# Chapman v. Ithaca



## McCasey (Apr 10, 2006)

alright, after all the acceptances and rejections are said and done, i'm left with chapman and ithaca as my top two remaining choices...each program has (in my opinion) its pros and cons, but at the moment i'm leaning more towards chapman. the way i see it..

Chapman
-great equipment/studios
-great equipment availablity
-good, experienced faculty
-good location in terms of proximity to LA
-somewhat suspect industry connections
-growing program
-beautiful weather

Ithaca
-good equipment/facilities
-somewhat suspect equipment availability
-very flexible course options for film students (for example i don't have to take a single math course if that's what i want)
-good academics
-EXCELLENT industry connections and internship opportunities
-awful weather

so..please correct me if i'm wrong about any of the above, or feel free to elaborate on what i've written. i'd like to make my decision by next week, and i'm just trying to get as much info as possible before i do...thanks in advance


----------



## McCasey (Apr 10, 2006)

oh, and i'm applying as an undergrad, just to let yous all know


----------



## titaniumdoughnut (Apr 10, 2006)

I'd say Chapman, no contest. But I'm not an expert in either.


----------



## ktabes (Apr 11, 2006)

my good friend goes to ithaca and loves it, i just recently helped him make a film, and the equipment is pretty good. ithaca is a big hippie town though so if that's your scene even better.


----------



## DomRicco (Apr 11, 2006)

I have spent some time at Chapman with my friend mmrempen who goes there. Their program seems very good from an outsider's perspective. They seem to cater to their students' needs very nicely. From what I saw equipment got nicer and nicer as you go up in skill level (freshmen get the bottom of the barrel, seniors get the primo stuff). And I think the bottom of the barrel were DVX-100a cams. You can also use the equipment for outside projects. Plenty of Avid suites (which I was told filled up at times) to edit on at any time. They also have a pretty neat broadcasting studio if you are in to broadcasting. Otherwise they have,  I think, a fairly big soundstage. 

As for proximity to LA it is in Orange, CA. Which is South East of LA. It's fairly easy to get in and out of but can be a chore to get to LA some days it seemed like. It's very close to John Wayne airport so it's easy to fly in and out of.

Hope that helps. I dont go there, thats just my take on it


----------



## Mark Denega (Apr 11, 2006)

I'd say Chapman, hands down. You don't want to go to Ithaca, unless you love cold weather and lots of snow, and enjoy having absolutely no forms of entertainment around you. It's an awful location. My opinion, of course.


----------



## ktabes (Apr 11, 2006)

theres tons of entertainment around here, there's always festivals and theatre productions and film showings all over ithaca and that area, and it has the same weather of new york city, and ithaca has tons of beatiful woods and open areas. 

that's why i own a bumper sticker that says ithaca is gorges.


----------



## McCasey (Apr 12, 2006)

thanks for the input

does anyone else have anything to add? opinions from people in either program would be especially great


----------



## Super Macho Man (Apr 5, 2009)

This thread is from three years ago and I find myself in the exact same position as McCasey, haha.  I just visited IC yesterday and I really liked it.  I don't mind its small town feel, Ithaca is a really laid back place with great food and an awesome indie film theater.  I haven't visited Chapman yet but I've heard some great and terrible things about it.  Anyone want to make a comment that's not three years old?


----------



## ninth_solstice (Apr 6, 2009)

If you don't mind me asking, what terrible things have you heard about Chapman? I've heard only great things aside from the fact that to some, Orange is a little too far out.


----------



## Super Macho Man (Apr 6, 2009)

Mostly their teaching philosophy and lack of liberal arts emphasis.  I talked with a really approachable prof at IC who used to teach at Chapman (I know, she obviously is an advocate of her school, but she admitted to many other programs I mentioned that she thought I should consider over IC).  She brought up the point that they're trying so hard to be USC but lack the intellectual student body to have a comparable program.  On top of that I've heard some not-so-great things about the overall student body.  Personally I think a person like myself would fit in much better at IC with the laid back, less high school-ish atmosphere.


----------



## suenos53 (Apr 9, 2009)

My daughter and I kind of felt the same way when we visited the Chapman campus. It had a very suburban, homogeneous feel about it. The film school, however, had a very different ambiance.
It was similar to the USC...more of an intellectually charged and diverse atmosphere. If your heart is in a film career, Chapman is a great option.


----------

