Need feedback or consultation for my last application

[YOUNG_]

Hello guys.
Last year, I applied for MetFilm Directing and Columbia Directing/Screenwriting. I was accepted by MetFilm and was rejected after an interview from Columbia.
I couldn't choose which country to go until I applied for Columbia. I'm now planning to apply more schools in America this year.
However the thing is, my confidence and will got very low after the rejection. In fact, I'm not major in film and my work experiences are comparatively low. Recently, I cannot work on my scenarios and even considered renouncing the 2025 application.
Still, I can't give up the opportunity to continue filmmaking. It was my long and only dream. So I'm now trying to move forward but feel lost and don't know where to begin.

I desperately need somebody who can help check my status whether it would be available for me to apply MFA. Interview with Columbia was a pleasure but I'm worrying it was just a luck.
If interested, I'll send my portfolio and writing materials via email. Any feedbacks are welcomed and you can just comment only one of those.

Thank you for reading.

 

[unwinding-dreams]

Getting an interview is a huge deal. That means that your overall resume and materials were strong enough to impress them. I’m not really sure what has to happen for them to reject you out of an interview rather than waitlist you; maybe someone else can speak to that. How well-prepared were you for the interview? Did you research grad interview tips beforehand? Were you able to talk about yourself and your interest in the program with confidence? The nice part of grad applications is that even if you get rejected I feel like you can always change your tactics and up your game to get in next year or a later year.

 

[YOUNG_]

Thank you for the heartwarming comment! I knew I'm not good at interviews. I prepared an interview for about 2 weeks with the expected questions. However, professors mostly asked about my works - one movie in my portfolio and my feature film treatment. I can't remember if I answered well, but I did answer all questions. It's a shame I knew this website after an interview.
Changing my tactics seems demanding, but I gotta enjoy the process. It is mostly likely that I'm going to reapply!

Getting an interview is a huge deal. That means that your overall resume and materials were strong enough to impress them. I’m not really sure what has to happen for them to reject you out of an interview rather than waitlist you; maybe someone else can speak to that. How well-prepared were you for the interview? Did you research grad interview tips beforehand? Were you able to talk about yourself and your interest in the program with confidence? The nice part of grad applications is that even if you get rejected I feel like you can always change your tactics and up your game to get in next year or a later year.

 

[unwinding-dreams]

The good news is, since you were already able to get an interview, it means your portfolio and application as it stands are good enough for them to be interested. You should obviously do a couple more film-related things in between now and reapplying, whether that be making or working on another short(s), finishing a script, getting a film-related position or other unique experience, etc.--basically, show them that you've worked on your skills and found yourself between now and the last application round.

And now that you know what questions they usually ask in an interview, you can go into another interview with them with answers that are more prepared, and thoughts that are more cohesive. They usually ask the same couple questions no matter what the school is, so you can retread the same ground when they inevitably ask "Why do you want to go to Columbia?" etc.