Columbia University - Screenwriting/Directing Fall 2022 entry

[Chris W]

This is a thread for those of you applying to Columbia University Screenwriting/Directing for entry in Fall 2022. Reply below if you are planning to apply to meet your fellow applicants.

Here is our current admissions statistics for the program:

Columbia University's School of the Arts Acceptance Rate (All Programs/All Years)

33.5%

Admitted

175 out of 522

21.3%

Waitlisted

111 out of 522

45.2%

Not Admitted

236 out of 522

Awaiting Results Admitted Waitlisted Denied

Click here for our full Admission Statistics for this program including interview and acceptance notification dates, accepted GPAs, waitlist acceptance rate, demographics of accepted applicants, $ amount of scholarship awarded, and more...

When you apply please add your application so we can improve our data.

Deadline is December 15, 2021 @ 11:59 PM​

Film MFA Admissions & Creative Materials | School of the Arts

arts.columbia.edu

 

[fosteli124]

I am planning to apply for 2022 !

 

[whoisTGW]

The time has come after putting it off for so long, I'm applying this year. Finally. Good luck everyone!

 

[Chris W]

I am planning to apply for 2022 !

The time has come after putting it off for so long, I'm applying this year. Finally. Good luck everyone!

Did you guys see this article?

‘Financially Hobbled for Life’: The Elite Master’s Degrees That Don’t Pay Off

There's an article from the WSJ that's been making the rounds, particularly among a lot of the screenwriters I follow on twitter, about how much debt people are accruing on Master's degree. It specifically points to Columbia and NYU as two examples of this: ‘Financially Hobbled for Life’: The...

www.filmschool.org

It's an article on Columbia's high tuition. Curious to hear how you feel about it as applicants.

 

[Nidhi Kamath]

I am also going to apply ! Does anyone know the application dead ? It opens from October I guess

 

[whoisTGW]

Did you guys see this article?

‘Financially Hobbled for Life’: The Elite Master’s Degrees That Don’t Pay Off

There's an article from the WSJ that's been making the rounds, particularly among a lot of the screenwriters I follow on twitter, about how much debt people are accruing on Master's degree. It specifically points to Columbia and NYU as two examples of this: ‘Financially Hobbled for Life’: The...

www.filmschool.org

It's an article on Columbia's high tuition. Curious to hear how you feel about it as applicants.

Yeahhhh I did, unfortunately. The prices are absurd, yes. But IMO, film school at that high of a level is what you make of it. You will have the chance(s) to meet with people that want to get your movies made, and if you can't get any kind of traction with the kind of exposure Columbia attracts, it might just be your work isn't good enough. You know? Like sure there are people that get unlucky, but again, the opportunities will be there at a film school like Columbia. Good work will stand out no matter what in my experiences.

Or... I could be flat-out wrong, and be wasting 300,000+ in loans for no reason.

 

[fosteli124]

are there any statistics on how many people are applying on average each year?

 

[Chris W]

are there any statistics on how many people are applying on average each year?

Schools are usually pretty tight lipped on this (USC or AFI wouldn't tell us) but Columbia actually has it on their FAQ page:

Film FAQ | School of the Arts

arts.columbia.edu

How many students apply and how many are admitted?​

In 2016, we received approximately 600 applications for the Film MFA Program, and an average incoming class is 48 students in the Screenwriting/Directing program and 24 students in the Creative Producing program.

 

[ZoZo]

Yes, I'm planning to apply for Fall 2022!

 

[its_me_mari]

Hi everyone!
Reapplying after being waitlisted!

 

[Veer]

Hi everyone!
Reapplying after being waitlisted!

Same!

 

[Chris W]

Same!

I saw you got accepted to a couple of programs last year? What were your reasons for not attending? Columbia's program is a better fit?

Good luck this year!

 

[Veer]

I saw you got accepted to a couple of programs last year? What were your reasons for not attending? Columbia's program is a better fit?

Good luck this year!

I am obsessed with Columbia. The way they emphasise on teaching the “Core of Filmmaking rather than just the surface”. I mean, they have a great faculty. Then it is New York City which is definitely a + point. Undoubtedly, one of the best programs for directors and screenwriters; I love how they bring out the best of you as a screenwriter. On a personal level, I dream to be a director, and I feel Columbia’s direction/screenwriting program is one of the few programs that let you emphasise on directing, but at the same time teaches you screenwriting like you are going to be a screenwriter. In my opinion, directing and screenwriting go hand in hand. If you want to be a good director, you need to have a stronghold on screenwriting. I can go on and on about Columbia. Also, yes, I did get into a couple of programs, and I tried but couldn’t move on from Columbia.

PS I am still hoping to be pulled off the waitlist. I still jump to check my mail if I get a notification, hoping that it is from Columbia.

 

[Chris W]

New Columbia AMA had been posted from recent graduate @Boethius :

Columbia University Directing/Screenwriting MFA -- 2021 Graduate -- AMA

Hello, hopeful film school applicants. This site was my top go-to as I applied to film schools five years ago, and I know how anxiety-inducing the application process can be. I graduated this spring and still believe Columbia was the best choice for me. Please feel free to ask questions about...

www.filmschool.org

 

[catmom]

I’m reapplying! I was rejected after being interviewed last year.

 

[fosteli124]

I was curious if anyone has statistics on application rates due to Covid? based on last years numbers and moving forward if there was a decrease or influx of applicants? and how the pandemic is affecting the applicant pool.....

 

[itspizza]

I am planning to apply for 2022~

 

[Elainelee12]

Reapplying for 2022 after interviewing last year and being rejected!

 

[fosteli124]

Reapplying for 2022 after interviewing last year and being rejected!

Elaine, I was wondering if you could give any tips about the interview process / insight having gone through it last year. What were they most focussed on discussing and did you feel it was a high stress meeting or more of a fluid conversation?

 

[Elainelee12]

Elaine, I was wondering if you could give any tips about the interview process / insight having gone through it last year. What were they most focussed on discussing and did you feel it was a high stress meeting or more of a fluid conversation?

Sure - I'll be honest that my situation was a unique one in that my experience with film at the time was very limited (had directed approx. 3 short marketing videos for my theatre company to advertise and the only written materials in my portfolio were for Columbia's application). Instead, I'd been directing theatre for the past 6 years in NYC and abroad, so the questions mostly pertained to how I expected to be able to apply the theatre skills I had to film.

Beyond that, we spent some time discussing my personal statement and stories that could potentially come out of the experience I had written about. They were both very friendly and seemed to genuinely want me to feel comfortable so I wouldn't say it was a high stress conversation because of anything they did, however considering my specific circumstance I did feel that I had a lot to prove.

Hope that answers your question!