USC Application Status

[Ryan C.]

I called up USC today and learned some cool news. My application is now at the admissions comittee and they are hoping to have all of the letters sent out by April 1st.

Wow! The time has finally come!

 

[Jayimess]

USC phased out interviews a few years ago. They feel that the new method is more fair.

They also don't require previous experience with filmmaking, so they don't need to see reels, either. Chapman does the same thing, though they may ask for additional materials from applicants later on in the admissions process.

Basically, they focus on applicants' ability to tell stories and express themselves in methods other than filmmaking. It is assumed that you've never touched a camera or an Avid keyboard before. This allows for talented storytellers who may not yet be filmmakers to attend, whereas other schools such as AFI require loads of experience. For those who have extensive production resumes, it might seem unfair, but I don't look at it that way.

I've mentioned before, it was strange to have to take basic classes that reinforced things I already know, but those of us with experience just helped those without it, and by the end of the semester, everyone's made several films...got the basics, and is aware of what they need to focus on.

I think it's a pretty cool approach.

 

[dragonball]

Has anyone got acceptance from Peter Stark Producing Program? I have not got any phone call from them yet.

As I live in Japan, rejection letter would arrrive later than you in the U.S.

 

[Russell Blanchard]

no word from stark yet here.....

 

[Jables]

Originally posted by Jayimess:
USC phased out interviews a few years ago. They feel that the new method is more fair.

They also don't require previous experience with filmmaking, so they don't need to see reels, either. Chapman does the same thing, though they may ask for additional materials from applicants later on in the admissions process.

Basically, they focus on applicants' ability to tell stories and express themselves in methods other than filmmaking. It is assumed that you've never touched a camera or an Avid keyboard before. This allows for talented storytellers who may not yet be filmmakers to attend, whereas other schools such as AFI require loads of experience. For those who have extensive production resumes, it might seem unfair, but I don't look at it that way.

I've mentioned before, it was strange to have to take basic classes that reinforced things I already know, but those of us with experience just helped those without it, and by the end of the semester, everyone's made several films...got the basics, and is aware of what they need to focus on.

I think it's a pretty cool approach.

Ya, I wasn't really knocking how they do it, but I can see how it comes off like that online. I just felt my contact with USC was completely minimalist compared to the other schools I've applied to. Literally the only contact I had was sending in my app, and getting a rejection letter. I guess personally I was more surprised at how little material they wanted, even from a story-telling perspective compared to the other schools. I can understand it though, they get a ton of applications for each program, and it's a ton of stuff to read through.

 

[maozbrown]

I'll most likely apply for the coming Spring semester if I don't get in for this Fall (I'll have a few additions to my resume and portfolio).

I was wondering if anyone else plans on doing this as well if they don't get good news from USC in a few weeks.

Also, if there's anyone out there currently enrolled in the USC MFA Production program, how are Spring enrollees absorbed into the program? Is there a situation where everyone makes friends in the Fall and then the Spring enrollees need to play catch up? How much interaction is there between those who start in the Fall and those who start in the Spring?

 

[Glenn Jason]

Jayimess or anyone else:

any word on when applicants for the directing program will hear about a decision?

Thanks in advance.

 

[maozbrown]

Glenn,

Ryan C said that he was told they're trying to get decisions out by April 1st. An administrator at USC told me it will be some time in April.

 

[Jayimess]

I believe that I got my waitlist letter from USC around April 9th or 10th...but I'm Screenwriting.

Re: the Spring/Fall thang...

This is a copy paste from PMs I had on the same topic.

The whole Spring-Fall thing...I was just talking about this.

The disadvantage of coming in the spring is that you don't meet all of the other programs' incoming students at orientation and in 507. So, you won't make early bonds with the writers and the Starkies.

There is no stigma that I know of, though it seems that the people who are offered Spring admit over Fall seem to think that people will think less of them. Not true. After all, you still got into USC. There's not going to be some asterisk on your diploma...much like the waitlist, which I am a proud veteran of.

It's just harder to network, that's all.

I was discussing the spring admit thing tonight at Zemeckis, and here are some more thoughts.

Spring admits get the entire summer to prep for 508, instead of just winter break.

Spring admits are kind of isolated, because they're the only ones starting in the spring. Every other discipline is knee deep in advanced work, while they're still getting their feet wet, so we're crazy busy. None of us throw parties anymore, unlike last semester, when there was something every weekend.

It's kind of like moving to a new school in the middle of the year...it's not about partying, it's about meeting and networking...like I said, we have 507 together in the fall, and we have an entire day devoted to our orientation, where everyone mingles and stuff, they throw a bbq and stuff.

The ONLY spring admit I know I met on this site, and I've only seen her two or three times.

So, here's my final analysis.

If spring admit is all they're offering, take it.

If you get in for fall, think long and hard about deferring.

Hope that's helpful.

 

[Jayimess]

And btw, regarding the "lack of contact" thing...

I NEVER called a single school throughout my application process last year. I sent my apps, and when I heard from UCLA via email, I crapped my pants and made travel plans for NYC for the interview. When I got a call from AFI during a production class, my class crapped their pants with me and I made travel plans for DC for the interview.

I never emailed, I never called, I didn't even send Thank You cards after my interviews, which I've heard I was supposed to do.

I just let the people make their decisions, because I thought that my calls wouldn't speed the process along, and might possibly draw negative attention to me.

I found typos in my apps, and I freaked. I even put the little UCLA yellow postcard on my fridge.

I'm not sure if it hurts you to nag at them, or if it's viewed as being proactive. I've heard with Chapman, persistent calling/emailing is viewed as determination. Other schools clearly state that you should not contact them.

But it definitely doesn't make things go faster than they've always gone, and it definitely hinders your capacity to get your mind off the insanity of acceptance season.

So, aside from Thank You cards, I say put down your cell phones, and log out of your email. They're working hard to get you your answers.

Just thought I'd share that.

Try and keep calm, folks...April is almost here.

 

[Jables]

That's unfortunately how most of the weaker programs work Bartleby, that's how they get more quality students by pushing their deadlines ahead of the more prestigious schools, forcing them to act. It's not just film, one of my other professors who did Journalism mentioned the same thing to me.

 

[Icarus Ascending]

Thank You cards? Really?? Did anybody here do that???

Never would have thought of such a thing.

--IA

 

[placebo]

Jayimess,

Thanks for that note. I too have no plans to call or email any school and instead just bide my time, suffering quietly. Unless what you say about Chapman is true...

I was also glad to hear you found typos in your apps and that it didn't turn out to be a deal breaker. I found one about a month ago and my heart sank. One stupid wrong letter ruins a word. It's all the more annoying that I do some copyediting work at my job.

 

[Bartleby Fink]

I wasn't aware that Chapman was one of the weaker programs...

Where's Winter when you need advice?

 

[Jayimess]

Bartleby,

By "weaker," I assume "newer" and "less well-known" was the intended meaning. Chapman has most of AFI's faculty and AMAZING facilities.

However, it's only a 12yr old program, which is new by comparison to the "big five."

Because it's new, it doesn't have the "film school brand" that others do, such as AFI, Columbia, NYU, UCLA, and USC, or decades of tradition and successful alums.

But it's a hard program to get into, and I look forward to their alumni successes. A producing grad I met started a job here in LA the Monday after she graduated...they had a Kodak winner last year.

All the same, those so-called weakening factors I mentioned above, in addition to the not quite LA location probably influence both the early admissions offers, and the late final deadline. You can apply months later than the other schools, even with priority.

It is perfectly plausible to get rejected from the fall deadlines, then apply to Chapman in late May...who knows if you'll get in, of course.

I can't tell you about the industry's POV on the school, but I can tell you that when I told people here at SC that my friend who came to my classes with me last week got into Chapman, they weren't nonplussed. They offered sincere congratulations.


So, point is, they'll wait for ya...that's what Winter told me when my friend got in.

 

[Jayimess]

IA

Apparently Thank You cards are de rigeur. Just not in my universe.

Jables...

Admittedly, it was just one typo...but a blaring one, to me. I still don't know how Final Draft missed the missing 'e' on "waste."

Grrr.


Glad to be assistance to you guys. Those of us that were on this forum last year talk about how this place saved our lives...especially if you're not surrounded people who either support your dreams, or make an effort to even understand them.

So...point is, I've been there, so stop thanking me.

 

[RedHen007]

I'm also waiting on USC. There was a small problem with my application (they never got my written recommendation) so someone from the office called me last week and we settled it.

She also told me that Production applicants are going to get their applications between April 1-10.

She also said she didn't know how many people applied this year to that program, but last year it was 350.

Best of luck to everyone here. Btw this is my first post, I discovered this site a week ago and love everything about it. I hope we can all eventually meet up and even network though the connections we make here.

 

[filmschoolorbust]

Maybe a discussion regarding something other than the impending admissions decision is in order. I suppose it's understandable that people don't want to share the actual text of their personal statement and writing samples, but I was wondering if production folk would be willing to talk about what they wrote about for their character profile and emotional experience.

As for me...

Character Profile: An atheist security guard at a famous cathedral in Italy who experiences a resurgence of faith when he faces the possibility of being laid off and dismissed from the church...sort of implying he believed all along.

Emotional Experience: Breaking the high school record for the mile run when I was on the track & field team. I wrote it sort of in the style of a poem describing my thoughts while I was actually running the race.

 

[PeterYao]

hrm interesting, i'd love to share the actual text of my stories but it is a public forum, i dunno how ppl will respond to spamming

for the character profile i think i screwed up big time, i thought of a better character sketch like the day after i sent it...anyways i wrote it in a short story fairy tale style, a deaf character named short and wide cause he can only make 2 faces, who went through an existentialist break down and became obsessed with breaking the social contract of the town he lives in

emotional experience i wrote in a screen play format...it's about the attempted kidnapping on me when i was around 6 or 7 years old...after the failed attempt kidnapping experience, the boy floats through a few years of his childhood and found out the kidnapping experience was something beyond himself, it was part of an international child slave trade located in thailand during the 1980s

usc said we can write about anything so heh i went alittle crazy...im alittle worried that my character profile doesn't fit the assignment of a character sketch, i wanted to write a story more...and now i have my regrets T.T

 

[maozbrown]

Peter, it seems like your emotional experience should make up for any deficiency in your character profile (if there really is any).

 

[filmschoolorbust]

Sounds really interesting Peter!