USC School of Cinematic Arts MFA Screenwriting Fall 2020

The silence...No new notifications from this morning? I wonder if that means today is shot. Do we have any hunches on how the roll out proceeds?
well looking back it usually occurs over the span of a week but not like everyday i’m pretty sure they send them out in batches that’s what we assumed last year...so first batch was this weekend mayhaps next batch will go out this coming weekend but i wouldn’t bet on anything after that because i’ve already noticed about 15 people have got in so far so maybe the other half will get sent out soon (but don’t quote me on this because we have to keep in mind the people who may have gotten accepted and they don’t post or they’re not a part of this forum ((which is crazy because this forum is awesome)) you know? so we can’t really keep actual track of how many have already been sent out but this is just my hunch...)
 
The silence...No new notifications from this morning? I wonder if that means today is shot. Do we have any hunches on how the roll out proceeds?

I hate sounding like the harbinger of doom, but I've accepted that it's over and USC just doesn't think I am good enough.

Maybe there will be one more wave, but when you do the math on how many people in the thread got accepted versus the number of people who likely got accepted that are not a part of this thread and couple that with the total number of people the program will take, it's not looking good. Sorry.
 
I hate sounding like the harbinger of doom, but I've accepted that it's over and USC just doesn't think I am good enough.

Maybe there will be one more wave, but when you do the math on how many people in the thread got accepted versus the number of people who likely got accepted that are not a part of this thread and couple that with the total number of people the program will take, it's not looking good. Sorry.

Don't be so hard on yourself; dang!
A college acceptance is not a determiant of how "good" one is. Maybe you are "good enough" but just not a good fit. It could be any number of things, but it's not a measure of.you!

Also, maybe you did get in.
 
I hate sounding like the harbinger of doom, but I've accepted that it's over and USC just doesn't think I am good enough.

Maybe there will be one more wave, but when you do the math on how many people in the thread got accepted versus the number of people who likely got accepted that are not a part of this thread and couple that with the total number of people the program will take, it's not looking good. Sorry.
I agree it’s not looking good for those of us who did not get the letter. I think if we don’t hear next Sunday or Monday morning it’s a likely no. But I’ll say too that I don’t think a rejection necessarily means USC didn’t think you were good enough. There are multiple factors that go into their decision other than just you being a “good” or “bad” writer (a fairly subjective thing anyway). You might be a great writer and just not be right for the USC program. They know their program best and they know the types of writers they are looking for. Personallly I wasn’t 100% USC was the right place for me anyway — that’s not to say I’m not also dying to get in and currently feeling that overwhelming sadness like I’ve just been broken up with on prom night. But if you really believe USC is the right place for you and if you really believe they denied you because of your writing then you’ve got plenty of time to figure out what went wrong and improve and apply again.
 
Just to add to my post above... there’s only 32 spots right? Out of what 1000 applicants (I have no idea if that number is correct but it’s definitely a lot)? So if you do that math do you really think there were only 32 great writers that applied to USC? Unlikely. They likely had to make some tough decisions on which great writers to admit.
 
The childish side of me is like IF THEY DON’T WANT ME THEN I DON’T WANT THEM!!!!!1111!!!!

giphy.gif


But I get that I don’t/won’t know why I wasn’t selected and it’s best to focus on what is within my control, which is what to do moving forward (reapply? apply elsewhere? Something else altogether?). Just whoooo sai mayne.
giphy.gif
 
Just to add to my post above... there’s only 32 spots right? Out of what 1000 applicants (I have no idea if that number is correct but it’s definitely a lot)? So if you do that math do you really think there were only 32 great writers that applied to USC? Unlikely. They likely had to make some tough decisions on which great writers to admit.
yes and to add onto this u have to keep in mind that only like two people see your application each person is given hundreds of applications to read through so sometimes it may not have resonated with that one reader which is FINE it’s definitely not the end of the world it does suck for sure and it sucks that they don’t interview people to get a better sense of the person but that’s unfortunately how the school works...i know usc may be all high and mighty but if u really think about it their school really isn’t all that there are many other great programs that not only care for their students but it’s not so competitive u will feel accepted and u’ll be taught well...usc is not the only school in the world and please don’t beat urself up if u didn’t get in i was like this last year but now i realized that maybe this is my destiny and i’m not supposed to go there and look, some people did get accepted but they chose to turn down the offer because at the end of the day this school is crazy expensive for lit rally no reason at all and they don’t provide great outcomes for some of their graduates...unlike other programs that do lol sometimes the school name should not matter i should know i went to a “top” undergrad bc of the name and i was so miserable there there was no sense of community everyone was fighting to be the best of the best and that’s not what higher education is for lol so idk i wouldn’t stress out too much...that being said once again congrats to those who got in...and those who still haven’t heard back hang in there they might release more acceptances...and if not..u can always try again next year or if u applied to other schools u have other options open for u...please don’t underestimate ur writing skills there was a reason u chose to pursue higher education bc ur gut knew u had potential never ignore ur gut...i wish y’all the best of luck on ur future endeavors :•)
 
There's just no way all the invites went out in 2 days. I quickly went back through the last 4 years of application results and the invitations went out over a 4ish day period. Sometimes longer, as was the case in 2017
A friend of mine was accepted on March 12th last year. We should wait till mid March before starting to get concerned. Easy to say, I know. The anticipation sucks, but I wish everyone on here the best of luck.
 
hi guys, looong time lurker first time poster.

thought it may be helpful to say i was lucky enough to get my acceptance on saturday—i only found out yesterday after someone in this forum suggested checking my decision status on the USC site, so i truly don't know where i'd be without this wealth of info. also 10/32 students as members on this site? a massive win for the filmschool.org. community.

thanks to everyone for keeping me virtual company while i waited, even if you didn't know you were doing so. i'm excited to return the favour 🚀 good luck!
 
hi guys, looong time lurker first time poster.

thought it may be helpful to say i was lucky enough to get my acceptance on saturday—i only found out yesterday after someone in this forum suggested checking my decision status on the USC site, so i truly don't know where i'd be without this wealth of info. also 10/32 students as members on this site? a massive win for the filmschool.org. community.

thanks to everyone for keeping me virtual company while i waited, even if you didn't know you were doing so. i'm excited to return the favour 🚀 good luck!
Congrats! Be sure to add your application to the tracker. :)
 
Log your film school application with our Application Database so that we can improve our admissions statistics.



Users who are viewing this thread


Latest Accepted Applications

This Application in the Scattergram

Exclusive Supporting Member Benefits

Peak behind the admissions curtain. Supporting Members unlock full access to insightful data, interviews, and more...

Instant Keyword Alerts
Visible Supporter Badge & Highlighted Profile
Share Subscription with one family member or friend

Instant access • Cancel anytime

Latest Film School Reviews

  • University of Georgia - MFA in Film, Television and Digital Media
    5.00 star(s)
    The UGA MFA Film Program is amazing!
    My experience with the program so far has been extremely positive. From the first time I interacted with the UGA MFA team, I knew it would be a...
    • David Green
  • Indiana University Bloomington - The Media School
    5.00 star(s)
    IU Media School has it all
    LOVE IU, LOVE the Media School. Great mix of classroom learning & hands on experience. The Semester in LA Program is amazing… internships by day...
    • wardroberts
  • San Diego State University - School of Theatre, Television, and Film
    5.00 star(s)
    A program driven to success because of the people within it
    This program, or rather the people in it have helped prepare me to start my journey as a filmmaker. Although there are cons about the program...
    • Anonymous
  • London Film School
    4.00 star(s)
    A screenwriting program that tries its best
    I graduated from the MA Screenwriting program at London Film School (LFS) in August 2025. I enjoyed the program and thought it was worth tuition...
    • Faizan Ansari
  • Indiana University Bloomington - The Media School
    5.00 star(s)
    Owen Klee’s IU Film Program review
    Overall, I had a wonderful experience at the Indiana University film program. While it was at the very beginning of the BFA program when I...
    • owenklee47

Latest Applications

Latest questions

Latest Articles

Latest Accepted Applications

Applications
Articles
Forums
Film Schools
Scholarships
Back
Top