Are you applying to Columbia film school for an MFA? This is the thread for all 2026 application year discussions. Reply to this thread to meet your fellow applicants.
Our interview with the Columbia admissions team can be found here:
Our guide to applying to Columbia University's School of the Arts is here:
Our current acceptance data for Columbia University's School of the Arts can be found here:
Follow the link above for tons of helpful data such as:
Also past years Columbia threads can be found here:
www.filmschool.org
Read our interview with Columbia students and graduates here:
And interviews with a Columbia professor here:
Our interview with the Columbia admissions team can be found here:

Article 'How to Get Into Columbia University Film School: Exclusive Advice From the Admissions and Industry and Outreach Departments (Part 1)'
The graduate film program at Columbia University School of the Arts is highly acclaimed for its star-studded alumni roster and teaching students how to tell stories that move the masses. In 2022, FilmSchool.org ranked Columbia SOA runner-up for Best Screenwriting Program in its list of top film...
- Alexa P.
- 12 min read
- Reaction score: 1
- Category: Admissions Interviews
- admissions department interviews best film schools in the world columbia columbia film school columbia soa columbia university directing film school interviews graduate film schools new york city screenwriting top film schools us film schools
Our guide to applying to Columbia University's School of the Arts is here:

Columbia University: How to Apply for 2025, Acceptance Rate, and What To Expect as a Columbia SOA Film Student
At Columbia University School of the Arts, film students master the art of storytelling in motion, learning future-facing visual and narrative techniques. Instructors include Academy Award winners and nominees, such as James Schamus (Producer and Screenwriter, "Brokeback Mountain," "Crouching...
- Alexa P.
- Category: Applying to Film School
Our current acceptance data for Columbia University's School of the Arts can be found here:
Follow the link above for tons of helpful data such as:
- Earliest/Latest Interview Notification Date
- Earliest/Latest Interview Date
- Earliest/Latest Decision Notification Date
- Earliest/Latest Admitted Off Waitlist Date
- Earliest/Latest Scholarship Notification
- Lowest accepted GPA
- Lowest accepted GRE Verbal Reasoning
- Lowest accepted GRE Quantitative Reasoning
- Lowest accepted GRE Analytical Writing
- Lowest accepted TOEFL IBT
- Lowest accepted IELTS Score
Also past years Columbia threads can be found here:
Columbia University Film School
All FilmSchool.org discussion threads related to the film program at Columbia University's School of the Arts

Read our interview with Columbia students and graduates here:

Article 'Q & A With Patrick Clement, Columbia MFA Screenwriting & Directing Student'
"I went to Columbia because I wanted to be a better storyteller and understanding structure... and I do think my storytelling
has gotten better and more complex and deeper and I'm really grateful to Columbia.... they delivered exactly what I expected them to deliver."
Recently I had the...
- Chris W
- 12 min read
- 5.00 star(s) 1 ratings
- Reaction score: 18
- Comments: 5
- Reviews: 1
- Category: Film Student Interviews
- columbia mfa

Article '“The Blood Is More Conceptual”: Exploring the Vision of Seabold Krebs (AKA Patrick Clement) in “Bury Me When I’m Dead” (Part 1)'
If you’ve been following Seabold Krebs’s rebellious path through the world of indie film, you might not immediately connect him to Patrick Clement. Krebs is Clement’s gritty alter ego, a rule breaker who gleefully shows his characters spiraling under the weight of their poor decisions and the...

Article 'Zeno (Columbia University MFA '24) on Inspired Storytelling and Unlocking Networking Opportunities (Part 1)'
After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies from UC Santa Barbara in 2003, @Zeno undertook various projects in the industry that paved the way for him to attend Columbia University School of the Arts. In 2024, Zeno graduated from Columbia’s film program with a Master of Fine Arts in...
And interviews with a Columbia professor here:

Article 'Tal Lazar, Professor at Columbia University and CCNY, on Choosing the Right Film School (Part 1)'
Tal Lazar is an award-winning cinematographer, producer, and educator who has studied and taught at some of the most prolific film schools in the world. In the past, Lazar taught at the American Film Institute Conservatory, where he also earned an MFA in Cinematography, along with Columbia...
- Alexa P.
- 14 min read
- Category: Professor Interviews
- afi city college of new york columbia film school advice interviews