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    ‘Financially Hobbled for Life’: The Elite Master’s Degrees That Don’t Pay Off

    Organize and threaten to walk away en masse. Programs like these are cash cows, they need your tuition $$. if all the incoming students threaten to walk away after it’s too late to accept other students, I imagine they would be pretty nervous about that…
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    Columbia 2021 MFA Screenwriting/Directing Applicants

    Faculty makes the admissions decisions. It’s one of the things that sets them apart form other schools.
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    Columbia 2021 MFA Screenwriting/Directing Applicants

    Regarding diversity of the student body: about half of my cohort is international. Counting is not my strong suit but there's a large amount of folks from China, maybe about 5-6 more people from other parts of Asia or who are Asian-American. There's maybe 6-8 Latinx folks (both international and...
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    Columbia 2021 MFA Screenwriting/Directing Applicants

    @runningupthathill Pre-COVID I was pretty in love. Do I love it now is a harder question to answer...I remain pretty obsessed with my screenwriting classes. I'm not sure about where I am directing-wise, but that might be due my personal lack of access to equipment and a crew. There's also been...
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    Columbia 2021 MFA Screenwriting/Directing Applicants

    late to reply, sorry i've been swamped! @Holly.A gave a good breakdown of first year cameras. as you progress through the program you keep being given access to "better" cameras + lenses (you can pry that basic sony out of my cold dead hands tho) to match with the expanding scope of your...
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    Columbia 2021 MFA Screenwriting/Directing Applicants

    I applied to CU and one other school as a backup. I strongly preferred CU because of location, and because I really really dug their story approach. I also heard from alum and current students that the school was incredibly collaborative and that the program has a decent alumni support...
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    Columbia 2021 MFA Screenwriting/Directing Applicants

    Ok traditionally it goes like this: Year one: 6 exercises, 1 3-5 minute short, 1 8-12 minute short. Year two: 6 exercises, 1 longer (20 min? not sure) short. With COVID: I've done all my exercises (a few with my phone due to lack of access to the school's gear). I've shot the 3-5 minute short...
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    Columbia 2021 MFA Screenwriting/Directing Applicants

    columbia student here. i'm not a full ride recipient but it is my understanding is that a couple of other folks in the program folks are. someone asked about interviews...i believe they interview in batches, my interview back in the day was smack dab in the middle of march if that's helpful...
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    yes and you're encouraged to take on internships during your stay in the program too. there's a lot of production work here, so some students choose to stay on when they graduate (or because the city is rad in its own right). i imagine every year at least a handful migrate to LA too.
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    1. I definitely have professors that I have really enjoyed, but I will say I have been very fortunate in that I haven't had a class with anyone that I absolutely hated. i don't know what concentration i'm choosing yet, but i imagine i'll get paired with someone who i have an existing...
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    hey i'm so sorry, i just saw this message. i hope you applied and that your application is successful! there are definitely a handful of scholarships for international students, but no federal loans. many students secure at least some funding from their own countries. regarding...
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    Columbia MFA Screenwriting/Directing 2021 -- autobiographical essay + other questions

    hi holly!
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    Dm me.
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    News Discussions COVID-19 & Film School?

    hey! Our of curiosity, did Columbia ever send that email? What did they say?
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    AFAIK it is not a requirement to purchase equipment for the program (except maybe a disk drive if you don't already own one for post class). the school has a state of the art lab where you can do most if not all of your editing. that said, they do send out a list of equipment recommendations...
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    sorry, i had a brain fart. it's $8 in comp, $25 at the 8-12 and second year level. goes up at thesis level but don't remember off the top of my head how much.
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    Hey! Good questions! The first thing you need to know about collaboration is that is literally the most important reason I chose to apply to this program...so much so that I badgered Dan Kleinman about it endlessly during my admissions interview lol. We are not always required, but are...
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    Congratulations! It's a tough question to answer because I was already based in the city, so my expenses stayed the same. But I think one of the biggest places to save money as a student is making and bringing your own food to class instead of eating out. Food around campus can get expensive, in...
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    They’re always fine-tuning things year to year, but the way it runs now: you are required to take a half semester of post-production, as well as a half semester of either sound, cinematography, or G&E, during your first year. After that there are master class-type events here and there that you...
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    Columbia University Film MFA 1st Year, AMA!

    Good questions! I came into the program with a pretty good understanding of what it had to offer, and to that end it has matched my expectations and I am very, very happy. I have tiny gripes, and they're not necessarily program-related (for example, the program is very well run, but interacting...

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