I am beyond frustrated and upset right now.  Over the last two years I have been in contact with my acting college, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts about receiving my AA degree.  In order to get your AA degree at AADA, you have to take three outside classes, which several people had done before attending AADA and some have taken since.  You have up to 4 years, I believe to take these three class which are – Psychology, English and Science in order to obtain your degree, otherwise you can pretty much kiss it goodbye with the American Academy. 

Wanting to complete my AA degree, so that I would have something to show for the two years I had spend at that college, besides my completion of acting and my $40,000+ in student loans, I was on top of taking those classes.  Since I had not gone to school since 2000 (before attending AADA), I had to take several other classes at Santa Monica College (SMC) in order to even take the credited classes I needed for my degree at AADA.  Towards the end of 2006 I was enrolled in the Fall classes for SMC to complete the rest of my requirements, which at that time I only needed my final English class (I had to take 2 others just to get to the credited one since I had been out of school for so long) and a science class.  I had signed up for English and Astronomy, but then my boyfriend and I broke up, my new apartment and roommate fell through and within a week I had to cancel those classes and move back to Seattle.

As soon as I got back to Seattle, I then looked into winter classes at SMC to take online, so that I could still finish my degree.  I contacted the registrar at the American Academy and asked him if Nutritional Science would work for my science class.  He had told me yes.  Just to make sure (because I was slightly skeptical) I had him verify.  He got back to me and told me it was fine to take it.  So, after I had completed this Nutritional Science class and my English class I had contacted him once again to let him know that I was finished and I had sent him my transcript from SMC.  He then gets back to me and tells me that my Nutritional Science class will not work for my science credit. I get super upset with him, asking why he told me it was an approved class to later find out it wasn’t.  He then told me he would see what he could do and get back to me.  He never got back to me.  A few months later, I followed up and asked again, he then told me that he had it all taken care of, my transcript was changed and that it now shows my AA degree.  He told me that he would have to wait to get it printed until the next graduating class… so, I waited. 

The next graduation happens, still no diploma.  I call him up, he tells me he forgot and that he will have it printed for the next graduating class.  Here we are, two years later in 2009, my time has expired for my AA degree, that registrar is no longer working for AADA (he was let go) and still no AA degree.  I was actually told now, that I would have to re-take a science class and that they have extended the deadline for me to re-take it.  At first I was fine with that, because I do not mind taking the class, if that is what is needed for my AA degree.  I went to re-register with SMC and now, since I had changed my registration to vote in Washington for this last election, I am no longer considered a California resident.  So now, instead of taking this class for free, or if nothing else $20 per credit, $100 max, I now have to pay over $600 for an out of state resident.  This is extremely upsetting since I could have taken it in 2007 for free or max $100.

I have sent several e-mails and phone calls to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and as of right now my paperwork is in review.  I feel cheated and lied to by the last registrar from AADA and even more upset that AADA is not helping me out, after THEIR employee told me specifically that it was changed on my transcript and that my diploma would be printed for 2009 graduated (after being told 2008).   

I find out in a few days what is going to happen, although they have already extended my deadline, I am still very upset that I now have to pay over $600 to take this ONE class, when I have already spent over $40,000 at AADA and years trying to get my degree from them.