Fashion Institute Of Design & Merchandising

I love the location. It’s one of the good times I had in SF.

My daughter attended and enjoyed the school and class trips to Union Square to review merchandising. She was able to get hired at Gap, Old Navy headquarters then went to work for Vince in LA. The classes are not easy and not a cheap college but worth attending.

I already have an associate’s degree in Graphic Design from a community college and inquired about a Bachelor’s degree program in San Francisco. The lady who helped me (she was British because she had an accent) lied to me. She said they offer a Bachelor’s degree in San Francisco. After talking and talking, she suddenly said that they only offer an Associates degree in San Francisco. The desperation to bring in new students from her part makes her look very desperate for commission.
She further said that with my AA degree in Graphic Design from a community college, I still have no job. She said I should get another AA in FIDM because my degree is useless. I agree because I never APPLIED FOR A JOB in the first place. I don’t care about WORK to be honest. My parents make too much money and I don’t need to work. I WANT A BACHELOR’S DEGREE. If she said in the first place and was honest that the San Francisco branch doesn’t offer a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, they I would have left and she would not have wasted one hour of my time.

This is probably the biggest mistake of my life and I am still paying for it FOUR YEARS later, literally. I have so much debt because of this school. It’s true what other Unilocalers say about this place. The stuff they teach you here is nothing new or special. You can learn this from watching TV or reading it off of magazine or even your retail job. I thought it was «special» to get accepted in here but turns out, as long as you can pay it, they will accept you. I actually got really depress going to school here. The girls here are mostly snobby and the teachers don’t give a crap about you. One class, I got a B in and i BARELY attended that class.
What makes me angry the most is that I dropped out during my 4^th quarter here and they said I had to pay the remaining amount from my tuition. Fine, whatever, so I paid off the remaining 3 thousand something. Now i find out that it was already PAID for because they took the rest of my grant money and loan that was distributed to them for my last quarter. SO NOW I AM STUCK PAYING OFF MY ORIGINAL LOANS AND THE 3000 THAT I TOOK OUT TO PAY FOR MY LAST QUARTER THAT I DIDN’T EVEN ATTEND.
Honestly, this school is only focus on taking your money. They tell you that they will help you find jobs. which is a TOTAL LIE. All they due is give you a few sheets with places listed that are hiring. THAT’S IT. I went and got a job on my own after 6 months of searching, then they wanted me to fill out a paper of where I work so they can use it as and say that «FIDM students work here. and here.and here» making them sound legit and that they help you get job.
I can’t even properly go to school now because I am TOO BUSY working to make enough money to pay off my STUPID LOANS each month. And all the people I know that graduated from FIDM (SF and LA) are working in retail stores in the malls. It’s nothing glam about paying 50 grand for an AA to work in the mall guys.

I attended FIDM San Francisco from Spring 2011 to Fall 2011. I had applied when I was 18 and got accepted at the LA location, but my parents didn’t have the credit to back me financially. Fast forward three years and a move to Nor Cal later, and I finally got the acceptance at the SF location and someone to cosign my loan.
I majored in merchandise marketing and went through financial aid training, jumping through all the hoops you have to go through in order to attend.
While I enjoyed the campus location and the small size of the classes, most of the classes were a joke. A couple of teachers were really good– to this day, the knowledge they have imparted me with has stuck, but the rest were less than satisfactory. Mostly everything I learned could have been learned at community college or through first– hand experience.
All the staff seem nice, but when you’re paying the school $ 20,000 dollars a year, I would hope courteous treatment would be standard.
Sometimes they’d have guest speakers who told you what to do to get that dream job or what they look for in candidates, but the reality is, while one or two may make it, not everyone is. I can’t imagine how many people over the years are in the same boat financially and how much money that is going to waste on this private, for profit school.
In my first semester, I did well with A 3.7 GPA, but it didnt take long for me to realize the best I could hope for when I finished was a management position at Forever 21. As a matter of fact, that’s pretty much what anyone who I went with at that time got, unless they dropped out like me.
On top of that, I attended class with some of the most vapid, self-​absorbed, judgemental, and superficial people one might ever meet. I guess that’s to be expected at a fashion school, so if you don’t mind people like that, then it won’t be a problem.
By the time I realized what kind of school FIDM is, I was beyond the point of a refund and $ 20,000 in the hole, which I can’t get out of unless I die or become disabled and can’t work.
So now, every time some poor, disillusioned soul tells me they want to attend FIDM, I just tell them like it is and recommend doing it the old fashioned way– community college programs and experience in the field.
If I had to do it all again, I wouldn’t. FIDM simply isn’t worth the amount of money you’ll spend on it

I graduated from FIDM in 2009 after completing the Visual Communications A.A. I found the entire experience underwhelming and extremely expensive for what it was. The VCom major was essentially a pathway into window-​dressing, styling and other visual aspects of the fashion world. While some of the instructors were fabulous, the education itself was lackluster and upon graduation prepared you for a job paying $ 12 dressing mannequins. Additionally, the experience you gain at FIDM could easily be gained on the sales floor of any major retailer that has a Visual Merchandising department, and you would be getting paid for it.
Their job placement rates are fabricated, and many of my former classmates continued on to get a Bachelors Degree (myself included) in an unrelated field. The admissions process is definitely a rushed sales pitch — I was pressured to enroll in the summer quarter when I was unsure, stating they will «run out of spots». This is a lie, as everyone and anyone can get into FIDM, and they have open enrollment starting 4 times a year.
Bottom Line: If you are looking for a creative environment in which your thousands of dollars will pay off in a financially lucrative career, do not go here.

Wonderful school with great people!
Compared to my previous school at a UC, I would definitely choose FIDM. I haven’t even started my quarter yet & the advisors made all my transitions so easily, the admissions are so helpful and the people there are great. Super excited to start the spring quarter!

It’s a wonderful school with a wonderful community. I love that the location is right in the middle of the city! Every staff members that I’ve talked to were extremely kind and understanding. There are so many support teams in this school and I’m glad I am attending FIDM this winter!
Great environment, great people, great school.

I checked this school out last year. The SF campus is nice, looks pretty etc. but the program I wanted isn’t even offered there. Although they advertise it as such. Totally dishonest. The program I was interested in was the Beauty Merchandising program. It’s only offered at the Los Angeles campus. The admissions person tried to convince me to look at the Merchandise Marketing degree. No thank you. Total waste of time.

I attended fidm for one quarter and realized it wasnt for me. I dropped out and was in shock when i saw how much i would be getting back. I paid $ 25,000 for one quarter. $ 25,000. For ONE quarter. This is beyond ridiculous to me. I was told it would take two weeks to get my money back (a ridiculously small amount). Its been two weeks. I havent received anything. I called and asked what was up and i got an «i dont know»… Is this a joke???
Yes this is a joke. Clearly they want your money, my money, anyone’s money… I would just like to say i should have never gone to fidm, wasted my time or my money. Apparently this is a credited school (?) but i just paid $ 25,000 for one quarter and no one at the LA campus or SF campus can help me. Im SOL. Shit out of luck. FML.

I came to FIDM right out of high school with a dream to one day have a career in a field that I love. And I can honestly say that FIDM gave me the tools to do just that, as I just landed my first job at Gap Corporate and I LOVE what I do!
FIDM is not like any traditional college. You won’t take a class on Egyptian Studies that will only be useful one day at a cocktail party. This school is extremely specialized and teaches you the skills that are expected of you in the industry. Everything that you learn is relevant. But FIDM is NO walk in the park, it is a labor of love, a love hate relationship. I cannot tell you how many Friday nights out I gave up to finish school projects. I worked my ass off because in my mind it was worth it… to one day do what I loved.
A couple things worth knowing:
— It is necessary to work within the industry while attending school full-​time to gain college experience and to start building your resume. This will be SO helpful when you apply for jobs. Do not expect to get a full-​time job with a FIDM degree alone. Working at Jamba Juice, may pay the bills, but it won’t help you get interviews.
— Classes are only one day per week, but the homework will makeup the missed time i the classroom. There is a LOT of it.
— Depending on your major, there will be a good amount of group projects. And you do get a group grade! It sucks, but as soon as you get to the working world, you see why FIDM put you through it all.
— Don’t come to FIDM if you want a «normal college experience.» The SF campus does not have dorms and most students commute. Also, you are so busy from working and doing homework, there is not much down time. It’s the price you pay to do what you are passionate about.
— This school is not for everyone. But it will 100% help you get a job in the fashion industry, if that is what you want to do.
Good luck making the decision to go to this school! But I can honestly say that attending FIDM was one of the BEST decisions I have ever made.

PROS:
I attended the SF campus from July 2012 to March 2014. Personally I think this campus is the best one out of all the Campuses, it’s not too big like LA, so you get one on one instructor time. But also it has a good student attendance, so it’s not as small compared to San Diego or Orange County. My major was Merchandise Product Development, a mix of Fashion Design and Merchandise Marketing, like a general studies almost. They taught me everything, from sketching, sewing, pattern drafting, grading, theme boards, illustrator/​Photoshop, etc. You name it. Learning these skills opened up a lot of doors and opportunities for me and I also met a lot of cool people and very grateful for my time here.
CONS:
A majority of the students here are literally straight from High School, with no prior College experience, especially with a school structured like FIDM. 10 weeks per quarter, 3 hours a class, essentially you have 30 hours to learn a skill. And the two kinds of faculty, the instructors/​teachers and everyone else, such as financial/​education/​career center staff. The instructors here are great, they’re helpful, understanding and are here to teach you, some of them are rough around the edges, but not like the others. The staff in the financial/​education/​career centers only care about one thing, money, because FIDM is FOR PROFIT school, it’s always money up front, if you don’t have money to pay for a quarter «Just don’t even try, you should just go to a community college» –straight from the mouth of one the counselors mouth. They don’t care if you have an internship, have to commute, a job, bills to pay, kids to feed, sickness or whatever, they only care about your money. I personally have only a few encounters with snippy staff here, but what I’ve seen and heard, they get too personal and it’s not necessary or called for. Except for a select few, we’re all just kids working on minimum wage trying to make things happen, we don’t need your shit, yeah it’s «practice» for the industry, but seriously, step off.
OVERALL:
–FIDM SF is a great school if you have no experience.
–It’s very expensive, it’s a for profit school, but you’re basically paying for the name on your resume.
–Show up to class, do not slack, or you will fall behind, retake fee is nearly $ 1,000.
–Be thick skinned, don’t let any of the staff here get to you. They can be bitches sometimes and get very personal.
–Attend at your own risk, don’t believe everything recruiters tell you at your school or on tours.

FIDM IS HARD WORK! The programs are designed by industry professionals and taught by industry professionals, with the purpose of turning students into industry professionals. The classes are challenging and the homework and project work will take up a great deal of your time. Teachers will push you to work hard and criticize your efforts. You will not get an easy ride. If you want great grades you will have to show great effort. If you are the kind of person who makes excuses about not doing their homework, be prepared to have that reflected in your grades. You will sometimes have to work in groups which means that you will have to cooperate with other egos, so you will have to keep your ego in check. You will be held accountable for your behavior and your success or failure will, for the most part, be up to you.
If all of the above sounds too much like real life, then don’t bother reading the warm and fuzzies to follow, because the warm and fuzzies will not change the the truth of the paragraph above.
If it sounds like the kind of environment where you could grow into the person you want to be, then read on.
Yes FIDM is hard work; hard work that will turn you into the skilled, confident, competent and highly employable professional you want to be. You will not be alone in all this though. When i said your success will be up to you, I meant with the support of really great teachers who will give you constructive criticism while they help you learn the real world skills you need to succeed. You will be helped by, and be helping, likeminded friends who will form a foundation of connections that will be invaluable in your career. Plus FIDM grads employ FIDM grads ALL THE TIME!!! Because they know they’ll be getting someone good who can cut it!
People complain about FIDM being expensive and how they’re making money out of the students. Grow up! FIDM is a «For Profit» school. They make their money giving students a fantastic education. If you want a cheap school you’ll find one, but it won’t feel so cheap when you can’t get a job when you’re done.
If it sounds to you like I’m hot for FIDM, you’re right. I’m a FIDM student who’s working hard and having lots of fun. My friends in the classes before me are getting good jobs and moving on with their lives. So yeah, I’m hot for FIDM.

As a (former) small-​town girl from Texas, it had been my DREAM to attend FIDM since 7^th grade. After completing an early graduation from high school at age 16, it was time to make my way out to California! Keep in mind I started at FIDM very young, therefore graduating very young, at age 18.
Merchandise Marketing was THE PERFECT major for me. The classes are phenomenal. Here’s a little sneak peek into life at FIDM:
–Trend Forecasting: Professor Marvin Brooks, the Prada Specialist at Neiman Marcus SF. Amazing. Analyzing upcoming trends not only in the fashion industry, but «megatrends» across the board. Think about the «COUGAR» trend, older women with younger men. Hot right? Yes, and also our group project for the quarter. Marvin is always looking like he stepped off the runway. Be sure to dress well in his class. He’ll love you for it…
–Entrepreneurship: Professor Fitzgerald. Having been an entrepreneur since age 14, I found this class to be challenging, interesting, and motivating. When preparing a business plan the entire quarter, make sure you’re actually interested in the concept, otherwise you may drive yourself crazy.
–Promotions in the Merchandise Environment: Professor Ruth Snow, event planner/​fashion stylist/​feminist extraordinaire. Her philosophies include «We don’t stress, we re-​assess», «Dress with a PURPOSE», «No sweatpants or Ugg boots». She is passionate and empowering. GREAT life lessons throughout the course.
–Buying: Professor Susan Turbin. One of the most brilliant and endearing women you will ever meet. A true gem. She literally helps every single student in every single class meeting. Whether you are interested in working as a buyer or not, it is essential to have these math skills and understand. Also, sometimes Susan wears this really gorgeous Hermes scarf. I just love her.
Be prepared to meet some life-​long friends, be prepared to give quality work, which requires lots of time and dedication… and GET INVOLVED. I was the President of Phi Theta Kappa, FIDM’s honor society. If your GPA qualifies, go for it! It’s a great experience and Marcellina (student activities coordinator) is just lovely. I was also involved with The Première Marketing Group (great for the resume!). My only regret thus far? I should have utilized the library more… So many great tools and books/​movies/​etc to check out. I never once checked anything out. Darn.
Talk with your professors! Always look presentable! Be on time to class! Most importantly, have fun!!!

I’m going into my third quarter at FIDM, as an Interior Design major. I have learned such an incredible amount since starting this program, and the work is very intense. But that is to be expected for a fast paced design school. I don’t know what the other programs are like, but I can honestly say that the knowledge I have gained so far is definitely applicable to the real world industry of Interior Design and I will feel very confident in pursuing it once graduating. The standards are very high, they don’t mess around. And the truth is, if you can manage it, it will be for the better as any and ALL design careers are very competitive. Take advantage of the resources at the school and use all of your imagination while there, before having to deal with real life clients and budgets.
The school itself is very well kept and I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere on the campus. I’ve liked my instructors thus far and I really look forward to continuing my education here, as well as someday being a proud alumni.

I went to FIDM in 2009 as a Visual Communication student, Professional Designation (meaning I had a prior bachelor’s degree).
Quality of the education at this school is very good. The staff are knowledgeable and supportive. The curriculum is undeniably challenging. You learn a TON.
But there is a major downside. The biggest up-​front selling point of this school is the Career Center and the care they take in preparing students for the working world and helping them find employment after graduation.
Problem is that they are offering the same career guidance to 19-​year-​old trustfunders straight out of high school as they are to educated, mid-​career professionals who come to FIDM to add skills sets and redirect their careers.
I signed papers for a $ 30,000 student loan on the same day that I was sold the idea that I’d receive a lot of support in finding a job to pay off those loans after I graduated.
At the end of my time at FIDM I scrambled to find a job so I could support myself and start paying my loan payments. I’m a woman out here doing it for myself. I pay all of my own living expenses and I have $ 500 plus monthly payments on my loans looming. The $ 12 per hour job leads that the career center sent me were frankly insulting.
One particular teacher recognized this about the school and privately advised me on finding a job and fully acknowledged that the professional designation students were kind of left high and dry on the job search.
Luckily, I listened to her and I busted my a** and got a great job with one of the best companies in the US, on my own. My story is something to take into consideration if you are a working professional who is considering FIDM for continuing education.

I recently graduated FIDM this March as a VCOMM major, and I still love this place! SF campus is WHERE ITS AT. However… this school stole all of my time, life, money, sanity, sleep, tears, sweat and definitely a little blood.
Do NOT attend FIDM if you plan on having a social life outside of work or school. The expectations are high, and the work demand is a shit ton more then you expect. It overall is the best decision I have made with my life thus far, and if you attend and talk to your career advisors regularly throughout your FIDM career they help you greatly with job seeking.
If you are thinking of applying, talk to the admissions advisors and ask A LOT of questions.

Oh FIDM, how I love you but you don’t love me that much! You steal a lot of my sleep, my sanity, and A LOT of my money!!!
WELL… I’m sure my major will pay off.
I’ve learned so much at this school so far. I truly do recommend it to anyone who is interested in the fashion industry. The teachers here are top notch, they do not play around. I believe the reason for tuition to be sky high is because of their amazing teachers.
Every single teacher here has affected me in one way or the other. I really do look up to them and hope to have as many accomplishments as they’ve had.
I like that the school is located in the middle of everything. Right across from Barney’s NY, next door to Apple & Bart.
I hate that once you’re accepted into the school that you’re on your own. This school is all about survival of the fittest, if you don’t step up you’ll go all 2 years unnoticed. Get the most out of it, get to know the staff, DON’T BE SHY! Make friends/​networking/​business partners. There’s tons of talent there, just search!
Hopefully I’ll be done next spring… beware, if you fail a class you get charged $ 600 plus a retake fee, so don’t fail, DON’T MISS A CLASS! Remember you’re paying THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of dollars for this!!!

This review concerns the merchandise marketing program (2 years — I did it in one).
Pros
1) Good location
2) You don’t need to be smart to attend this school (talented for other areas, but intelligence isn’t really necessary)
3) You CAN get a 4.0 without opening the text books that they include with your tuition
4) They assign you assignments where you walk around Union Square and look at displays of stores for 1.5 hrs of the 2 hr class.
5) Teachers are nice.
6) They «give/​charge» you nice canvas bags.
Cons
1) Expensive
2) Program is kind of a joke unless you are coming straight from high school. See Pros above.
3) Job fairs consisted of a lot of floor retail positions that you do not need even a high school diploma for.
4) Classes are mixed, so you may be 24 and in class with a 16 year old who got their GED. Much different life stages…
All in all, I thought the program should have been more challenging and beneficial in the networking side of things.

I graduated from FIDM in 2007 and knew I wanted to go since high school.
All I can say is that if you don’t like FIDM it’s probably bc:
— You didn’t do your research on which school you wanted to go to (and all the supporting metrics of going to college, such as living expenses, etc.) and weren’t even sure if FIDM was right for you.
— You flat out don’t know what you want to do as a major/​career and thought that going to a «fun fashion school» would solve that problem for you.
— You thought that fashion school would be a fun-​filled cake-​walk, only to find out it requires actual work.
— Thought that FIDM would be a breeze bc it offers you the chance to graduate in 2 yrs, only to find out that it requires actual work.
— Are really more suited for the general 4-​yr. University style of schooling and FIDM therefor, just isn’t suiting your needs. Which isn’t their fault.
— Want the campus life and typical college experience. FIDM is a more straight shooter type of program. At FIDM, you go to class, you do the projects/​homework, and then you graduate. We do NOT have Rush Week, we do NOT have a football team. If you want house parties, go to Chico State.
— Failed to see that despite where you go, your schooling, the education you recieve, and the career you have afterwards is ENTIRELY UP TO YOU AND NOT THE SCHOOL’S FAULT.
So, do your research, be sure you know what you want, and if FIDM truly seems right for you, then you will have a fufilling experience here. Otherwise, go to SFSU.
ALL of FIDM’s campuses are clean, modern, and stylish. Their instructors usually have had relevant, real-​life, industry experience and many are still currently in the business. They can give you real life advice and are generally great networking connections or mentors.
I *heart* FIDM