Columbia College Chicago Top Questions

What's unique about your campus?

Don

When I was a freshman I saw alot of people like me, which, was really comforting because I was an outcast in school. When I saw people with my interests I fell in love with the school.

Kessel

Columbia College Chicago promotes networking with my peers and encourages each student to give more than what is required in the class. Once the semester gets under way, a film student can find a number of opportunities through student film projects to get involved in. I have learned the same amout of information in the class as I have outside, working on film sets. This is my favorite aspect of Columbia College Chicago.

Kara

I would say the best thing about my school, Columbia College Chicago, is how encouraging the school is towards their students and their fields of study. For example, I'm a fashion student and, after being here only a few months, I have already experinced a very welcoming and warm enviroment from not just my fashion teachers, but all of my teachers. The school regualry holds open-mics and art nights to give students a chance to showcase their work.

Rhiannon

They have an excellent staff that work with you to help you on projects and who have actually worked in the field your wanting to pursue. They really know what they are talking about. The school also provides amazing internship opportunities that help you become successful.

Christine

I think the best thing about my school is the different locations it has. By having all these mulitple locations spread out thorught the area, it allows you to explore the city around you and really get to know where you are.

Azania

The best thing about my school is the location. It's in the Chicago Loop area where there's lots of events, restaurants, and culture.

Alejandra

I really cannot think of something to list as the best thing. My professors are amazing, staff members are great, students are nice and I honestly have no complaints.

Linley

The unique thing about the campus is that is in the heart of downtown, the best place to network your way into a great career!

Kathryn

The best aspect of Columbia College is that it does a wonderful job of preparing students for the realities of the careers they choose. Professors expect students to be proactive in class because artists must be proactive in the workforce. The professors are active in the fields that they teach. Columbia also provides the Portfolio Center; by the end of senior year, each student has a professional portfolio ready to hand over to potential employers. This sets Columbia graduates apart from the pack, as it should be.

Michael

I believe that the best part of my school is the amount of people you can meet in networking and the amount of people that are here that are just as passionate about music just like me. At home there are only a few people that actually play an instrument or have a passion for music, so being here has been an amazing oppurtunity to people who are into the same things as me.

Iair

I think that the best thing about my school it's so artist guided that everything is about art, being yourself, and being creative, and if you want to do something they tell you TO GO DO IT! because there is nothing better then doing something you love. My school is amazing and they always push us to do what WE want not what they want.

Kimbrea

I consider the events hosted by my school to be the best thing. The events that are hosted give everyone either a chance to make new friends or a chance to show others their talents. Plus there is always FREE FOOD!!

Sharon

Columbia College Chicago is a great place to get a well rounded education in a heavily artistic enviroment. I found the education process was geared towards students who look at the world from a creative perspective and was able to flourish in this enviroment.

Allyssa

I consider the best thing about my school is how everyone is so open minded and friendly. Any one that you are going to talk to and meet is so willing to help you out whether your are lost on campus or trying to find fun things to do in the city. Another thing I love is all the different places that are so close and interesting. For example, all of the restaraunts and bars and different hang out places that Columbia has to offer. My favorite bar is Villians on Clark near Harrison.

Brandon

The best thing about Columbia is that it is so diverse so there are all types of people that you meet there. It also provides you with the paths to open yourself up to your career in your talent of art. Through its diversity it helps you find the right path to take for your future.

Abner

Art school

Katarina

The diversity

Rachel

The best things about my school are the diversity and encouragement to collaborate. Diversity helps one the student's mind up to many different life style and if you add collaboration to the various assignment we recieve the student learns to work with people from different majors.

Kiera

The best thing about my school is the small classes, and the help that is available if you need it.

Abbey

Equality is the biggest focal point to impress newcomers. Profesors prefer to be called by their first names and will go to the bars with you on the weekend. All students are open-minded and take others the way they are and refrain from judgements or prejudices. Many professors are open-minded to the testing process and prefer group projects and creativity to express yourself rather than conform to what is expected. Grading scales are weighted upon personal improvement rather than comparative to the entire class. Equality is important in the real world so why not start young?

Colin

My school is very supportive of their students when it comes to pursuing their career and working toward their dreams.

Natasha

The best thing about Columbia is the many performance and networking opportunities available to the students.

Patrick

Largest, most resourceful film school in the country. This really allows one to actualize or at least coming to a happy compromise with the ideas that they have in their head.

Nicole

The best thing about my school is it's location. Downtown Chicago is a perfect place for an arts college to be located because there is an abundance of networking that can be done throughout the years here. One of the main reasons I came to Columbia is because the professors here work in the Chicago area as professionals, and teach part time as faculty. This set up is great because not only are the teachers experts, they can connect you with jobs matching the students' career goals.

Carly

The engagement of professors with their work, the students' work, and with the content of each course is outstanding. I have never felt that a teacher did not possess interest in me as both a student and as an individual. The teachers have extensive experience that translates into an overall interesting and exciting environment to learn and experiment in. Students are encouraged to research and think for themselves.

Emily

I think the best thing about Columbia is how well informed and interesting many of our teachers are. Sure, there are the few bad apples. However, there are many amazing professors who have professional experience in their field and know how to make their lectures relevant and informative.

allison

The best thing about my school is the resources and feeling of support around you. Starting school is a big step and commitment. You want to make sure everyone at the school you're going to has the same sense of professionalism and drive to make it right. The faculty is great and get you geared for the working world which is important. The staff is here to assist you whenever you need. There's admissions, academic and financial advisors at every turn. There's an online department also that I'm taking advantage of. Convenience & support.

Shannon

The best thing about Columbia College Chicago to me is the area. I was never one to think that I needed to be way out in the fields. Being downtown in the south loop, where the action is, can be rewarding. Because of the professional working teachers, i can learn at a stronger rate and faster pace. If downtown will be my working field, then why not have it as my playing grounds for now.

Erin

The best thing about my school is the opportunities it has to offer. Columbia is located downtown, which can offer a lot of internships and jobs in communication and journalism or other liberal arts. The professors at Columbia are working professionals and teach you what is going on in the present and what is changing for the future. At Columbia you get hands on experience in your field.

Erica

Opprotunities for internships because they have many to choose from.

Jessica

The best thing about my school is the sense of community you have. At my school there is no way you can NOT find, as my school mates say, your "creative posse". Their is always a familiar face around, and their is always something to do. Your creative juices are always flowing at my school.

Jill

The same reasons that it stands unique. I love that it is diverse, there is so much culterally to explore. Most of my faculty is adjunct and are just as passionate about what they are teaching as I am about learning it! They offer The Portfolio Center to Juniors and Senior, so help them develop a website and get organized before graduating and diving into life apart from college.

Rachael

My school provides me with all of my interests so I can further explore them.

Dantoine

The best thing about my school isits diversity, and the many different eventsthat are constantly going on. There are always ways toget to know both the campus and the students not to mention faculty.

Kim

The best thing about attending columbia is the diversity amoung the fellow students!

Alicia

The best thing about my school is the diversity and creativity surrounding it. Students become so inspired by things in this city and others work that Columbia College becomes a large pool of new thoughts and ideas for every student. All the students here are so passionate and excited about what they are doing in school and what they will be doing once they graduate that it brings the whole campus together to do the same.

Hannah

The best part of Columbia College is the small learning communities they create. They have very small classes which allows strong student and teacher relationships to form. All the teachers are also required to continue working in their particular fields which allows the students to easily relate to the teachers and view them as mentors.

Daniel

The best thing about my school would be the state-of -the-art equipment and gear that Columbia has for its students. Columbia uses updated and professional equipment that students are able to get hands on experience with in order to gain real-world experiences in classes to better prepare individuals for their specific occupation in their art majors. In my opinion, the best way to learn how to do something is to actually do it. Thus, taking this belief and applying it to Columbia, I feel that many of the classes are practical and properly prep students.

Nicholas

What I consider the best thing at "Columbia College Chicago" would be the diversity of all the students. The diverse languages, cultures, studies, skills, and traditions are the blueprint to Columbia's success. Columbia College Chicago is a institution that is built on a melting pot of creativity, and I believe that, that is a key to reaching full potential of from students. The diversity within the student body allows students to work together efficiently and broaden thier minds.

Elise

We know what we are doing when it comes to arts education.

Erica

All of its resources and facilities! There is so much at your disposal at Columbia, especially for those in the visual arts. The darkrooms are very well equipped, the school provides you with so much space to do shooting for photography too. There are school buildings in Chicago I am still only finding out about now. The library is very impressive also. It's five or six floors and continues to surprise me with it's wealth and obscure gems. Not to mention the teachers themelves who are practicing professionals and have real experience.

Rebekah

The facilities are the best thing about this school, at least for photography. We have access to darkrooms, digital printing labs, studio space and great equipment. However, for the price we are paying, we could almost do better.

Brennan

The way we are pushed in our thinking has been the best thing for me this semester. Our minds are pushed and pulled to think and experiance things we never have. Learing to think differently helps you relate and understand more people around you and creating that understanding of eachother is what's going to help "create change", which is Columbias' school motto.

Josh

The greatest part of being at Columbia College Chicago is the large amount of the film student population. I would say there is about 2000 undergrad/grad film students present on campus. Most people think is not as much of a good thing but I have found a way to actually benefit from my fellow classmates and future co'workers. When I transfered to Columbia and wanted to find a way to get the students involved with the hands on experience that I was getting outside of class by starting my own production company, underscore_films, LLC

Brittany

The best thing about my school is it's location. You are immersed in the heart of Chicago which provides more opportunities and experiences than you can imagine prior to moving there. There is also a large sense of diversity, which opens your eyes to different views and ways of life which I believe enriches your life not only in college, but beyond it.

Brittany

The fact that it is an art school makes it a great school. There are so many talented people that go to Columbia, and they tend to be easy-going, open-minded people. I also feel like I learned a lot from the diverse friends I made and they opened my mind to different types of music, and other forms of art, such as photography and dance.

Robin

The ability to choose your own projects based on your major because the amount of freedom it gives you and it allows you to be more passionate about what you're learning.

Llewellyn

The best thing about my school is the mixture of all race and kind coming together for art! It is an amazing feeling to create something outstanding with a complete stranger.

Antionette

The best thing about Columbia College is the diversity. So many students and teachers amaze me because I would have never thought about some of the things I have seen here and it is truly a great learning environment.

Kajsha

The teachers are very interactive with students and make you want to learn.