*edit to something I wrote*

.and i'm one of those people that loves to stay busy ..so going to school all hours of the night would bother me none..in fact it would make me happy..

I meant to write

.and i'm one of those people that loves to stay busy ..so going to school all hours of the night wouldn't bother me none..in fact it would make me happy..

sorry

<3

Lori

Alright out of all the questions..my doubt is simply because..

after everything i've read (not just on this site)

the only programs that people seem to have a "grr" issue with would be..

game development & film

I'm going for show production and touring..(possibly bachelors with music business) and I've gotten a fair few scholarships but the truth is..i'm really poor..so I of course am getting a student loan for the rest and my living expenses for the next few years...

what i want to know is..for someone like myself that would literally work their scuse my language ass off...is this degree program worth the money..

I mean do I honestly have a good chance of getting out of school and getting a job with out too much of a problem..

because I don't have the money to mess my life up..but i know I will do anything to make my education worth while..and i'm one of those people that loves to stay busy ..so going to school all hours of the night would bother me none..in fact it would make me happy..

I just want to know..before I give them every penny i have plus more..

is the show pro degree worth it?..

for the dedicated..do they get jobs?

or...is full sail as bad as everyones saying?

from what i've caught to me it seems..
if you work hard and study a lot..the show pro degree is worth it..

I just want to make sure..my loans getting approved and i'm supposed to start in about 2 weeks..i'd really like some feedback soon , if not on here ..message me on my myspace or e-mail me.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/smurfstasteyummy

E-mail: loraliromance@gmail.com

Or AIM Me

AIM: LoraliOfTheDead

It's just no one in my family has went to college..and no body is helping me figure anything out..and i want to make sure i'm not ruining my life..

that may sound dumb but I have no one to turn to..so please..if you were just lazy and hated it because you were kicked out..don't tell me any reviews..i want honest hard working show pro students or people that know a fair bit about the degree program to give me some feedback..

thank you all

Lori

Ok im gonna give my veiws of full sail through my experience there. I went to full sail in 2004 and graduated in 2006. After leaving full sail's computer animations degree I was concerned i would never get a job anywhere. I sent my resume and demo reel to over 20 different companies and I got 15 replies. I just graduated from full sail and im getting interveiws everywhere?. When I asked the employment director at sony imageworks he said, "Full Sail is one of those schools you dont see very often, they have a program that push's students to preform on a daily basis, and to me this shows the work ethic im looking for in a job applicant.". Im hearing this from someone who is in the industry and to me that made me look very highly at full sail. I am currently working at Tippet studios in Berkely Cal. as assistant Lead animator. The way I look at it is like this- If you are deticated enough and have the drive to succeed then you cant go wrong at full sail.

I went to Full Sail despite reading negative things about it. First off, it is true that you will have many, many classes all hours of the day. It is true that the "school" does not care about you and only wants your money. When I had once spoken with an instructor about considering leaving the school, she simply said, "Well, you're more than half way through, so you'll have to pay the full tuition anyway." And that was it. Student Advisers are slow and rude. Many Recording Arts lab instructors are rude and impatient. The quality of education is sub-par at best. I am currently searching to find if there is any sort of legal action I can take. SALLIE MAE IS CURRENTLY EXPECTING ME TO PAY WELL OVER $1,000 PER MONTH TO PAY BACK MY EDUCATION LOANS. THEY ARE ALL FOR FULL SAIL AND NOTHING ELSE.

wow. I dont know what to say about the comments I heard. I was getting in the process to attend Full Sail for Film. In the long run I'd like to do directing and screenwriting under my own production company. yet, learning the "in's" and "outs" of film would better get me a starting job in the "industry" to build my name and work "tech wise" to support myself.

Now. I'm not fully enrolled so AGAIN PLEASE if there's some hardcore information you can give me on not attending full sail. That can be backed up by evidence and citation I'd appreciate it.

Here are the leading reasons I'm rather deciding to go in November 2007.

-Never was a huge fan of college.

-Feel as though Film is the best creative avenue to for me to go through.

-Great connections to work on large film sets being apart of the film process NETWORKING

What sells me is full sail seems as though it's the answer to students interested in film and focusing SOLELY on film. Dont want to go to a traditional college because there's not enough focus on film and only focus on classes the dont focus on what you'd like to do once you graduate.

I'd like for the films that I produce to have a political undertone. Heading heavy hitting topics on topics this country doesn't enjoy speaking about.

Is this not the greatest program to go to for film? I'm looking for an actual GRAD who has graduated for an extensive amount of time to make me feel secure in the decision. I haven't registered for my loans. So I can KILL THE DECISION. PLEASE give me some info. More extensive questions I could ask my admission rep to get him stumbled. Catch him in a question he cannot effectively answer. Give me some statistics. Give me some staggering questions to ask the admission rep.

Appreciate the help.

wow. I dont know what to say about the comments I heard. I was getting in the process to attend Full Sail for Film. In the long run I'd like to do directing and screenwriting under my own production company. yet, learning the "in's" and "outs" of film would better get me a starting job in the "industry" to build my name and work "tech wise" to support myself.

Now. I'm not fully enrolled so AGAIN PLEASE if there's some hardcore information you can give me on not attending full sail. That can be backed up by evidence and citation I'd appreciate it.

Here are the leading reasons I'm rather deciding to go in November 2007.

-Never was a huge fan of college.

-Feel as though Film is the best creative avenue to for me to go through.

-Great connections to work on large film sets being apart of the film process NETWORKING

What sells me is full sail seems as though it's the answer to students interested in film and focusing SOLELY on film. Dont want to go to a traditional college because there's not enough focus on film and only focus on classes the dont focus on what you'd like to do once you graduate.

I'd like for the films that I produce to have a political undertone. Heading heavy hitting topics on topics this country doesn't enjoy speaking about.

Is this not the greatest program to go to for film? I'm looking for an actual GRAD who has graduated for an extensive amount of time to make me feel secure in the decision. I haven't registered for my loans. So I can KILL THE DECISION. PLEASE give me some info. More extensive questions I could ask my admission rep to get him stumbled. Catch him in a question he cannot effectively answer. Give me some statistics. Give me some staggering questions to ask the admission rep.

Appreciate the help.

Also you might check out Expression College for Digital Arts(http://www.expression.edu).

Hi, I'm actually in the process of deciding wether or not to apply/attend to full sail. I spent one year at Pace University in NYC, Than a semester at a NYU Film Conservatory for Film Acting (I've wanted to be an actress up until now) -- I've done plenty of hard work and long hours during my adventure as an actress in NY and have been rather successful in the process. Now, however, after becoming very close with the director of an indie feature film I was working on for 2 months, I found myself spending more time next to him in front of the monitor, paying attention to the camera angles, frames, lighting, etc. Basically, I was more interesting in the BEHIND the scenes filmmaking process than I was in how I was doing ON screen. I have been receiving things from Full Sail since I graduated High School and it was always an option/thought in my and my parents mind. But, If I had gone to Full Sail 3 Years ago, I, more than likely, would not have been as focused as I am right now on achieving my goal. I don't mind working my ass off or not sleeping for 8 hours every night. I barely sleep 5 hours now as it is! I love this industry and I'm pretty sure I could absolutely educate myself with books and internships and what not... But, After going to the school and seeing the equipment and the enthusiasm of the staff & students, I was VERY excited about starting my enrollment process. Then, I decided to do my research and here you all are, giving the worst reviews, EVER! --- Yes, the school is going to cost my a whole freakin' lot and I'll be in a whole shit ass of debt when I get out of there, but, I can't help but feel that my drive, work ethic, persistance, and ability to work VERY well under pressure will take hold of every aspect and I will absolutely succeed.

Basically what I'm asking is, has anyone graduated from the FILM program? I was planning on spending a total of 30 months at Full Sail to complete the Film Program and then The entertainment Business program as well.... Anyone who has attended the school in the LAST YEAR AND A HALF have any suggestions, advice, opinions? ---

Thanks so much..
Peace & Love, Jo

oh sry click post by accident now where was i??? oh yes
4.financial aid (for me) was perfect. no flaw whatsoever in my case. the fin. department is very helpful and very nice everything i needed answered or wanted was perfect a+ for that.

5.ur $$$$ is refudible to some degree and is ur daughter wants they can change her to another degree program. This question i cant give u no more info b/c this is all i know and i rather give u what i KNOW rather than what i THINK.

6.If your daughter is really hands on and has to see it to learn it (like me) she has a realy good and bad chances. there are 8 hour classes a day and half is lecture and the other a hands on lab of the lecture. For me i lose intrest in lectures and speech and rather play with the stuff myself to learn it. and if ur daughter has problems in studing (not much like me) than she will fail this school.However thers help with that. there a special x-tra credit class that tech u how to study which i attended this past friday this past week i've been going back and forth to the school to finalize my paper and orientations and they tell u x amount of times hard hard this school is and u should leave now before u waste ur parents money. no joke that's what they say. and as GPA goes they dont look at that if not at all. they just worry about ur grades in the school. i scares me to know that to get an A u have to get an average of 95 an over, a D is 75 and failing is a 70.

7.no it cant. full sail is the best when it come to show pro. it has equipment no other school will get in the next 10 year for a fact. full sail always buys the newest stuff out even if they dont need it. it is the most up to date school in America without a dout. full sail just got a certain sound board when i was in a tour group a few months ago an it was the first and only one in america at the time. for this question full sail shines unchallenged. trust me i've done the research.

8.This school WILL BREAK U DOWN!! no matter what u have. belive me or not people freak out under the pressure. dont qoute me on this but i heard theres a seperate department for kids that cant take it no more and they talk them down. this u can qoute me on, kids go to there teachers almost crying under the harsh presure. eventually i will break down but i must look past itand be as determined as i am right now. the school even give u a relief times of 90-days when u think u cant take it any more. If ur daughter tends to give up easily then this isn't for her at all. this is not a party school and there no room for social life.theres classes that start at mid-night and ends in 8 am and them have another class at 3pm to 11 am. ur daughter WILL get only 4 or 5 hours of sleep while she goes threw the program.she WILL have to study almost 2 or 3 hour to keep up with the fast pace of school that shortins 2 year of college to 1 year.

i hope this helps u out and i hope i get to see ur daughter in the halls. if ur daughter is not fazed by this then i know i would be seeing her soon.i do advize u to go on tour of the campus and go to her orientation even though it might embarass her completely. please write me back today or tomorrow to let me know i helped u in any way before i start full sail this monday. i will try to write back during my time there to let u know im still among the livin. i wish the best of luck to ur daughter any any path she takes.oh yeah if i did any spelling errors forgive me a gotta go this took longer than i thought it"ll be. ;-) c ya

This is for u florida33065

first of all my name is richard and i start full sail for show prodution on the 23rd of october and i did an acurate amount of researchin. as of right now im packin my stuff to leave for full sail!! so heres what i know and hopefully helps for major decision:

1.There's an overwelming # of job opportunities for this degree. ur daughter can be a light or sound techinian for broadway shows, on tour with bands, work in auditoriums, even cruise lines (have an friend already doing that),or for a recording label. Being a good sound or light techs could also get u job out of ur degree basic such as movies B/c on set they need mics and the perfect lighting on the stars face. When i finish with the program im planning to go to Europe or Australia b/c there many job opps out there and i want to travel and live everywhere on this earth and i know full sail is the stepping stone.

2.wait i have exact figures..... let me find it.....on our program (show pro)91% gradutate and out of them 86% get job placement which is the highest of all programs both in grad and jobplace.

3.it depends greatly. this is a huge chunk out of anyone wallet. first u have to pay the schooling, then housing, and its IMPOOSIBLE TO HAVE A JOB WHILE GOING TO THIS SCHOOL!!!! ill get back to this later. on average which the intrest u might be paying it will be around 60k but mines is around 80k b/c im goin for the bachelors

From a father that needs advice:

My daughter attends Valencia College in Orlando and has just discovered Full Sail College. The program that she is interested in is �??show production & touring�?�. I would appreciate any feedback about the program and the school. I have to say that the postings on this forum have given me great concern as to the outcome of an education from Full Sail College that would help my daughter�??s quest for a career.. Some of the questions that I have are:

·What career opportunities would be available in the real world to an individual with the training associated with �??show production and touring�?� program at Full Sail College?

·What percentage of the students entering the program actually graduate and complete the training in the 13-month period?

·What is the true cost of tuition and fees to complete the program as we would need to take out loans for the cost of her education?

·How helpful is the school as far as financial aid guidance and assistance?

·I assume from the postings that the college expects to receive all funds up-front, and that should a student loose interest or not be able to complete the programs that all that has been lost and non recoverable?

·I must admit that my daughter did not have a great GPA in High School and that I would expect her to be more successful in a trade related school verses a university. My question is: can an individual with (in no way to offend my daughter) weak study skills survive and succed in the reported fast passed environment of Full Sail College?

·Are there other schools that offer programs in �??show production and touring" that could be alturnative options?

·What skills and attributes does a potential student need to bring to Full Sail College and be able to graduate?

I welcome any advice that can be offered, I am trying to find out the positive as well as any concerns or issues in a decision as to her attending the school. I understand my daughter�??s emotional feelings in her believing that she has found her �?? calling�?� and that Full Sail College is the place for her to realize her dreams. If it were all that simple; I would sign her up today. She has spent a great deal of time performing in theater productions and seems to be attracted to the technical aspects of theater, but is that ambition enough to succeed at Full Sail College?

I have considered going to Full Sail for over a year now. I am one of those hopeless kids that can't figure out what they want to do with their lives. I play guitar, and I play pretty damn good from what I hear, and I LOVE music. That's about all the direction I have in life... I can't do a normal university/CC, because of how long it takes for one, and the fact that I would not be able to balance work/school/personal life long enough to complete it. Why? I just know it, I don't have enough faith in myself because I've gone to a CC before, I took classes for 2 years and eventually stopped going when I felt like I wasn't learning anything.

Now I'm seriously considering going to Full Sail because of how they teach, what they teach, and the fact that I want to do something I love for the rest of me life instead of something "to feed the wife and kids", and feel like I never went anywhere in life.

Though I doubt you would have much time to spare, working on other projects while you are in school can help a lot. Really this is the big picture:

When an employer goes to hire someone, they GLANCE at the school they went to, and they SCOUR over their previous experience. Where you went to school has little effect on them, especially in the entertainment industry. What you've done, can do, and how good you are are what really gets you the job. Just most places won't look at you until you have a school you went to, OR some kind of prodigal experience. Note that you dont even need a school background in some cases, but it certainly helps in upper echelon companies. That's my 2 cents...

My name is Dustin. I will be starting Full Sail this September in the Recording Arts Degree. After reading what everyone in this forum has had to say, I must say that I am feeling more sure about my choice than I was 45 minutes ago. Two years ago I came to the realization of a few things. I realized that I couldn't care less if get a 6 figure income job or a job that pays 27,000 annualy. I don't care if I have to pay this student loan until I'm old and grey. BUT, I do care about doing what I love, no matter what the sacrifices may be. I realized that in this day and age in the Entertainment industry its not a Degree that gets your foot in the door, its not what gets you respect from your peers, its not whats worth the price of to go to full Sail,....... its your hard work ,your portfolio, its your attitude, its your experience, its your word. I lastly realized, that Music and Sound production was my only ticket to happiness and would do anything to get there. I love music more than anything in this world, save Jesus ( and my girlfriend, if she ends up reading this) I am my own proof of the above statements. I have not a college degree nor any special certifications. I am currently the Network Administrator of an ISP. I got here over the course of 5 years starting from the bottom and learning everything I know today on the way up, from job to job. And I did by being hard working, trustworthy, (and the last are far more important) Respectful and Humble. My peers and superiors over the years were willing to teach me and be patient with me because I should them the respect that I would want them to show me.

I have been on the Full Sail Tour. At the end of the tour they bring you to the HUGE Auditorium called Full Sail Live. You then are spoken to be the president of Full Sail. This is the part wich sold it to me. She started talking about what to expect after graduating. She said the truth, " you can expect to start from the bottom," she says. She noted that I would probably be making nil money, I might even have to move back in with my parents for lack of funds" This information was not what I was expecting to here, but it was the truth. They weren't blowing sunshine up my skirt. They were giving to me straight and it was very inspiring. She said that I would to keep giving my dream everything I had to make it. But, what she said next I will carry with me no matter what I end up doing in life, because it holds water and will never change. "Your Dreams are part of someone elses Dreams". Where ever you go to persue your dreams they will always intersect with someone elses dreams and they are not going to be open to you being part of that dream until you show them proof that you are serious about what your doing, By being Hard working, respectful/ humble and trustworthy.

Full Sail knows this and was built apon this qualities I have listed above. If you read any of their literature. You will find many re-accuring themes dealing with the above, heck just look at their grading system. To get an "A" you must make a grade of 95 - 100%, these standards are set high for a reason. They don't won't just anyone representing their name, their Dream. They want the people that have what it takes to get what they want. you must also adhere the second grading cryteria, the GPS (Global Proffesionalism Standards) which a passing grade is also required to graduate. This is about being on-time (everytime), being prepared, being curdious, kind and respectful, being attentive, being helpful and productive. The fact that they are build on these things, is proof that I can trust them with My Dream!

The education that I will receive her will be nothing less what I make of it, I know they are capable of giving one the best audio educations in the country but I also know that they with shape me into the kind of person I need to be to be successful in this field I have chosen for myself.

So for anyone that reads this. Please do not listen to these people on this forum. If your dreams are so important to you, go check it out yourself , ask questions to the students and faculty. FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF

Thank you,
Dustin
Birmingham, AL

Accreditation doesn't matter if you're not planning on post-graduate education. Most employers nowadays don't bother with your certificate anyway... they just want to view your portfolio, and Full Sail equips you with the knowledge for that. Best thing is to get a 4 year degree of whatever subject and have a large portfolio and computer intellect in your head. Degree in math plus books teaching you game programming sounds like a good combination.

PS: I may not have any idea of what I'm on about and I will not be responsible for anyone who goes into dept for a 4 year boring degree...

Hi people, please help me up~ I'm in desperate of some helpful comments on Full Sail's Digital Arts & Design and/or its Computer Animation degree. As for tuition, how much does it really cost to attempt and gain Full Sail's BA degree??
Another school that I consider going is Ring Ling School of Art and Design ( http://www.rsad.edu/ .) Their student porfolios are the most impressive ones I've seen so far..

SOMEONE WHO IS HERE TO SQUASH THE IGNORANCE, just because you can edit waveforms in protools doesn't mean your going to get a job, I bet you do find one in the industry. Prove me wrong, oh wait you won't. I am going to MTSU because their program is proven.

anyone who graduated or attended full sail for the film degree have any advise or experience they would like to share? seems from what i've read there are several pissed off ex-students. why? any other schools in the orlando area that would help me say for working at a local news station/radio station etc.?

For those with negative comments about Full Sail, what are some good alternatives?

Hey I'm a high school junior and I'm seriously thinking about entering full sail for the Directing program. I haven't seen many comments on it and the colleges here in florida don't really offer many degrees in that field (either that, or they have bad credentials). If anyone here knows another school in this country that has a better directing program than what I've seen at the tour at full sail, please reply back. Thank you

Digipen?

It's much harder to get in to, but it's also very well-known for getting into the industry.

it's also cheaper, and *surrounded* by Microsoft, Nintendo, and Gas powered games. Valve, Bungie, Arena.net, Monolith, Zombie, Snowblind, and others are also local and well-known to poach Digipen students.

They're not nearly as flashy as Full Sail, and they really don't have the brochures/marketing. I 've heard the president say he wants to make the school free in the future.

I had plan to go to Full Sail after graduation. My plan B was an Art Institute, but from this forum and others that I have read, I'm not entirely sure about my decision on full sail. What other plans can i possibly have?

It's sad to hear another story about someone who is about to piss away their college tuition by attending Full Sail. A good way to help your ex understand that Full Sail is a scam is to challenge her to find just one traditional four year university on the planet that will accept transfer credits from Full Sail. When she comes up empty-handed maybe then she will see the light and advise your son to pursue a legitimate education at a real school.

My son wants to attend full sail My ex wife is hell bent on him going there. She makes 150K a year I make a third of that. He has about 25K that I put away for his education. I want the money to go to good use but it does not sound like it will if he goes to full sail? I want him to go to a 4 year college but my ex thinks I nuts. HELP HE WILL BE ATTENDING IN SEPT 06

Guys, I'm supposed to be starting Full Sail on June 1st for the computer animation program. I haven't really seen anyone here comment on that program. Anyone have any feelings on the CA program? Also, what other schools would you recommend that I look at for animation?

I still stand by my previous post that you will get out of the school what you put into it. Yes the school is expensive and if your not prepared physically and mentally, its probably the worst 2 years of your life, but if you have a sincere passion for fine arts and digital arts, you will get everything you want and need out of the school. For all of he people saying you can learn what you need to know by yourself with self taught books or DVD?s, how are you supposed to create a true product to show possible employers when searching for a job without the proper tools? I?m going into the computer animation course and I know for a fact that I can?t afford to buy a fast enough machine to run every program I will need and I most certainly cannot afford to by any of the software such as what was formerly known as Alias Maya (Now AutoDesk Maya). Sure, I could use the PLE (Personal Learning Edition) for the programs, but what would that say to a possible employer if I came in with a demo real that has Maya plastered all over the background? What Full Sail has to offer me and I believe many other current or future students is an environment with the instructors and tools to learn what needs to be learned to be successful in whatever career is being pursue even if it is intense or ?hard?.

It dosen't take 3 decades of debt, no concentration on single study, to succeed. It takes the individual. When's the last time you heard anything about a FULL SAIL grad. You don't. It was the individual who just happened to attend full sail. Full Sail only does to you what you want to do to them, use. Money is what will help you make it no matter what. It's a business. Nobody just goes to F.S. and day 1 of post-graduation works a 100k job a year. NO GURANTEES IN LIFE. GET REAL!
State or comm. college is the best way if you really want to attend school. Find a commercial music program and at least spend your money/loan on traditional school. My friend just completed a major in commercial music and he worked extremely hard and lined up a job with Sony. Anybody can buy some expensive shit and teach you Pro Tools. It isn't hard to learn how to record and edit wave.
Be the judge yourself....

*(People have killed themselves because of debt issues. If you are 18, 19 and have none of mommy and daddys money, don't just take out loans and grants and think it will vanish.)*

You get two things from school:

Time to learn; resources to learn from.

I graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in CIS. I never felt anything was more useless.

I got a job. I am successful.

I never felt that degree was more useless, I use it as a mouse pad...but it got me started...It laid the foundation, and I built it from there. Now, I write windows smart clients, interact with databases, setup networks. School didn't teach me any of that...I had to work really hard after school. I had to spend hundreds of hours on the weekend to learn how things work. This is what it takes to succeed.

The entertainment industry is an elite group of people. It is people who are willing to spend most of their time learning and optimizing a process. Most people don't fit there. This is economically self evident. But it sounds to me like the things you will learn can be viable else where.

I think success, for the most part, is in the hands of the students.

I plan to work till i'm 26. Learn as much as I can learn, then I will either go to fullsail or digipen. This will buy me time and resources to study the art of game programming.

Hey I have a question: do you know if I can attempt a bachelor at Full Sail while taking other classes ? Like entertainment business and 2 or 3 classes in digital media, show producing or film ? And how can I do for loans ? ( because my parents won't accept this tuition it's so expensive!!) Can you give me some advices and your opinion?

The bottom line is this: you pay 35,000 for school, maybe 12,000 for housing and when you graduate pe prepared to get no help whatosver from FS. Just like any other school you will have a degree. Unlike other majors from "real" schools people get paying jobs that allow them to pay the hugh loan back. Just ask some grads. Do they work at Blockbuster or unload gear for $8hr? Full Sail is not real education for the real world. The lesson is if your lucky you might get what you pay for. A majority of the ra grads wont even get jobs in the industry. Of course the above posters may say I'm a hater but it's like going to bartending school it's a joke!! So spend your money on buying your own pa and learn it's not that hard! They will dazzle you with all the gear and lights oooohh ya if your from Nebraska you might think your buying in to this rock and roll lifestyle. HEY IT'S A TRADE SCHOOL!! GET OVER IT

2-year 'accelerated' programs won't do it. You need a 6-year accelerated programs that let you finish in 4 years. The game industry requires theoretical education backed up with practical experience. Either go to a 4- year school and spend 2 years making games with friends or go to a 4-year that makes you cram another 2-years of game making in (DigiPen).

I've seen way too many people upset about FullSail to recommend it. They do have big advertising and marketing departments, though. Scott Knowles seems to be the epitome of this story-- a successul (IGF winner) and capable guy (previously employed in IT) that wasn't able to make it work.

Scott, have you tried relocating to a game area, like Los Angeles/Seattle/San Francisco/Austin?

...he said...right before reality bitch slapped him upside de head.

Revision to an earlier statement:
Full Sail doesnt cost any more than 4 years at most schools IT IS WORTH GETTING A DEGREE FROM, if you dont stay for the bachelors kuz in reality, any BA is just a piece of paper informing our plutocratic society that you've shelled out the bucks, and doesn't display at all any real knowledge you have. There are a whole lot of people out there with B.A.s, and most of the ones I know spent 4 years partying and every now and then woke up to take a final. Employers know this. Stick with the A.S. - tech work is where the buku is.

I would also like to make a final point - jsut because you throw a bunch of money at an institution doesn't mean abracadabra you get a phat job. This is America - pull yourself up by your bootstraps a little, why dont you.

You all who are talking smack on full sail are freakin' IDIOTS. i just graduated the A.S. in R.A. and I am so confident with Pro Tools I am making it my perogative to bring a stop watch to any interview I get for gigs involving that program, and anyone who feels any differently didn't use their time right. You cannot 'get the education from home,' as some douchebag posted earlier - the facilities are state of the art and anyone who gets to work with such a setup again in their lives should consider themselves extremely lucky. The people who DONT like full sail are the following: lazy people, people who dont have the intelligence to keep up with the hardcore curriculum, people who go to Full Sail for anything other than recording arts (why the hell would you go to one of the top five music production schools for anything other than music, fools??), people who think they are going to be rockstars, people who are narrowminded in what they want to do with the education, people who are there because they "think it would be cool to work in the music industry," people who want to "make phat beats," PEOPLE WHO WASTE THEIR MONEY ON THE BACHELORS WHEN THEY WANT TO DO TECH WORK, people who's passion isn't really as musical as they like to think (because if it was, you would adapt and do what you have to do, people who think they are getting an education in anything other than audio engineering - let me say that again: AUDIO ENGINEERING - and perhaps most importantly, PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT FULL SAIL IS GOING TO DO ALL THE WORK FOR YOU IN FINDING YOUR ASS A JOB!!! And don't tell me that I don't know about what the experience is worth because I'm 23, I was in the job market ever since after high school and had worked in radio and I can tell you for a fact that I would be infinitely more valuable to those people now...if it weren't for the fact that the education I got at Full Sail makes that job beneath me now. I am trained to do a lot of work besides recording stuff thanks to Full Sail, and I've never felt so good about the skills I have to offer an employer. The bottom line: if it's a waveform, I can shred it faster and better than you can, thanks to that program. Don't believe the haters - they are all people who either couldn't cut it and want to bitch about what was really their own faults, or people who are bitter for not having a proper understanding of what they were getting themselves into. Full Sail is worth it, just make sure you're there for the right reasons, and give it the all-of-yourself it's worth giving while you're there, and you'll be fine. Full Sail doesn't cost any more than 4 years at most schools, and it's 1/4 the time; I spent the last few years after high school working, and I paid for that bitch myself, and I'm out of there at almost the same time as all my friends who are getting "real" degrees, as you haters might call it, amd all my friends with those "real" degrees are crawling around on their hands and knees taking what they can get in the job market - meanwhile, I've been out of Full Sail for 2 weeks, I've been hanging out in jazz clubs in New York, and I've gotten interviews lined up just by impressing people with the amount of knowledge I display in the field of recording in normal bar conversation. I'm sorry but it's official - Full Sail is the shiznit, and if you are hating then you really just don't know what you're talking about, end of story. Have fun carrying my speakers around for me in 5 years, haters.

I too graduated from Full Sail. I was in the class with Gabriel Cantres, the author of the "Fourteen Months at Full Sail" articles.

Let me be as clear as possible :

FULL SAIL IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY.

Before going to Full Sail I had a degree in Computer Information Systems and worked in the IT industry for 4 years. The economy was taking a dive and many lay offs were happening. I had always wanted to develop games and that is why I got into computers in the first place. So I looked into Full Sail and thought they would teach me game development.

This is one of the worst mistakes of my life.

I wish I was being melodramatic, but I'm not.
Something Full Sail does not tell you in the quick tours is that after six months, if you want to quit, you still owe the FULL tutition. One of my fellow classmates realized that Full Sail was not for him. He too had a degree from another university, but by the time he was fed up enough to leave it was past the six month mark. So he owed the entire tutition. Even if he had left.

Another fact that Full Sail will not tell you up front is that the game industry pays badly. There is all this talk about the game industry only wants people who are passionate about games. What they mean is people who are willing to work for half as much pay as programmers outside the game industry while working twice the hours.

Make sure to look at the Game Developer Annual Salary survey and then look at a website like salary.com. Compare what programmers make in the game industry and outside of it.

Now I'm not saying that working in the game industry is bad. My brother is currently a developer in a Chicago based company. What I am saying is that a degree from Full Sail does not give you the opportunity to move out of the game industry. If you have a computer science degree from a major university you have the option of working in or out of the game industry. With a Full Sail degree your only option is the game industry.

That is if you can get a job in the game industry at all. A Full Sail degree DOES NOT get you the job or sometimes even a foot in the door. When I graduated, Full Sail did not get me interviews and did not seem to have a clue how to.

Sometimes I see people bad mouthing Full Sail and you get the sense that the writer did not apply themselves or do well at the school. After reading those kind of comments I always wonder if it was Full Sail or their lack of effort. I am not one of those students. I excelled while I was a Full Sail and my teams final project was accepted into the 2003 Student Showcase for the Independent Games Festival (www.igf.com) at the annual Game Developer Conference in California. Out of 64 student projects from around the world (some were from Europe) 10 were choosen and our project was one of them. Even after spending a week in California showing my game to hundreds of people from around the game industry, I still had trouble finding a job. Eventually I returned to the regular IT industry.

The whole experience has left me regretfull and saddled with student loans that will take me another 10 - 15 years to pay off.

Currently I am a application developer for Bank of America. I have friends who are still in the game industry and they say the pay is low and the hours are too long. I work 40 hours a week and get paid twice as much as my friends who are still in the industry. I'm not saying this to brag, but to illustrate that the game industry requires you to live and breath your job, for little pay.

For people who are looking to go to Full Sail :

If you want to be a game programmer, go to a real university and get a degree in Computer Science.
As you study if you still want to do games focus your study toward Computer Graphics.

If you want to be a game designer, start reading and studying about games. Go to school and study history and writing and art.
Pick up the book "Rules of Play", it is an excellent book. It costs about $60, but that is worth it compared to $70,000 in loans (that is full sail tuition plus the loans needed for living expenses).

I hope these words helped those who read it. Full Sail is not a way into the game industry.

Full Sail is a waste of time and money.

Full Sail is a tech school not a real college. They make you pay 100% up front becuase they know nearly 50% of the students will wash out due to over-crowded classes and a schedule that would make a navy seal cringe.
The average instructor is burned out beyond anything you will find inside a real school. They get less than one month to try and cram a books worth of knowledge and hands on lab experience down your throat that would normally take 3+ months. And on top of this 1 month of super human exhausting conditions you are supposed to somehow create a masterpiece of digital animation/music/film and so on.
Oh yeah, you miss 1 lecture and 1 lab and you fail. Unless you can somehow get a doctor to write you a letter that you couldn't afford to go to becuase your in so much debt from student loans and not having time for a job. Oh did I mention the small print in the student manual?

If you miss 6 hours thats 1 lecture and 1/2 of a lab these are 4 hours each by the way, you fail the class and have to pay the full tuition of that class depending somewhere in the range of 3k+ just to be able to continue the program.

They even go so far as to have a leave of absence so many students burn out they had to institute this rule where you can take upto 3 months off from classes and continue later... pathetic.

So heaven help you if you get sick and miss a lab and a lecture and can't afford to go to a doctor... Don't worry even if your an adult they won't believe you can send you a bill for the class anyway.

The real world education portion is a scam aswell. They will give you this BS lecture about how in the real world you will be working hours say from 1-5 a.m. then go home sleep 3 hours get back up and go work again for 4 more hours. Rinse and repeat this every month but switch the hours around to early mornings or 8 hr blocks or 16 hour lab/lecture/labs and you get the picture.

The average student is walking around in a zombie like daze half the time with any creativity they would have had going to a real college stifled by sleep deprevation. Unless you count the 24 hour crash every sunday most students have to take just to recuperate energy for the next onslaught of idiotic lab/lecture splits.

The truth is they have so many students overcrowded at full sail they can't possibly afford enough computers or equipment to have them all on a normal human schedule. So your paying top dollar for a lackluster education and to have your biological clock repeatedly beaten with a hammer until you choke and wash out or graduate and in debt.

Expect after you graduate to start paying $200 a month in interest rates alone on student loans. And that is just interest, you will never actually pay the loan off unless you can afford $500 a month which 1/4 of will be going toward interest rates alone.

Do yourself a favor. Buy your own books. Spend the money you would have given for a couple years of constant grief and buy the equipment you need to work with. Get a job and experience on your own, don't expect any school to do this for you.
And don't fool yourself about becoming the uber digital artist after a year and a half of sleep deprevation. Chances are your demo reel won't be that impressive, and you now have 60+ classmates with the exact same crap all sending the same diluted trash to every movie/gaming/production company in the industry.

Annie. If you are two months from graduation and never worked a day in the industry, how could you possibly know how prepared you are for anything? Because Full Sail told you so? Anyone can have a 4.0 grade average at Full Sail because the instructors keep putting the same questions on the exams and the students simply pass down their exams to their new friends in the classes behind them. "Voila" instant 4.0. No disrespect or harm intended here my dear, but the next time you want to tell everyone about the quality of your education and how great it is to get a degree from Full Sail in one year, you might want to consider using spellchecker. Good luck with those student loan payments.

I am 2 months away from graduating from the Recording Arts program at Full Sail. I love this school and am so happy that I decided to come here. Yes the classes are hard and the schedual sucks, but it really does prepare you for life in the industry. And to spend 1 year instead of 4 makes it completely worth while if you're willing to work your ass off for it. I've managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA and perfect attendence despite the long hours and the amount of information you get in such a short time. And my daddy didn't pay for me to come here. I graduated college then worked full time and took out student loans in my own name so that I could come here. The people who complain about Full Sail are the ones who weren't focused, didn't come to class, didn't study, or just didn't care enough to get everything out of it that they could. You definity have to be prepared to work hard if you want to make it through the program, but for me it is worth the education that I'm getting.

Hi there.
I'm a Nigerian and I had initially planned on coming to study at Fullsail for their Computer Animation Degree.

From what I have read I might be making a mistake? I still shiver over the tuition fees!

Do you have any advice on where else I could pursue my dream?

Thank you.

I had only attended the program for 8 months. My $25.000 loan had turned into $30.000 by the time the first payment was due 6 months later. My first payment was a minimum of $500. If I paid on the 15 year schedule, I will pay back $70,000 for my original $25,000 loan. And that is only the cost of half of the program!!! All that to be taught by ex students who are still learning themselves. I learned more from a $60 Gnomen DVD, than I did in an entire month in a animation class. Thinking about attending??? Ask them what the percentage is of students that start the program actually graduating. I'd be surprised if 60% finish the program.

Mike is right. I am in the "Bachelor" program and have found out the hard way that i cannot go to any "real" schools and pursue a graduate degree. At least any that are SACS accredited (which include all major schools from Virgina to Texas). Don't believe the hype and think that you are getting a quality Bachelor degree in only 21 months. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Anyone considering attending Full Sail needs to visit the website www.fullsailaccreditation.com.
You will find a list of the other "schools" with the exact same accreditation as Full Sail. It's a sure fire way to clue you in on just how legitimate the full sail Bachelor's degree really is.

The degrees offered arn't associates anymore, all courses that I am aware of are now registered as Bachelors degrees. As far as pumping people through so quickly, I personally like know i will graduate and be able to start work in 2 years rather than 4.

I have read and read many different posts due to the fact I couldn't find out much about "Fool Sail" and their tuition. I am not impressed to say the least. It sounds like they are rushing as many through school at all hours of the day for the maximum gain to themselves. Give me one reason they want to push people through so quickly. They did that to me when I was in the Army, that was the Army...they don't care either. $50k for a weak associates degree is ludicrous. Do yourself a favor and go to a community college or state school. This place sounds like a joke that everyone says it is. $50k...my gosh!

Brad. Whether or not you gain any knowledge at Full Sail is not the question. The question is "Is it cost effective"? Of course you were impressed with the tour, that's how they get you to sign up. Of course the instructors are cool, it's their job. They are all ex-freelancers just looking for a steady gig. You'll have great fun staying up late until the wee hours of the morning in a "state of the art" studio with your favorite lab-mate Susie Rottencrotch by your side, making plans to stay in touch after you both make it to the bigtime. She may even show you her secret tattoo in a moment of weakness,but do you want to spend the rest of your life paying for that experience? If you have money to burn or someone else is paying your way, then by all means go for it and rock on. However,if you use student loans the harsh reality will soon kick in. The moment you graduate the bank will start charging you ten dollars a day interest.Of course you will want to defer the loans until you finish your internship and get a job. But that's o.k. because Full Sail will inform you that you can legally defer your loans for up to twenty-five years if you like. Take as long as you want to pay it back. And pay it back you will. Several times over what you borrow. You'll eventually start paying about three hundred dollars a month and after ten years you'll take a look to see what the payoff on your fifty thousand loan is and find that it is now sixty thousand. That's if you're lucky. Seventy-five percent of government loans default, and when they do a twenty percent fine and processing fees are added and now you owe a hundred thousand dollars, and it doesn't go away. This is your "real world education". Congress passed a new law a couple of weeks ago to start garnishing the social security checks of defaulted loan holders. You will pay until you die. Computer speed doubles every fifteen months. This is the information age. Most of the knowledge you gain at Full Sail will be obsolete before you make your first student loan payment. I spent thousands to learn the Synclavier. It was a quarter of a million dollar piece of equipment that was going to revolutionize audio production. The company went bankrupt two years later. Today a home computer has 10x the power of the Synclavier.You don't need to give Full Sail fifty thousand to tell you to "pay your dues by sweeping the floors at your favorite studio because one day they will let you mix" or operate a camera or design a game or whatever. Be smart. Get a community college A.S. in whatever field and find your own internship.At least you will have a real degree if things don't work out.If you have the determination to do great things then you should be able to figure out a way to do it without a fifty thousand dollar tumor growing on your back. I've said enough. Good luck.

After reading that last comment, I needless to say, feel a bit distressed. I myself start attending Full Sail in November 2006. I already put a deposit down, and have everything set in motion to begin attending the school. I hope what Tony says is wrong or just personal bad luck because I went to the behind the scenes tour 3 months ago and was blown away by what the school had to show. I have no room yet to say if the school is all its reved up to be, but I can say that its not the schools responsibility to make the shure a student is successful. It is the schools responsibility to supply knowledge and to assist students in learning, and from what I can tell the school provides both of those. It is up to the student to give the effort and get everything they can out of what is offered even if it is hard. Regardless of whether or not Full Sail stretches the truth on the subject of job placement, with a good portfolio and something to show for yourself you should be able to get a job no problem. Im not saying that the school looks apropriate for everyone, and if you have attended Full Sail and arn't happy with it, well, better luck somewhere else because I don't think your going to find anyewhere better.

Full Sail does not have that great of a reputation among it's former graduates,such as myself. Most view it as a waste of money.
Notice that Full Sail doesn't brag about it's accreditation. That's because it doesn't have any. It's only credentials are by some obscure fly-by-night accrediting authority that gives Full Sail just enough recognition to call it's self a school and the legal means to accept government loans. The Full Sail degree is the equivalent of the "get your degree while studying at home" scams you see on t.v. The reason Rolling Stone magazine gave Full Sail such a glowing report is because they have been a faithful advertiser for about 20 years. That's how they conned me. I was able to secure a job on the bottom rung of the entertainment ladder but I deeply regret ringing up thousands upon thousands of dollars of debt to get here.If you rely on student loans to get through this so-called school, you could be, and most likely will be, in debt for life.
One of the biggest scams Full Sail pulls is the graduate hiring numbers. They have a working relationship ship with several companies that provide paid internships.You get a paycheck for 90 days and then you're back on the street looking for a job while the next graduate takes yours. Meanwhile, Full Sail reports you are "hired and working in the industry".Entertainment jobs are few and far between and there are never enough to support the number of graduates.
Do yourself a favor. If you really want to enter the world of entertainment, skip Full Sail and get a REAL degree from a school such as Middle Tenessee State Univ.

P.S. Funny true story

I recently purchased a new car and while talking with the finance manager of the dealership discovered that his son had also graduated from Full Sail.We immediately began exchanging horror stories which ended with him telling me that he could kick himself for wasting fifty thousand dollars on sending his son there.

I attended the Behind-the-Scenes tour in November of '04, and I asked our tour guide the same question Quxmax asked. He said one of the worst mistakes students make is that they try to hold down a job while attending the school. He said it is nearly impossible, and you won't get the most out of Full Sail and your money by trying to squeeze in a few crucial hours of work between Full Sail's already hectic schedule. Just some passed on advice. Hope it helps.

What do you suggest regarding where to live? Dorms, rooms, apts. what's the best way to solve this? thanks...

You dont. You roll the cost of living expenses into your student loan(s).

I am nearing 40 (ouch!) and my one major concern is the cost. I already went through a bankruptcy, so i am not sure if this is the way to go.
Plus, I have a car payment, cell phone bill and car insurance. I can't believe the way the classes are scheduled like that. I would have to many other exspenses to figure in on top of the staggering $41,000 just for an Associates? Come on....get real. Sounds to me they are running more of a "artist bootcamp" than a educational facility. Maybe Daddy can pay for those kids to go there, but someone starting over in life, I think it would be better for me to attend a community college.

From what I read in other forums, you will have no time at all to have a job. The school suggests you factor in your living costs into your loans.
I am 38 years old and I am considering going there, but I filed for Chapter 7 last year, so I doubt I will get any loans at all. Alas, I believe my boat has come and gone. I don't think it would be wise at my age to take on a $40,000 tuition. :(

Made me think. I really Want to go to Full Sail and am very willing to work my ass off. But how do you keep a part time job to feed your self with a class load like that?

Great perspective. You are telling it like it is, but the costs of the programs you have listed are out of date.