My son is deciding between Emerson, DePaul and CSUN Film Schools. He received a good merit scholarship from DePaul and a decent one from Emerson as well. I’ve heard good things about both but also a few drawbacks too. CSUN doesn’t admit directly into the Film Program. You have to apply after starting as a Freshman which gives us some pause. Any feedback or thoughts on the programs?
Where is he most comfortable?
If he wants to be out west and you believe in him, then maybe it’s worth it?
If you are going to choose from the other two, both are fine names - maybe it’s as easy as Boston vs. Chicago?
Good luck;
We actually live in CA. CSUN is the 24th best film school so he would actually prefer Emerson or DePaul but I haven’t seen too many comments about them.
I think both have good names. I’m not sure a rank is a huge deal in film…sort of like journalism. Those who “get it” will find a way. I mean, I went to a top ranked J school and the education stunk - so I wouldn’t push much into “rank”. Yes, CSUN is known as very good for film and obviously is well located.
Boston and Chicago are vastly different. The facilities may be different too so you might get their take on the program.
Any cost differentials? Nothing can take the place of a visit - but I think both have successes. But find out about career outcomes - are both placing? If so where? Does your student have a desired specialty that one might do better than the other?
You might ask to speak to student ambassadors too - get their take - on the curriculum, facilities, weekend activities, etc.
It might be that both are equally great and there’s no wrong choice - then it’s - where do mom and dad want to visit for the weekend.
Good luck.
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I would recommend looking at filmschool.org for all of these, if you haven’t already. That site focuses more on grad programs, but there’s some good info for undergrads as well.
Outside of the major, CSUN has quite a few clubs for filmmakers, and they have pretty good internship opportunities, and you’d be getting that sweet in-state tuition… but yeah, they admit hundreds of people to the major and only accept a few dozen for the production option. If film production is all he wants to do, then a direct admit program would give the peace of mind. And if he wants a residential experience, the other two are better (though CSUN does have a dorm community specifically for film majors, most of them don’t live on campus).
From Emerson vs. DePaul, my instinct is toward Chicago… but definitely look at the specifics. What alumni do they promote, and what do those alumni specialize in? Does one offer an interesting minor that he’d like to add? How many student projects do they churn out each year? What classes does each program require? (Especially look for required internships, those help a lot.)
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Emerson is a bit different than the others as it is really focused on comms & the arts. The school has a very film/theater/creative vibe pretty much across the board… This can be good, or bad, depending on your kid! Also if there is a chance they don’t want to do film, in the end, and want to switch to history or something, that is a risk at Emerson which won’t have all majors. Note, the plus of that is pretty much all of your classmates will be thrilled to geek out on all things creative. My understanding is they have a very dedicated and loyal alum base which seems very attractive to me, especially given concentration of them in creative industries.
Also, if you haven’t visited I would try, it is a pretty unusual feeling physically - (very vertical, very urban and quite small in comparison to most city schools). It is in heart of city though, which I think students love
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Thank you so much!!
Thank you for the input!
Thank you!!
My daughter is finishing her first year at Emerson. She’s having a great experience; she’s had a lot of opportunites to work on films and shows, some with the Emerson channel and others for senior projects. And she loves Boston.
She was accepted to a number of the top film schools (came down to Emerson, Chapman, UNCSA and Ithaca), including DePaul and CSUN. We never visited DePaul because it never rose to the top of her list, and CSUN we were concerned about her not being guaranteed to be admitted to the major.
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Just checking back in, if you don’t mind sharing what did your son end up choosing?
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