Acceptances 2009

[Filipe]

Great thread!

Here we go:

Applied to Screenwriting (or so) at:

USC - no interview, pending
AFI - interview, accepted
NYU - no interview, pending (rejected?)
Columbia - no interview, pending (rejected?)
Northwestern - no interview, pending (rejected?)

I'm incredibly happy with AFI, but would love to go to USC as well.

Graduated from Film School with emphasis in Screenwriting at Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil), considered to be the best in the country (I have my doubts though).

GPA 3.44

GRE 1210 (510 verbal + 700 maths + 4.0 writing)

Recommednations:
1. College screenwriting professor
2. UCLA Extension Professor
3. My boss - a Marketing Coordinator at a Brazilian Distribution Company

Background: Lived in Australia for 6 months during high school; graduated from Film School in 2006, followed with online screenwriting certificate program at UCLA Extention; wrote 2 screenplays so far, one of which finished 12nd in a contest with 933 submissions. I have been working in a distribution company as a publicist for 3 years. Applied to MFA's after being granted with a Fulbright Scholarship (without which I could never start to dream about going to grad school abroad). Had 20 days to work on ALL applications.

I have to say this site is AMAZING, thanks to all the great people who hang around here

 

[Coop]

Thanks Cabezon - I interviewed on the phone last week. They said it would be a week or two before decisions.

 

[cabezon]

Hey Coop I interviewed last week as well. Did you phone interview with Barbara Doyle? How did it go for you?

 

[Ben]

Directing MFA:

NYU Tisch - no interview, rejected
NYU Tisch Asia - interview, accepted
Columbia - no interview, pending (rejected?)

Graduating from Vassar College May 2009
GPA: 3.75
No GREs

3 professor recommendations (theory, screenwriting, production)

Background: Made about 6 short films while at Vassar, worked at various documentary and commercial production houses as an intern, split between interest in directing and cinematography. Disappointed that I can't live at home and go to school next year, but happy with 1 out of 3, especially coming straight from undegrad.

 

[pardomathias2]

Directing MFA:

NYU Tisch - no interview, rejected
NYU Tisch Asia - interview, accepted
Columbia - interview, pending

Graduating from Royal Holloway university of london July 2009

No GPA
No GREs

www.mathiaspardo.com

 

[ninth_solstice]

MFA Directing

NYU Tisch - no interview, rejected
AFI - interview, pending
UCLA - interview, waitlisted
Chapman - interview, pending

I graduated from the SAE Institute in December 2008 and my GPA is 4.0

I have made two short films, the first one screened in Cannes and was shortlisted for the Tuner Classic Movie Awards. The second one is in post.

 

[Coop]

Yes I did. It went pretty well I think. I actually ended up asking her more about Chapman than her about me. I just hope they get a notification out soon.

 

[notroberttowne]

Originally posted by 96Mph:
What? Hammer attack?

Please explain...sounds like a good story...

About my hammer attack.

I was living off campus with a girl and she flew off the handle and tried to hit me with a hammer (and also stab me with a steak knife). Naturally, I didn't want to live with her anymore after that, so I fled the apartment. This meant leaving school, too, since I had no where else to stay in town, so I withdrew failing due to crazy girlfriend attack.

Needless to say, I managed to get a pretty decent script out of all this mess, but that's not the one I sent to UCLA. I tried to give my interviewer a copy of this script, but he gave me the el pass-o on it.

 

[momotato]

MFA DIrecting

NYU Tisch- Rejected
Columbia-Nothing (rejected?)
UCLA-Interviewed, wait listed
Columbia College chicago-Interviewed, Accepted

I did my undergrad at SFSU in cinema, graduated cum laude, 3.7
Since college I have been working as a producer, my last job was as an animation producer. My letters of rec were from a former film prof, and two former coworkers

Thought I'd update this

NYU- Rejected
Columbia- Rejected
UCLA-Accepted
Columbia college Chicago- Accepted

I accepted the offer from UCLA and will be going this fall.

 

[laurainthefedora]

Wishin' there was more non-LA/NYC love on here!
(See why below)

UT Austin- no interview, rejected
NYU Tisch- no interview, rejected
UCLA- no interview, rejected
Columbia- no interview, presumably(?) rejected
FSU- interviewed, accepted
American- no interview, accepted
Temple- no interview, "high" on waitlist

Johns Hopkins, B.A. in Writing Seminars and International Studies, year abroad in London,
3.4 GPA, Departmental Honors

Finishing Teach For America in Chicago, teaching English

GRE 1280 (640 math + 640 verbal, 6.0 writing)

No filmmaking experience, apart from 1 production course at a local filmmakers' co-op last winter

Recommendations: 2 writing professors, 1 director of college theater company

 

[Bladerunner]

Laura, when did you interview for FSU?

 

[matt kendzior]

Congratulations to those who have been accepted! For those who will have to wait for their moment, I would like to inform you that the UCLA Summer Institute in Motion Picture Producing has 3 spots left. Application deadline is April 15, 2009. If you have any questions about the program then please feel free to ask. It is composed of a number of classes from the Producers Program taught by the same faculty members. It is a great way to get some invaluable industry knowledge and make some contacts.
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/progra...institute-producing/

 

[laurainthefedora]

Originally posted by Bladerunner:
Laura, when did you interview for FSU?

Hey blade, ummm, I believe it was the last weekend of February.

Passed on them on Friday, so that opens a space. Made my stomach flip a little. Hope I like AU (or get into Temple !

 

[bcguffin]

Just goes to show, you never know what will happen. here's how i fared:

MA Film/Cinema Studies (some w/rhetoric)-no interviews

Iowa- rejected
Indiana- rejected
Wisconsin-rejected
UT Austin- wait listed
Boston Univ(MFA)- accepted
Columbia- accepted!!

Crazy that states rejected me, but ivy league took me!

GPA: 3.8, summa cum laude, BA film media, minor rhetorical theory.
Phi Kappa Phi and departmental honors

GRE: 1240

Recs:
1. Rhetorical Theory Prof
2. English/Film prof & Head of Film Dept
3. Film Prof

(I have heard that Columbia highly values the letters of recommendation- the fact they don't want GRE scores also worked well for me)

I am a non-traditional student- read slightly older than the average undergrad student.

Background with filmmaking is limited to small projects and competitions like 48HFP. but very active in non-profit work and using film as medium for communication and community building.

great site, wish i knew about it when i was applying to school!!

 

[Kmegstacey]

I applied for undergrad film production at...

NYU - REJECTED!
USC- REJECTED!
LMU- Accepted! (with almost full ride in scholarships)
ChapmanU- Pending (under digital arts major)

I have a hunch that ill get into chapman because i have good connections and I was really happy with my application but you never know. So i guess toss up between LMU and Chapman if i get accepted.

GPA: 4.25
SAT: 1800

I've got quite the hefty creative resume too just because i participate in a ton of film festivals, entering my own things and volunteering and what not. Im well connected to youth film in Sacramento.

Buy ya i found out how much Fin. Aid I was getting from LMU this morning and i flipped.

CONGRATS TO all!

 

[Squirrelhouse]

This thread is great. This is pretty much exactly the kind of info I was looking for when I first started looking to apply.

MFA Production:
USC-phone interview, accepted
Columbia-presumably rejected. no interview.
UT-Austin-waitlisted

Will graduate from the University of Alabama this May with an English degree.
GPA: 3.98
GRE: 1410 Writing: 5.0

Recommendations:
1. Creative writing professor
2. Documentary professor
3. 16th century British lit professor

Background:
Currently in New Zealand filming a documentary. Rhodes Scholar finalist. Been in Alabama my whole life. Been writing forever and making films for the past few years. Have a band that tours the Southeast. Looking back, I think the Rhodes thing actually hurt me. That's such an intensive application process that I didn't have nearly the amount of time I would've liked for the Columbia application.

I love the city of Austin, but I'm gonna go to USC. And I'd like to 2nd what everyone else has said. This site and the people who post here far more regularly than I do are a great resource to anyone considering applying to film school.

 

[Meghan]

I'm another Critical studies kid....

Applied:
UCLA- Rejected
UT Austin - Rejected
Columbia- ??? (Assuming rejected)
Hollins University - Accepted (But will not attend)
The New School - ACCEPTED

GPA: 3.3 from small private school. Majored in Radio-TV-Film and minor in History. 3.8 GPA in major (stupid history classes killed my gpa...)

GRE: Didn't take it. Graduated in Dec so I was incredibly busy that semester and couldn't take the GRE. Thus why I was rejected from UT-Austin and why I didn't apply to too many schools.

Recommendations: 3 from film professors (1 from film studies prof/study abroad instructor, 2 from production related profs)

Background: My resume has to do with mostly production work: 3 internships, freelance PA work, sports/live productions work, worked as editor, producer, director for student films. So my resume was very light when it comes to film studies i.e. no publications, no strong writing sample, etc etc.

Maybe I would have better luck applying to MFA programs...

 

[nhfilm]

I only applied to one school this year, and it paid off.

I was accepted to the screenwriting MFA program at BU.

GPA 3.27 majored in film and media studies.

Recommendations from the chair of my department, a professor in my department, and a joint rec. from an independent film producer and an Oscar winning writer that I interned for.

To anyone reading who got rejected: I was rejected from every school I applied to (Chapman and USC production) last year. Don't give up hope and just work on your craft. You may even find that you want to focus on something different. Last year I was sure I wanted to be a director, but over the past year I have found my niche in writing. Keep the faith!

 

[cabezon]

Hey gang, I just got word that I've been accepted to the producing program at Chapman!

 

[KayS]

CONGRATS, cabezon!