What questions do you have for the AFI Conservatory Admissions office?

Chris W

The night was sultry...
Staff member
The AFI Conservatory Admissions office has graciously agreed to be interviewed for an article on FilmSchool.org similar to the one that we have with USC.

What questions would you like to ask them? We're compiling a list of questions now and would love to add any questions you might have for them to our list.
 
Yeah can you please ask them why I didn’t get an interview 🤣
I'll add that to the list.

  • Why didn't Yellowhat get an interview?
But in all seriousness a question about what an interview means for admission and why people are/are not interviewed is a good question.
 
Thanks for doing this @Chris W 🙌

A few more questions:

Is there a diverse group of students, faculty, and administrators?

What's the average financial aid package like?

What does the student debt really look like? ($$$,$$$)

What % of students receive scholarships?

Can a scholarship award be held concurrently with another award?

What % of applicants are accepted? Waitlisted?

Can applicants defer admission? Under what circumstances?

How engaged/impactful is the school's alumni association? Asking because the AFI Backlot is something new and would like to know more about this.

How does AFI support students after graduation?

Cheers!!!
 
I liked how the USC Admissions Interview you did had information about application materials, although it may be a little trickier with AFI where there are so many disciplines with unique requirements. But something all-encompassing like:

- What are you looking for in an applicant's portfolio piece(s)? Creativity or uniqueness? Ambition? An aesthetic eye? Grasp of structure?
---ie: Should an applicant submit work that they feel is their most creative even if it's messy, rough, short, or doesn't quite fulfill what it was aiming for (but at least it aimed high), or should they submit something that is tight and structurally sound even if it's maybe blander or tamer than other work they have?

-What are you looking for in an applicant's prompt piece(s)?
 
Thank you for doing this!

- How much does the interview weigh in the final decision?
- What makes a good interview? It seems most applicants have positive experiences, so I'm wondering what sets an applicant apart.
- What part of the application is the most important?
 
Hey, I have a few questions!
- How many people (roughly) get onto the waitlist each year?
- Based on patterns from previous years, how likely is it to get off the waitlist and get accepted?
- Do people who are accepted off the waitlist ever get scholarships?
 
We're interviewing later today. Last chance to get your questions in. :)
Some additional questions:

- Do waitlisted applicants receive scholarships? (I'm not waistlisted, but asking for my waitlisted fellows)

- How does AFI handle unclaimed funds? Say a student, let's name him CHRIS, is offered a full ride to NYU and AFI. And Chris decides "you know what, screw AFI. I'm going to NYU." Well, what happens with the full ride scholarship that Chris was offered to at AFI? Does that full ride scholarship get divvied up to other fellows?

Thanks!!!
 
Our interview with AFI Admissions is up. :)

How to Get Into AFI Conservatory: Exclusive Advice From the Admissions Office (Part 1)

How to Get Into AFI Conservatory: Exclusive Advice From the Admissions Office (Part 1)

Ask anyone about where to go to film school, and you’re bound to hear the American Film Institute Conservatory. First established in 1967, AFI is world renowned for producing pioneers and trailblazers in the film industry. In 2020, the Hollywood Reporter ranked AFI as the top film school in...

Apologies for the delay. :)
 
Thanks Chris!!! And shoutout to Alexa!!! Will upgrade to a Supporting Member later. 😀 Also, 12 pages??? haha
18 pages!

She asked what I wanted to edit it out to get it to a reasonable length (and price) but it was all great so I said let's release it all. :)
 
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