UCLA MFA Screenwriting 2018 (Fall 2018)

[Ele]

Hi! Has anyone heard back from UCLA's Screenwriting MFA yet (2018)?

Just wondering if anyone has already been selected for an interview.

If selected, when do you guys think we can expect to hear from them? I know it varies from year to year, just wondering if interviews have already started.

 

[MacAndEs]

I'm the same boat as you... I'm currently in the "eat so much junk food in despair" stage of my waiting period.

 

[Dorothy]

In last years forum thread the first mention of an interview request was on January 18th.

 

[Kira]

Good luck to all of you UCLA applicants! Hope to see some of you around campus I'm only a quarter in, but UCLA is wonderful.

 

[Ele]

Good luck to all of you UCLA applicants! Hope to see some of you around campus I'm only a quarter in, but UCLA is wonderful.

Hi, @Kira! Thanks! When did you interview? March? How many weeks in advance do they let you know?

 

[Kira]

Hi, @Kira! Thanks! When did you interview? March? How many weeks in advance do they let you know?

Looks like I was told on January 19th and had my interview on February 8th. I flew out to LA and had the interview in person.

 

[Ele]

Looks like I was told on January 19th and had my interview on February 8th. I flew out to LA and had the interview in person.

Ouch! They haven't contacted me yet so I won't hold my breath.
What's the latest someone was contacted?

@Kira did you do their professional program first or did you get right in?

 

[Kira]

Ouch! They haven't contacted me yet so I won't hold my breath.
What's the latest someone was contacted?

@Kira did you do their professional program first or did you get right in?

The timing and process seems to be different every year. Not sure what the latest was, but it sounds like nobody has been contacted yet for this year.

No, I did not do their professional program first. It's a variety. Some of my friends did the PP, many others did not, a couple did both TV writing and screenwriting.

 

[Ele]

The timing and process seems to be different every year. Not sure what the latest was, but it sounds like nobody has been contacted yet for this year.

No, I did not do their professional program first. It's a variety. Some of my friends did the PP, many others did not, a couple did both TV writing and screenwriting.

Thank you! I read somewhere a great bulk of the people who got in were from the PP, and while I have experience in the industry, I've never done the PP. Fingers uncrossed. Whatever happens happens.

@Kira If I may ask one last thing (sorry I'm taking so much of your time), how did you find the interview? What questions were you asked? Did anything strike you?

Thank you for your time and kindness. You probably have better things to do than chatting with the very personification of the paranoid-writer cliche.

 

[Kira]

Thank you! I read somewhere a great bulk of the people who got in were from the PP, and while I have experience in the industry, I've never done the PP. Fingers uncrossed. Whatever happens happens.

@Kira If I may ask one last thing (sorry I'm taking so much of your time), how did you find the interview? What questions were you asked? Did anything strike you?

Thank you for your time and kindness. You probably have better things to do than chatting with the very personification of the paranoid-writer cliche.

Haha no worries. I am just procrastinating on work for class. If you are a good writer, not participating in the PP will not hurt you.

The interview was fine. Chris put together a list of interview questions and I made sure I had answers for each one. Just a general idea of what I'd like to say. Each interviewer will have different questions or method (Q&A, a casual convo, etc).

 

[IndecisiveElle]

I interviewed last year and am taking the Pro Program this year if anyone has any questions about either experience! I'm not reapplying because my perspective changed and I have shifted focus to directing.

Good luck everyone!

 

[Ele]

I interviewed last year and am taking the Pro Program this year if anyone has any questions about either experience! I'm not reapplying because my perspective changed and I have shifted focus to directing.

Good luck everyone!

Actually that'd be great! Did you find it hard getting into the PP program? Did you interview as well?

 

[IndecisiveElle]

Actually that'd be great! Did you find it hard getting into the PP program? Did you interview as well?

If you are invited for an interview, you are automatically accepted to the PP program. I didn't have to apply separately. That said, I bombed my interview. I went straight from LAX to campus and had major brain fog from my chronic illness and was just not comfortable, not myself and didn't come off genuine no matter how hard I tried because I had to 'act' healthy. I should have just been honest that I was sick, but it turned out for the best that I didn't get in.

Years ago, I did the PP in Producing when they offered in the summer and I wasn't planning on grad school. They mostly seem to look for passion for the craft and a good written statement. You must have an undergraduate degree and letters of recommendation, like a mini MFA application. But they don't scrutinize it nearly as much.

The members of my workshop vary in experience and are around the world - I'm in the online one. I have Kris Young for an instructor and I really enjoy him. He's kind and encourages us to give good feedback to each other. One of the other women in my class is a poet writing her first screenplay and watching her develop as a screenwriter is fun and inspiring. She has 'it'. For me, I find workshops are helpful to keep me working towards deadlines and not working in a vacuum. I am not the kind of writer who likes to lock themselves away, I prefer to be in a room developing ideas with others. And I'd say that's an important skill because eventually, you'll have actors and crew and ADs and producers etc reading your words so getting feedback sooner than later and learning how to take criticism are important. The PP program is good at helping you develop those skills if you haven't already.

For the price, it's well worth it. You're getting MFA level instructors for an entire academic year for less than the cost of any MFA program in existence and less than many other workshops as well.

 

[Michel Lichand]

Looks like I was told on January 19th and had my interview on February 8th. I flew out to LA and had the interview in person.

What if you're an international applicant? Do you have to interview in person?

 

[Kira]

What if you're an international applicant? Do you have to interview in person?

Nope! They will offer you a Skype interview if you cannot attend one in person.

 

[Ele]

Nope! They will offer you a Skype interview if you cannot attend one in person.

I feel like an in-person interview would be better whenever possible, though. I've put aside some money just in case. If you're offered a Skype interview, can you ask to attend an in-person one instead?

 

[IndecisiveElle]

I feel like an in-person interview would be better whenever possible, though. I've put aside some money just in case. If you're offered a Skype interview, can you ask to attend an in-person one instead?

If you live out of state, they give you the option to choose skype or to travel to LA or NYC (based on whichever they have time for and is closer for you). I'm based in Detroit and flew to LA for my interview last year.

 

[Ele]

I'm based in Europe/London but I've lived in LA for a long time, so LA would be easier for me. Between Skype and NYC it would definitely have to be Skype. Can't afford it.

 

[Michel Lichand]

Question: is there an UCLA website where you can see if they've posted a decision or not?

 

[Kira]

I feel like an in-person interview would be better whenever possible, though. I've put aside some money just in case. If you're offered a Skype interview, can you ask to attend an in-person one instead?

Yeah, you can ask to attend one in person. I was offered both in person or Skype and I accepted the in person interview.

One of my international friends did a Skype interview and was accepted. Another flew all the way to LA for an in-person interview and was accepted. So either or is fine