I am applying to the AFI directing program in the coming months. Its my absolute dream program, it's claiming to offer everything I want and sounds like game changer in every way fro navigating this career. The downside; I'll be taking on well over six figures of debt. I feel confident I can pull myself out of that hole over time with my new connections and experience, but I'm curious to hear from AFI grads who have completed the program on whether its worth that insane price and what life is like living with that kind of debt. I would love to get some perspective from current AFI fellows as well! Thanks in advance!
AFI Grads who took on loans to attend: Was the investment worth the hefty debt? How are you managing the payments?
Similar threads
- Question
Unread posts
- Sticky
For example:
- AFI Conservatory - American Film Institute
- USC - Film and Television Production (MFA)
- Columbia University - Screenwriting/Directing (M.F.A.)
- NYU - Tisch Film and Television (M.F.A.)
Popular Threads
-
UCLA Directing MFA Fall 2024
- Started by iheartmfa
- Replies: 395
- Film School Application Year Threads
-
AFI 2024 - All Applicants
- Started by MrMeister
- Replies: 335
- Film School Application Year Threads
-
NFTS - Directing Fiction Applications 2025
- Started by Mona36
- Replies: 233
- Film School Application Year Threads
-
Columbia SOA MFA Directing & Screenwriting - Fall 2024
- Started by HHHH
- Replies: 221
- Film School Application Year Threads
-
UT Austin Screenwriting 2024
- Started by Rose
- Replies: 181
- Film School Application Year Threads
-
NYU Tisch Graduate Film 2024 - Who's applying?
- Started by Chris W
- Replies: 170
- Film School Application Year Threads
-
NYU Tisch Dramatic Writing 2024 - Who's applying?
- Started by Chris W
- Replies: 135
- Film School Application Year Threads
-
Chapman 2024 - All MFA Programs
- Started by livlight
- Replies: 132
- Film School Application Year Threads
-
USC SCA Film & Television Production 2024
- Started by Chris W
- Replies: 109
- Film School Application Year Threads
-
NFTS Screenwriting - 2025 entry
- Started by london writer
- Replies: 79
- Film School Application Year Threads
Latest Film School Reviews
-
International Film Institute of New York
Reviewed by: Alumni
Degree: SummerBest experience ever -- What a parent heardMy daughter who is a high school senior attended the IFI summer program and she was thrilled to tell me so many positive things about her...- BYates
-
National Film and Television School (NFTS) - Directing Fiction
Reviewed by: Alumni
Degree: MA/MFAWOKE SANCTUARYIt is not film school anymore. Jon Wardle turned it into woke temple. Tuition fees are enormous. Especially for very poor quality of workshops...- JonS
-
USC School of Cinematic Arts
Reviewed by: Current Student
Degree: MA/MFA
Concentration: ScreenwritingDo not be seduced by the high rankingHere's some things I wish I'd known before signing up for this program. To be clear, these specifically apply to the MFA Writing for Screen and...- Anonymous
-
NYFA - New York Film Academy (Los Angeles Campus)
Reviewed by: Alumni
Degree: MA/MFA
Concentration: FilmmakingQuality Teaching However...The best thing I can say is that for the filmmaking master's program I have truly learned. I am so grateful and gracious for the level of...- Anonymous
-
UC Berkeley
Reviewed by: Alumni
Degree: BA/BS/BFA
Concentration: Film and Media StudiesUC Berkeley Film Packs a Punch!I absolutely loved my time at UC Berkeley and I would not have traded doing my undergrad there even for a top spot at UCLA for a BFA in Film...- 8ballqueen
Latest Applications
-
-
Admitted (w/o Interview) SAMPLE MFA Application 2019This is a sample Application to showcase the various features of the Tracker
- Chris W
- Updated:
-
Applied USC MFA Film and Television Production - Spring 2025First time applying to USC!- emmadavismedia
- Updated:
-
-
Admitted but Not Attending (After Interview) Film MFA 2024This was my first graduate application and I was waitlisted for crossing the deadline...- freesoup
- Updated:
Latest questions
-
Mount Saint Mary's University - Film, Media and CommunicationI can't find any independent reviews or insights about their MFA Film and TV programs online, does anyone on here have any idea about what the...
- freesoup
-
Duke University - MFA in Experimental and Documentary ArtsHello! I am considering different MFAs to apply to and have come across Duke's Experimental Documentary Film Programme. Does anyone know how this...
- arcen.o
-
UC BerkeleyI got waitlisted by UCB film major (undergrad). If I get off the waitlist, I'll definitely commit to UCB. So, how likely would I get off the...- Blair
-
University of Television and Film in Munichhi, wanted to chat with people who are applying too and discuss the application process- alenavetisyan
-
Boston University - College of Communication (M.F.A. Screenwriting)I have heard that the class size is really small. So, do they offer financial assistance to most of the admitted students? Otherwise, the fees...- younisuprety
Latest Articles
-
USC SCA: How to Apply for 2025, Acceptance Rate, and What To Expect as a Film StudentFor more than 90 years, the University of Southern California has trained the next generation of...- Alexa Pellegrini
- Updated:
- 38 min read
-
Biden Administration to Cancel $6.1 Billion Art Institutes Student Loan DebtOn May 1, 2024, the Biden Administration announced that it will cancel $6 billion in student...
- Alexa Pellegrini
- Updated:
- 2 min read
-
Tal Lazar (AFI Cinematography MFA‘09) on Choosing the Right Film School and the Beauty of Not Knowing (Part 2)Exclusively for our Supporting Members, this is the second part of our 1.5 hour interview with...
- Alexa Pellegrini
- Updated:
- 13 min read
-
Tal Lazar (AFI Cinematography MFA‘09) on Choosing the Right Film School and the Beauty of Not Knowing (Part 1)Tal Lazar is an award-winning cinematographer, producer, and educator who has studied and taught...
- Alexa Pellegrini
- Updated:
- 14 min read
-
Introducing Private Group Threads - create private threads to meet your fellow classmates (similar to GroupMe)Thanks to our wonderful Supporting Members we've been able to launch the new Private Group...
- Chris W
- Updated:
- 3 min read
Latest Accepted Applications
-
Admitted (w/o Interview) SAMPLE MFA Application 2019This is a sample Application to showcase the various features of the Tracker
- Chris W
- Updated:
-
Admitted but Not Attending (After Interview) Film MFA 2024This was my first graduate application and I was waitlisted for crossing the deadline...
- freesoup
- Updated:
-
-
Admitted (After Interview) USC Production - Fall 2024 Transfer StudentApplied as a transfer student from a four year public university.
- GabrielSR
- Updated:
-
Admitted (w/o Interview) FAMU One-Year ProgramI got accepted into the one year long...- jetiping
- Updated:
Most messages
-
8,457
Chris W
-
644
Alexa P.
-
480Mike_V
-
479
Winterreverie
-
433
IndecisiveElle
-
426
titaniumdoughnut
-
371StarChild
-
368
Bandar Albuliwi
Highest reaction score
-
3,729
Chris W
-
591Septopus7
-
573
Alexa P.
-
433
truffleshuffle
-
383Abbey Normal
-
373
IndecisiveElle
-
359BuddernScotch
-
351its_me_mari
-
346
StarChild
-
316dorkydiana