USC Screenwriting MFA Fall 2017 (Acceptance, Rejection, Etc.)

[Point Break]

I agree with you for the most part, although I will add a slightly dickish response: I would feel this is a far more likely scenario if at least SOME of us reported rejections already. If I read a bunch of people getting rejections and I DIDN'T get one, then I would assume that I still had something of a chance.

Interesting devil's advocacy response. I could see how that could put you at ease too.

I was just using the scenario to illustrate that it's probably hard for the admissions dept to send outright rejections, when they can't predict who intends to enroll. It would be quite embarrassing if they locked down the 32 + 16 (in the scenario), declined the rest, then had a situation where 17+ declined (due to alternative enrollment, tuition costs, visa issues, life emergencies, etc.). Unlikely, but still possible.

It's tough either way, and inevitably out of our control.

 

[Septopus7]

Interesting devil's advocacy response. I could see how that could put you at ease too.

I was just using the scenario to illustrate that it's probably hard for the admissions dept to send outright rejections, when they can't predict who intends to enroll. It would be quite embarrassing if they locked down the 32 + 16 (in the scenario), declined the rest, then had a situation where 17+ declined (due to alternative enrollment, tuition costs, visa issues, life emergencies, etc.). Unlikely, but still possible.

It's tough either way, and inevitably out of our control.

I totally get your second point, but I guess my confusion comes from intently studying past years of USC acceptances, in which things were far more clear cut. Last year, for instance, they sent out all acceptances on pretty much the same day (March 4), and all rejections exactly one week later (March 11.) I kind of figured this year's release would be the same, but that is very much not the case, I guess. Maybe they ran into the exactly problem you described last year, and are changing things around to combat the scenario? Who the hell knows. Like you said, the whole thing is completely out of our control anyways. We're all just grasping for straws in the dark here.

 

[MFAman]

Hey,

Called Admissions. The date has changed. Vague again: end of March, but before April. Eleven days everybody.

 

[shuyi]

Sorry to complain, but keeping waiting is killing me.

 

[icygee]

Okay werk USC...

 

[BuddernScotch]

Okay werk USC...

thank you once again for the perfectly CORRECT gif to express my feelings

 

[icygee]

thank you once again for the perfectly CORRECT gif to express my feelings

 

[MFAman]

Hey friends,

You know what, I realize I completely forgot to include the most important piece of information. While most of us haven't received notifications, the admissions office did tell me that they finalized their decisions: meaning they have made decisions regarding all applicants. All those accepted, rejected, and waitlisted have been determined. The admissions office has given their decisions to the respective graduate school (The John Wells Division of Writing for Screen and Television), and they will be sending them out whenever they so choose. I'm assuming this weekend. (My assumptions, however, have not been great.) So somewhere, someone knows where we all stand. We just have to wait for them to email us. If any of you want to try calling admissions and getting them to tell you your fate over the phone, good luck. I've decided to stop calling. I'll pick up the phone again in April if we haven't heard anything. Until then, I'll just count the seconds, minutes, hours, and days. Good luck everyone! You all have been supportive through this insufferable wait.

I will post my decision regardless of the outcome and as soon as I get it in my inbox.

 

[BuddernScotch]

I just phoned the SCA, and have been told some very interesting things. First, they do not give out admissions/rejections information over the phone.
Second, the order that things are done is: a decision is made -> posted on USC portal -> a hard copy is sent out after the decision has been formally approved -> (then, finally) an email is sent.

Thus, it seems that email is the last way to get into contact with us. I suggest everyone check their portals first. Mine is currently empty :'( but under "Decision Status" of the portal is where the "letters" should first be posted.

And EDIT: acceptances are still being sent out. Confirmed. :')

 

[Septopus7]

Hey all,

So in the Production forum they are starting to work off of a theory that says that the acceptances were sent out dependant on when you first submitted your application...Personally, I've kinda give up on trying to predict just how the hell any of this actually works but, whatever, none of us have anything better to do, and I'm still incredibly curious why they would have such a big gap between the first set of acceptances and the (alleged) second batch. The "submission order" thing is as good a theory as any. But let's put it to the test, shall we?

So, personally, I submitted my application an hour and forty minutes before the due date. I know this because I took a "proof" picture. But what about the rest of you...Particularly the accepted students like @byisis, @Comedynerd, @Kira, etc. (Sidenote: I feel we should come up with a name for you guys. How bout the A-Squad? Would say A-Team, but pretty sure Fox owns the right to that one.)

Let's see if this gets us anywhere. But, I swear to god, if one of you says "June of 2016" and another says "three minutes before it was due!" imma be like

 

[Swissapp]

I was accepted and I submitted it the last possible day to submit it, which I'm pretty sure was like November 15th.

 

[Chris15789]

I submitted the day of (Nov 15th) as well, with a couple hours to spare.
I waited until the last second because I was constantly changing stuff in my portfolio and wanted to be sure it was ready before sending. I did this with all applications.

 

[Chris15789]

Guys, I feel like a lot of people are still deciding on schools and that's why schools are hesitant to send more stuff out.

For instance, I got into usc in february but I wanted to wait and hear back from all the schools I applied from to make a decision->the problem with that thinking being if I don't hear back from 1 or 2 schools, it will prolong my decision on usc, which may prolong usc's decisions on other applicants. This is especially true if a lot of students are waiting to hear from other schools before accepting an offer.

There also may be a lot of people that were accepted and unsure of where to go based on financial aid (which also hasn't been sent out for many places) and other factors. I know I've been calling many schools trying to figure this out myself. So that may be why the admissions office isn't getting back to anyone yet.

Finally, there are probably lots of students that have made their decisions, who haven't yet told other schools they were accepted to that they won't be going there.

So hang in there guys, there's lots of decisions that admissions are waiting on still. Just because you haven't heard back yet doesn't mean you aren't in!

 

[lianlee]

Hey all,

So in the Production forum they are starting to work off of a theory that says that the acceptances were sent out dependant on when you first submitted your application...Personally, I've kinda give up on trying to predict just how the hell any of this actually works but, whatever, none of us have anything better to do, and I'm still incredibly curious why they would have such a big gap between the first set of acceptances and the (alleged) second batch. The "submission order" thing is as good a theory as any. But let's put it to the test, shall we?

So, personally, I submitted my application an hour and forty minutes before the due date. I know this because I took a "proof" picture. But what about the rest of you...Particularly the accepted students like @byisis, @Comedynerd, @Kira, etc. (Sidenote: I feel we should come up with a name for you guys. How bout the A-Squad? Would say A-Team, but pretty sure Fox owns the right to that one.)

Let's see if this gets us anywhere. But, I swear to god, if one of you says "June of 2016" and another says "three minutes before it was due!" imma be like

View attachment 633

Hey I just want to clarify that, it is not dependent on the submission date but the application completion date lol. I submitted my application before Nov 5th, but it actually gets completed on Dec 1st. I kinda give up on trying to predict too, but the office confirmed what I said, although later on I found out they gave different dates for another applicant and me about the decision releasing date ;p

 

[Kira]

I submitted my application on November 14th.
So ~36 hours before the deadline, but not really that early

 

[moni4liberty]

I submitted my application on November 7th, my letters of recommendation and transcript were all received by the 14th, and I got an acceptance email on March 3rd.

 

[Comedynerd]

I submitted my application on November 7th, my letters of recommendation and transcript were all received by the 14th, and I got an acceptance email on March 3rd.

I was super last minute. I submitted my application three hours before the deadline and my letters of rec were in an hour before the deadline.

 

[WizardsBrew]

It's nearly April... Presumably, the applications have all been reviewed and those admitted have been notified, especially since I think they have some kind of highly recommended admitted student orientation coming up in early April. (Right?) The only wait now is to see what the admitted students decide because you don't send waitlist notifications until you have a full confirmed class. It would've been courteous of them to notify those who they have definitely rejected but that's the luxury you have when the ball is in your court. Trying to decipher their algorithm won't change the outcome so if we transfer our hope to the fact that the deadline for 2018 is only half a year away, we can only be pleasantly surprised if we are one of the extreme few who will receive an acceptance letter for this term going forward.

 

[turburr]

Hi y'all, I got my rejection letter this morning so they're definitely starting to roll out.

 

[icygee]

Hi y'all, I got my rejection letter this morning so they're definitely starting to roll out.

Were you notified by email or did it just appear in your portal?