USC MFA in Screenwriting Applicants 2018

I really don't want to be a Debbie Downer, because It can be somewhat unproductive and deflating to what should be a joyous occasion for many (people are getting into their dream school! Fulfilling their goals, etc!) But I love me some Rachel Dratch, so I'm doing it anyways!

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Last year, there were two weekends in which acceptances were sent out. The last weekend of February, and the first weekend of March. Altogether, about eight or so people reported acceptances. With the cap being 32 a year, that's about 1/4 of the entire class.

This year, about 10 people have reported acceptances. Nearly a third of all applicants. That's actually rather high, which is ironic considering all the fears that NONE of us were being accepted! But to us leftovers, it's also a pretty big sign of what's to come.

With luck, we will know rather soon. But that wasn't the case in 2017 -- it took nearly the entirety of March for everyone else here to get denials. Weeks and weeks of waiting, still hoping for a miracle. And it didn't help us that, up until the week before all the rejections were sent out, the admissions department was still egging us on with promises of "more acceptances are being sent out!" and the like. Many members of the forum called up the school, and they NEVER said what we all were kind of thinking...all the acceptances have been sent, you are almost definetly denied, etc. Honestly, I bet they weren't allowed to say -- easiest way to satisfy a customer is to tell them want they want to hear, right? And we all wanted to hear that there was still a smidgen of hope to latch on to.

But, at the end of the day? I kind of regretted committing so much to that. I was in denial for way too long and, for myself personally, it was not very healthy. Well it's truly impossible to eliminate all hope from the equation (at least for my human brain, trying to argue waitlist and what not), being lead on for weeks about something that had no chance of happening was not at all fun.

So to drop this long winded diatribe and return to the meat of the subject: I am pretty sure all the acceptances have been sent out, and the gap between the two points (acceptances being sent out, and denials being sent out) is all just dead space. But, man, I would love to be proven dead wrong bt ANY of us getting acceptance letters within the next few weeks...would prove that hope is a worthwhile endeavor within the coming days. Which is always nice.
Me too- don’t worry, I’m not getting my hopes up. I just figure why not stay positive. USC isn’t the only way to make it anyway :) we got this!
 
Me too- don’t worry, I’m not getting my hopes up. I just figure why not stay positive. USC isn’t the only way to make it anyway :) we got this!

Totally agree with you. I have not received an acceptance/decision letter yet either.. But I'd like to stay positive as well.
 
Which portal are people referring to? The slide room portal or the general admission one? I've checked both and haven't seen a decision either way yet?

I
You.sc.edu (is my understanding) I haven’t received a letter personally though. I think so far some acceptances have gone out (could be all but who knows). It doesn’t seem rejections have. Best of luck!!!
 
Which portal are people referring to? The slide room portal or the general admission one? I've checked both and haven't seen a decision either way yet?

I

you.usc.edu/login is where I go to login. You have to register for it with your provided number first, if you haven't. Under there is a tab entitled "Decision Status." If you have a letter, it will be there. If you don't, then you are in limbo with the rest of us.
 
Yay limbo party!

I had my interviews with Columbia and AFI within the past couple weeks and have literally spent the entire time since questioning everything I said in them, wondering if I could have said more. And now other people are str8 up getting accepted to SC... I haven't felt this much anxiety since I was in the military.

Literally about to go on a cabernet and xanax diet until this whole thing gets sorted out.
 
I had my interviews with Columbia and AFI within the past couple weeks and have literally spent the entire time since questioning everything I said in them, wondering if I could have said more. And now other people are str8 up getting accepted to SC... I haven't felt this much anxiety since I was in the military.

Literally about to go on a cabernet and xanax diet until this whole thing gets sorted out.

Hey, you're doing well. Interviews to multiple places means you're doing well. For me, I saw someone post about their acceptance letter and checked mine and saw none. I returned later and there it was, so it is batched out. I cannot speak for AFI because I've never applied there, but I've applied to Columbia twice and I know from both spreadsheets and different staff members who I've spoken to that they do "on occasion" batch out the acceptance letters.

Best of luck. And congrats on the interviews!
 
hey guys, do you think it’s a good idea to start a different thread for everyone who’s been admitted, to talk about financing, housing, maybe connecting to find some roommates? i wouldn’t want to clog this place up with all of that when people are still hanging in there!
 
hey guys, do you think it’s a good idea to start a different thread for everyone who’s been admitted, to talk about financing, housing, maybe connecting to find some roommates? i wouldn’t want to clog this place up with all of that when people are still hanging in there!

That's what people did last year, so I don't see why not! Leave us to wallow in our malease and anxiety -- you cool kids have actual important things to discuss! Of course, expect many of us to be eavesdropping in wistfully, like so:

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I had my interviews with Columbia and AFI within the past couple weeks and have literally spent the entire time since questioning everything I said in them, wondering if I could have said more. And now other people are str8 up getting accepted to SC... I haven't felt this much anxiety since I was in the military.

Literally about to go on a cabernet and xanax diet until this whole thing gets sorted out.
Cabernet and Xanax sound about right to me!
 
Hey guys (and gals -- I use that word very informally, apologies), but I created this separate thread in order to do something I've considered for a while: releasing my USC application samples to the world (a.k.a. you guys) to judge. I also opened up the forum for if anyone else would like to share their material too. If any of you would be so kind as to read my work and let me know what you think (negative is totally fine, and I would argue more important than positive in this particular instance), I would be so, so grateful. Thanks!

Critique My Application Material (And Share Yours Too, If Willing)
 
@those who got in, congratulations :') if any are still lurking around the forum, would you be willing to share a line or two from your cv and creative portfolio, just to get the gist of it? Each year (2) I feel like i puke on a pdf file that I pass as a cv and creative portfolio
 
So to the people who found out they were accepted through the you.usc.edu portal: did you ever end up getting the official email? If not...that's certainly weird.
 
hey guys, do you think it’s a good idea to start a different thread for everyone who’s been admitted, to talk about financing, housing, maybe connecting to find some roommates? i wouldn’t want to clog this place up with all of that when people are still hanging in there!
Yes, I am already getting anxious about money -- and I already live in LA, so am happy to make recommendations/keep my ears open for anyone looking for roommates!
 
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