Anonymous wrote:Creative types yes, but students are very unmotivated. Half the freshman class drops out/flunks out. Teaching is good, but I'd never send my kid there if she could get into anywhere else. Very urban and hip, if that's what your kid is into, though. Chicago is cold in the winter.

Creative types yes, but students are very unmotivated. Half the freshman class drops out/flunks out. Teaching is good, but I'd never send my kid there if she could get into anywhere else. Very urban and hip, if that's what your kid is into, though. Chicago is cold in the winter.

I know a student who went there who is passionate about the arts. Loves acting and jazz. The college is great for creative types and Chicago offers many opportunities.

Columbia is doing an info session at Sidney Harman Hall on Oct 26 at 1:00.
http://www.colum.edu/sessions

I attended Columbia from 2005-2009 and graduated early with a BA in fiction writing and photography. I loved it! Stayed in the dorms downtown freshman year and it was so fun, very urban and cool. Then I moved to wicker park and rented an apartment with friends. I met lots of other creative, down to earth people. Not to mention, the cost of living in Chicago is way better than DC!

I will say it doesn't have a huge reputation outside of the Midwest, but most people from Chicago have heard of it and it has a large alumni network there.

A dear friend of mine attended Columbia for photography. It was great. This was a couple decades ago, however.

I was just in Chicago and Columbia has a great, very urban , very hip downtown campus. It had a great reputation as a film and communications school. Plus Chicago is such a great city.

Try Temple U in Philadelphia?

I lived in the Chicago area in the late 1980's and early 1990's and I don't really know much about the school, but I remember it was basically a commuter school back then. I don't know about now…

I don't normally believe you have to visit a school before applying, but in this case I would encourage it since it could be very different than her impression. Is this the only school where she wants to apply?

It basically has a 100% admissions rate and very little info online. And yet, my ok-student daughter is dead set on applying. Anyone know anything about it? Is it fun, at least? Creative? OK for someone who doesn't want to do film?