Columbia 2011 Application - Questions

[MAlbie]

Hello,
First, thank you for taking the time to read my posting.

I have been looking at film schools (screen writing MFA in particular) for some time now and narrowed down my choices to Columbia and NYU, with Columbia being the favorite. I have already written the first draft of my essay and plan to use some existing materials for the 10-page sample. My next task is to work on the 1 page treatment, which it seems is the hardest part. I have some questions that I am hoping I can get help in answering.

1: I am currently enrolled in an MBA program and heading into my 2nd year with an expected graduation date of May 2011. My hope is that I would enter film school in the Fall of 2011. My concern is my transcripts. While I currently have a 3.4 GPA in my MBA program, but undergraduate GPA is a 2.7 and most certainly I deserved it because I did not apply myself. Reading this forum I noticed a post that said GPA was not as important as other aspects of my application, but do you think the undergraduate transcript will hold me back?

2: I have seen that many schools request a portfolio or resume with samples of work. Columbia does not request this, but will they refuse to consider it?

3: I do not have a visual submission, but I can create something by pulling in past professional work and mixing it with something created just for the application. I feel that, especially with my poor GPA in undergrad, a visual submission would help. But if I create something just for Columbia, will it appear as if I am attempting to curry favor in an inappropriate manner?

4: I am over 30, so I would certainly be an older student. I have heard that this is seen as a large negative. Is this true?

Any help on these questions or advice that you can provide is appreciated.

MAlbie

 

[UCFfilmgirl]

Intimatesecretary,

Thanks so much for putting things into perspective! I definitely agree with you because you're right, we aren't supposed to know when they started making calls. We have this great blog that let's us know that haha. Therefore, they don't need to rush making all the calls in one or two days. I am very confident that more calls will go out on Monday

 

[PJ]

UCFfilmgirl : It sounds your interview went really well. I finally got my call from prof. Ira at 10pm here which was 10am on Saturday in NY and I am positive that they will keep calling people on Monday. He probably called me through the Skype, showing numbers from Taiwan.

 

[UCFfilmgirl]

PJ,

Congrats! Thanks so much for your optimistic thoughts. I am sure they will continue making calls on Monday and I pray I am one of them. I have noticed that so far all the Creative Producing applicants who have been called are international. I am hoping this means I am next along with the other U.S. applicants.

 

[apple]

Ira is attending Film Festival @ Mexico.
I saw his Twitter.
I think he called PJ from Mexico.

 

[UCFfilmgirl]

Apple,

Oh alright, interesting. Have you heard back yet? You're Creative Producing, right? Best of luck to you.

 

[Koquard]

Eric's a beast because he's calling on Sundays.

I was accepted, unbelievably. My concentration is Screenwriting.

Was pretty speechless so the conversation was like 3 minutes.

 

[aresee]

OMG.
Eric called today.
I'm in.
Screenwriting.
Wow.

 

[Koquard]

Originally posted by aresee:
OMG.
Eric called today.
I'm in.
Screenwriting.
Wow.

Hi aresee,

Congrats. I'm screenwriting too as you can see.

Did Eric mention any details when talking to you - like housing, financial aid, deadlines?

 

[aresee]

Hey Koquard, congrats to you too!
No, he said we'd be receiving more info via email then regular mail.

 

[Koquard]

Do you think everyone who receives a fellowship will be informed by Eric right away?

I wonder that too. Do we know how many people were informed? I see only one poster on here mentioned a grant.

 

[CS]

I was also offered a scholarship for the first two years, though not very big. I'm planning to talk to the financial aid office asap! Eric told me about it on the phone.

 

[ATown]

I got told 10,000 merit on the phone. After the acceptance, it was the first thing Eric mentioned. He said nothing about financial aid. Since I filled out fafsa and whatever that extra website form was, I'm hoping the acceptance package will have some mention of financial aid grants (because, I'm sorry, loans are not financial aid. Getting a student loan is not hard). Columbia was very, very generous for undergrad financial aid, so I'm hopeful.

 

[assal]

hmmm seems like Eric would have mentioned if we were to get a scholarship. I was offered a scholarship for Columbia undergrad without filing the financial aid form. So now I'm wondering how the chances are for Grad school.

 

[jacfilms]

hey - congrats to those who got calls today! what time did eric call?

 

[ATown]

@assal, they will give merit scholarships without the finaid forms, but they won't give need-based grants without the forms. two different sets of criteria and two different pools of money. what they told me about on the phone was merit. i have no idea when or if columbia will hand out need-based funds.

i would really recommend sending in the forms anyway (like, immediately), even if the deadline is passed. you might not get anything right now, but when someone inevitably turns down admission, their need based financial aid will be redistributed. also, even if you don't get financial aid grants, they need those forms to help you get loans.

 

[Koquard]

Hey CS, I see you're a Parisian. Are you a French native? Just curious.

Originally posted by jacfilms:
hey - congrats to those who got calls today! what time did eric call?

About 11:30 AM I think.

 

[andrei]

Did any of you received the email/mail package Eric was talking about?

 

[ATown]

No. And I go to Columbia, so you'd think it wouldn't take that long to arrive. lol

 

[aresee]

No package yet. Eric said we should see email in the next few days, and package in mail in about a week.

BTW, he called at 11:05 EST.
No doubt in my mind there will be more calls tomorrow.
He told me he was going into a meeting at 1pm today and would be in it the rest of the day, so for those who didn't get calls, you could not have received it past 1pm.
Hang in there.

 

[jacfilms]

aresee - thanks and congrats again!