Full Sail digital media school achieves university status -- Se...

Great, now even more rich-spoiled "mama's boys" (and girls) can be released into a world they know nothing about with no sense of paying dues and working your way up. Wahooo! Let's make gas more expensive too ... cause we all like that!

Yes, it looks a little like Full Sail is turning into a Harvard for the Arts - and only money or talent gets you in - obviously you have neither

So they've "earned" the right to call it a university by offering some masters degree programs??? I think I'm going to get my masters in educational propaganda with a specialization in massive debt.

I hoep anyone interested in this field researches the other options in the area; Orlando Tech has a wonderful program and has a very high placement rate.

One should closely scrutinize and question any school that offers a 2 year degree in 9 months. Husband was in the very first video/film class and regrets having done so ever since. He even interned at a local television station. Unfortunately, we're still paying on his student loans and he's never ever been able to utilize what he learned at that school in the video/film industry here in Florida. While attending the school and graduating, he absolutely loved it and felt confident that the school would assist placing him as well as come through on their promises of lifetime support. A big lie, we were wrong. Him and his fellow students would have had a great lawsuit for breach of contract against the school but couldn't afford the retainer lawyers were asking for. Once he graduated, the school literally turned its back on him and his fellow classmates. Not one of them are even working in the industry. Everyone would be better off going to Valencia or one of the many other fine schools offering the same degrees in the same field.

To "furious", if he was so passionate about doing film/video, why stay in Florida? Marine Biologists don't live in the middle of the country, so why would he stay outside of the video/film locations (LA, NY, etc)?

It seems students who attend Full Sail expect to be hand given a job. Well, if you stay in areas where your field isn't a high priority, no job for you. If you aren't good enough at what you do, and trust me I have about 15 of these in my class, then no job for you.

Full Sail is a school. It's up to the student to make it happen AFTER school.

Also, the whole "rich momma's boy" student reputation does not ring true for everyone. Sure there are a lot of them there and you can usually tell who they are because they goof off JUST LIKE THEY DO AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES. Why is Full Sail so different, because it's expensive compared to other schools in Florida?

I will be paying my tuition once I graduate. I'm over 30 years old, gave up a lot to go to school here, and am making everything I can out of it.

People who say that makes themselves appear jealous of the students going there because deep down they wish they were too.

The tuition is ridiculously expensive! I have heard that their programs are extremely fast paced, that you really don't get a chance to learn how to use the software, you receive merely an introduction to it. I have worked at several different multimedia companies and have seen portfolios of graduates from Full Sail, and unfortunately, everyone's work looks all alike!

Full Sail Student wrote:

To "furious", if he was so passionate about doing film/video, why stay in Florida? Marine Biologists don't live in the middle of the country, so why would he stay outside of the video/film locations (LA, NY, etc)?
It seems students who attend Full Sail expect to be hand given a job. Well, if you stay in areas where your field isn't a high priority, no job for you. If you aren't good enough at what you do, and trust me I have about 15 of these in my class, then no job for you.
Full Sail is a school. It's up to the student to make it happen AFTER school.

When the family is established in this area with a house, a spouse with a solid career and 2 children in school, picking up and moving to follow a dream that may not pan out sometimes isn't an option to consider. The school marketed itself as Central Florida becoming and being the mecca for video and film and told all of its students that there wouldn't be a problem finding work here. Unfortunately, most of the production companies that come here to shoot, bring their own talent and won't even consider hiring any locals. It's not what you know in that business, but who you know.

-Sick of it All- wrote:

The tuition is ridiculously expensive! I have heard that their programs are extremely fast paced, that you really don't get a chance to learn how to use the software, you receive merely an introduction to it. I have worked at several different multimedia companies and have seen portfolios of graduates from Full Sail, and unfortunately, everyone's work looks all alike!

I did a google search for Full Sail and came across a complaint written by a prior student who since moved to California and is working in film, but found out quickly after relocating and obtaining the job that the school didn't provide him with the necessary skills he needed for the job he got. He felt the school short changed him.

Full Sail Student wrote:

Also, the whole "rich momma's boy" student reputation does not ring true for everyone. Sure there are a lot of them there and you can usually tell who they are because they goof off JUST LIKE THEY DO AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES. Why is Full Sail so different, because it's expensive compared to other schools in Florida?
I will be paying my tuition once I graduate. I'm over 30 years old, gave up a lot to go to school here, and am making everything I can out of it.
People who say that makes themselves appear jealous of the students going there because deep down they wish they were too.

Make the best of it now all you can. Once you've graduated and are out trying to make it in the real world, you will very quickly learn what everyone is talking about. As I said, he loved the school and education he got but after he and his fellow students graduated and tried making it in the industry they all very quickly learned the real truth. A number of them even met with a lawyer and were told they had a great case for breach of contract based on all the false promises made by the school. The problem is, when you're out of work and having a difficult time paying the bills, coming up with a retainer the lawyer requested, just didn't make sense, so none of them pursued it. Sometimes your first loss is your best loss. And again, none of those graduates are working in the industry. And there was plenty of talent in that class. Good luck to you I hope you're able to make your dreams come true with the education this school gives you!

Thanks Furious, I appreciate that. Since I've been there I've heard Video/Film and Recording Arts are the programs that are hard to find jobs. I'm in the Digital Art and Design (DAD) program. I already have two pretty good paying part-time jobs (20 hours per week, avg $30k per year) and I really wasn't looking for a job at all until school was over. Word of mouth and knowledge from Full Sail put the jobs in my lap...I'm smart enough to know it doesn't always happen that way, but it is possible.

"Sick of it All" mentioned not getting a good knowledge of the software. That's not really true. They show you how to use the software, it's just up to the student to know WHAT to do with the software. Nobody can teach you how to be creative.

Also...people see the school as too short to be thorough...I'm in class 40 hours a week and we have projects outside of class. You may think it's short and ineffective but I assure you it is not.

University..Yeah, that's it..We're a university...yeah, .. we're like Harvard..Harvard South meets Hollywood East..Then I'll be a Doctor of entertainmentology when I graduate..yeah that's it..Dr. Jump-Up...yeah, that's it. I'll get one of those five year Doctors degrees in ten months..yeah, that's it..

LOL..Full Sail a university? What a joke!

With all those graduates, you would think you have heard of one person from Full Sail in entertainment. Name them? The avg starting salary is $23k. Not bad for a $60k vocational degree. It is not accredited like real universities. Nice show and the for-profit owners pocket millions each year. A GED and willing to sign a financial document is the only requirement.

This is very exciting news for such a unique and incredible place to receive an education!

UF Gator Alum wrote:

LOL..Full Sail a university? What a joke!

You're a joke!

Full Sail Student wrote:

To "furious", if he was so passionate about doing film/video, why stay in Florida? Marine Biologists don't live in the middle of the country, so why would he stay outside of the video/film locations (LA, NY, etc)?
It seems students who attend Full Sail expect to be hand given a job. Well, if you stay in areas where your field isn't a high priority, no job for you. If you aren't good enough at what you do, and trust me I have about 15 of these in my class, then no job for you.
Full Sail is a school. It's up to the student to make it happen AFTER school.

My thoughts exactly!

PrePro wrote:

This is very exciting news for such a unique and incredible place to receive an education!

It's a fantasy camp... an expensive one, too... You get a degree after you take the beer tour at Sea World, too... but that doesn't mean you can go work for Coors when you're done...

One should call all the production, film and big time game companies and ask them if they hire Full Sail grads in anything above grip or game tester. Those jobs are needed and its nice that someone focuses on aggregating those people as Full Sail does. The problem is that you shouldn't have to spend $50k to learn how to do those jobs. Beware for-profit schools.