USC MFA - Writing for Screen & Television - Fall 2025

[Gandiva]

Ah - I’m an international applicant so it seems FAFSA is not for me. Good luck with that though, and your other schools!

Which country are you applying from?

 

[highlandspring]

Which country are you applying from?

UK! You?

 

[Gandiva]

UK! You?

India

 

[highlandspring]

India

Good luck!

 

[nikifish]

Has anyone received any info like an interview from this program?

 

[MaxNoble]

Has anyone received any info like an interview from this program?

They don’t do them for this program.

 

[nikifish]

They don’t do them for this program.

Okay, thanks. Because I remembered seeing on the forum that some people from previous classes had interviews, and I thought this project would have interviews, even though they wrote on the website that there were no interviews.

 

[MaxNoble]

Anyone know when they start sending out decisions?

 

[Chris W]

Anyone know when they start sending out decisions?

This page has the earliest and latest dates from applications logged in our database:

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

 

[Doran]

Hey all. I’m in my first year in the program. It has been a transformative, magical experience. There really isn’t a lot I’d want to change about it, I’m very happy with my decision. Happy to answer any questions people have. I got really good help from a current student in my cycle and I’m happy to pay that forward.

I got my acceptance on 2/20 last year and think I was on the earlier end. I know several people in my cohort heard back a little later and some got in off the waitlist so all hope is not lost if you end up there. Somebody got in only like 2 weeks before class started.

The funding tends to be what it is, they make their major decisions early on about awarding, but there are some small endowments that get sprinkled around that are nice little bonuses. But I know a lot of people get in a few places and try to negotiate, I haven’t heard many stories of that working at USC. The cost is really the only major drawback. I can’t speak for anybody else but in general I believe my whole cohort is really happy, thriving, and bonding. It’s a great place to come everyday and I do think I’m going to leave the program much better prepared than I would have otherwise been.

 

[Chris W]

I’m in my first year in the program. It has been a transformative, magical experience.

Thanks for checking in with the current applicants and offering to answer questions! That's awesome.

Is it possible for you to review the program as well on link below? It can be anonymous.

USC School of Cinematic Arts

For more than 90 years, the University of Southern California has trained the next generation of prolific filmmakers. As the nation's first institution of higher learning to offer a bachelor's degree in film, the School of Cinematic Arts remains at the forefront of emerging filmmaking trends...

• 3.57 star(s)
• Views: 91,464
• Reviews: 14
• Questions: 16
• Category: California

 

[Ronister]

Hey all. I’m in my first year in the program. It has been a transformative, magical experience. There really isn’t a lot I’d want to change about it, I’m very happy with my decision. Happy to answer any questions people have. I got really good help from a current student in my cycle and I’m happy to pay that forward.

I got my acceptance on 2/20 last year and think I was on the earlier end. I know several people in my cohort heard back a little later and some got in off the waitlist so all hope is not lost if you end up there. Somebody got in only like 2 weeks before class started.

The funding tends to be what it is, they make their major decisions early on about awarding, but there are some small endowments that get sprinkled around that are nice little bonuses. But I know a lot of people get in a few places and try to negotiate, I haven’t heard many stories of that working at USC. The cost is really the only major drawback. I can’t speak for anybody else but in general I believe my whole cohort is really happy, thriving, and bonding. It’s a great place to come everyday and I do think I’m going to leave the program much better prepared than I would have otherwise been.

My absolute dream school! Did you end up having an interview? What is your favorite aspect of the program?

 

[Doran]

My absolute dream school! Did you end up having an interview? What is your favorite aspect of the program?

I did not interview. I don’t think they interview for screenwriting.

If I had to boil it down to one thing I love about the program (lots of little things I love about it are tributaries of this), the SCA in general but our program in particular is very alive. A lot of care goes into who is involved, both from an instructor and pupil perspective. The program is heavily valued and cultivated and cared about by the film school and the University. It’s not like a dusty old library, it’s a very active, engaged program that has a great mix of letting you pick your own path, but also having a structure and pedagogy of how they develop writers and teach craft. From a resources aspect, it would be tough to match what they provide for us, both in craft and on the careers training end. There is a lot of pride and it’s a place everybody I know and have talked to genuinely love coming to learn and work everyday. It sounds corny but this is genuinely the most rewarding experience of my life and there isn’t much I’d change about it.

 

[Ronister]

I did not interview. I don’t think they interview for screenwriting.

If I had to boil it down to one thing I love about the program (lots of little things I love about it are tributaries of this), the SCA in general but our program in particular is very alive. A lot of care goes into who is involved, both from an instructor and pupil perspective. The program is heavily valued and cultivated and cared about by the film school and the University. It’s not like a dusty old library, it’s a very active, engaged program that has a great mix of letting you pick your own path, but also having a structure and pedagogy of how they develop writers and teach craft. From a resources aspect, it would be tough to match what they provide for us, both in craft and on the careers training end. There is a lot of pride and it’s a place everybody I know and have talked to genuinely love coming to learn and work everyday. It sounds corny but this is genuinely the most rewarding experience of my life and there isn’t much I’d change about it.

Thank you so much for this insight and solidifying that USC is my top pick for sure. Everything about it since the beginning feels like everything I wish for in a school. I’m in love with it haha. Now, just hoping for an acceptance!!

 

[Doran]

Thank you so much for this insight and solidifying that USC is my top pick for sure. Everything about it since the beginning feels like everything I wish for in a school. I’m in love with it haha. Now, just hoping for an acceptance!!

Thank you so much for this insight and solidifying that USC is my top pick for sure. Everything about it since the beginning feels like everything I wish for in a school. I’m in love with it haha. Now, just hoping for an acceptance!!

Haha well definitely do your own research but I’m glad it’s checking your boxes. It’s a great place to be. Good luck, and feel free to reach out during the process. I was really lucky to have welcoming helpful people give me great input during my application cycle, so happy to pay it forward.

 

[MaxNoble]

If your application looks like this is that a bad sign? I saw on another thread that some folks had application in review and it asked them to attach documents for financial aid. Someone said that they don’t normally do this unless you are in the process of being admitted. With the notifications being days away, is this a bad sign?

 

[Doran]

If your application looks like this is that a bad sign? I saw on another thread that some folks had application in review and it asked them to attach documents for financial aid. Someone said that they don’t normally do this unless you are in the process of being admitted. With the notifications being days away, is this a bad sign?View attachment 4107

Current student here, not an expert so don’t quote me, but I think you’re just looking at the financial aid page, not your admissions. The financial aid thing was kind of funky and took a month or two to get much clarity. If you’re admitted, they do a tremendously unfun zoom where they go over all that stuff.

I wouldn’t draw any conclusions from that screen, good or bad. It looked like that for months for me, FAFSA had some national hold up last year and everybody’s stuff was late coming in. There is no “financial aid” really for grad school so it’s just info about federal loans and payment plans.

 

[MaxNoble]

Current student here, not an expert so don’t quote me, but I think you’re just looking at the financial aid page, not your admissions. The financial aid thing was kind of funky and took a month or two to get much clarity. If you’re admitted, they do a tremendously unfun zoom where they go over all that stuff.

I wouldn’t draw any conclusions from that screen, good or bad. It looked like that for months for me, FAFSA had some national hold up last year and everybody’s stuff was late coming in. There is no “financial aid” really for grad school so it’s just info about federal loans and payment plans.

Okay, thank you! Was is like that even after you were admitted?

 

[Doran]

Okay, thank you! Was is like that even after you were admitted?

I can’t recall exactly but I remember there being some screen like that about my financial aid stuff for a long time, past signing day even I think. It wasn’t the smoothest process to be honest, can totally relate to the confusion and annoyance, especially if you applied several places.

In general I’d give them a few weeks to get their ducks in a row if you’re accepted and start getting you plugged in. I think admitted students day was like late March. Once they start moving I think the recruitment is pretty decent but there were a few quiet weeks when it felt like one office kept referring me to another. Really try to visit if you get a chance. I did an unofficial visit during a regular class week and it was awesome, sat in on a lecture and saw everybody functioning in their natural state and was blown away.

 

[Justanotherfilmfan]

I can’t recall exactly but I remember there being some screen like that about my financial aid stuff for a long time, past signing day even I think. It wasn’t the smoothest process to be honest, can totally relate to the confusion and annoyance, especially if you applied several places.

In general I’d give them a few weeks to get their ducks in a row if you’re accepted and start getting you plugged in. I think admitted students day was like late March. Once they start moving I think the recruitment is pretty decent but there were a few quiet weeks when it felt like one office kept referring me to another. Really try to visit if you get a chance. I did an unofficial visit during a regular class week and it was awesome, sat in on a lecture and saw everybody functioning in their natural state and was blown away.

Hi! I’ve interviewed for the film production track and am considering attending. Congratulations on making it through your first year! How synergistic is the program, do writers like yourself meet and work with directors and producers?