How to Become a Student
Information about applying to our photographer program:
Welcome to “Admissions” and “Enrollment Planning” at Landers Photography School!
We thank you for your interest in the Landers Photography School “Career Photographer” Program, the program begins the second week of September of each year (one start date per year) admissions for each year open in January of that year. For information about our admissions process, please keep reading:
After your application is submitted, an auto-response email notification will be sent to your specified email confirming that we have received it. Application: this is just to notify Landers Photography School that you are seriously interested in the Career Photographer program. It does not mean that you are ready to start paying for it, rather that you are just checking to see if you qualify and to set-up an interview with Jim Landers to find out if this is a good fit for you.
Landers Photography School makes admission decisions based on self-reported information from the application.It is important that all required fields are entered accurately and completely. Admission decisions may be withdrawn for students who misreport information or who have not met terms of the admission offer. All changes/requests to the application must be made before August 15 -unless an earlier date is specifically requested in writing from us. (more info below)
Ideal Applicant:
Motivated, happy, conscientious, trustworthy, empathetic, goal-oriented, determined, good listener, wants to please their client, understands that there is always more to learn.
About the Program:
This program is made for portrait and event photographers (not sports, nature, travel, medical, or forensics photography). Low-volume/high profit (family, high school senior, newborn, children, headshots, business and personal events, Weddings, etc.) You will learn the foundation of photography, intermediate photography, and advanced photography techniques with a large part of the program on the business side: Business planning, marketing, client relationship management, how to communicate with clients in person, on the phone, and text-based (text, email, website, etc.) -everything associated with staying in business for a career!
Steps to enrollment:
The process begins with an online application for admission, where you fill out information about you; so that we learn who you are and we know that you are seriously considering being a part of our program.
Submit transcripts or other documents only when requested
Once your application is reviewed, you may receive an email with further instructions. Unlike other programs, we do not always need additional academic information, but if we need something, we will let you know what we need as well as the deadline date -being late is grounds for rejection.
Pay the application fee
A non-refundable $45 filing fee must be submitted with the application. Why do we charge an enrollment fee? Because it takes our time and our staff like to get paid for their time!
- 2. We read and evaluate your responses
This takes time! Please be patient; do not call, email, or otherwise bug us to get your response letter. We are working on it and have lots of things to consider! We are not just reading your application and immediately responding, we must evaluate your application and compare it to the pool of applicants.
If you just want to confirm that we received your online application, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will respond within 24 hours.
- 3. We send you a response letter:
What does the letter tell you and what are the next steps and deadlines?
The response letter is the document that formally informs you of the decision of our admissions committee about your application. Decisions are more than just ‘accepted’ or ‘rejected’. There are five possible outcomes of an application for admission:
- Waiting List
This sometimes is just the initial phase, especially if we have too many applicants requesting admission and we haven’t yet narrowed down the choices -we may be using this as a way of narrowing applications down to a manageable number! Being put on a waiting list is generally a positive sign for your chances of admission. We may ask you in writing whether you would accept being put on the waitlist. If you decline, your application to the school is at an end, equivalent to a rejection for admission. If you accept to be put on the waitlist you should inform the school in writing. This is an excellent chance for you to communicate to the school any fresh information about relevant developments and accomplishments which have taken place since you submitted your application, plus it tells us that you are an effective communicator -extremely important for a photographer. Before you reply, take a critical look at your application, and decide whether further information will improve your chances of admission. Your reply to the school should be well thought out, because it is a part of your application process.
- Conditional Admission
You are accepted into the program, but you cannot enroll if you do not meet some requirements prior to the start of term or by a deadline set by the school. These requirements might be; for example, an additional test, a past debt to the school, a delayed enrollment, a prerequisite course, etc. It would be explained in the letter. And you will have an opportunity to visit with us about it.
- Acceptance
“Congratulations! you have been accepted into our complete photographer program” The letter of admission is a confirmation that you can enroll in our program. This letter specifies a deadline for meeting with your advisor to cover the program guide and sign the agreement. At which time you will pay your enrollment confirmation deposit*.
|
*Enrollment Confirmation Deposit (ECD) |
- Rejection with a path to acceptance
We would like to accept you, but there is something impeding that response. The reasons will be listed in the response letter, as well as the steps necessary for you to take in order to become accepted as well as a deadline date for doing so.
- Rejection
It is not enjoyable to receive this letter, but it does not necessarily mean that we don’t think that you are the right fit. This could be as simple as ‘the request was late’, or that we ‘reached the maximum number of students’, it does not necessarily mean that you did not meet the requirements -but it could, and we would tell you in the response letter the exact reason for rejection. This letter will also state if we would like for you to apply again or not.
|
Sample Acceptance letter: Dear [name of accepted],
At Landers Photography School we seek individuals who demonstrate competence, character, and passion. Those who aspire to make it happen against all odds and want to help others by actions that will uplift the entire photography community.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Our telephone number is (210)663-0558 and my email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We look forward to hearing from you.
|
Your Application Status
Landers Photography School uses email as the official means of communication. You are required to maintain a current email address in our database and to check your email regularly. The excuse, “you never told me”, is unacceptable at Landers Photography School.
All offers of admission are provisional and subject to verification. Please make sure to report accurate information on your application. False information is subject to immediate rejection.
Knowing Your Status
You will not know until we send out the response letter. There is no way to check on the status of the application other than if we have received it or not. We will inform you of required documents, as needed as well as any deadlines via email. And we expect prompt attention.
If you just want to confirm that we received your online application, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will respond within 24 hours.
Withdrawing Your Application
If you wish to withdraw your application, click here
Next steps
After you receive your acceptance letter:
- Say Thank you
Of course, the first thing you do will be to share the great news with friends and family! But immediately after that, you should: (honor assignment only)
- Write a thank you letter to the admissions committee. (old-fashioned snail mail style)
- Write a message to those who recommended you, so that they know that you have been admitted. They supported your application and they will be thrilled to hear that you succeeded. (snail mail, phone call, email, text, social media post, etc.)
- Say thank you to all the others who contributed to where you are so far today: past teachers, people who advised you, the person who told you about our program, family, anyone who helped make things happen for you -we all have supporters -acknowledge them.
Full Fusion