Schools in San Francisco, please help

[Rayniel]

Hi, I'm new here and I'm a senior at the Academy of Urban Planning (a high school in New York City). Starting next month, all the senior at my high have to handle in their college applications with all the recruitments.

I already got the schools within my state listed down, but none of those represent my final decision and my desire is to study out of state. I want to experience something different, New York is very diverse cit, but I feel like I will find more in other places than what I have found here. I also want to experience a life without depending on my parents, I feel like I should give them a little break, I mean, they take care of my siblings (3) plus me. So yeah...

One of the places I would like to go to is San Francisco, I have heard many great things about it and from the looks of it, I'm starting to like it.

Now, in San Francisco I only know to competitive schools: California College of the Arts and the Academy of Art University. I looked into the Art Institute as well, but I guess it is not as competitive.

This is why I'm asking for help. Are there any other good schools in SF? Honestly, how bad is AAU (I only hear bad stuff about this school)? Do they provide good help to pay the tuition or I would be taking more loans than I think? What about CCA? Expensive or do they provide better help than AAU to pay the tuition?

If someone can detail their experience at any of these schools, feel free to do it. Especially if it’s about housing and how is like.

A huge thank beforehand!

Note: I want to pursue a major in Graphic Design.

[Meloncov]

CCA provides much, much better financial aid than AAU. AAU gives virtually none. I think the average CCA student gets about ten thousand a year in aid. If your grades and portfolio are strong, and/or you have a significant degree of need, you can probably count on more than that.

AAU has some good teachers, but the administration is utterly terrible; greedy and not particularly competent. Individual classes may be good, but no one works to make sure that the classes combine into a coherent education. As such, you can end up with large gaps in your skill set.

And for the record, there are two art intitutes in San Fransisco. The AI San Fransisco, part of the nationwide chain, is rather terrible. The San Fransico Art Institute is fairly well respected, though I personally don't know much abou it.

[Rayniel]

Wait, what!? AAU does NOT provide financial aid? ... Now I know why people called it "expensive," I mean, seriously?

The thing with CCA for me, is that I see that they only provide housing in the Oakland Campus, not in SF. As a freshman I don't want to live off-campus, adding the fact that I don't know nothing about the city.

Judging from the student galleries, I can tell that AAU focuses more on packing design and the physical stuff, while CCA focuses on the digital size of graphic design (which is what I want to focus on). However, I think that the work produce at AAU have better quality.

I don't know, I really want to study in SF but there is a lot to talk about... I mean, even if CCA gives me like ten thousands as aid, there still 21,000 more to pay. I don't want to take a loan pass the 10 thousands, that's a lot for me.

[Meloncov]

Wait, what!? AAU does NOT provide financial aid? ... Now I know why people called it "expensive," I mean, seriously?

They have workstudy and loans, and a very small number of small need or merit scholarships, but you shouldn't count on anything significant.

The thing with CCA for me, is that I see that they only provide housing in the Oakland Campus, not in SF. As a freshman I don't want to live off-campus, adding the fact that I don't know nothing about the city.

Freshman year you'll be taking most or all of your classes in Oakland, and the shuttle ride between the campuses is easy enough.

Judging from the student galleries, I can tell that AAU focuses more on packing design and the physical stuff, while CCA focuses on the digital size of graphic design (which is what I want to focus on). However, I think that the work produce at AAU have better quality.

Keep in mind that AAU is more than ten times larger than CCA. The best twenty people or so that the AAU showcases may be better than the best twenty at CCA, but the average ability is far better at CCA.

[Rayniel]

Freshman year you'll be taking most or all of your classes in Oakland, and the shuttle ride between the campuses is easy enough.

Ahh... so, to clarify, freshman classes will happen in Oakland and later the core Graphic Design classes in San Francisco. Is this right?

I read in another thread that you're attending CCA...
Tell me, do you like it? How the classes and the teachers?
What is there average class size? Do you live or lived on campus?
Is it any bad? And what can you tell me about the food?
Do they have minors at CCA or least double major?

Sorry I ask to much, but this is pretty big for me. Graphic Design and San Francisco inspire me a lot and I want to make the right choice.

[Meloncov]

Ahh... so, to clarify, freshman classes will happen in Oakland and later the core Graphic Design classes in San Francisco. Is this right?

That's correct, though you might have one or two classes in SF freshman year, and one or two classes in Oakland later years.

I read in another thread that you're attending CCA...
Tell me, do you like it? How the classes and the teachers?

On the whole, I quite like it. Two of my classes are amazing, my other studio class is quite good, while my to liberal arts classes are decent (I don't think you'll find better than that at an art school, except maybe RISD).


What is there average class size?

I think it's fifteen overall. Most studio classes max out at sixteen per class, but many higher level classes are a maximum of twelve. Some liberal arts classes are bigger: I think intro art history can be as much as thirty (though it's closer to twenty in my particular class; most classes aren't filled to capacity).

Do you live or lived on campus?
Is it any bad? And what can you tell me about the food?

I live on campus in the Avenue Apartments, which are very nice. The other dorms are a bit cramped, but pretty typical for college dorms.

We don't have a meal plan, which is a bit annoying, but the dorms have kitchens, and the on campus cafes are pretty good and reasonably cheap.

Do they have minors at CCA or least double major?


There aren't minors per se, but if you want to specialize with your electives, you can take fairly advanced classes in another major. It's possible to double major, though it'll take more than four years.

[Rayniel]

Awesome. I'm engage already. These next are my final questions, I promise...

All the on-campus housing (the ones provide by the college) are located in Oakland Campus, right?
Was it hard to get into CCA?
Do they care a lot about SAT scores?
What was your GPA?
Did you attend a high school in California?
What is your major?
How do you pay your tuition? I know this sound odd but you just mentioned that financial aid is about ten thousands and CCA is expensive.
How much you pay per year?
Do you think CCA is hard work? Does it challenge you? Do you get a lot of homework in one week or it just depends?

Thank you so much beforehand. This had been really useful. I’m changing my thoughts now and even thought AAU is good, CCA cares more. Just to see that they require a portfolio means that they want to give you the right education at your level (at list this is how I see it). They even tell you how your laptop should be. That is caring.

[Meloncov]

All the on-campus housing (the ones provide by the college) are located in Oakland Campus, right?

All the freshman housing is either on the Oakland campus or right across the street. There is upperclassman housing in downtown Oakland, about two miles from the Oakland campus, but only a small percentage of upperclassman stay there.


Was it hard to get into CCA?

Not particularly. It's around a seventy five percent acceptance rate.


What was your GPA?

4.2 according to my high school, 3.6 according to CCA (most high schools will average your grades on the hundred point scale then convert them to the four point scale, while CCA takes your grade in each class, puts it on the four point scale, then averages those. I had a lot of high A's and high B's with relatively few low As, so my GPA fell dramatically when recalculated)


Did you attend a high school in California?

No. CCA doesn't care, though I think the California government gives a small scholarship to native students.


What is your major?

Animation. Awesome, awesome, program.



How do you pay your tuition? I know this sound odd but you just mentioned that financial aid is about ten thousands and CCA is expensive.

Right now I'm living off a college savings account my parents and grandparents ever so generously set up for me when I was a young child. Eventually, that will deplete and I'll have to rely on loans. I'll be supplementing that with a work-study and summer jobs.

How much you pay per year?

About half of full tuition.


Do you think CCA is hard work? Does it challenge you? Do you get a lot of homework in one week or it just depends?

I'm working about forty hours a week right now, including class time. I've been assured that will increase dramatically once midterms start next week, and in later years. If you ever find your workload too light, you can take eighteen credits a semester at no additional cost.

I’m changing my thoughts now and even thought AAU is good, CCA cares more. Just to see that they require a portfolio means that they want to give you the right education at your level (at list this is how I see it). They even tell you how your laptop should be. That is caring.

Just as a warning, while CCA administration is friendly and caring (definitely two adjectives that have never been used to describe AAU's), they're a bit disorganized. If you're sure to keep a copy of any important forms they send you, and make a point of calling them before making any decisions that will affect CCA (i.e. which AP exams you take; the website is a bit misleading about them) you'll be fine, but you do have to watch out for yourself.

[Rayniel]

Just as a warning, while CCA administration is friendly and caring (definitely two adjectives that have never been used to describe AAU's), they're a bit disorganized. If you're sure to keep a copy of any important forms they send you, and make a point of calling them before making any decisions that will affect CCA (i.e. which AP exams you take; the website is a bit misleading about them) you'll be fine, but you do have to watch out for yourself.

Really!? Whoa, then my high school experience will have something in common with my college one ^^. At my high school, let me tell you, I constantly have to prove myself because they keep saying that I don't took certain tests or that I failed some class. One day, the teacher (a math teacher) who file the Spanish exam told me that he lost it and a month later, my counselor found out that the actual Spanish teacher had it. Crazy, I had been dealing with people like that since years >.<

Anyways... thanks A LOT, I don't know how to thank you but if I decide to go to CCA and I get accepted, hopely I get to meet you. Again, thank you. :teeth:

[Meloncov]

Really!? Whoa, then my high school experience will have something in common with my college one ^^. At my high school, let me tell you, I constantly have to prove myself because they keep saying that I don't took certain tests or that I failed some class. One day, the teacher (a math teacher) who file the Spanish exam told me that he lost it and a month later, my counselor found out that the actual Spanish teacher had it. Crazy, I had been dealing with people like that since years >.<

It that case, you won't have any trouble with CCA administration.