Good art schools in s.f? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: fit in, real estate, lease)

[hellaslover]

Hello everyone,
I have considered going to few art schools in san francisco, but for different reasons i am skeptical.
The academy of art university seems like a good school with reasonable tuition (expensive but reasonable compared to others) but i have read bad reviews about the school being all about taking your money etc.
The miami ad school is a better school but doesn't offer a degree, it is a 2yr portfolio program and cheaper than the UAA.
The international academy of design and technology seems more of a technical school but i don't really know much about it.
The san francisco art institute is too expensive, even though one of the best schools.
The art institute of california is way too expensive and i don't like their "recruiting" process.

I could go to a state university (i would have to go to san bernandino for my major) after i finish a couple more GE courses i need, but i figure i can just go to an art school to start doing what i like to do. Plus, i think a private art schools would be better for my major and more respected than going to a state university where the portfolio preparation is not as strong.

I need some help from someone who knows about the schools that i listed in san francisco and to tell me which ones have a good reputation and worth the tuition, and ofcourse teach their students and not only try to make money.
Thank you

[jzt83]

Academy of Art University...for advertising | San Francisco | Yelp

[jzt83]

SFAI reviews:
San Francisco Art Institute - Russian Hill - San Francisco, CA

Academy of Art University reviews:
Academy of Art University - SOMA - San Francisco, CA 94105

Art Institute of CA reviews:
The Art Institute of California - San Francisco - Civic Center/Tenderloin - San Francisco, CA 94102

From what I have gathered, Art Institute of CA and Academy of Art are rip offs. SFAI is probrably your best bet.

[Huckleberry3911948]

missed my chance to take art in SF when i lived there do it thru foohills adult ed.
my stuff is on CDF if you wana look. here is the thread.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/games...ml#post6927528

[new2bay]

I went to art school in Los Angeles. Otis Parsons. A great school. San Francisco is not a good city to live in if you are an artist. There are not a huge amount of opportunities here compared to cities like LA and NY. I was able to work as a set designer in Hollywood. I also worked in advertising, video games etc. using my creative background. SF is more based on tech and finance.

Have you considered going to art school in LA or NY?

[NorthernCalifornia]

It really depends on what you are going to school for. The Academy of Art has an open enrollment which contributes to its reputation. Frankly as many as half the students there just want to go to San Francisco and are not serious students, this is shown by the high drop-out rate after the first year. If you are serious about your craft it is not a bad school at all. The facilities are good, the school is big and growing, there is a solid online option and you will make connections within your preferred industry.

Many talented, interesting and successful people in numerous creative fields have gone to the Academy of Art.

Dorms are overpriced but that's kind of an idiot test after the first year.

[kikiclark]

As an artist in SF, it's pretty hard to find anything strong about the arts here.

For good schools if you do want to live in SF. It would have to be SFAI or Cal College of the Arts (surprised you didn't mention that one).

My advice is find a city where you feel like your work would fit in and pursue and education there. It's pretty hard to pick up and move after you graduate because you will find you make quite a few connections in college that will be useful after you graduate. I made that mistake moving here after college. It's hard to break in to the scene if you have no connections. But, honestly, the scene here isn't that great. I would recommend LA, NY, Miami. Even Portland or Seattle has a stronger arts community than here. So, do some research as to where you would feel most comfortable and pursue that if possible.

Best of luck!

[hellaslover]

Thanks guys for your answers. I can't relocate at the time, i am opening a store and have signed a lease for 5 years..and i would have to work and go to school, so i'm stuck here for a while. I won't live in s.f but commute from sacramento and if i get tired of doing that i will take online classes. I forgot to mention that my major is not exactly art. I want to major in advertising so it's not like i will become a painter or a sculpturer. How is the advertising business in the bay area? It should be good since its a metropolitan city, right?

Kikiclark i have considered the sfai and cca. I also considered the miami ad school which has a good portfolio preparation program. The problem with sfai and cal college of the arts is that they are too expensive, even if financial aid covers most of it i still can't afford the remaining tuition out of pocket! The miami ad is not accredited and it's only a 2yr program, so that's out of the question.
I chose AAu because it's accredited and well known and respected in the area, they also don't require a portfolio and that's good because i don' t have one. People accuse it of being a real estate business buying all these building in S.F but that doesn't bother me...Once i get my degree and make some money i was thinking on going to the Creative Circus to sharpen my skills, one of the best ad schools in the country, but that's down the road i 'll see how it goes. Otis is indeed a great school, a grade higher than AAU, but it's in L.A

new2bay, could you share some experiences and advice working in advertising? how did you like it? what are the good and bad sides of advertising (other than high stress and competition). What kind of degree do i really need, will i be ok with a bachelors?

[kikiclark]

That's the crazy conflict about art schools. They cost so much and you will never be able to repay the loans if you actually work as an artist!