Academy of Art University - MFA in Photography

After attending 4 weeks of photography classes in Academy of Art University for the MFA program, I realized that it was a mistake so I dropped all the classes just in time to get 25% refund.  I then experienced a very different attitude from the Registration Department than the Account Receivable/Collections.  When I applied for school, they are all nice and sweet; now I want to change schools, they change their face so quick that I can’t even recognize it was the same school.

Accounts Receivable/Collections Department sent me a statement on how much I owe them and gave me a week from the date they issued the statement to pay (I am not sure when did they actually mail it out to me).  However, the numbers don’t add up, and I didn’t see my 25% refund listed on it so I called.  The Accounts Receivable/Collections Department said I need to talk to the Finical Aid Department, which I did, and they admit the statement was not correct and they will issue me a new one.  I asked them to make sure that they have a record of our phone conversation so I won’t be charged a late fee or anything like that, and they said they would.

A couple days later, I got a call from the Accounts Receivable/Collections Department with a very unfriendly voice, no Hi, no Goodbye, just very straight forward to tell me that I haven’t paid my bill and they will send my account to a collection agency if I don’t pay.  I told her about the conversation I had with their Finical Aid Department and I am waiting to receive a new statement.  She said she didn’t see a record of that conversation on my file.  I said I am driving right now so I don’t have the conversation record in front of my face; otherwise, I could tell you the date, the time and the person’s name who I talked to.  Then she said she would talk to the Finical Aid Department tomorrow, and she just hang up, without a goodbye.

A few days go by, I received an email from the Accounts Receivable/Collections Department about my past due and a threat about the collection agency again so I called the Finical Aid Department again asking why I haven’t receive the new statement.  I told them that I am being harassed by the Accounts Receivable/Collections Department twice now, can they ask her to back off since I am waiting for the correct statement to be mailed to me.  In fact, the Financial Aid Department couldn’t tell me why the corrected statement wasn’t mailed out already and they just said someone must have missed something.

It’s less than two thousand dollars that I owe to the AAU, and I will pay right away but I think it’s reasonable for me to ask for a correct statement before I give them my money.

My advise for people who is thinking about going to a Photography school, look else where unless you are looking for a school have no TOEFL requirement (for International Student) and no portfolio requirement.  Basically, you can BUY your way into this school.  It doesn't guarantee you would graduate but certainly no problem to get into the school. If you are serious about your education in photography, check out the schools on this LIST. They are much much better choices.

If you are not looking for a degree program, just simply want to sharpen your photography skills, check out Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Montana which is the school I am going for 5 months for a intensive Career Training this summer.

Comments

[sabrina]

Hi Benedict,

Thanks for the message. It is a big investment, for both money and time, to study abroad so I really hope people take the time to find the right school for education.

Good luck to your school search and wish you the best for 2010!

sabrina

[Benedict]

hi sabrina,

sorry to hear about your situation. i'm a non-american who is looking around for a photography school outside my country at the moment. will be careful after reading your case.

benedict