I had kids who went to grad school or professional school in both Atlanta area and Winston Salem. In both cases, they said snow was infrequent, small amounts, didn’t last, and was a royal PITA because these places do not have sufficient snow removal procedures, or equipment.
My former neighbor (who now lives in greater Atlanta) said our small town of 6000 had more snowplows than the whole state of GA, and when it snowed, they ALL went to the Atlanta airport.
If this kid wants to see snow, and real four seasons, SCAD, Richmond and UNCSA do not meet that bar.
When it comes to weather, perspectives are relative to the individual’s experience. In addition to budget it would be helpful for the OP to share if they’ve traveled to areas where they’ve actually experienced the climate they prefer.
Also, compared to Egypt, many areas in the Eastern US have high humidity. That is something to consider as well.
Now, not to be a downer, but if OP has high financial need all these weather preferences may need to go out the window. Affordability will become the top priority.
Work in the film industry hopefully! Pretty sure I’ll have citizenship by then as my dad is currently going through the process of getting it so I’ll be somewhat of a freelance artist hopefully
A lot of people are asking the budget and I apologize that I wasn’t clear enough earlier! I think I’m pretty lucky when it comes to having to pay tuition but I would still appreciate some merit aid at least to help a bit. Obviously the more generous the better (as I think it is for all students) but all in all it’s not exactly a MANDATORY requirement. I’d give exact numbers but I haven’t hashed out the details with my parents yet, just that it’d be nice to have some financial aid and I’m applying for scholarships as well
I’d also like to clarify that although I’d like to be on the East Coast, I don’t mind for example considering colleges in the Midwest and such, it’s just a preference. Mostly I just don’t want to be places like Florida or California
Will you still be under 18 when he is expected to get citizenship? Is he currently living in the US on a green card? (asking these questions because they may matter both for when you get citizenship and whether or not you are considered a domestic or international student)
@MYOS1634 has better knowledge of the citizenship process than I do.
You know…the film industry is highly competitive, and entry level pay is barely a living wage.
You need MUCH better info than this. I could recommend some fabulous films schools but the costs are between $75,000 and over $90,000 a year and that doesn’t include health insurance and travel.
Two of the very best film schools in this country are in CA.
Well, NY for example starts getting hot and humid well before colleges break for summer. But you’ll certainly get the full experience of different seasons living there.
It’s not cold most of the year in NYC, and you will not really enjoy it when it snows there. It’s a mess. For hiking and climbing outdoors, you will need a way to get outside of NYC, and a place to stay. This is possible but not IN NYC.
How much aid you need will matter. It is very, very difficult to get full 100% aid for anyone, and particularly for an international student.
This combination (plus “film”) makes me think of an excellent university that is however a long way from the east coast of the US. In particular, it makes me think of UBC. Hiking trails and a small forest right on campus, near mountains (many of which are visible from the campus), right on the western edge of an attractive city, good arts scene, strong film program, does not get super hot (temperatures are moderated by the Pacific Ocean). However it is right on the west coast rather than the east coast.
Concordia in Montreal is another option.
The University of Vermont also comes to mind, but I do not know anything about it’s film program other than it has one. As one example, I do not know to what extent making films is emphasized versus watching and criticizing films. It is in an attractive small city with mountains nearby, and the intensity of summer is moderated by the fact that it is pretty far north at least by US standards (it is about a one hour drive from the US/Canada border and two hours from Montreal, perhaps 3 1/2 hours from Boston).
Yep, the “great outdoors” is not really a thing there. I had a kid go through NYU… you really gotta love being in the middle of the big city and not care too much about the weather extremes to get the most out of it.
Just catching back up. My DH grew up in the Asian pacific and wanted to see snow in college, so went to Wisconsin. He got snow!!
Milwaukee apparently had a film program.
Your list is a good start if they’re affordable. You might need to be flexible on weather/geography. Right now Atlanta is a hot spot for films and TV.
Maybe add Syracuse and Ithaca. Acceptance rate for top film schools is low. I would guess the acceptance rate at FSU film is less than 10%. Probably much lower.
S21’s favorites were Emerson, DePaul and SCAD. NYU and similar were off the table due to costs. He chose FSU for Digital Media. Works on sets with the film students. Loves it.
Two things to consider. You need a portfolio for most film schools. Not all. Secondly, the film schools can be intense. You will immerse yourself in film. Your school/life balance might not be ideal.
If that’s the case, then you have a good beginning list; Wesleyan University may be closer to your ideal than NYU in the sense that the lack of foot traffic allows the snow to stay “pretty” longer. And snowboarding is an actual possibility after strong storms.
I would take a closer look at Bennington (VT), Marlboro College (VT), Hampshire College (MA), U of Vermont (already mentioned), U of Maine, maybe even UMass.
Unfortunately, Marlboro closed its doors in 2020. Nonetheless, aspects of Marlboro endure at Emerson College in Boston, and Emerson does appear on the OP’s list.
Really? You just made me double-check on Hampshire…whew! Just a reminder how dificult it is to find, stable, well-funded, “artsy” colleges. Maybe double-down on the state-supported schools (U of New Hampshire?)
I compiled this list recently for a family that was looking to spend $35k/year or less. SUNY Oswego and UNC-Wilmington would have come in at the price with their sticker prices, and the other schools I think would have a definite chance of hitting that price via merit aid.
The first three are in the type of climate that you are seeking, and the bottom three are not. But as someone else mentioned, the Atlanta area is big for film…so big that there’s even an incentivized program between some of the universities and the film industry to get more qualified workers, because they don’t have enough.
Since the budget is still much of an open question at this point, I at least wanted to put some options out there that are unlikely to be in the $70-90+k range.
SUNY Oswego (NY): About 6k undergrads. Cinema and film studies here is a fairly popular major, but she’d have access to many other areas of interest here, too.
Ithaca (NY): About 4600 undergrads. Its Park School of Communications is very well-respected and can be a good option for film and advertising, among other possibilities.
Georgia State: About 29k undergrads. This has the reputation of a commuter college, but I have heard that reputation is changing. About 57% of first-year students live on-campus, meaning that there are nearly 2600 first-year students living in the dorms. Not only does it have all the majors of interest (with a very popular film program), but there is also the Georgia Film Academy minor with various tracks (production, post-production, etc) because the state is in such need of additional employees with these skills.
Oglethorpe (GA): About 1500 undergrads at this Atlanta school. There’s a BA in Film & Media Studies which also combines hands-on practice, or the major in studio art with a concentration in Filmmaking, Video and Photography. Atlanta is a HUGE city for film and the Atlanta schools also have a consortium whereby students can take classes at other schools like Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Emory, Spelman, SCAD, etc.
U. of North Carolina – Wilmington: About 14k undergrads here. I believe she would need to send in a separate application for the film program, and that is probably not a likely admit for anyone. But it’s well known for film and the NC publics are strong overall.