2014' Acceptance / Interviews / Rejections

[JFSWLA]

Thanks so much for the info! Much appreciated!

No probs!

 

[JFadley]

Here's some info from 2012:

Florida State
Average age 27. 182 applicants, 23% accepted, 30 enrolled.

USC (Critical Studies MA & PhD)
299 applicants, 11% accepted, 20 enrolled.

USC (Interactive Media MA & PhD)
44 applicants, 45% accepted, 13 enrolled.

USC (Media Arts PhD)
67 applicants, 4% accepted, 3 enrolled.

USC (Peter Stark Producing MFA)
189 applicants, 13% accepted, 25 enrolled.

USC (Program in Film production MFA)
312 applicants, 25% accepted.

USC (Animation MFA)
59 applicants, 39% accepted.

USC (Screenwriting MFA)
197 applicants, 18% accepted, 32 enrolled.

Chapman University - Dodge (All MFA majors)
Average age 27. 342 applicants, 44% accepted, 85 enrolled.

Loyola Marymount (Production MFA)
Average age 28. 114 applicants, 58% accepted, 27 enrolled.

Loyola Marymount (Screenwriting MFA)
Average age 26. 56 applicants, 57% accepted, 10 enrolled.

NYU - Tisch (Cinema Studies MA & PhD)
Average age 31. 233 applicants, 42% accepted, 49 enrolled.

NYU - Tisch (Dramatic Writing MFA)
Average age 30. 238 applicants, 15% accepted, 22 enrolled.

Columbia University (Film Division, all MFA majors)
Average age 29. 577 applicants, 22% accepted, 78 enrolled.

UCLA School of Film, TV & Digital Media (all MFA & PhD majors)
Average age 30. 1,290 applicants, 11% accepted, 97 enrolled.

Emerson College (all MFA majors)
Average age 25. 109 applicants, 59% accepted, 36 enrolled.

SAIC (all Film MFA majors)
141 applicants, 35% accepted, 21 enrolled.

CalArts (all Film MFA majors)
Average age 27. 246 applicants, 30% accepted, 35 enrolled.

SFAI (all FILM MFA majors)
Average age 29. 43 applicants, 16% accepted, 4 enrolled.

Cal State - Northridge (MA - Screenwriting)
Average age 37. 60 applicants, 40% accepted, 14 enrolled.

Art Center (Broadcast Cinema MFA)
Average age 37. 60 applicants, 40% accepted, 14 enrolled.

AFI (all MFA majors)
Average age 26. 629 applicants, 32% accepted, 136 enrolled.

 

[JFadley]

Admissions (2013)

www.petersons.com

Syracuse MFA- Film
8% of applicants are admitted.

• Acceptance Rate
  • Applied 81
  • Accepted 7
  • Acceptance Rate 8
  • Enrolled 6

DePaul - all CDM Graduate Degrees
56% of applicants are admitted.

• Acceptance Rate
  • Applied 1,231
  • Accepted 690
  • Acceptance Rate 56
  • Enrolled 372

 

[iWonder]

JFadley I would check the percent accepted. An example:

Loyola Marymount (Screenwriting MFA)
Average age 26. 56 applicants, 57% accepted, 10 enrolled.

10/56 does not equal 57% accepted. After glancing over those numbers, most of the percentages are off.

 

[umikami]

It just means not everyone who is accepted actually goes to school there. So around 30 people are admitted and then only 10 of them actually attend.

 

[iWonder]

It just means not everyone who is accepted actually goes to school there. So around 30 people are admitted and then only 10 of them actually attend.

It just means not everyone who is accepted actually goes to school there. So around 30 people are admitted and then only 10 of them actually attend.

Now I understand. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[A Favorable Wind]

Hey folks!

I'm very late to this party but you all seem like such a helpful, fun lot that I have to jump in!

I've applied to the following:
NYU (Film MFA)
USC (Film MFA)
USC (Stark Producing MFA)
Columbia U (Creative Producing MFA)
UCLA (Producing MFA)
AFI (Producing MFA)

Truth be told this isn't my first application rodeo having spent the last four (!) years swimming in rejection letters of varying depths. That being said, I'm happy to share that as of this morning I received an interview notification from Columbia! Check your emails fellow Creative Producing applicants!

 

[Ciara17]

Hey folks!

I'm very late to this party but you all seem like such a helpful, fun lot that I have to jump in!

I've applied to the following:
NYU (Film MFA)
USC (Film MFA)
USC (Stark Producing MFA)
Columbia U (Creative Producing MFA)
UCLA (Producing MFA)
AFI (Producing MFA)

Truth be told this isn't my first application rodeo having spent the last four (!) years swimming in rejection letters of varying depths. That being said, I'm happy to share that as of this morning I received an interview notification from Columbia! Check your emails fellow Creative Producing applicants!

Congrats on the interview! I'm an MFA screenwriting applicant and I'm eagerly waiting! This is my second year applying. I applied to a few places last year and was rejected from everywhere. That's why I applied to 9 places this year. They're sooooo selective! But I'm excited to hear.

 

[Amina]

I wonder when they'll start with screenwriting applicants for columbia...

I do wonder how they judge applicants without a filmmaking background...

 

[Erin Leigh]

I wonder when they'll start with screenwriting applicants for columbia...

I do wonder how they judge applicants without a filmmaking background...

I also don't have a filmmmaking background. I have film experience with regards to acting (recreational and academic training) and helping my friends make student films by acting or working as a set assistant on a movie I was in. I also have directorial experience (academic and outside of academic). I am also applying for producing/writing and entertainment management programs. I graduated with a degree in performance, so I didn't study filmmaking in school with the exception of one or two film classes.

 

[A Favorable Wind]

I wonder when they'll start with screenwriting applicants for columbia...

I do wonder how they judge applicants without a filmmaking background...

Hi Amina! I recall from previous years that the Creative Producing applicants are scheduled before and separately from the Directing/Screenwriting applicants. I want to say that they're about a week or two apart in notifications?

Your guess is as good as mine, my friend. The way I've had it described to me is that most graduate programs are looking to fill out a class, making sure that the students they select can benefit from one another as well as the educational experience. Other than that, 'tis a mystery.

 

[jeremy's sea]

Also, does anyone know about scholarships/fellowships/financial aid? Should one apply for these prior to being accepted, or after you receive acceptance into a program? I'm not sure how the whole financial aid/assistance thing works, so any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

As a UCLA MFA Screenwriter I offered the advice on a different thread to file your FAFSA by March 1st. I blew that deadline last year and it made no difference, but my financial aid was all federal loan based and I didn't take 100%, so I won't guarantee that missing the deadline will have zero effect on anyone else.
Anyway, I hear that the UCLA program is the hardest (by numbers) writing program to get into and the hardest (by numbers) program in the entire UC system to get into, so if you got an interview congrats! There are people in my cohort who applied three or four times and interviewed three times before getting in so there's always next year! It feels a little random, but if you're in the interview pool you have already stood out among your peers. Persistence, work and growth are key and the admissions at UCLA knows this, so thank you, come again!
That said, I love it at UCLA and I look forward to seeing some new faces next year!
(and if you think you have questions now, wait until you're admitted and have to navigate the byzantine UC system, whew)

 

[jeremy's sea]

It does seem in years' past current graduate students would come onto these threads and offer support and guidance. I wonder why it's so quiet as of now.

It just occurred to me today to look in on the next year prospective students. We're in the thick of writing a feature in 9 weeks, among other classes, time gets away!!!
Who is interviewing you at UCLA?

 

[Amina]

Hi Amina! I recall from previous years that the Creative Producing applicants are scheduled before and separately from the Directing/Screenwriting applicants. I want to say that they're about a week or two apart in notifications?

Your guess is as good as mine, my friend. The way I've had it described to me is that most graduate programs are looking to fill out a class, making sure that the students they select can benefit from one another as well as the educational experience. Other than that, 'tis a mystery.

Thanks for your advice. When is your interview? I wonder how long they give between notification and actual interview? I'm an international applicant so would ideally like to travel to NYC for the interview....

 

[rainwhole]

Hey everyone, I got contacted yesterday for an interview with UCLA's Producers Program. So for those who applied to UCLA, keep your eyes close to your emails. This is around the time when you should be contacted for an interview, regardless of the program you applied to.

Good luck!

 

[chanakya patel]

Hi all,

I applied at UT Austin for MFA in Film and media production. Is there anyone who applied to UT?

 

[umikami]

The big turnoff about UT-Austin is they required the GRE. Since it was the only school requiring it, I would have had to take the test for only one application. I applied to 8 other schools instead. Not sure how many MFA applications they lose over this.

 

[A Favorable Wind]

Hey everyone, I got contacted yesterday for an interview with UCLA's Producers Program. So for those who applied to UCLA, keep your eyes close to your emails. This is around the time when you should be contacted for an interview, regardless of the program you applied to.

Good luck!

Great to see there's movement on the UCLA front. Best of luck!!!

 

[Anon33]

So glad you started this thread...I have been looking on here for a while but haven't had a chance to post yet...I applied to these schools for Directing...or their version of it (film producing/production/directing-writing...

NYU
Columbia
USC
AFI
LMU
Chapman
Cal Arts
UCLA

Besides a few little bits of correspondance about my application, I haven't heard anything yet...

Good luck everyone!!

 

[Amina]

Has anyone applied to School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary Filmmaking?