Is Miami Ad School still legit? Does it make any sense to get a master’s degree from VCU Brandcenter? Are you cheating the system by paying for a short and cheap portfolio program? Short answer: no. Long answer: hellllllllllll no. Scroll down and we’ll get into all the details of how we stack up against your other portfolio school options.

All killer, no filler.

No one else does it like we do. We’ve streamlined our programs at DAD to exist in the perfect sweet spot that gives students a fully comprehensive training in the most efficient time frame possible. That means you only take the classes you need, none of the ones you don’t, so you get to agencies quicker and more prepared than graduates from the other schools.

We started DAD because we thought the portfolio school industry could use some disrupting. Check out what’s happening at the other joints…

Let’s talk money, honey.

Besides our intensive program structure, the other major difference between us and the other joints is sticker price. Why the hell are Miami Ad School and VCU so damn expensive? You’d have to ask them because it doesn’t really make any sense to us. We pack more classes into less time and for less money, so maybe… sick but true burn incoming… we’re the most affordable because we care more about our students than our profits.

A place for people like us.

Our reputation matters to us. At Miami Ad School, they let everyone in. No, like literally, Niche.com has their acceptance rate at 100%. What’s so bad about letting anyone in with a pulse and a check for $38k? Well, that’s a sign they value quantity of quality. At DAD we value quality, so that means you’ll be working with other students who give a shit just like you do. And just because you’re enrolled at DAD doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to finish – we’re not afraid to part ways with students who end up not being the right fit for our program.

While not everyone is a good fit here, at least we don’t have that exclusive country club vibe like VCU Brandcenter. Sure, their 40% acceptance rate may seem admirable but their insane tuition price and program length gatekeep the regular people like us who’d be turned away from Richmond’s finest country clubs. We proudly take college dropouts, artists, skateboarders, creative weirdos, and whoever else deserves a chance to get into the ad industry without mortgaging their financial future.

Yes, DAD is a tough program – make no mistake. But we’re tough because the real world is tough and advertising is oftentimes tougher. So if you don’t want to be prepared for all that, well, maybe some other school is more your speed.