Wow, doesn't sound like the place has changed any in 20 or so years. LOL
Hey, I moved to Atlanta wayyyyy back in 1984 when I was 18 to attend the Art Institute (it was across the street from Lenox Square back then). Back then they had a habit of sending reps to smaller cities and picking "talented kids" and coax them to one of their school locations. I submitted a portfolio and got accepted. Even back then tuition was incredibly high and went up with each quarter.
Upon beginning, I quickly realized not all kids even had to submit work to get admitted. We had kids in my figure drawing class drawing people who were barely beyond stick figures. Kids in the photography course were telling me that some kids were asking questions as though they had never held a camera before. It became apparent quickly that as long as mommy and daddy had enough in their checking account, their kids got in the school, and "talent" had nothing to do with it.
Likewise, our "professional teachers" were out of date. One of my teachers bragged about having work published in Life Magazine - until one of the students found out that his last published work was in the late 1960s
Likewise, most of my instructors at the time hadn't done any "pro" work in years, if not decades.
Our student housing was on Briarcliff Road in Brookhaven. They shoved 4 students into a 2BR 1.5BA townhouse and charged each of us $250 a month (remember, this was 1984 - $1000 a month for each unit they made). They did nothing to try to match up good roomies - the guy who I had to share a bedroom with had a very unnatural facination with Michael Jackson, and had posters of him taped literally to every single square inch of the walls and ceiling of his half of the room. One of the guys in the other BR was from DC and had a prison record. Yay.
We were rarely told what supplies we'd need for the next class, until we showed up for class early, and then given a list. We of course couldn't shop around and had to buy the stuff from the student store which charged 50% or more higher prices than other art shops.
Finally, I decided to check into the "guaranteed job placement" they had at least at that time, and upon calling some agencies, I was met with laughter and people saying, "Man, who HASN'T gone to the Art Institute??". I lasted 9 months (8 months longer than I should have) before finally dropping it.
So if anyone is considering them, it sure doesn't sound like they've changed much and I'd save your money. The
Savannah College of Art however, has excellent ratings from students. They have their main place of course in Savannah, but I do think there's also a branch here in Atlanta now, too.
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The Art Institute of Atlanta
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