expensive but you get every penny's worth of what you are paying. I had read a lot of people whining and griping about SCAD before I went there. When I arrived I was really impressed with the faculty and the things I was taught were definitely more useful in the "real world" than any of the crap I ingested getting my BFA in Fine Art. It is a commercial school and the assignments will run you into the ground if you get behind on ANYTHING. It is also very competitive and has an awesome library. There are some people there who really aren't so hot, just like any school you go to. But for the most part, a lot of the kids at the school take what they do very seriously and It's a really cool environment to be in. So. There actually 3 or 4 people I met last semester who transferred from SVA. Another thing I like about the school is the high amount of international students. .. So yeh, that's my 2 cents.