[LAFF] Columbia College

Sun Dec 9 14:23:52 CST 2007

I offer a rebuttal to your statements.

First of all, one of the core values that the academic community
strives for is the pursuit of knowledge and bettering oneself and
others. This does not mean that you point out unfounded negatives
about a post-secondary institution, but you highlight issues that have
factual backing to them rather than implied, both positive and
negative.

You are correct that Columbia College in New York is a highly regarded
institution. However, Columbia College in Chicago is just as rigorous
and regarded here in the Midwest. Just to get into Columbia here in
Chicago, you go through an intense portfolio review, as well as the
traditional battery of placement tests. They won't take just anyone
into the school and value academic excellence in the fundamentals as
well as the arts.

Another statement I take issue with is that of increasing one's social
circle. I deal with departmental Vice Presidents and other
high-ranking executives on a regular basis for a large office supply
company, and they know and ask for me by name if things need to get
done. If I ever go for a position within the company, I have a
reputation established. Film and screenwriting, while similar, does
not entirely rely on this. Quite frankly, people in the screenplay
industry don't care about names; they want new ideas and fresh
perspectives. Does it help to know someone? Definitely, but it will
not make or break someone.

My final counterargument is on the ease of graduation. You speak down
towards state universities and colleges, stating they have "virtually
no academic standards". All state-funded colleges and universities are
required to be accredited with the Department of Education (more can
be read about this here:
http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html), though there is a
regional department that handles the accreditation process.  I offer
another point to this using my own personal experience. A few years
ago when I attended Northern Illinois University, I was almost
expelled due to my grades during my first year (note that I said
"almost"; I petitioned for reinstatement and received it). Most
colleges and universities require you to maintain a "C" average or
better, though I do know of several who are a "B" average or better.

Timmue, I strongly suggest visiting Columbia at some point during the
Spring Semester and spending a day on campus with someone in the
department you'd like to transfer into. That way, it'll give you a
look into a typical student's day without having to file paperwork and
pay them without knowing what you're getting into. If you'd like to
e-mail me off-list, I can put you in contact with a friend of mine who
attends Columbia and you can ask her some questions. She isn't in your
field, but she can probably give you an idea of what classes are like
and whatnot.

Samii

> Timmue,
> I'm an academic, and what's  pretty well known in scholarly circles is the
> sad fact that Columbia's high  esteem among the uneducated and ignorant comes
> from geographic confusion.   Columbia in New York is a top echelon college,
> Columbia in downtown Chicago is a  college for dull witted underachieving rich
> white suburban kids who couldn't get  into a real competitive college.  That
> doesn't mean you shouldn't go,  because of its reputation (albeit based on
> ignorance and not substantiated by  academic rigor), there are more than a few
> graduates in the film/screen  writing/advertising-commercial industries from
> Columbia-Chicago.  You go to  college partly to learn stuff that will be directly
> useful in your career,  partly to learn stuff that is only indirectly useful to
> career and citizenship  and life, and partly to make friends and expand your
> social network, also to  directly and indirectly help you at work.  Columbia in
> Chicago is somewhat  useful for the latter, not so much the former.  If you
> have that kind of  money to invest, you should be thinking of the highest end of
> prestige, take a  look at how many Yale grads are successful in the
> competitive Hollywood and  indie film world.  Following close behind are the rest of
> the high prestige  pack, U of C Berkeley, Stanford, Harvard, Princeton,
> University of  Chicago, Cornell, Northwestern, and so on, and we're not really talking
> about  exclusively Film or video production majors.  Many successful
> screenwriters  have English or history degrees, the point is the academic prestige of
> the  university or college is a source of symbolic capital that can make
> connections and open doors for you, and the kinds of colleges that can do  that
> for you are known for rigorous academic standards to begin with.   That's what
> makes the elite colleges and universities somewhat worth the  investment of
> their ridiculous tuition costs.  Columbia college in  Chicago is on the other end
> of the spectrum, it's one of the easiest colleges in  the Midwest, and along
> with Northeastern Illinois university, the Chicago city  colleges, governor's
> state, and their ilk, it's pretty well known among the  over-educated set that
> there are virtually no academic standards at these  easiest-to-graduate-from
> schools.  Unlike the other super-easy-sleazy  schools, Columbia in Chicago is
> very expensive.  Really, not worth  the money, like the copier commercial said
> "there's no status in  overpaying."
>
> Silky
>
>
>
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-- 
Milan Nelson
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