In highschool. Interested in Chicago. Need help! (Morris, Columbia: apartments, rent)
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Hey. I'm Monica.
and I'm a junior in high school in one of the worst states in the U.S.
Montana.
I do not like it here, and I'm a real big fan of big cities.
I've been to Portland, Seattle, Cleveland, and I've been through Chicago but never actually been through downtown.
I'm interested in film, and that's what I'm going into after I leave high school.
I have close to a 4.0 GPA, and I'm hoping to get a lot of scholarships and all that good stuff, but I need some help
What uh..things should I consider before moving to Chicago? I know It's best that I go there and see it for myself, but I would just like to know what to expect.
I'm open minded to almost everything, and I'm really excited about what this town has to offer.
What's the nightlife like?
How's the music scene? (I'm interested in rock n' hip hop haha)
DePaul University. Do you have to be Catholic in order to attend there, and do they require that you take a bible study or something like that?
I know I sound probably like the biggest sheltered child when I say that, but really I'm totally in the dark about what this town has to offer me.
And for film students, and all that...
What's there to offer us here? If somebody could get back to me on this that would be COMPLETELY AWESOME. thank you soo much
-Monica
Hey. I'm Monica.
and I'm a junior in high school in one of the worst states in the U.S.
Montana.
I do not like it here, and I'm a real big fan of big cities.
I've been to Portland, Seattle, Cleveland, and I've been through Chicago but never actually been through downtown.
I'm interested in film, and that's what I'm going into after I leave high school.
I have close to a 4.0 GPA, and I'm hoping to get a lot of scholarships and all that good stuff, but I need some help
What uh..things should I consider before moving to Chicago? I know It's best that I go there and see it for myself, but I would just like to know what to expect.
I'm open minded to almost everything, and I'm really excited about what this town has to offer.
What's the nightlife like?
How's the music scene? (I'm interested in rock n' hip hop haha)
DePaul University. Do you have to be Catholic in order to attend there, and do they require that you take a bible study or something like that?
I know I sound probably like the biggest sheltered child when I say that, but really I'm totally in the dark about what this town has to offer me.
And for film students, and all that...
What's there to offer us here? If somebody could get back to me on this that would be COMPLETELY AWESOME. thank you soo much
-Monica
thanks soo much. I checked that out, and that's even better than DePaul OR The Art institute of Chicago.
How hard is it to get into Columbia? and How popular is it in Chicago? How many students go there?
Columbia certainly is the first place in the city that comes to mind for film and other visual arts, but you should know that it doesn't have a traditional campus (that may be good or bad, depending on your view). The school is made up of many (and seemingly more every year) separate buildings that are integrated into the area just south of downtown (known as the South Loop). DePaul's downtown branch campus as well as a host of other schools (Roosevelt University, Robert Morris College, and others) also have facilities in the same area, and in fact DePaul, Columbia, and Roosevelt share a great new dorm facility that is the largest shared-collegiate dorm in the country.
Despite its lack of formal campus, though, more and more students are living in the area around campus in the dorms or privately-run student housing buildings. Plus, as the area has seen an explosion of condo development, many of those units are being rented to students. So while there will always be a "commuter" population at Columbia, there are lots of students that live around the school - meaning they're living in downtown Chicago, which is pretty cool.
Last I checked, Columbia essentially had little/no requirement for admission. That may have changed recently as the school seemingly has gotten very popular, but by no means is it hard to get in. The philosophy has always been that academics are not a good predictor of creative success, and creative success is too subjective to judge. So while the reputation of the school is not built on academics, its creative cred is undeniable.
Columbia certainly is the first place in the city that comes to mind for film and other visual arts, but you should know that it doesn't have a traditional campus (that may be good or bad, depending on your view). The school is made up of many (and seemingly more every year) separate buildings that are integrated into the area just south of downtown (known as the South Loop). DePaul's downtown branch campus as well as a host of other schools (Roosevelt University, Robert Morris College, and others) also have facilities in the same area, and in fact DePaul, Columbia, and Roosevelt share a great new dorm facility that is the largest shared-collegiate dorm in the country.
Despite its lack of formal campus, though, more and more students are living in the area around campus in the dorms or privately-run student housing buildings. Plus, as the area has seen an explosion of condo development, many of those units are being rented to students. So while there will always be a "commuter" population at Columbia, there are lots of students that live around the school - meaning they're living in downtown Chicago, which is pretty cool.
Last I checked, Columbia essentially had little/no requirement for admission. That may have changed recently as the school seemingly has gotten very popular, but by no means is it hard to get in. The philosophy has always been that academics are not a good predictor of creative success, and creative success is too subjective to judge. So while the reputation of the school is not built on academics, its creative cred is undeniable.
the more you explained it, the more and more i love this school! ugh! I'm so excited to be possibly attending here.
there are so many choices when it comes to directing and writing it's undeniable, and you really, really sound like you know what you're talking about.
can i ask how you got this info? did you go to columbia or do you just live in Chicago or what?
Chicago is sounding more and more amazing by the minute, and being from Montana is going to be a real change.
If I'm going to Apply ANYWHERE in CHicago, it's definitely going to be at Columbia.
Since they don't have a traditional campus, you can live in private student housing? That sounds really super duper expensive.
how much do you think it would cost/year?
thank you so much for being so helpful.
all of you, really.
-monica
I just wanted to mention here, the main problem with Chicago is it's expensive. You'll want to know your expenses and resources before making a huge move to an expensive city. Make sure to attend open houses/orientations of Columbia, DePaul or wherever you're thinking of attending BEFORE moving here. Hopefully you know somebody to stay with when visiting schools. Hotels can run $100 per night easy. I wouldn't make the move without knowing I could first survive it financially. Jobs for one thing are really tight in Chicago.
hey, I'm currently a student at Columbia, and AFAIK, the only real requirement is that you have a diploma/GED and that you're human (but I think they may be easing up on the second requirement though) they asked for an essay, but I don't think that influences your chances, nor does your SAT/ACT scores. it's like most art schools, it's more about the talent than the book smarts (I think people going into some majors need to have either a portfolio or do an audition).
but don't make the mistake in thinking that lax admission requirements= easy grades. it varies by department and sometimes by professor, but the core classes (ie, classes for your major, as opposed to the gen. eds like math) tend to be challenging and they start you out right in your first year (some schools require you take gen eds for the first 2 years, then pick a major and takes classes in that major junior year on; at Columbia, if you are a film major, you can start taking film classes right off the bat)
if you interested in the school, you should come visit Chicago in May, when Columbia has it's Manifest festival (this is when I got hooked into the school). it's just a festival displaying student work, and there's usually some live bands/performers booked as well
Columbia is about $18k a year for tuition (pricey, but not as pricey as some other art schools at can cost as much as $33k). room and board is, on average, around $10k for a school year (note: a school year is about 10 months. you'll have to pay extra if you want ot stay on campus over the summer). the downtown dorms are nice from what I've seen, but at about $1k/month to share a room/apartment w/ a random stranger, I personally decided against it, HOWEVER, I am 23 years old and the idea of sharing a dorm after living on my own for 6 years didn't thrill me. I think if you're just of HS and can afford it, you'd be MUCH better off living on campus. the connections you'll make there will be so worth it (plus, the University Center looks awesome!). one thing about most of the dorms at Columbia: the majority of them are actually apartments, w/ their own kitchen/stove/fridge. this means, unless you request one of the special non-apartment dorms or pay extra for a food plan, you will have to buy your own food and learn how to cook for yourself since there's no food plan included in the room and board. I know a few freshmen in my classes that are either "starving" (ie, eating ramen and cereal everyday) or relying on fast food. so you'll have to factor in around $70-100/month for (healthy) food and start watching the Food Network for help if you need it
if you decide against living on campus (though, I think you should, esp. since you are coming from a rather rural state and big city living can be intimidating to some and living on campus can help the transition), you could rent a room for around $600-800, give or take, almost anywhere in the city. Columbia is right downtown and easily accessible from almost anywhere.
I just wanted to mention here, the main problem with Chicago is it's expensive. You'll want to know your expenses and resources before making a huge move to an expensive city. Make sure to attend open houses/orientations of Columbia, DePaul or wherever you're thinking of attending BEFORE moving here. Hopefully you know somebody to stay with when visiting schools. Hotels can run $100 per night easy. I wouldn't make the move without knowing I could first survive it financially. Jobs for one thing are really tight in Chicago.
I figured that the move and the adjustment would be a tough one.
Ummm....Me and my mom are planning things for college and stuff, but I'm sure we could afford someplace.
I thought since Chicago is a big city that there would be a lot of jobs, especially ones fresh out of college?
am I wrong?
I thought that New York was expensive, but it really all depends where you live right?
hey, I'm currently a student at Columbia, and AFAIK, the only real requirement is that you have a diploma/GED and that you're human (but I think they may be easing up on the second requirement though) they asked for an essay, but I don't think that influences your chances, nor does your SAT/ACT scores. it's like most art schools, it's more about the talent than the book smarts (I think people going into some majors need to have either a portfolio or do an audition).
but don't make the mistake in thinking that lax admission requirements= easy grades. it varies by department and sometimes by professor, but the core classes (ie, classes for your major, as opposed to the gen. eds like math) tend to be challenging and they start you out right in your first year (some schools require you take gen eds for the first 2 years, then pick a major and takes classes in that major junior year on; at Columbia, if you are a film major, you can start taking film classes right off the bat)
if you interested in the school, you should come visit Chicago in May, when Columbia has it's Manifest festival (this is when I got hooked into the school). it's just a festival displaying student work, and there's usually some live bands/performers booked as well
Columbia is about $18k a year for tuition (pricey, but not as pricey as some other art schools at can cost as much as $33k). room and board is, on average, around $10k for a school year (note: a school year is about 10 months. you'll have to pay extra if you want ot stay on campus over the summer). the downtown dorms are nice from what I've seen, but at about $1k/month to share a room/apartment w/ a random stranger, I personally decided against it, HOWEVER, I am 23 years old and the idea of sharing a dorm after living on my own for 6 years didn't thrill me. I think if you're just of HS and can afford it, you'd be MUCH better off living on campus. the connections you'll make there will be so worth it (plus, the University Center looks awesome!). one thing about most of the dorms at Columbia: the majority of them are actually apartments, w/ their own kitchen/stove/fridge. this means, unless you request one of the special non-apartment dorms or pay extra for a food plan, you will have to buy your own food and learn how to cook for yourself since there's no food plan included in the room and board. I know a few freshmen in my classes that are either "starving" (ie, eating ramen and cereal everyday) or relying on fast food. so you'll have to factor in around $70-100/month for (healthy) food and start watching the Food Network for help if you need it
if you decide against living on campus (though, I think you should, esp. since you are coming from a rather rural state and big city living can be intimidating to some and living on campus can help the transition), you could rent a room for around $600-800, give or take, almost anywhere in the city. Columbia is right downtown and easily accessible from almost anywhere.
Okay. WOW. OVerlooaadd! But it's all good information so I'll take it from the top.
I'm pretty good with my grades, and I"m sure I'll do pretty alright on the SAT's so there's no worry there.
But this whole portfolio/audition thing?
I am in a film class, but what form would they like my movies to be in?
on a dvd? a cd? what? And the audition? What's that like>
Do I send this dvd/cd in with my application?
I'm also really ready to hit the ground running with filming.
That's my dream and my passion so I'm really super excited to just get in this and eat everything up, so if I start out right away, I think I'll be fine, I just need to be sure of what I"m doing, I guess, right?
The Manifest Festival sounds sick!!!
I'm going to Portland this summer probably but next summer of my senior year I'm going to go to Chicago, and so I'll definitely come around May, because that's when I graduate, anyway.
That's going to be a really fun time, I can tell, already. I'm stoked.
I think you're right about living on campus. I would much rather do that, but 10K a year, not counting the summer is also really pricy!
how Would I be able to afford that? Student loans? Is it easy to get a part time job and attend school at the same time or do you not think that's a good idea?
And I'll be fine when it comes to cooking, I'll find my way.
hahaha.
But my parents aren't rich, and this is going to be tough, but I'm going to try and do this and freakin' suceed.
Do you have any other suggestions for what I should do?
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) they asked for an essay, but I don't think that influences your chances, nor does your SAT/ACT scores. it's like most art schools, it's more about the talent than the book smarts (I think people going into some majors need to have either a portfolio or do an audition). 
