Who gets into VCU?
Posted on
2008-Aug-18
at
05:47
Given that juniors can never read enough about finishing schools and can’t always jet out to check them out themselves, here’s what I loved & learned from my week touring VCU.
A
I sat in on Peter Coughter’s second-year “Cultural Exploration” class. (Most VCU classes blend ADs, CWs, Communication Strategy & Brand Manager students together, so holistic problem-solving is ingrained from the get-go.)
In this class- the team selected “The Fall of the Saturday Morning Cartoon,” and delivered their presentation in PJs & robes, handed out cereal just like Saturday morning, while we debated Racism, The Change in Parenting Roles, the FCC, & the Change in Values & Entertainment Fragmentation via what cartoons look like today compared to when our generation was glued to them.
It was a blast and impressive how articulately VCU students analyzed what cartoons imply about our society. So VCU studs are a lot like you; so damn passionate & opinionated and hell-bent on finding the answers. You’re going to grow & dig up so many different perspectives by surrounding yourself with the caliber of studs here at VCU. Not only that, but everyone has some mad cool quirk/interest/skill that finds it’s way into the work done- so it’s important to let your sense of self show up when you work on your application or work on your projects.
When I asked the 2nd year students what their big mistake or lesson was, it’s simply that first year students get so overwhelmed with work and not knowing how to balance it, they forget to clear time for themselves and burn themselves out. Every 2nd year I met stressed the importance of “scheduling” some free time, otherwise you won’t make it. I met a Comm Strategy student that competes on VCU’s crew team M-F 5am-7am, does work study, and is performing strongly in her track- so it can be done. Just relax and enjoy your two years.
As for the “Can I work & school it out” question- it’s50/50. I met a handful of 2nd years that have some part-time job at restaurants, teaching or work study and manage just fine- others (especially the Ads & CWs), say that the curriculum & building your book is too important to focus on so they live off loans to soak up the most of the 2 years.
*** However, everyone advised to not work the first semester, if not the whole first year simply because there’s too much to get acclimated to, so wait until your second year to ease off the loans.
One thing that blew me away about VCU studs- is how unselfish they are. Everyone was happy to share what they learned the hard way, and how they share the mentality of helping their team along, be it showing Photoshop shortcuts, or lending a critical eye to a layout. Because even though they’re competitive as hell- everyone knows that “open-sourcing” while working together on projects brings up the work level & keeps egos at bay. The thing is, it takes a full year for most students to grow comfortable with that outlook- most spend their first year trying to outshine their peers and aren’t ready to play ‘for the greater good’ until they’ve been broken in.
On Egos:
One of my friends is in the CW track there. I took it as pretty solid advice when he told
me his first year, he accepted that he really didn’t know anything, and anything his professor told him he took it as The Word and let them shape his work. Now, in his second year, he feels confident and justified in being able to disagree with a professor but know how to back it up. While some first years seem to think they’ve been in the industry or interned ______, that they know better than their professors or their teammate. But the hot air of an ego turns cold quick at VCU, so it’s important to know it’s OK to willingly offer your work to scrutiny, it’s only going to make it better in the end.
What VCU does better than anyone, is develop your ability to work on more than ‘just advertising.’ It’s just as much understanding the business of advertising as it is the glamorized creative push. The speakers they invite are in film, gaming, anthropology, sociology whatever- it’s all about honing a set of problem-solving, leadership and accountability skills that you can transpose in any field or job detail.
While I was there, I heard a story how Coz Cotzias, one of the famed CW instructors, was invited to speak to a batch of Harvard MBAs, after which, Harvard offered him a lucrative full time-position. Apparently his response was “No thanks, I already teach at ‘Harvard’,” because VCU students are granted equal parts creative & business skills, whereas our MBA counterparts are in a creative drought since they’re all taught in the same safe, dry & predictable method of problem-solving. [I’ve had to rely on that anecdote since my mom & others seem to think that a graduate degree from an advertising school isn’t as valuable as a MBA, however, it’s the case that there’s a shortage of solid creativity so the demand for our craft is there.]
One last thing I liked as I looked around the class- was lack of majority. Brazilian, Caucasian, Cuban, Korean, Indian, African-American, Mormon, Gay, Musician, Prep, Frat Daddy, Self-Financed, Introvert, Contrarian, Smart Ass, whatever, they were all there. The male/female ratio was about equal and this was a class with a blend of all 4 tracks. Our generation might finally be the one that ushers in ad juniors from different socio-economic backgrounds/races/religions and confronts the lack of respectful representation in advertising, and maybe, just maybe break down the image of The Omnipotent Madison Ave.
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