It's what you make of it.

Introduction
I'll be honest: I had nothing but scorn for Emerson when they first sent me a viewbook. All I saw were buzzwords and low test scores. But as soon as I stepped onto the campus overlooking the Boston Common, I could feel the passion and focus that is such a strength of this school, and because of that atmosphere, I’ve never really looked back.

By that same token, it’s important to remember that Emerson is an incredibly specific school. Make sure Emerson offers whatever major you're interested in before you apply, and if you're unsure what that is, you might want to proceed with caution in applying. Due to the overall dedication and passion of most of our students, you'll feel somewhat adrift if you're undecided.

Having said, that, if we offer a range of studies you think might interest you, the school supports a healthy amount of indecision...as long as you're committed to your studies and eager to jump in. For example, I’ve switched my major three times, and each switch has brought me closer to what I truly want to do, which I wouldn't have been able to figure out if the school hadn't supported me in my transitions. You’ll have to be your own worst critic and your own best motivator and in terms of professors and courses you’ll find good and bad just like you would at any other school.

One thing I will say: if you're looking for an easy four years of partying and a throw-away degree, you'll be wasting your time and money here. Sure, in Boston you can find all that (and within Emerson's campus you can find comrades in wasted slackerdom...) but it seems pointless to squander what we have here, particularly at such a high price (35K/year).

Campus Life and Social Life
I was lucky enough to find a best friend in my roommate freshman year, and we have now accumulated a well-adjusted, laid-back group of people to hang out with. There are the standard house and apartment parties off campus, which tend to get crowded fast, and because the school is relatively integrated with the city of Boston, you can expect a fair amount of walking, t-riding, and cabbing it around to get from place to place. But on the plus side, I got to see a lot of Boston that way my freshman year, and it gets easier as the years go by and more friends (and possibly you) move off campus. It’s easy to find a social scene for yourself, whether you’re a euro-trashy-coke-kid, a scene-kid, a straight-edge-kid, an old school Animal House keg-standing college kid, or just a regular looking-to-get-by-and-have-a-good-time-kid. As far as sports go, there is usually a decent turnout of Sox fans and Pats fans for the big games and most people look the other way when it comes to band-wagon-ing.

And even though we aren’t a big sports school, you’ll find that the people who do play are dedicated and love what they do. If anything, the fact that there isn’t a lot of support from the student body overall makes them a tighter-knit group. Clubs and organizations are the way to get your money’s worth out of Emerson—you can produce a film, mix a live radio show, anchor a TV show, act in dozens of comedy, musical theatre, Shakespeare and student-written shows, edit and publish glossy or literary magazines, etc—and get started with all of it first semester freshman year. If you have motivation and persistence, you really can get your hands on equipment and start working up the ranks immediately. Weekends can be filled with anything from a film shoot in Vermont to a themed party at your friend’s apartment on Cortes Street to a Dance Dance Revolution marathon session to going to a cheap show at the Middle East to playing pool at Jillian’s near Fenway—and the list goes on. And don’t ever forget that you’re in the middle of downtown Boston, a city that revolves around 20somethings, with bars and clubs and cheap/free shows and museums, all within walking distance. Some people may miss the classic big sprawling campus, but I absolutely love how connected to the city I feel. Advertisement
Academics
I’m a Writing, Literature, and Publishing major, and I know that a lot of the reasons that I love the department hold true across all of Emerson—small classes, passionate and talented peers, dedicated professors who a) know their shit and b) care about making sure that you do, too. I have had one TA, ever, and her job description seemed to be to pass out papers and sit in the corner of the room taking notes on the lecture and discussion. Professors are accessible and are frequently part-time, meaning they spend a few hours with you and then go work in the “real world”—so when they talk about the state of the industry, they don’t mean the state of the industry in 1992. The workload is definitely manageable. You could easily choose to coast through most classes and get B’s, but the students who are getting the most out of Emerson are taking projects seriously and impressing professors—who, because they work in the industry, generally have some decent contacts to hand out to deserving students. You’ll find that every department is dedicated to staying current, teaching you state of the industry/art software and equipment, and finding practical and lucrative applications for your creativity. I know that some students bitch about how easy their A's are, but as a member of the Honors Program, I definitely feel like I'm getting my money's worth--especially when I consider my level of involvement outside of class, too.

Student Body
I am occasionally disheartened by the levels of pretension and superiority that so many Emerson students seem to possess, but am far more frequently amazed by the student body’s overwhelming talent, intelligence, and drive. The “typical” student is focused, was involved in extra-curriculars in high school, has goals and is serious about reaching them, is a little more adult than the communications major at BU chugging PBR five nights a week, loves what they are doing and loves talking about it with anyone who will listen. They’re from all over, though there’s a fairly large contingent from the New England area. They’re into Donnie Darko and Amelie, Tim Burton and Wes Anderson, Requiem and Eternal Sunshine, indie music, being off-the-beaten-path and having better taste in books/movies/music than you do. You’ll find that, regardless of major, a conversation will inevitably turn to movies—and you’ll never watch a film or TV show the same way again. That said, every year, the class that comes in seems to be a little less different, a little more Abercrombie, a little less bleeding-heart liberal and a little more moderate, a little less willing to try and fail and a little more tell-me-what-to-do, a little less genuinely artsy and a little more my-rich-parents-are-humoring-my-dream-of-being-the-next-Tarantino.

In Closing...
Finally, pay attention to the range of experiences posted on this website alone—Emerson will be what you make of it. If you come in with misguided expectations, you’ll probably be disappointed and transfer back to UT (or wherever.) But if you understand that it is a school with a very specific focus, that the student body is lovably full of themselves and their work, that you get to learn from some of the greatest facilities and professors available to undergraduates in communication and the performing arts, that Boston is the greatest college town ever despite the horrors of New England winters—then maybe Emerson is worth your time. Personally, I don’t regret my choice, and am actually happier about my decision to come with every day that goes by.