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!

 

[Icarus Ascending]

The officious douche who answered the SW department phone told me that.

She said, pointedly, that IF I were admitted, THEN I could call back, and MAYBE we could set something up at that time. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I explained that I couldn't wait for admissions to render a decision, that I had exactly enough money for a single cross-country trip, and that the trip was already set for early April. This, she said, was my problem. Then she hung up.

If you know of some douche-bypass route that would end with me sitting in on a class, trust me, I'd be extremely grateful.

Here's the thing: we SWing applicants are disadvantaged by the fact that schools can't release student screenplays like they can student films. It's important to me to see both what students are writing and what they're being taught. (Looking back on that sentence, it seems like the obvious thing in which *every* applicant would be interested.)

There's so much I like about USC on paper. I'd really like an opportunity to see it in three glorious dimensions with eyes, like A****aka's, "unclouded by hate."

--Icarus

 

[Jayimess]

Bandar, I'm sitting in Leavey waiting before I go over. I'm going to PM you my number, I have two guests that aren't coming, you're welcome to take one or both of those spots.

Seriously!

Edited, I sent it to your hotmail account.

 

[Jayimess]

Icarus,

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I've seen it happen both semesters. Maybe you need to contact specific professors...or, like my friend who was interviewing for AFI and sat in on three of my classes while she was here, you just need to have a student "in," as I checked with my profs first.


However, I can't say that I think sitting in on a writing class will be extremely beneficial to you...in my feature class, you would simply be listening to us workshop the first 100 pages of our screenplays, which you haven't read.

The thing about a writing program is that it's not "sold" the same way a production program might be...seeing amazing student films makes one think, "I want to go there if they can do stuff like this!" Writers, on the other hand, are mostly at the mercy of their own mind.

 

[Icarus Ascending]

Jayiness,

I tend to think that the nature/quality of teachers and students is far more important in a writing program than in a production program.

See, in a production program, so much of what you're buying is access to equipment, facilities, etc.--none of which depends upon other people. But in a writing program, the *only* things you're paying for are the community and the instructors. That's the stuff you need a tour of.

Frankly, I think seeing folks workshop the first 100 pages of something I haven't read would be reasonably informative. I've been through enough workshops to know what I do and do not benefit from. For me, workshopping approach is of paramount significance.

--Icarus

 

[maozbrown]

filmschoolorbust,

If the guy you talked to said "by May 1st", then the admissions committee could still be aiming for early April. May 1st might just be the date by which they absolutely must notify applicants.

I'm still expecting to hear in the next week or two.

 

[Jayimess]

That's the thing...we all are choosing our second year schedules right now, and each professor is different. I have my own ways as well, and there are plenty of profs here that do things differently. You're going to school to learn from more than one person, and that means more than one approach...so you can find what works for you.

There's no USC script formula that gets hammered down our mouths...each of the profs here, and the students, are different...so you will learn in different ways. The only constant is you.

 

[Icarus Ascending]

Jayimess,

You make a good point.

The bottom line, however, is that I want to get a feel for a place. This doesn't strike me as an exotic or outlandish request, which is why the SW girl's reaction left me so befuddled.

--Icarus

P.S. I just now realised that I've been misspelling your name, that it's JayiMess, not JayiNess. My deepest apologies.

 

[filmschoolorbust]

I hope you're right maozbrown.

I can't keep waiting like this...

 

[PeterYao]

ya the deadline is driving me INSANE as well, looks like it can't be helped...

i know it's a lot of money but i think too many people are too concerned with the programs each school provides...maybe i'm just talking to myself here, but through my research on grad schools and interview with couple of people...it seems like all the programs is going to be GOOD if you get into the top film schools in the country...

i find that it's almost pointless to do any extra research...during school if you can hook up with 1 or 2 classmates, you're set with a career as long as you guys work at it, if you can hook up with the entire student body, then there's a chance to start a movement...that's all it really matters...if there's no collaborations...no matter how good the program, it's a waste of money cause it's no different from using the money to start an independent career...

to me the best research for grad schools is to know who the applicants are...cause that's the best way to see if you can find yourself a partner/team in the future...the irony of it all is of course...no one can really get that information, we're all at the mercy of a controlled chaos

here i go with my philosophical bs again...

"Don't make a promise when you are in joy. Don't reply when you are sad. Don't take decision when you are angry."

chill out yo~ time is just a man made creation, what you have inside and the connection with others is the reality

 

[Jayimess]

Originally posted by Icarus Ascending:


The bottom line, however, is that I want to get a feel for a place. This doesn't strike me as an exotic or outlandish request.

--Icarus

P.S. I just now realised that I've been misspelling your name, that it's JayiMess, not JayiNess. My deepest apologies.

I didn't notice, don't worry about the misspelling.

It's more outlandish than you think...very few of my classmates came here beforehand. Several only applied here.

The feel you get by visiting as an applicant in the middle of spring semester is no indication of what it will be like this fall as a student...

Seriously.

Peter's post has a lot of wisdom.

 

[maozbrown]

I would think visiting is a good idea not only to get a feel for the program, but also for the school at large. I mean, you're not just going to be an SCA screenwriting student...you're going to be a Trojan, right? I made a point to walk around the whole university and talk to students, undergraduate and graduate, about what it's like to attend USC...how accessible are the sporting events? What kinds of open lectures are there? Is the neighborhood really that dangerous? Where are the best apartments? How much interaction is there among different departments?

I also went to the Graduate School to inquire in person about scholarships and got some privileged information as reward for my extra effort. I also checked out clubs and organizations in which I can see myself getting involved.

Visiting is key.

 

[Icarus Ascending]

Peter, Jayimess, Maoz, et al.,

I think we all just have different decision-making styles. Which is okay.

--Icarus

 

[maozbrown]

Actually, Icarus, I think I'm in your camp on this one.

 

[Jayimess]

I don't see anything wrong with visiting.

I don't see anything wrong with NOT visiting.

Going to football games was not even on my radar when I was considering film schools, nor was the undergraduate experience. That said, I went to a mostly commuter school without a football team, so I didn't think it was a priority.

I went strictly on instinct after reviewing each of the programs' standards, reputations, requirements, and flexibility.

I don't do student life here. I go to film school, and that is my life as a student at USC.

We're all different. I was simply trying to communicate that it's okay if you can't visit, not establish an I'm right, you're wrong camp.


If you think that makes me, and countless others who came here without conducting a deep situational analysis of the school, reckless fools, so be it.

I was fortunate enough to have a choice among schools, and I chose USC.


I have not one regret, and I pinch myself to ensure the reality of my dream each and every day.

So perhaps reckless works for me.



I did get a season ticket for football, though...and it was cool.

 

[Icarus Ascending]

Aghk! What is happening to this thread?! If anyone is calling anyone else foolish, reckless, or any similar epithet, let him raise his hand and make himself known.

Me, I just like visiting things.



--Icarus Ascending

P.S. Jayimess, you are much-loved on these fora.

P.P.S. I am allergic to sporting events.

P.P.P.S. I, too, don't give a crap about student life for grad school.

P.P.P.S. I wonder if there are a lot of fraternity jokes about Greek Trojans.

 

[maozbrown]

Yeah, I wasn't calling anyone foolish. I just think it's not so "outlandish" to want to visit a program, even if it is a screenwriting program...just voicing my opinion on these glorious fora.

As for me... Student life is important. I want to be able to get involved if my schedule allows for it, and I want to meet students from other departments.

I like me some football and basketball.

And it was definitely beneficial to talk with the administrators at the Graduate School about scholarships, housing, etc. I loved the vibe I got from USC...the film school and the university in whole.

 

[Jayimess]

Maoz, I was simply stating that it's more outlandish than Icarus may think to visit...perhaps I wouldn't have sparked your terse use of quotation marks if I hadn't used Icarus' own words, and perhaps used my own..."unusual," perhaps?

as in...

"It's more unusual than you think to visit, Icarus. Most of my classmates didn't visit before applying, and many only applied to USC."

Is that better?

For how poorly I must be conveying this, USC probably regrets admitting me as a writer, but I'll say this one more time, before stepping away from this bristly conversation before it's not just my school's faculty Icarus is calling "douche..."

We're all different. There's nothing wrong with visiting, but it's not necessary to visit in order to make an informed decision.

Perhaps if last year, my other schools hadn't interviewed me in DC and NYC, two weeks apart, I would have been able to bop over to LA from Ohio to stroll around USC trying to figure out if I would fit in.

But I wasn't. And many, many more applicants than not simply cannot afford to travel to each of their prospective campuses. International students, just broke people, people who can't take vacations from the jobs they'll be quitting if accepted...

As many of those people visit this site and read these posts, I feel it's important to mention...okay, reiterate...that lack of visiting is no reason not to apply or accept an offer of admission.

This school rocks socks. The retention rate is astronomical.

And I can tell you this...attending classes right now will not be a clear predictor of your experience. Watching people workshop the first 100 pages of their first feature may be interesting to you, but to the students who wrote it, there is a semester long level of trust among classmates that you haven't earned yet, so it *may* be viewed as an intrusion. I don't know...I've never had anyone sit in on my feature class.

The professors change each semester, as do the students. The professors teaching feature right now, teaching thesis, will not be teaching them next year, and you have no idea who will be in class with you...and I agree, the people in the class matter just as much as the person teaching it.


I'm sorry, Maoz, but in all honesty, student housing didn't matter to me a whit.

Few of us live near campus, only two people I know live in campus housing, and one of them is there because it's free because he's an RA...graduate housing is hard to find and overpriced, and I'm past the point in my life where I want a meal plan.

When I rarely find time for life outside of schoolwork, it's either spent far from USC or at the constant stream of amazing USC SCA activities, such as First Look this weekend, where I had the pleasure of meeting forum member Ryan C., or finally doing laundry. So the clubs don't matter to me. I don't 'get involved' with anything outside of film school. There's not even time to hold a job.

If I had come here last spring and gotten attached to this ideal of a super social Greek activity filled existence, then I would've been sorely disappointed, and perhaps even resentful, when I couldn't find the time to make that kind of life happen because graduate school requires so much of me.

But I came here to work. And learn. And that's what I do, and I love my life.

As a lifelong athlete, I get the sports thing, but I didn't need to come to campus to find out that I could get my season ticket for football online, and that every single USC student can go to any other sporting events as long as they have an ID...I just looked on the website.

 

[maozbrown]

Regarding my use of quotations, I wasn't pointing at you to mock you. I was just referencing the use of the word in previous discourse. That's the disadvantage of online conversations, I suppose.

But, again, speaking for myself... talking to the professors about teaching methods was hugely advantageous to my decision-making (which, I should add, resulted in my decision that USC is the only school that
comes close to validating the questionable investment that is graduate film school).

Sure, it's not absolutely necessary to visit. And sure, it's a hefty trip (I came from New Jersey). But hey, if you're willing to drop more than $100k for film school, then the trip to visit is important, which is why I saved up for it. Your point is well taken, though.

I'm not interested in student housing. I am interested, however, in living in an apartment near campus (if possible), which is what I inquired about. I'm also not interested in Greek Life, and I don't anticipate having time to participate
in the Graduate Student Senate. I am, however, interested in getting involved in the Jewish community on campus (something that is very important for me) and joining the ping pong club to help burn off some of the excess stress that will inevitably accompany film school.

Just to clarify, I wasn't on a mission when visiting USC to inquire about athletics. I was far more interested in more pressing matters.

 

[Jayimess]

Online conversations...guaranteed to be misconstrued.

I'm glad we had this talk in the public forum, though...it will probably help a lot of people to see why they should spend the money on a visit, but not hate themselves if they can't.

Another thing worth noting is that I always assumed that the interviews would take place on the campuses, but I was wrong. So I ended up dropping over $2K on two trips in two weeks...AFI in DC was cheaper because I could drive and it was on a weekend, but it still wasn't cheap. Perhaps if I hadn't applied to such different programs, then I would've needed a visit to differentiate, but I have wanted to go to USC for as long as I've known film schools existed.

I wasn't so naive to go here because of childish dream, though...among AFI, UCLA and USC, the program here almost seems like it was made just for me...and flexible beyond even that.

Though I probably would've gone to UCLA if I was being swayed by beauty! Or Chapman if I was looking for a carbon copy of my hometown!

;-)


Glad we got through to each other, Maoz.

Email notifications from this site have provided a welcome distraction this semester!

 

[PeterYao]

ya i visited the AFI and USC campus as well...i saw the whole thing pretty quick to save money...i didn't bothered to talked to the instructors b/c it's kinda like watching a good film, from the first 5-10 mins of the film, you can tell it's going to be a good movie or not...

both schools is like a good film, to me there's no point going into further details, grad school is going to be about 1) getting in first 2) work with classmates...of course i have a preference...and that's AFI...but the decision is really out of my hands, and i dont have enough information on this year's applicants to know things for sure

all i know for sure is that i have never been this jittery in my entire life lol, not even close, i'm already getting a good education