Columbia Fall 2010

[Cathy Chang]

It seems silent here the whole weekend...

Still no news for me, and is hoping that they will start with the "second wave"...and good luck to those who will have interviews this week!

 

[robot_m]

Columbia is on Spring Break this week, so I'm not expecting too much activity.

 

[Neville26]

Yeah, end of next week seems more likely to hear back from Columbia. We shall see. I wasn't as confident at all for my interview at Columbia as I was for AFI, but I'd sure love to be accepted at Columbia. Such a great school/program.

 

[Impossible Protagonist]

I interviewed at Columbia yesterday. I think it went well. I felt really good coming out of it. I actually hit all the notes I wanted to hit, that's a first.

If only it wasn't so damn expensive.

 

[robot_m]

did they happen to mention when they are planning on sending out notifications?

 

[Neville26]

I thought Columbia has always been early April (according to their website) as far as sending out notifications. But could be earlier. That's always a possibility. Hang in there, robot. You've been waiting longer than most, that's for sure.

 

[robot_m]

the past 2 years, notifications have started on March 25th.

 

[jojo]

Hey, I interviews last week for screenwriting/directing and they said 2 to 3 weeks from last Monday. So I'm hoping we'll hear sometime next week...

 

[Impossible Protagonist]

They told me 2-3 weeks as well. I think that might be their standard noncommittal answer.

I still don't have good questions to when the interview is wrapping up. I'm pretty chatty during, and I always forget to reserve something for the end. Boo.

 

[rockie2]

To the screenwriters who interviewed on march 12/13th, who interviewed you? The department chair? Admissions staff?

 

[ragless]

I had my interview today and it was a really good experience! A student answered my questions beforehand, then I interviewed with two professors and a grad student. I really liked their questions and they were extremely perceptive!

Here's hoping...

 

[robot_m]

any word on when/how notifications go out?

 

[sophiedog]

Not sure if it will be different this year, but I got into Columbia I believe on March 25 last year. So you should know soon!!

 

[KaiserSuZ]

@ sophiedog

Do you know of anyone in your class who was accepted into the program without first interviewing? i think a lot of us (who didn't interview are curious to know

 

[Suzako]

I do not know specifically of anyone accepted who was not interviewed. But . . . I mean, this doesn't really come up in conversation. I do know of some people taken off the wait list very late in game.

 

[akayy]

from what i know. they dont tell until end april/ may
so maybe there's still hope for getting an interview. i havent received the interview call yet either but not hopeful anymore
i hope they make exceptions. their program so so good. and this is the only ONE place i want to go to.

 

[sophiedog]

Kaiser--I had to make the really tough choice not to attend Columbia and I think someone from this board got my spot because right after I gave it up, they got in off the waitlist (I just checked the board out of curiousity on how this year's application was..ie procrastinating from schoolwork). But from my research last year, it appeared that absolutely no one got in without an interview..

 

[KaiserSuZ]

@ sophiedog

--thanks! Where did you end up going, do you mind my asking? And how did you decide? (i'm probably not getting in anywhere this year, but in the event i do decide to apply again insider info is always helpful )

 

[sophiedog]

Hey Kaiser, I had actually also applied to law school also and that's where I am now. It was REALLY tough to turn down Columbia, if money, etc. didn't matter I would have gone to Columbia. But things got complicated because of finances and the fact that I'm Canadian (can be difficult to get to stay in the States unless you're sponsored by your job but with the recession and the nature of the film industry, it may be tough to get someone to sponsor you, otherwise you have to go through O-visa (artists visa), complicated. It wasn't that I didn't know how much $$ Columbia cost, but with the recession, the money became a more real issue I guess you could say--from the time that I applied to Columbia to when I got in, they had raised the tuition and fees and that increase alone equalled what I'd pay for a year of law school (in Canada). I talked to as many people as I could--quite a few current and former Columbia students, and some producers and execs. WHen one student found out what the new overall cost was, they said that as much as they loved the program, they did not think they could recommend spending that much on it. It is just a huge amount of money with no job security in the end. I think everyone who goes into it knows how tough the industry can be, but we want it so badly that many of us are willing to pay tons for a really good education (and the connections that go with it). I also spoke to a producer who works on a very successful TV show. He didn't want to tell me what to do but he did say that the industry is pretty chaotic right now (esp. with the recession), and that both a law and film background are good backgrounds to get into the industry. When I told him what I had decided, he told me that that was what he wanted to tell him (law--he just didn't want to make the decision for me). BUt it's not like a law degree=automatic entrance into this business either! It just gives you more options and maybe a different way to get involved (but more in a producing/exec sense (you get training in financing, business, taxes, etc, not directing, and only writing if you happen to make connections and happen to be able to write--ie the same producer I talked to is also working on a new show created by a former lawyer).

Anyway, that is some of how I made that decision. If I didn't have to worry about being able to stay in the country, giving me time to build a career and work in another job while trying to get film work, then I think I would have been more willing to put up that kind of money. Somethign to think about is whether you have another way of breaking in if you don't go to film school--can you intern, work your way up at a studio for ex--film school will give you connections and training faster but if you don't get in/get in this year, try other avenues too.
Who knows if it was the right choice, it was really tough and some days when I'm trying to learn constitutional law I want to hit myself over the head for not going to Columbia lol.

 

[KaiserSuZ]

Hi Sophiedog, this is hilarious, because for 4 years my mom has been telling me I'd do great at law school, and in her words: "Film school is for people who get rejected by law school"

good for you for making the best decision that worked for you--you'll def. still have an opportunity to work in film, and with the finances and legal issues being so involved in filmmaking, i'm sure your background will be a bonus. Thanks for your reply.