USC 2023 Spring MFA Film and TV Production

[kareem]

I’m assuming we’ll hear back either on the 13th or 14th

 

[filmdoctor]

Anyone hear anything yet?

No. A simple test of patience.

 

[BalaBenBa]

They replied me that we should hear back at the end of this week.

 

[filmdoctor]

They replied me that we should hear back at the end of this week.

Believe me, I know how to stay optimistic, but I'm really thinking we're the rejects (or at least some of us are).

- The deadline for Fall 2023 is fast approaching, and we haven't heard back yet.
- Those who have heard back have been yeses (admitted / waitlisted).
- We haven't heard anyone say "aww shucks, I got rejected!"
- It was said in the admission event that scholarships and applications are considered separately. Someone mentioned that they're probably reviewing scholarships....but they specifically said that whether you apply or don't, or regardless of your financial situation, they don't consider those things in your application.

Its odd that we haven't heard back anything and its taking this long -- for sure....but if they were considering scholarships, its possible we would have received notification that we were admitted. I mean, maybe they combine scholarships with admission letters? ... but in my experience, scholarships are only given weight when an applicant is already admitted...and generally, you'll just get notified that you received, or did not receive, a scholarship (well after you've been admitted to a university). Maybe USC does things differently...so I could be wrong....

Please don't let what I'm saying scare you or deter you from trying again, or assuming the worst.....I can always be totally wrong.

But I do think that for some people, the sting of rejection may hurt a little more for a school like this one, and they may try to soften the blow by letting dust settle on admission and wait listers before ripping the band-aid off on those they'd reject.

I haven't seen a single person in this thread say they've been rejected....and statistically, it should have happened already....it hasn't, and we're the only ones without any official determination.

Keep your expectations low. Stay hopeful. Concentrate on perfecting your craft, honing your skills, and growing your potential. At the end of the day, admission or rejection, that's the only thing that matters.

 

[kareem]

Thank you for that filmdoctor.

I also want to note a few things -

Those who were interviewed on September 26th said that the professors informed them that we would hear back 4 to 6 weeks from the day of the interviews. It still hasn't been a full 6 weeks from the day folks were interviewed. By the end of this week is when it will have been officially a full 6 weeks from September 26th. My point is we are still within the timeframe that the professors said decisions would be sent out. Which means the fact that we are still waiting isn't technically out of the ordinary, it was expected that decisions would take this long.

second thing to note - just because someone was asked for financial information doesn't necessarily mean this person was being considered for scholarships or financial aid. It could be! But it also could not be. It could just be that USC was just requesting information that was missing from the applicant.

Third thing to note - Has anyone received a rejection decision yet? if not, then that does make things a little worrisome.

Fourth thing to note - One thing that I'm confused about is that if the spring 2023 application process has been finished and all acceptances and waitlist decisions have been sent out, why are they still holding back on just sending out the last of the decisions? Why not just call it a day already if they're truly done considering applicants?

Anyway, stay optimistic and lets grind out that fall application

 

[ItsMe33]

Look my dudes, I agree that we haven't seen anyone say they got rejected and it is worrisome but I really think they wouldn't be sittin on a bunch of rejection letters. When they sent out all the waitlisted the other day I think that was because they realized it was too close to the next application deadline and they needed to give anyone not getting in time to do the next round. I really believe they wouldn't give us 4 days and counting starting tomorrow to reapply. I hope I'm right anyway and were all in!

 

[Chris W]

Good luck everyone!

Concentrate on perfecting your craft, honing your skills, and growing your potential. At the end of the day, admission or rejection, that's the only thing that matters.

Yes this is very true. Don't worry if you didn't get in the first time. If you want to make it and work in this business you surely can. Keep doing good work.

If anyone hasn't logged their applications in our database yet please remember to do that so we can improve our data and help everyone out.

Admission statistics for USC School of Cinematic Arts ()

Acceptance rate, minimum GPA, SAT, GRE, and demographics of admitted applicants for USC School of Cinematic Arts calculated from our database of thousands of film school applications.

www.filmschool.org

 

[filmdoctor]

Thank you for that filmdoctor.

I also want to note a few things -

Those who were interviewed on September 26th said that the professors informed them that we would hear back 4 to 6 weeks from the day of the interviews. It still hasn't been a full 6 weeks from the day folks were interviewed. By the end of this week is when it will have been officially a full 6 weeks from September 26th. My point is we are still within the timeframe that the professors said decisions would be sent out. Which means the fact that we are still waiting isn't technically out of the ordinary, it was expected that decisions would take this long.

second thing to note - just because someone was asked for financial information doesn't necessarily mean this person was being considered for scholarships or financial aid. It could be! But it also could not be. It could just be that USC was just requesting information that was missing from the applicant.

Third thing to note - Has anyone received a rejection decision yet? if not, then that does make things a little worrisome.

Fourth thing to note - One thing that I'm confused about is that if the spring 2023 application process has been finished and all acceptances and waitlist decisions have been sent out, why are they still holding back on just sending out the last of the decisions? Why not just call it a day already if they're truly done considering applicants?

Anyway, stay optimistic and lets grind out that fall application

This is a great point!

 

[filmdoctor]

Look my dudes, I agree that we haven't seen anyone say they got rejected and it is worrisome but I really think they wouldn't be sittin on a bunch of rejection letters. When they sent out all the waitlisted the other day I think that was because they realized it was too close to the next application deadline and they needed to give anyone not getting in time to do the next round. I really believe they wouldn't give us 4 days and counting starting tomorrow to reapply. I hope I'm right anyway and were all in!

You could be right. If we all get in, I'll buy us all dinner.

 

[BalaBenBa]

Maybe I have to say this... We're definitely rejected because we didn't get an interview. I have some friends who have applied several times and are very familiar with this process. It's odd that this year they took such a long time to send us decisions, but it's not odd that there is a period between sending the waitlisted letters and rejection letters. More importantly, though some of u may saw on their website saying they don't do interviews/may heard some admitted students saying part of their classmates didn't get an interview, in fact, those things normally happened in the fall semester and about 98% of the admitted students from these years are interviewed, but for the spring semester, being interviewed is like a prerequisite of being admitted. I don't meant to break our hope, however, just like filmdoctor said, keep ur expectations low. We have to prepare for accepting this truth one day.

 

[Lianru]

Maybe I have to say this... We're definitely rejected because we didn't get an interview. I have some friends who have applied several times and are very familiar with this process. It's odd that this year they took such a long time to send us decisions, but it's not odd that there is a period between sending the waitlisted letters and rejection letters. More importantly, though some of u may saw on their website saying they don't do interviews/may heard some admitted students saying part of their classmates didn't get an interview, in fact, those things normally happened in the fall semester and about 98% of the admitted students from these years are interviewed, but for the spring semester, being interviewed is like a prerequisite of being admitted. I don't meant to break our hope, however, just like filmdoctor said, keep ur expectations low. We have to prepare for accepting this truth one day.

I only applied several years back once although I was waitlisted as well but I didn’t get an interview that time, hopefully this time around is different.

 

[BalaBenBa]

I only applied several years back once although I was waitlisted as well but I didn’t get an interview that time, hopefully this time around is different.

Yes, situations were different years ago, but these years they are a little "stubborn" I'm fine with not getting in USC cuz it is not my dream school, but personally I think now their application procedures have some problems. For instance, there would be only ONE professor review ur materials at the first place. If that professor doesn't like ur materials, then you're out. I think it would be more fair that allowing two professors review one applicant's materials at the same time.

 

[Lianru]

Yes, situations were different years ago, but these years they are a little "stubborn" I'm fine with not getting in USC cuz it is not my dream school, but personally I think now their application procedures have some problems. For instance, there would be only ONE professor review ur materials at the first place. If that professor doesn't like ur materials, then you're out. I think it would be more fair that allowing two professors review one applicant's materials at the same time.

My understanding is the professor who review the applicant would make a recommendation, but they have to turn in their opinions, they are not the ones who make the final decision. At least that’s what I’ve been told.

 

[filmdoctor]

Maybe I have to say this... We're definitely rejected because we didn't get an interview. I have some friends who have applied several times and are very familiar with this process. It's odd that this year they took such a long time to send us decisions, but it's not odd that there is a period between sending the waitlisted letters and rejection letters. More importantly, though some of u may saw on their website saying they don't do interviews/may heard some admitted students saying part of their classmates didn't get an interview, in fact, those things normally happened in the fall semester and about 98% of the admitted students from these years are interviewed, but for the spring semester, being interviewed is like a prerequisite of being admitted. I don't meant to break our hope, however, just like filmdoctor said, keep ur expectations low. We have to prepare for accepting this truth one day.

Being interviewed is not a requirement for admission. Admission standards are not different from Spring and Fall. There are standards that must be followed, and whatever season it is doesn't influence decision standards.

Generally, interviews are used as a way to meet potential students and give them an opportunity to explain certain things in their record that stuck out, uniquely, in a not so good way. Its a way that decision makers can avoid using someone's performance history against them. There are plenty of people who are admitted to programs at USC without interview. That's because they're academic background was strong, they demonstrated capability to succeed, and there were no additional questions necessary to ask in determining whether to admit or reject the applicant. All international students who are candidates for admission will undergo interviews for linguistic purposes. Again, a way to give the prospective student an opportunity to show themselves without having the optics of their record used against them.

 

[Bhats]

Hey guys I got in! If you guys are attending USC put your guys instagram down so we can all connect!

@soniab15!

 

[BalaBenBa]

My understanding is the professor who review the applicant would make a recommendation, but they have to turn in their opinions, they are not the ones who make the final decision. At least that’s what I’ve been told.

Yes, you're right. That's why I said "for instance", cuz after they send their recommendations to the admission committee, that would have other problems

 

[ItsMe33]

We're all still waiting right?

 

[xTide]

Yup

 

[filmdoctor]

I got waitlisted.

 

[cooljproductions06]

Feels like a lot of us got waitlisted. I feel like the Spring class size is a lot smaller because you have all the people from the fall application who got waitlisted pretty much take up a bunch of those slots for the spring.