USC MFA in Screenwriting Applicants 2018

[Johnella18]

I write drama too. Really raw, realistic . . . stuff I guess? Lol. I also want to write for both film and television but I picked film as my preferred medium.

 

[GoAndLoveSomeMore]

My genre is... what the client wants! Just kidding, just kidding. But really, I don’t feel like I have a genre and I really do want to find a niche, but it’s also fun not to have one...? My first feature was a romantic comedy that was produced, then I wrote a drama... then a coming of age comedy... now a horror to be shot in the summer. So, I’m all over the place! I feel like I should calm down with all the genres, but it’s so fun to explore!

 

[Shuyao Chen]

Short film @Shuyao Chen? I was unaware there was a way to upload a short film...I thought only written work was accepted. Are you a screenwriting applicant?

I'm a directing applicant. Sorry, I didn't see a USC Film production 2018 thread...

 

[Septopus7]

I'm a directing applicant. Sorry, I didn't see a USC Film production 2018 thread...

No problem! Just in case you haven't seen it, here's the Film Production thread specifically:
USC MFA Film and Television Production Fall 2018

That should point you to some folks who can empathize with your exact situation more. Feel free to stuck around here too, though! We all might end up attending the same school one day, after all. No harm in a little cross craft contamination, right? We all want to make movies and attend USC, at the end of the day.

 

[moni4liberty]

Hey USC MFA applicants. I am a current student and I just wanted to drop in with a little information I just heard from a professor.

They have finished selecting this fall's class of applicants, so you'll probably start hearing back in a few weeks. Last year, I got my email in the second week of March, but I don't know exactly what their system is for informing you.

From what I understand, each professor is given about 40 or so applications to review. From there, they can pick 2 or 3 to advocate for to the other professors on the committee. In total, about 30-40 are chosen. So, it's a tough run and the odds of being selected are quite small. If you don't get in this time, certainly consider applying again. You've got to be able to make the professor remember you from the 40 or so people they're reviewing. Not an easy feat. But if you get in, it means you really stood out and a USC professor wants YOU to be in the program.

Good luck to all of you, and I hope to meet you in the fall!

 

[Septopus7]

Hey USC MFA applicants. I am a current student and I just wanted to drop in with a little information I just heard from a professor.

They have finished selecting this fall's class of applicants, so you'll probably start hearing back in a few weeks. Last year, I got my email in the second week of March, but I don't know exactly what their system is for informing you.

From what I understand, each professor is given about 40 or so applications to review. From there, they can pick 2 or 3 to advocate for to the other professors on the committee. In total, about 30-40 are chosen. So, it's a tough run and the odds of being selected are quite small. If you don't get in this time, certainly consider applying again. You've got to be able to make the professor remember you from the 40 or so people they're reviewing. Not an easy feat. But if you get in, it means you really stood out and a USC professor wants YOU to be in the program.

Good luck to all of you, and I hope to meet you in the fall!

Thanks for the info @moni4liberty! Great to know all the selections have been made, as it puts things at the usual timetable. The first acceptances were sent out this weekend (last weekend in Feb.) according to the spreadsheets, with more batches being released every weekend after, so I imagine similar results in 2018.

The peak into the selection process is also very interesting, if harrowing. If the 2/3 out of every 40 statistics are accurate, that puts initial chances alone at like, 8% tops. Eek. Just out of curiosity, do you know of many people who ultimately found out who the professor that initially selected them was? Did you ever find out, for example?

As one of the "Lucky Ones™," I hope you are enjoying the program so far!

 

[panda]

Thanks for the info @moni4liberty! Great to know all the selections have been made, as it puts things at the usual timetable. The first acceptances were sent out this weekend (last weekend in Feb.) according to the spreadsheets, with more batches being released every weekend after, so I imagine similar results in 2018.

The peak into the selection process is also very interesting, if harrowing. If the 2/3 out of every 40 statistics are accurate, that puts initial chances alone at like, 8% tops. Eek. Just out of curiosity, do you know of many people who ultimately found out who the professor that initially selected them was? Did you ever find out, for example?

As one of the "Lucky Ones™," I hope you are enjoying the program so far!

Another current student dropping in. Soon after my acceptance email, I received a call from the professor who advocated for me. Many people receive this call, but many people don’t - it depends on the professor.

 

[Zeno]

I received an e-mail from USC today that they are currently reviewing Applications. Im international and they were still missing one of financial forms that they need from international students. That’s why I received the email. I thought I would share so everyone knows they have started/are working on reviewing the applications
Though, the waiting game never ends till each of us hears that final decision...

And you know that USC has a kind of rolling admissions program in that if you are not accepted for the Fall cohort, they often tell you that they accept you for Spring cohort the following year. Like most of these programs, it comes down to a supply versus demand versus quality candidates type proposition.

 

[panda]

And you know that USC has a kind of rolling admissions program in that if you are not accepted for the Fall cohort, they often tell you that they accept you for Spring cohort the following year. Like most of these programs, it comes down to a supply versus demand versus quality candidates type proposition.

(Pointing out that this is for the Production Division, not for Screenwriting.)

 

[Septopus7]

And you know that USC has a kind of rolling admissions program in that if you are not accepted for the Fall cohort, they often tell you that they accept you for Spring cohort the following year. Like most of these programs, it comes down to a supply versus demand versus quality candidates type proposition.

Yes, like a lot of the different things offered to other schools at Cinematic Arts, this is not a thing offered to anybody in the Writing Division. New students are only accepted once a year, at the beginning of the Fall semester.

 

[Kira]

Thanks for the info @moni4libertyJust out of curiosity, do you know of many people who ultimately found out who the professor that initially selected them was? Did you ever find out, for example?

The USC professor who selected me contacted me. I asked my friend who also got into USC and she was not. Sounds like it varies!

And you know that USC has a kind of rolling admissions program in that if you are not accepted for the Fall cohort, they often tell you that they accept you for Spring cohort the following year. Like most of these programs, it comes down to a supply versus demand versus quality candidates type proposition.

USC's Screenwriting program is not rolling admissions. There is no Spring entry, just Fall.

 

[moni4liberty]

Thanks for the info @moni4liberty! Great to know all the selections have been made, as it puts things at the usual timetable. The first acceptances were sent out this weekend (last weekend in Feb.) according to the spreadsheets, with more batches being released every weekend after, so I imagine similar results in 2018.

The peak into the selection process is also very interesting, if harrowing. If the 2/3 out of every 40 statistics are accurate, that puts initial chances alone at like, 8% tops. Eek. Just out of curiosity, do you know of many people who ultimately found out who the professor that initially selected them was? Did you ever find out, for example?

As one of the "Lucky Ones™," I hope you are enjoying the program so far!

Yes, the professor who advocated for you will sometimes call if you take a while to accept your offer. If you accept right away, my guess is they don't feel the need to reach out.

 

[Septopus7]

So, like I said earlier this week, if the trend of the last few years sticks, the first acceptance letters should be sent out this weekend, starting today. So keep checking those emails, people!

 

[Chris15789]

Yes, the professor who advocated for you will sometimes call if you take a while to accept your offer. If you accept right away, my guess is they don't feel the need to reach out.

Monica you're still on here!!!?

 

[Chris15789]

Btw I also am in the program currently so if anyone has questions about anything program-related over the next few weeks lmk and I'd be happy to help!

 

[TheMaskedBandit]

(Applicant here - first post!) Thank you current students for providing your insight into the process. Best of luck everyone!

 

[Jaida Rukiya]

It was this day last year that acceptances started going out, It's completely possible this year that it could be totally different but in my head I've nicknamed this day Acceptance Eve. I'll be waking up all night to check my portal repeatedly!

 

[Septopus7]

Like I said, this is the weekend, historically. Of course it's possible things could be delayed, but that has only been the case once in the last seven years, so I doubt it. Here are the dates (three of which were compiled by me, but the rest were posted by someone a few years ago):

2017 = 2/24
2016 = 3/4
2015 = 2/22
2014 = 2/25
2013 = 2/18
2012 = 2/17
2011 = 2/25

Then again, the annexation here occurred only a couple years ago, so very much could happen again. Only way to know is to wait until tomorrow night, I guess!

And, just a reminder from someone who has combed through these boards in the past two years in search of timetables: don't freak out if someone reports an acceptance tomorrow, and you didn't get anything yet. Every year that people have been commenting, acceptances are staggered out over a couple weeks. So you still have a shot, even if you hear nothing tomorrow.

Now mid-March, on the other hand...don't get your hopes up, unfortunetly. By that point, you're probably a dead applicant walking.

 

[Jaida Rukiya]

Sooooo false alarm, maybe? Anybody heard of anyone receiving any portal updates lol

 

[Michel Lichand]

So far, nothing.