Interviews - Acceptances - Rejections - Waitlists 2013 (3 Viewers)

[GMF]

Heard from everywhere:

UCLA (screenwriting)- Rejected
AFI (screenwriting)- Waitlisted
NYU (dramatic writing)- Accepted
Columbia (screenwriting/directing)-Waitlisted
Northwestern- Rejected.

NYU it is then!

 

[JBen]

This post is half for those who applied this year for grad school and those who, like I was last year, are lurking and reading up on the experiences of others.

I only applied to three schools, USC, UCLA, and Chapman. Got a no from USC (and not much else after I submitted my app), got an interview with UCLA but ultimately rejected, and waitlisted by Chapman. I've decided, even if things change with Chapman, I'm going to do UCLA's Professional Program.
*this is for those who are considering applying to grad school: just do it. There are plenty of reasons in your head that you think would prevent you from gaining admission. Going through the whole application process will help clarify what you need to fix/change/not stress about. For me, there were two things I thought would hold me back. One was my grades from undergrad. While I went to a highly ranked university, my GPA was (and forever shall be) woefully unimpressive. Yet, even so, I got an interview with UCLA and I got waitlisted by Chapman, who even states they have grade requirements. So, if you are worried about the grades of your past, you shouldn't. No, what did me in, and why I am choosing the PP is a lack of experience. UCLA has a 200 page limit for creative samples. I submitted all I had written up until that point, which was equal to two short films that totaled 36 pages. Now I know which of those two needs to be improved for future applications, and I can stop stressing about the other.

**Now for those who have heard back, I thought I might try something unconventional for this site (or at least as far as I know.) I'm going to be moving out to California for the PP program. I know you can do the program online, but I'm at a point in my life where a transition like this is possible and I've been working towards moving out there for the past few years. I was curious if anyone who is planning on attending any of the socal schools, or is in a similar situation as myself, would be interested in rooming together? I know for myself, part of the draw of film school is to connect with like-minded, creative people. This would be another opportunity for that. Anyways, if you think you'd be interested, send me a PM.

Congratulations to those who got in, keep the faith those who are still waiting, and good luck to those applying in the future!

 

[GMF]

Hey JBen, if you have any questions about the Professional Program I may be able to answer them. I took the Producers course on campus and am currently enrolled in the online version of the screenwriting course.

 

[Yiding_GoFighting]

finally heard back from all my screenwriting MFA applications:

Texas - rejected
FSU - accepted
UCLA - accepted
NYU - accepted this morning!

I always thought it was a shot in the dark to get into ANY of them and now I actually have to make a big decision. Help would be appreciated :S

Congrats to all your acceptance! That's really great- proving how talented you are. I believe UCLA and NYU's screenwriting are the top notch in the country- so either of these two will give you great education and great social network. It just depends on the place and the money- NYU is definitely more expensive and the living expenses exceeds all other schools. FSU's screenwriting is more industrialized- to the Hollywood story world which might give you fewer opportunities to create your own soul-related story. But it's quite good too! Congrats again and good luck deciding!!

 

[Looky Loo]

I forgot to update here also. Finally heard back from the schools I applied to for screenwriting.

USC-accepted
Columbia-accepted
NYU-accepted

If anyone is thinking about any of those programs or has any insight, that'd be amazing! I thought the schools would decide for me, but now I have a big decision to make!

 

[Anon33]

Looky Loo....go where your heart tells you. Columbia has an outstanding writing program but USC is in LA and well, is USC. It depends on what you are looking for in a school. Columbia is good, NYU is pretty great as well depends on you in the end. Think about the faculty, who will be your mentors and will you be able to be guided by them and learn from them? DO you trust them? This is important...

 

[Anon33]

Also I decided to update here...

After a lot of research, discussion and thought I chose Chapman. I could have gone to a few schools but, in the end this program felt right to me. I was also offered a nice fellowship that I couldn't turn down. Congratulations to everyone and thanks for being a part of my admissions process, you all helped me not go nuts while waiting for decisions. Good luck making those decisions, in the end all that matters really is where are you going to be able to be the most creative and do the best work...Chapman is that place for me, hands down.

 

[Ilovefilms]

USC - waitlisted but accepted for the spring semester
AFI - accepted
UCLA - waitlisted
FSU - rejected
SCAD -accepted

 

[Impatient Midwesterner]

So at this point, I'm choosing between USC Film and TV Production vs. Columbia Directing/Screenwriting. Any thoughts? I'm feeling both totally overwhelmed that these two programs accepted me for fall, and also super confused. Help?

 

[Erin Leigh]

Think about what they both offer, what you want to be doing, where you want to be, what scene you want to be a part of. Also, if you can, visit both if you haven't already.

 

[Ciara17]

I'm deciding between LMU, Chapman, and Boston University. I have no idea what I'm going to do.

 

[itsarjun]

Hi!!
Congrats to everyone who got in or will be getting into a film school soon.
I am an international student.I will be applying to USC,NYU,SVA & AFI for Fall 2015(film production).Can you people give me some suggestions before i apply to these universities?
I have a few queries as well,please help me.

-I was told a min undergrad gpa of 3.0 is required for USC(i am not sure of other universities).Is there anyone who got in with a gpa below 3 into any film school(USC,NYU,SVA & AFI)?Will it play an important role?Which of the above film schools take gpa seriously & which ones don't?

-I dont have any work experience.But i did film related projects, while studying in college itself(thats one reason why i don't have a gpa of 3 ).So will work experience matter?I will be applying to film schools right after my undergrad(which is not film related).But i have done significant amount of work(3 documentary films-one of this is still in production, 2 music videos and 1 indie project etc) in films.I have scored A's in all my film/media related electives at college.

-Also i haven't seen people in this blog talking much about european film schools & film schools in Canada (pardon me if i am wrong).Some of these film schools like FAMU, Polish film school have created brilliant directors & cinematographers.But they aren't as famous as the above ones.Is there anyone here who has info about EU film schools/film schools in canada or is there any thread which is already created for that?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Laurenne B.]

I applied last year for the MFA in Film to NYU, Columbia, Boston, USC and UCLA as an international student (from France). I was accepted in USC and NYU but wait-listed in Columbia. I visited NYU's campus many times and fell in love with their program every time. I had the chance to speak with faculty members and students enrolled there. I specifically liked how the department of design and the one of film collaborate together on projects (especially that the department of Design at Tisch is one of the best in the world). Some of the grad students even told me they have students from Columbia asking for their help in projects.
Personally my heart goes to NYU and USC. Unfortunately I could not afford the programs, so I'm saving up to go in the following years. NYU/USC here I come!
I hope this was helpful... Good luck and Congratulations to all of you.

 

[Suki]

Hey all! I was accepted to U Miami's MFA back in February and have yet to hear about any financial aid from the Department. Has anyone heard yet or have a general timeline as to when we can expect it?

 

[anderson]

I was waitlist at FSU for MFA film. Does anyone know how many people they waitlist and typically how many waitlisted applications get in from year to year? They didn't send any type of ranking number.

 

[Decisions-Decisions]

This post is half for those who applied this year for grad school and those who, like I was last year, are lurking and reading up on the experiences of others.

I only applied to three schools, USC, UCLA, and Chapman. Got a no from USC (and not much else after I submitted my app), got an interview with UCLA but ultimately rejected, and waitlisted by Chapman. I've decided, even if things change with Chapman, I'm going to do UCLA's Professional Program.
*this is for those who are considering applying to grad school: just do it. There are plenty of reasons in your head that you think would prevent you from gaining admission. Going through the whole application process will help clarify what you need to fix/change/not stress about. For me, there were two things I thought would hold me back. One was my grades from undergrad. While I went to a highly ranked university, my GPA was (and forever shall be) woefully unimpressive. Yet, even so, I got an interview with UCLA and I got waitlisted by Chapman, who even states they have grade requirements. So, if you are worried about the grades of your past, you shouldn't. No, what did me in, and why I am choosing the PP is a lack of experience. UCLA has a 200 page limit for creative samples. I submitted all I had written up until that point, which was equal to two short films that totaled 36 pages. Now I know which of those two needs to be improved for future applications, and I can stop stressing about the other.

**Now for those who have heard back, I thought I might try something unconventional for this site (or at least as far as I know.) I'm going to be moving out to California for the PP program. I know you can do the program online, but I'm at a point in my life where a transition like this is possible and I've been working towards moving out there for the past few years. I was curious if anyone who is planning on attending any of the socal schools, or is in a similar situation as myself, would be interested in rooming together? I know for myself, part of the draw of film school is to connect with like-minded, creative people. This would be another opportunity for that. Anyways, if you think you'd be interested, send me a PM.

Congratulations to those who got in, keep the faith those who are still waiting, and good luck to those applying in the future!

HI JBen,

I've been thinking of doing the same as you. Moving to Cali for the PP program. Have you heard good things about it? It's a big step for me so I'm a little apprehensive but life is all about chances I guess

 

[JBen]

HI JBen,

I've been thinking of doing the same as you. Moving to Cali for the PP program. Have you heard good things about it? It's a big step for me so I'm a little apprehensive but life is all about chances I guess

Most of what I've heard came from their pitch in the interview, their website, and this forum. But it seems pretty legit, and it covers a good amount of what I wanted in an MFA program to begin with, but at a fraction of the cost. I know they offer it online, but part of why I want to move out there is so that if/when I apply in the future, I'll qualify for in-state tuition costs. Plus, I mean, it's southern California. Worth taking the chance in my opinion.
Send me a personal message if you wanna chat more. Two heads searching for info on the program is better than one.

 

[P.F. Murphy]

Anyone have any idea of when the deadline for FSU offers to inform them of their decision is/was?

Thanks

 

[jonesy0730]

So at this point, I'm choosing between USC Film and TV Production vs. Columbia Directing/Screenwriting. Any thoughts? I'm feeling both totally overwhelmed that these two programs accepted me for fall, and also super confused. Help?

I'm in the same boat at this point. Accepted to USC and Columbia but still wait listed at ucla (my #1) and AFI. Basically it comes down to your priorities.

My impressions of Columbus's directing and screenwriting programs are that they're one of the best and the fact that the each give equal weight to one another really seems like it would make you stronger in both. My priorities are writing and directing so Columbia definitely suits my needs better. But I'm from California, did my undergrad in film ucla, and most of my professional network is in LA. USC is a production not a Directing program which they make big point to clarify. It is focused much more on the process of making a film vs the craft of directing. Also the size of the programs are very different 100+ students at USC and 40ish at Columbia. At USC classmates also pitch to direct about 10-12 thesis films whereas at Columbia you have to do one. The inherent competition with people who you'll be working with the rest of your career is a little unsettling.

Obviously you can tell my priorities. The issue is coming to grips with a potentially big move. But like I said it depends on your priorities. Message me if you west to pick this up further.

 

[autumn7]

I'm in the same boat at this point. Accepted to USC and Columbia but still wait listed at ucla (my #1) and AFI. Basically it comes down to your priorities.

My impressions of Columbus's directing and screenwriting programs are that they're one of the best and the fact that the each give equal weight to one another really seems like it would make you stronger in both. My priorities are writing and directing so Columbia definitely suits my needs better. But I'm from California, did my undergrad in film ucla, and most of my professional network is in LA. USC is a production not a Directing program which they make big point to clarify. It is focused much more on the process of making a film vs the craft of directing. Also the size of the programs are very different 100+ students at USC and 40ish at Columbia. At USC classmates also pitch to direct about 10-12 thesis films whereas at Columbia you have to do one. The inherent competition with people who you'll be working with the rest of your career is a little unsettling.

Obviously you can tell my priorities. The issue is coming to grips with a potentially big move. But like I said it depends on your priorities. Message me if you west to pick this up further.

Funny - I was accepted at UCLA and wait listed at Columbia (1st choice)...wish we could trade!