Congratulations! I mentioned above but I will be attending next year. That said, I of course haven't started the program yet so take what I have to say with a grain salt, but I have a good understanding of the school after lots of research. Here's essentially why I committed to Feirstein...
1. It's actually affordable - just over 20k for a year's tuition in film school is pretty unheard of, especially if you want to stay in NYC. Yes NYU and Columbia are more established programs, and yet there is no way I was gonna put myself in that much debt for a degree.
2. The equipment and facilities - Feirstein is unrivaled in terms of camera equipment, stages and studios, and other resources for production and post-production. The school is massive, not to mention it's located within Steiner Studios (although it should be noted they are still completely independent. This was made clear in the tour, and students should not expect to just walk onto a hot set).
3. Collaboration over competition - this program is three years, and allows students to learn all facets of filmmaking, instead of pigeon holing yourself into one area. Although you do eventually specify a concentration, this is a great opportunity (especially for directors) to learn the physical trade of filmmaking, which will then make yourself more marketable in the real world. That said, you may be a DP on one film, a producer for another, and a director for another all at the same time. Feirstein markets itself as a program made to encourage collaboration over anything else, unlike other programs where all the students are competing to be the "best", while exclusively focusing on personal projects.
I want to make one thing clear above all else - literally no one will ever care what name is at the top of your degree. As long as you're learning and making connections, you'll be set. Make friends with your peers, follow the ones who are committed and creative, and it will be a worth while investment. Those people (as well as the professors, where half are teaching at Columbia and NYU as well) will help build your foundation. It does not have the same esteemed reputation as other schools, mostly because it's a fairly new program, and yet I really believe film school is what you make it. With the resources, low cost, and opportunity to learn such a wide breadth of skills, I'm definitely looking forward to going.
