Brooks Institute of Photography

I just started in the Visual Journalism program at Brooks. The more I find out

about it the more I'm wondering if it's the right place for me. I've read some

other posts about Brooks, but I'm not sure which program is being talked about.

Help!

Specifically, what bothers you about the program?

i went through the still program and loved it. (graduated in oct 2005) its expensive and it will

be very intense, it will only be allthings photography. i hear the VJ program isnt as intensive

and complete as the still program, i still be what you want, but i would reccomend the still

program if you continue to stay at brooks.

Thanks for your responses. The main thing I don't like is that I keep hearing students saying that it's too expensive, that you can find the same information at a community college or you could work with a photographer and learn that way. Also, I'm not sure that the VJ program is exactly right for me--I'm somewhere in between visual journalism and still photography. Besides that, I feel like I was hustled into going there--all this sales pitch. I guess I'm just getting a bad feeling and I don't know if it is unfounded, if I should cut my losses now or if I should stick with it a little while longer to see how it pans out.

if you are stretched for money, go through lower division atleast, its 14 months. you will get

all your basic skills.

 

i have heard of their problems over hyping the school specifically saying you will make X

amount practically garenteed when you graduate. its a great education, but one still has to

control their own life and get after it if they want a great job in the world.

You could check out the Hallmark Institute of Photography. Its only 10 months and very intense, but its amazing, I'm actually going right now and couldnt be happier with my decision to go there. However it is on the opposite side of the country as Brooks.

Ellen

 

Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois was an excellent photo program organized within the College of Communication which included the journalism department. SIU hosts a national public radio site which has the resources to cover news events with tractor trailer trucks and satellite uplinks. I bet SIU is cheaper to attend than Brooks. You could combine your photography with journalism. -- Rich, BS Photography, 1972, Southern Ill University.

An honest answer: I graduated from Brooks a long time ago, and wouldn't trade the experience for any amount of money.

 

But as far as I can tell, things haven't been the same since the corporations took over. Now, there's no way I could recommend it to anyone.

 

If you are talented, you can get enough technical training at a local JC for far less investment, then go out there and get some actual experience instead of racking up debts.

I finished the Visual Journalism program at Brooks this last June. Brooks is what you make of it, at least in the VJ program. A lot of people say it's geared towards newspapers and it is in some classes. However if you're in to shooting one type of thing like skating or concerts, then shoot just that but make it work for the assignment. The school is very expensive though, and the administration has their head in the sand but the faculty is stellar and you can learn a lot from them if you just ask. I hope this helped.

This thread is probably dead, but for those searching and doing research on schools, I felt these articles should be read:

 

<p>- <a href="http://ddunleavy.typepad.com/the_big_picture/2005/07/investigation_c.html" title="Dennis Dunleavy: California Agency Alleges Brooks Institute of Photography "Willfully" Misled Students">Dennis Dunleavy: California Agency Alleges Brooks Institute of Photography "Willfully" Misled Students</a> (horrible font-size, but good information)<br />

- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_Institute_of_Photography#Controversy">Wikipedia brief</a> (with more links)

 

<p>I don't have anything against the school, but as a student who was doing research on colleges, sometimes this information is hard to find, and I hope someone will find this useful later. Cheers.