The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale

The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale is an expensive private school. I was planning on going to go to this school for ‘Game Design’, but after looking at the prices and disadvantages of going to this school, I switched paths and doing something a little bit better. For the degree I was ‘going’ to go for would be around $ 100,000 for 4 years for a Bachelors Degree. Disadvantages? You don’t get special holidays off, you spend years just in school, no days off, no breaks… nothing. Oh and did I mention that the credits don’t transfer.
After I came to my agreement I couldn’t go with this school because with the stress that the school will give… students need breaks and also transferable credits would be nice just in case if I didn’t like the school I was able to switch schools maybe like to Full Sail in Orlando.

I attended AIFL from 2010 – 2013. I graduated with a degree in illustration and am currently working in the graphic design field. I will say that the instructors here are great, and i am enjoying my current job, but everything else about my experience was bad.
First off, $ 100,000 for an art degree? Not worth it. thats ridiculous and I am very lucky to have had my parents help pay for most of it, but I’m still $ 30,000 in debt on loans that I can only really pay the interest off of. Not to mention I could have gotten my current job without a degree, which i wish i knew before committing going to this school. How can they justify charging this price for a degree in a field where you will not make anywhere near the income to pay the loans off?
Also, there is no selection with the students they accept. if you can barely draw a stick figure, they will accept you into the illustration program knowing you will never be successful in that field. as long as you are willing to pay, they will tell you your work is great and accept you.
The on site print center used to be great before they got rid of it. since most classes require you to print out your work, its was convenient having it on hand, but removing a helpful service just to save money was just greedy on their part.
If you want a career in graphic design/​illustration i recommend taking some community college classes and watching tutorials online, you can learn everything I learned at the school by doing that, and save about $ 100,000.

Currently attending the school for Graphic Design. So far all the teachers have been quite helpful. This school is not for the light hearted. You have to put in the work to achieve the results to be successful. You have to ask questions and learn like people should. We have lost some facilities in the process and there are added expenses once in the door. Other than that I like the teachers, and my classes are fun.
My cons– added expenses, useless core kit, no print center, no mirrors in the parking garage, bs math class, doubtful students.

I love this place because its the institution where I am learnin the ins and outs about my passion which is fashion, but I far from love the way this place is runned.
The classes are amazing, but they unfortunately offer most of them during the day. Yes, I get that most students in this institution don’t work or have very flexible schedules, which is what allows them to take all of these classes, but there is a large quantity of us that have to work 8 – 5, and therefore are not able to take everything we need at the time we need to.
i would recommend this school to anyone who is interested in art, my only advise is that if you can focus only in class or work during the weekends then go ahead and do it. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a predicament every quarter, trying to find a class to take.

I attended AIFL in 2005 – 2008. I was pursuing my 2 year degree in Fashion Design.
While I found the classes to be very interesting, and I will say that I learned a lot, this school has ultimately ruined my life, for many reasons.
Just before you graduate, you take a portfolio class. The goal is to present this to potential employers the day you graduate. You should only be able to register for this class until after you’ve completed everything else. I was so excited to get my degree! Well, 2 weeks before graduation, my teacher informed me that I was not graduating because I had not completed my math credit. WHY DID THEY LET ME TAKE THE PORTFOLIO CLASS THEN?! I was freaking out. I quickly registered for a math course online so I could graduate. Keep in mind, my lease on my apartment was almost done, I had quit my job, and I was ready to move back to Massachusetts with my degree. Well, I learned my lesson that online courses were not for me. I had a very hard time with it. Unfortunately, it was too late. I didn’t have time to finish. I didn’t even get to graduate, even though I had my portfolio and everything done! I was devestated.
On top of that, your credits will not transfer anywhere. Don’t even try. It’s very upsetting.
ITS SO EXPENSIVE. It was such a waste of money! It’s been so difficult paying it back, it’s ruined my credit, and there is nothing I can do about it.
Lastly, I’m actually in the fashion industry now and I love my job. I couldn’t be happier! I decided to contact AIFL and see what it would take to finish this dumb math course so I could have a degree. I got in touch with the dean, Peter West. He seemed mad that I didn’t finish the one class and then asked why. I’m sorry, but that’s none of your business. What if I had a family problem? Or I had gotten pregnant? Or something terrible happened? It was out of line for him to ask me why. I explained to him anyway what had happened. I also let him know that I am in the fashion industry now, so I have experience. I just need to take a math class! I wanted to know where I could take it here in MA so I could transfer it over to AI. He told me to email him my student ID and the information. I did all this in October. IVE HEARD NOTHING. I followed up in January, and received a snippy little email back from him said «yes. I am aware of your issue.» Then let me know he had forwarded my information to Sheila Walden who is the program director. I have not heard anything from her either. I followed up AGAIN today. I doubt I’ll even hear back. I am FURIOUS.
My father was actually short one class from graduating from a VERY good school in Boston. What happened? About 5 years ago he contacted them and because of his work experience from the past 30+ years, they just sent him his degree.
All they want is your money. Now that they have mine, I’m useless to them. No one will care that you attended AI. It’s a joke. They have commercials on TV for it… such a joke. You’re better off attending an actual fashion school — Parsons, RISD, FIT, etc.

Your credits will not transfer!

Is not a school, is a weird way to scam money. Over priced. Is not accredited, meaning wherever credits you do achieve here is not good to transfer, not even to their sister school in Miami. They just laid off professionals teachers in order to save in salaries, is a mess, is a scam, Golden Sacks dream come true here, get the money, scam everybody and by the way get subsidize by our tax dollars.
If you have somebody that you REALLY hate recommend this place.

I can’t speak to the other review for Fashion Design. I’m in the Culinary Arts program, and I can’t praise it enough. The program is GREAT. The Chef Instructors are very knowledgeable and helpful. And it’s like a tight-​knit family between students and instructors. Class sizes are good, but they can sometimes be too big. That’s why I gave it 4 and not 5 stars.
Screw Johnson & Wales and Le Cordon Bleu. They are all about a name. AI might be lesser known, but it is all about your career and education. Tips: Chef Lyman for Fundamentals, Chef Pete for Baking & Pastry, Chef D for Artisan Breads, Chef Eric for Concepts and classroom lectures.
Cutlery, supply store, and full restaurant on site. Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner on Thursday & Friday, with dishes prepared by graduating students. Stop in for a bite to eat!

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NO go to this school unless you want to be screwed out of a great grade by the staff who is supposed to be teaching you something! If you speak your mind here, you will LOSE GRADES DRAMATICALLY! I was in the Fashion Design Program, and instead of teaching CAD, the staff wanted to talk about the new shoes they bought, and how unless you’re creating High Fashion, there is NO FASHION to design, and I was told that what I had chosen to design wasn’t going to make me money! Well slap them across the face, I have had money made and my designs go across the WORLD! If you have any sewing skills, DON“T go to this school, strike out on your own and keep your money for yourself. I was a Fashion Ambassador, and to keep my position as one, the Head Master wanted me to take another, sexual type of position! I gave up being an Ambassador. I had Instructors steal my designs and make them for their own collections, OH AND YES, students and staff will steal your stuff and NOT LET YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE FASHION SHOW unless your designs are of NORMAL design. That means, NO Goth, Punk, or Underground fashion-​UNLESS your HISPANIC– then anything goes! And no, I’m not racist– but everyone deserves to be in the STUDENT Fashion show!
Save your money, get some friends together and start up on your own, if you need to learn, go to a class at a college, or have a friend teach you and read books!

It is surpassing my expectations every time I go.
The menu gets better and it is extreme value for money.
The music could be better, but apart from that it is great!