Columbia Academy

well Columbia shut it's doors today and left dozens of students out in the cold with half an education, no diploma, no options, and thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt.

apparently the school knew it was in trouble since last January yet continued to enroll students while at the same time significantly raising tuition prices by as much as 30%.

there were students there today who had been in the program for just 6 days. one had traveled from south America to attend, others had come from other cities in Canada.

i understand things do happen but to keep the student body in the dark for so long is criminal.

I recently graduated from The Columbia Academy, and I enjoyed my time immensely. There is no other school that offers as much independence and hands-on time as Columbia. The equipment is a little dated, but the skills learned there are easily transferable to modern day studios. The class sizes are small, and the instructors are very knowledgeable and are a pleasure learning from. I'd highly recommend Columbia Academy if you like setting your own work pace, and enjoy learning in a relaxed environment where the science of sound takes priority.

I studied the Recording and Sound Design program from July 2009 to June 2010. The instructors are great, and I even learned from my classmates who came from a variety of backgrounds; from 19 to late 20s, some musicians, some DJs. I wanted to start my second career in tv and radio broadcasting, specifically as an audio assistant. I had no musical or electrical knowledge, so I often took initiative to ask questions, many questions. The small class size gave me a lot of time speaking directly with the instructors. The knowledge is solid, almost everything I needed to know to start with.

I chose Columbia Academy mainly because the study term was much shorter than all the other schools. I enjoyed my time there, and felt that I received as much as I expected when I registered.

The way the course is structured during the day, I was able spend evenings and weekends working part-time. Best of all I could take some work at the company I now work for.

I think Columbia is an average school. The equipment is dated, but the concepts are still the same. One can get as much out of the school as one puts in. There are certainly better schools but I was happier at Columbia.

My time at Columbia Academy was a very good expierence. I graduated from both: the Video Production and Recording & Sound Design programm. The time spent on 'real', actual equipment was very rewarding for me personally. Most of the time the students work on their own projects or they can also work together with other students on their projects, ensuring a creative learning environment. In my opinion, creativity plays a large part in the video- and sound-production field, so that this learning method prepared me well for real-life situations. Since networking with people of your profession is important, the contacts and friends, which Columbia Academy introduced me to, provided a good start and are a valuable resource still.

Columbia Academy was a terrible waste of time and money. They only get one star from me because that is the minimum, they are not even worth that. I went there 6 years ago, and while I am working in the Broadcast field now, it is through no help of that school. The equipment is outdated, and the computers don't work. When I signed up I was interested in the TV program, which as soon as I was eligible for was pulled and I was out of luck. The only thing I would have to say that was good about it was the instructors. They were very good, many of whom I have worked with since. All in all save your money or go to BCIT.

Not only would I not recommend this school I would actually go out of my way to spread the word about how terrible it is. I am not a special case, I am not someone who complains about everything. The only people in class that thought it was OK are straight from high school and their mom and dad are paying the tuition. Everyone else feels stuck cause you loose so much money.

Your supposed to learn from the other students. I was there for 30 days and the teacher never helped us once in that time. They just sit in their office and work on stuff for their real radio job or mess around on the internet. Supposedly their listening. I didn't know you'd have to learn from other students they never clarified that on entering the program. I wonder why???

Even when you do realize how terrible the school is and your paying for very outdated equipment and teachers that aren't teaching, you loose at least 30% of your money. I lost 6,000 dollars I was there 30 days.

Go to BCIT. Or for whatever reason you don't. Buy a mic and some computer software and practice on your own. Read up on the internet, buy some books and make a demo and send it in to some small stations. The demo u get from school sounds absolutely terrible. You'd be better off recording on your computer anyway..

Best thing to do is not go but if you absolutely think it is wise, ask to sit in for a day and see what its all about.. You'll wonder how in the world it is so expensive.

Ty

Columbia Academy is way over priced and they over sell how prepared you will be in the field. And for the most not you won't be. The ones that move on from Columbia already have a background in Radio or TV. The school offers not internships and does very little to get students jobs.

Columbia is roughly $13,000 dollars for ten months for basically three hours of peer tutoring. You get one hour of lecture time, with most of those lectures often repeated and not very helpful. The school is basically a shady business that takes in any student gullible enough to fork over a large student loan. I went to school with a couple of people that I am pretty sure were in the special ed classes in high school. The entrance exam is a joke and anyone who passed Elementary School should pass. If after a week you think the experience is BS you still have to fork over a third of your $13,000 tuition.

So if you are serious about getting in to Broadcasting go to BCIT. Not only do they establish foundations with real courses it's also less expensive last listed at $10,000.

You have to pick one star, but if I could have picked zero stars I would have.

Columbia sucks.

They are only there to make money.

The instruction is poor.

Don't waste your time and money on this school.

If you go there for 2 days and realize you don't want to be a program with instructors that don't teach you anything and program operators that don't care, then you still have to pay 5000 dollars.

Go to a real school instead.

Buy pro tools and a manual and you will be better off.

I attended Columbia Academy In the early 90's and took the Digital/Analog Recording Arts Program. Was told during enrollment I would have access to the studios during my off days as well as all the career opportunities in the field, only to find out the instructors usually book the studios for their own personal use , and they were teaching methods used which were already outdated. The instructors act like used car salesman and make you feel like all you need is their certificate in order to maintain employment. What they fail to mention is the music and recording industry is about networking and "who you know" and networking which they provide zero assistance and most are aspiring or washed up musicians and producers themselves who have had little or no success in the industry that's why they are instructors. When I read all the so-called success stories they have posted, the actual course had no relavencey in their success. Now I am stuck with a $14,000 student loan that I have to try and pay back in the construction field. As soon as you walk into the school its a sales pitch they had the student loan forms all filled out for me and all I had to do was sign on the line.

No school can (or should) promise a student a job, and Columbia Academy doesn't. What is does promise is that if you work hard and apply what they're teaching you, that you'll walk away ready to work in your chosen field. The training is hands-on and realistic.