Emerson College Top Questions

The stereotype: chainsmoking, bitchy gay kids and artsy types. Yes, some people smoke and we have a higher-than-average gay population, but I found most people to be friendly and open.

Eric V. Burnt Hills, NY 2/1/2011 There are a lot of great colleges in the east coast that have strong theater and film departments. I learned about Emerson College while finishing my associates degree in Performing Arts Drama at a community college in upstate, NY. When I went to Boston to visit the campus I realized that the Theater District was right there and the Boston commons was right outside the dorms. Being a transfer student I was older than most of the students on campus, but we all had something in common "Showbiz". Each student there was going after their dreams. Writers, Actors, Singers, Filmmakers, Speakers and Radio Dj's. Being at Emerson was like are own movie Studio set in Boston. I was able to create Emerson Casting for students Filmmakers, TV majors and of course the acting students. I was also able to work on the EVVY Awards which was like being at the Oscars for college kids. Here comes the best part: Emerson had a LA Campus in Toluca Lake not far from Warner Brothers and yes corporate housing provided by the Oakwoods. When I got to LA I interned through Emerson at DreamWorks SKG casting department. Which was an amazing learning experience. I really enjoyed Emerson College and was happy they accepted me. To this day I promote the college through my events. Overall what ever college you decide to go to, make sure they let you create, produce and have fun. College is the middle man for the real world. My final thoughts are this," If you go to Emerson College, ask about the Emerson Mafia", it will help you in the future".

You know if you belong at Emerson. In the first three weeks you know. If you visit the school you know. It's a great place for the right kind of person. The students are very busy and "individual, just like everyone else". Fitting in means knowing who you are or being willing to find it. Good things about Emerson: it's all about the network, most of you work will be in extra curriculars, you build relationships for the future, people know what they want and have career goals, everyone there is into the same stuff. Bad things about Emerson: registration sucks, dipshits always smoke in front of the buildings, getting equipment can be difficult, everyone there is into the same stuff.

Let me just start out by explaining, I hate Emerson. With a burning passion. The administration won't listen to you, AT ALL, as a student, until you drag your parents into things (and even then, expect to all be treated rudely). The school is ridiculously overpriced and blows massive amounts of money on COMPLETELY unnecessary things (cough, parties for the SGA). That being said, I think my opinion is a valid one; I came to the school excited to attend, and open-minded, and I honestly gave it second, third, and fourth chances all this past year, when it certainly hadn't earned any. The only reason I haven't transfered yet is a good roommate and the fact that I'm going on their Netherlands program next fall. A word of warning to the wise; Emerson is NOT an art school. It's a COMMUNICATIONS school. There are writers, and there are filmmakers--there are NOT painters, sculptors, drawers, etc (or there are very few, and they obviously aren't pursuing it as a major). There is a good deal of musical talent, but there are also a whole lot of people parading around pretending to be musicians. I agree, film is an art form, but there are no artists here. On a happier note, the city is absolutely incredible! Don't don't DON'T stay in the downtown area; check out Chinatown, Southie, ALLSTON, Roxbury, Little Italy, Fenway...it's got SO MUCH personality if you just get out of the school's area and look for it. We are on the Commons though, which is pretty cool.

I'm glad I came to Emerson. I've ended up loving Boston and the people I've met throughout the city. I'm not sure how much I've learned that will be practical in the "real world," but it was an okay choice.

The best thing about Emerson is probably its location. Going to school right at Boston Commons is pretty cool. It's also accessible from any of the subway lines. Basically, you can live anywhere and be able to get to Emerson pretty quickly. Boston is the ultimate college town and I think the heart of it is right around the Commons. There are so many colleges right there that you meet students from other schools as well.

Emerson College was a little arts-based college that even bordered on a trade school for many media-related fields. Now, its ego as well as its endowment seems to be growing, and the school is hell-bent on expansion. It feels, from a student's perspective, that the school is vaccuuming in as much money as possible from its students and their families, and then instead of putting it to good use improving our media facilities, is striving for the all-important University status. Well, dream big, Emerson, because you were a let down.

Emerson is a great school and it is in an amazing location. The Boston Common is pretty much the campus. It is full of life and young people, along with the rest of the city. The school is fairly small, and you can know/be friends with everyone in your class. The administration is getting aggressive with acquiring land in Downtown, so the tuition could definitely spike in the next few years, but the facilities will surely be getting better as well. There are complaints between the Emerson Sports department and the acting department over space and school funding. There is a great new gym and the new paramount building will have a lot of extra rehearsal space for actors.

Emerson is amazing. It's right in the center of everything in Boston, which is both fun and extremely convenient. Boston is also a great college town and you're able to meet so many other people from different schools. Of course, Emerson isn't without it's faults (Not as much housing as we should have- although this problem is in the midst of getting fixed), but if you're looking for any sort of career in communication or the arts, there is absolutely no other college that compares. The programs here are amazing and especially all the organizations on campus allow you to get experience in anything you could imagine, even if it's outside your major. The student body is also incredibly supportive and makes networking easy and beneficial.

Emerson has a wicked location in Boston, you can get to anything you want. There are many alumni active in their fields who are still connected with the school and therefore help with networking and finding internships and jobs. We actually do have sports, and our soccer teams are quite good along with basketball, softball, tennis, hockey, and lacrosse. Financial aid is basically non-existent. The castle program is the best thing you could ever do in your life and worth every penny (or euro that is).

The best thing about Emerson is that fact that I get to study pop culture. What school is going to let you do that in an academic context other than Emerson. We have some of the best communications programs in the country. We have no school spirit however, and as an athlete, working to change that is like fighting an uphill battle, but were working on it. Everyone is very into and dedicated to what they are doing. DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU ARE NOT PASSIONATE.

The size of Emerson is just right. What I'd change is the parking!!! There is NO off campus parking. Hell, there's no on campus parking. If you drive--don't!!! Boston is an amazing city, but can be daunting to small-town students. The environment there is rich with history and culture, so anyone interesting in the arts will feel right at home. The class size is fantastic, and the atmosphere is very liberal and flexible. I find, though, that sometimes the instructors are too flexible. Students need to be held more accountable. How else are we supposed to get better at our respective crafts? It is an immeasurable advantage to go to Emerson if you're focus is anywhere in the Communications. The name is nationally respected, and the connections are irreplaceable; being taught by published authors, poets, journalists, screenwriters, and etc, is a huge advantage over a school where the arts often fall by the wayside. People who know the arts give a knowing nod, or enthusiastic smile when I tell them this is where I go--it's highly competitive in its field.

To be honest I really didn't take much advantage of the school beyond the classroom. I liked being anonymous and not concerning myself with the activities of the normal college student. Living off campus was easy since Emerson was so centrally located in Boston and close to where i worked. I used some facilities like the gym, library, and Em Cafe while around campus but i really liked my freedom to leave and have a life outside of the college.

Emerson is literally in the heart of downtown Boston, which means it's close to anything and everything. There is ALWAYS something going on, whether it be a free show at Emerson or a local concert, movie, whatever. Seriously, the location rules. And there's a ton of other colleges nearby, so it's easy to meet people from other places. Emerson is small, but that means it's easy to meet people (and rumors travel fast). There are a lot of eccentric people, a lot of musical theatre majors that will sing loudly as they walk through the Dining Hall, but that just keeps things lively. Public Safety can be a bitch sometimes, though. It can be pretty hard to get away with things, but if you're not stupid about it, you shouldn't have a problem.

Emerson is the kind of school where everyone can be comfortable. The administration is not as bad as people complain about - you just have to stay on top of your own finances, grades, all that stuff -which you should anyway, it's your responsibility. I've loved it here.

I think the school is just a little too small for how many students go to that school! Taking elevators are out of the question during "rush hour" classes because the wait can be extremely long. Get a work out on the stairs! When you take the stairs, though, they are very crowded, but we Emersonians manage...=) But I know that they are working on getting the dorms fixed which is a plus! If I could change one thing, it would be get the drug addicts off and change collectors off of our campus!!! Best things about Emerson is definitely the education, networking, uniqueness, and computer labs! I spend most of my time in the cafe doing work downstairs, which is newly rennovated. Lots of school pride!!!!! The one unusual thing about Emerson is that everyone is very, very different. Administration at the school is definitely amazing - They are very quick in their actions and reasonable. Most people react almost surprised, but very intrigued that I go to Emerson. "That's a great school!" I'm not the typical "Emo", but I'm extremely creative in my craft of sport and am at the school to help me use my sport creativity into entertainment. One experience I will always remember from my time at Emerson are the finals...they weren't so much difficult in terms of academics, but just challenging in terms of communicaction skills. I liked that it was mandatory to work with groups and present because that's what we need in the real world after graduation. Love that some of our classrooms have a computer for each individual student, too!

Emerson is a school for students who can teach themselves. Classes are, particularly for film majors, a waste of time. Because Emerson does not place much emphasis on math or science, the required classes in those subjects are not taken very seriously, and the courses related to the majors pale in comparison to what students can learn on their own. What makes Emerson College worth considering is that the creative atmosphere of the student body results in a very unique experience, with most students spending more time on extra-curriculars than on classwork. If you are willing to spend your weekends working on film shoots with upperclassmen, you can learn all you need to know from a film II or III shoot before you even take the class yourself.

In my 4 years at Emerson all - literally ALL - of my professors were incredible. They were passionate about their subjects and every one of them inspired me to better myself. Even in classes that didn't focus on creative writing (my major) I went to class with that point of view asking myself what I can get out of the class regarding how I can write better and, I kid you not, it worked. I believe I have found my Voice at this school and I also believe I am not the only one. Read the schools motto and live by it in each class. The professors are good enough to live up to it.

It is the perfect size for someone who is pretty sure of what they want to major in and who wants to be in Boston. Boston is the ultimate college town. On campus, there are constant meetings of student groups. The only way to really be involved is to join an extracurricular. These are designed to enhance your education here. Some students even say they learned the most about their major though the hands on experience outside of class. There are film shoots, news and radio broadcasts, marketing firm meetings, newspaper meetings. There are publications and magazines as well. If you go to Emerson, GO TO THE CASTLE Emerson owns a Castle in the Netherlands which is used for a study abroad program. It is the experience of a lifetime and I encourage all Emerson students to apply.

Emerson is the greatest. The students and its location are amazing. It's really expensive and the dining hall and cafe have terrible hours of operation. The student body is really diverse. From film nerds to indie hipsters and everywhere in between. The amount of students is great. You know almost everyone who lives on campus, but then you see random new people everyday. It's nice. And living is Boston is an absolutely amazing experience. It is such a beautiful city and the size is manageable. I learned my way around in a couple weeks. Boston's biggest disadvantage is the clubbing, bar, and alcohol scene. Obtaining alcohol is harder than at many other colleges. All bars and clubs are 21+ and bouncers are strict on ID's.