Undergraduate Film School Application Deadlines (Updated for 2026 Entry)

• Early Action: Apply early. If you are accepted, you are NOT required to withdraw all other applications and attend your target film school.
• Early Decision I: Apply early. If you are accepted, you agree to withdraw all other applications and attend your target film school.
• Early Decision II: Apply early. If you are accepted, you agree to withdraw all other applications and attend your target film school. Unlike E.D. I, you have additional time to apply Regular Decision and/or Priority Decision to other film schools.
• Priority Deadline: Apply before Regular Decision. The Admissions team will prioritize your application, but it is non-binding.
• Honors Essay: Apply to be considered for your target film school’s honors program.
• Regular Decision: Apply with the majority of applicants.
• Returning Student Deadline: Apply for re-enrollment.
• Rolling: Your target film school continues to review applications after the final deadline and may admit you, if space is available and you meet the requirements.
• Questbridge Deadline: An alternative to the University-specific core application or the Common Application. Designed to help high school seniors from a disadvantaged background apply to top-ranked colleges. (Note: Not all universities offer the Questbridge application.)
• Transfer Deadline: Apply to transfer from another accredited university or college to your target film school(s) in the fall or spring.
• Supplemental Application Deadline: Submit creative materials to supplement the University-specific application, the Common Application, or the Questbridge application.

October 15, 2025​

• Florida State University - College of Motion Picture Arts: Early Action (FALL)
  • Open to Florida residents ONLY
• Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television - Regular Decision (SPRING)
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design – Transfer Deadline (SPRING)
• University of North Carolina - School of the Arts — Early Decision (FALL)
• Stanford University Department of Art & Art History — Regular Decision (FALL)
• University of Texas at Austin - Department of Radio-Television-Film — Early Action (FALL)

November 1, 2025​

• American University – Early Action, Early Decision I (FALL)
• Boston College - Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences – Early Decision I (First-Year Students Only) (FALL)
• Boston University - College of Communication – Early Decision I (FALL)
• California College of ASU — Priority Decision (FALL)
• Chapman University - Dodge College of Film and Media Arts:
  • Priority Decision (for Writing for Film and Television BFA)
  • Early Decision (for ALL other BFA programs)
  • Early Action (for ALL other BGRA programs)
  • Regular Decision (ONLY for Film and Television Production BFA)
• Columbia University School of the Arts — Early Decision I (FALL)
• DePaul University - School of Cinematic Arts – Early Action (FALL)
• George Fox University – Early Action (FALL)
• Ithaca College - Cinema and Photography – Regular Decision (SPRING) | Early Decision (FALL)
• Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television — Early Action | Early Decision I (FALL)
• Northwestern University - School of Communication – Early Decision (FALL)
• NYU - Tisch Undergraduate Film & Television — Early Decision I (FALL)
• Stony Brook University — Early Action (FALL)
• Towson University - Department of Electronic Media and Film – Early Action | Honors College (FALL) | Regular Decision (SPRING)
• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts — Priority Deadline (SPRING/FALL)

November 3, 2025​

• Emerson College – Early Decision I, Early Action (FALL)
  • Honors Essay Deadline: November 17, 2025

November 13, 2025​

• Columbia College Chicago — Regular Decision (SPRING)

November 14, 2025​

• Rhode Island School of Design — Early Decision (FALL)

November 15, 2025​

• American University – Early Decision (FALL)
• ArtCenter College of Design — Early Action (FALL)
• California College of the Arts — Early Action (FALL)
• DePaul University - School of Cinematic Arts – Early Action (FALL)
• ArtCenter College of Design — Early Action (FALL)
• Hofstra University — Early Action I (FALL)
• Ohio University School of Film – Internal Transfer Early Decision (FALL)
• Pratt Institute — Early Action (FALL)
• Syracuse University - Newhouse School Of Public Communications – Early Decision I (First-Year Students Only) (FALL)
• Towson University - Department of Electronic Media and Film – Transfer Deadline (SPRING)
• University of Colorado at Denver, Boulder - College of Arts and Media — Early Action (FALL)
• Wesleyan University - The College of Film and the Moving Image (CFILM) — Early Decision I (FALL)

November 17, 2025​

• Columbia College Chicago — Regular Decision (SPRING)

November 30, 2025​

• San Diego State University - School of Theatre, Television, and Film — Regular Decision | Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• San Francisco State University (SFSU) - School of Cinema — Returning Student Deadline (SPRING)
• UCLA - Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media — Regular Decision (First-Year Students Only) | Transfer Deadline (UC Application Only) (FALL)

December 1, 2025​

• Boston College - Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences – Early Decision II (FALL)
• California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) - Program in Film and Video – Priority Deadline (FALL)
• Columbia College Chicago — Regular Decision (for Acting for Stage and Screen BFA; Comedy Writing and Performance BFA) | Priority Deadline (for Film and Television BFA) (FALL)
• Emerson College – Early Decision II (FALL)
• Fitchburg State University — Transfer Deadline (SPRING)
• Florida State University - College of Motion Picture Arts – Regular Decision (FALL)
• Ithaca College - Cinema and Photography – Early Action (FALL)
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design – Early Action (FALL)
• San Francisco State University (SFSU) - School of Cinema — Priority Regular Decision (FALL)
• UC Riverside - Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production – Regular Decision (FALL)
• USC School of Cinematic Arts – Regular Decision (FALL)
• University of Texas at Austin - Department of Radio-Television-Film – Regular Decision (FALL)
• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts — Regular Decision (SPRING)

December 2, 2025​

• Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) - Film and Electronic Arts: Regular Decision, Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• San Francisco State University (SFSU) - School of Cinema — Priority Deadline (FALL)

December 9, 2025​

• UCLA - Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media — First-Year Regular Decision (FALL)

December 15, 2025​

• Cal State LA (CSULA) - Department of Television, Film & Media – Regular Decision | Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• Hofstra University — Early Action II | Rolling Regular Decision (FALL)
• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts — Transfer Deadline to Apply for Film Scholarship (FALL)

January 1, 2026​

• Columbia University School of the Arts — Regular Decision (FALL)
• NYU - Tisch Undergraduate Film & Television — Early Decision II (FALL)
• Wesleyan University - The College of Film and the Moving Image (CFILM) — Early Decision II | Regular Decision (FALL)

January 2, 2026​

• Northwestern University - School of Communication – Regular Decision (FALL)
• NYU - Tisch Undergraduate Film & Television — Early Decision II FALL)

January 3, 2026​

• Emerson College – Early Decision II (FALL)
• Fitchburg State University — Regular Decision (SPRING)
• Northwestern University - School of Communication – Regular Decision FALL)

January 4, 2026​

• California College of ASU — Early Decision

January 5, 2026​

• Boston College - Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences – Regular Decision (FALL)
• California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) - Program in Film and Video — Regular Deadline (FALL)
• Emerson College – Early Decision II (FALL)
• NYU - Tisch Undergraduate Film & Television — Regular Decision (FALL)
• Stanford University Department of Art & Art History — Regular Decision (FALL)
• Syracuse University - Newhouse School Of Public Communications – Early Decision II (First-Year Students Only) | Regular Decision (FALL)

January 6, 2026​

• Boston University - College of Communication – Regular Decision

January 8, 2026​

• Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television - Early Decision II (FALL)
• University of North Carolina - School of the Arts — Regular Decision (FALL)

January 13, 2026​

• UCLA - Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media — First-Year Transfer Deadline (FALL)

January 15, 2026​

• American University — Early Decision II, Regular Decision (FALL)
• California College of ASU — Regular Decision (FALL)
• Chapman University - Dodge College of Film and Media Arts – Regular Decision (ALL programs except Film and Television Production) (FALL)
• Columbia College Chicago — Regular Decision (for Film and Television BA) | Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television – Regular Decision (FALL)
• Pratt Institute — Priority Regular Decision (FALL)
• Stony Brook University — Regular Decision (FALL)
• University of Colorado at Denver, Boulder - College of Arts and Media — Regular Decision (FALL)
• Wesleyan University - The College of Film and the Moving Image (CFILM) — Transfer Deadline (FALL)

January 16, 2026​

• Emerson College – Regular Decision (FALL)
• Rhode Island School of Design — Regular Decision (FALL)

January 31, 2026​

• Cal State Northridge (CSUN) - Department of Cinema of Television Arts – Regular Decision (FALL), Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• Emerson College – Honors Essay Deadline (FALL)

February 1, 2026​

• ArtCenter College of Design — Priority Deadline (FALL)
• California College of the Arts — Priority Deadline (FALL)
• DePaul University - School of Cinematic Arts — Regular Decision, Transfer Deadline (ROLLING)
• George Fox University — Priority Deadline (FALL)
• Ithaca College - Cinema and Photography – Regular Decision (FALL)
• San Francisco State University (SFSU) - School of Cinema — Regular Decision (First Year Only) (FALL)
• Towson University - Department of Electronic Media and Film – Regular Decision (FALL)

February 15, 2026​

• Chapman University - Dodge College of Film and Media Arts – Transfer Deadline
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design – Priority Regular Decision (FALL)
• Pratt Institute — Priority Transfer Deadline | Regular Decision (Pending Program Availability) (FALL)
• Ringling College of Art and Design — Regular Decision (Presidential Scholarship Deadline)

February 22, 2026​

• California College of ASU — Regular Decision (FALL)

March 1, 2026​

• California College of the Arts — Priority Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• Columbia University School of the Arts — Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• Florida State University - College of Motion Picture Arts — Regular Decision (ROLLING)
• San Francisco State University (SFSU) - School of Cinema — Transfer Deadline FALL)
• LMU School of Film and Television - Transfer Deadline | Priority Deadline for Financial Aid | (FALL)
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design – Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• NYU - Tisch Undergraduate Film & Television — Internal Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• Ohio University School of Film – Internal Transfer Regular Decision (FALL)
• Towson University - Department of Electronic Media and Film – Early Action Transfer Deadline | Honors Essay (FALL)
• University of Texas at Austin - Department of Radio-Television-Film – Transfer Deadline (SUMMER/FALL)
• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts — Priority Transfer Deadline (FALL)

March 2, 2026​

• Northwestern University - School of Communication – Early Decision Transfer Deadline (FALL)

March 6, 2026​

• Emerson College – Transfer Priority Admissions / Scholarship Deadline (FALL)

March 15, 2026​

• Boston College - Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences – Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• California College of ASU — Regular Decision
• Northwestern University - School of Communication – Transfer Deadline
• NYU - Tisch Undergraduate Film & Television — External Transfer Deadline (FALL)
• Ohio University School of Film – Regular Decision — (FALL)
• Pratt Institute — Regular Transfer Deadline I (Pending Program Availability) (FALL)
• Wesleyan University - The College of Film and the Moving Image (CFILM) — Transfer Deadline (FALL)

April 1, 2026​

• Fitchburg State University — Regular Decision (FALL/ROLLING)
• Northwestern University - School of Communication – Regular Decision Transfer Deadline (FALL)

April 15, 2026​

• Pratt Institute — Regular Decision | Regular Transfer Deadline II (Pending Program Availability) (FALL)

May 1, 2026​

• San Francisco State University (SFSU) - School of Cinema — Regular Decision (International Students Only) (FALL)

June 1, 2026​

• Towson University - Department of Electronic Media and Film – Transfer Deadline | International Regular Decision (FALL)

July 1, 2026​

• Syracuse University - Newhouse School Of Public Communications – Transfer Deadline Regular Decision (FALL)

July 31, 2026​

• UC Riverside - Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production – Transfer Deadline (FALL)

August 1, 2026​

• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts — Regular Decision | Regular Transfer Deadline (FALL)

Rolling Admissions​

• Community College of Aurora - Cinematic Arts Department (formerly known as the Colorado Film School) – No formal application deadline for all applicants
• Hofstra University — No formal application deadline for Regular Decision applicants only
• Savannah College of Art and Design – No formal application deadline; applicants are urged to submit all materials at least 30 days prior to the start of the intended term
• Syracuse University - Newhouse School Of Public Communications – For SPRING enrollment, per the University’s official website: Spring enrollment into VPA programs is very limited. Call the Office of Recruitment and Admissions at 315.443.2769 to discuss availability and timeline.

Don’t miss our admissions interviews with top film programs​

How to Get Into Emerson’s School of Film, Television and Media Arts: Admissions Advice and Program Insights (Part 1)

Emerson College has expanded its Department of Visual and Media Arts into the new School of Film, Television, and Media Arts, marking an exciting new chapter in the institution’s 130-year legacy. The College has a reputation for punching above its weight, including earning more Oscar wins and...

• Alexa P.
• Sep 9, 2025
• Category: Admissions Interviews