# Florida State MFA Interviews



## PremierGuy (Feb 17, 2012)

Anyone on this site have a scheduled interview for Florida State for the MFA in Production? If so How many and which of the scheduled interview days are you guys attending?

Thanks!


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## Dang Man! (Feb 17, 2012)

Mine is on March 11th, but I'll be there for the whole weekend.

How about you? Where are you staying? It definitely would be nice to know some people/hang out/explore the city while there.


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## PremierGuy (Feb 17, 2012)

Mine is on the 10th. I plan on getting in that Friday. Yeah that would be dope. Have they sent you emails regarding the hotels that's near the school?


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## Dang Man! (Feb 17, 2012)

Cool, yeah, lets definitely hang out. I'll private message you. Yeah, I got that email, but I got a great deal on the Doubletree, which is in the same area as the ones listed, for only $55 off Priceline name your own price. So if you can do that, I recommend it.


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## JKL (Feb 17, 2012)

Hey guys!

My interview is set for March 17th, for the afternoon session. I'd love to meet up with anyone who has an interview on the same day.


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## Silverback15 (Feb 17, 2012)

Looks like I'm the only one that will be there this weekend to interview. Congrats and good luck people. If anyone will be in town this weekend, let me know.


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## PremierGuy (Feb 17, 2012)

@Silverback15 awesome man. What day is yours the 18th or 19th? Would be great if you could share some info on how your interview goes once you're done. Good Luck with it!


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## aspectralfire (Feb 20, 2012)

Hey guys, I'll also be interviewing on the 10th (evening slot). I'd love to meet up. I'll probably be getting there a couple days early.


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## apocalypticus (Feb 21, 2012)

Hey all,

I'm having a skype interview on the 16th March at 2.30PM. Good luck to all. Do share what kind of questions they will be asking during the interview. It'll be of great help. Thanks a lot and again, all the very best.


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## jamnee (Feb 21, 2012)

> Originally posted by apocalypticus:
> Hey all,
> 
> I'm having a skype interview on the 16th March at 2.30PM. Good luck to all. Do share what kind of questions they will be asking during the interview. It'll be of great help. Thanks a lot and again, all the very best.



Hi apocalypticus, I'm a fellow international interviewee and 'll be having mine on March 16th at 10:30 am. An international guy from last year told me it was a casual chat, which is a lot less intensive than those on campus. They asked basic questions like: why film school, why FSU, what american films have you recently seen that you like, and what kind of films you want to make. Also some questions based on your materials. My guess is, unlike the on-campus slot, they do a skype-interview only to make sure you are the person they decided on. Hope it helps  



@JKL Congrats on getting into USC! I noticed in the USC thread you are tilt toward the trojans. I received the admission last weekend so I'm sort of in the same situation right now. Would you mind sharing your take on these two schools? 

As an international I have to take into consideration USC's international reputation and the more diversed community in LA. FSU however only admits 24 students a year(or so I heard), which, compared to USC's 60/semester, seems a bit more elitism(in a good way of course). And... there's the financials. Although it's still early to pick, I want to be prepared in case I got lucky again   Anything would help. Thanks and best of luck on the interview!


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## JKL (Feb 21, 2012)

> Originally posted by jamnee:
> 
> @JKL Congrats on getting into USC! I noticed in the USC thread you are tilt toward the trojans. I received the admission last weekend so I'm sort of in the same situation right now. Would you mind sharing your take on these two schools?



Hi Jamnee, Congrats on getting the USC acceptance and the FSU interview invite! 
So regarding your question: I believe people should go to the film school that fits them best. Personally, I think USC will be a better fit for me, but here is my opinion about both schools:
Financially, FSU, I'd dare say, is a better value. The tuition is cheaper, it only takes two years to complete the MFA, and the school offers to pay for all student projects (including catering!). The resources FSU offers is comparable to any top-tier school, and the vibe I got from looking at film schools is that FSU (the younger school), modeled its program after USC's. FSU also, is a program that churns out more award winning student projects and distinguished alumni each year--it is clearly a program that's on the rise. Some say that FSU has "weak" alumni, but keep in mind, the school was started around 1989 (I believe), which means that most graduates hadn't had a chance to develop into directors yet. 

Now USC's tuition is almost twice as expensive, and students have to pay for their own films unless they win very competitive scholarships. However, the quality and quantity of USC's resources--sound stages, sets, actors in LA--is unparalleled. Also, in the end of the day, whether you go to NYU or FSU, most graduates are gonna be moving to LA to start their careers. USC is already in LA. Finally, I'm kind of a thriller/sci-fi kinda guy; USC seems to be most supportive of such genres of filmmaking. I have many more reasons, but the ones I mentioned above seem to be what I can remember for now. 

Anyhow, I think both schools are stellar, and I have yet to hear any consistently negative comments about USC or FSU from students and graduates alike. Best wishes with your interview and decision!


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## jamnee (Feb 22, 2012)

@JKL  It's a very well rounded research you've done! Thank you for sharing it and I hope more applicants can see this. I'm into social/family kind of themes so I guess it works anywhere. But the industry is why I applied for American schools in the first place. Oh well, it's getting clear now. I'll let my instinct and account balance guide me when I hear back from all the schools. Thanks again and I'll let you know if I'm going to LA.


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## tsapavt (Feb 28, 2012)

> Originally posted by JKL:
> Hey guys!
> 
> My interview is set for March 17th, for the afternoon session. I'd love to meet up with anyone who has an interview on the same day.



I'm the same session, Happy St. Patrick's Day haha.  I plan on arriving on Friday (still have to buy my plane ticket, ugh) and I'm gonna stay with my brother who's an undergrad at FSU.  I'd be down for meeting up beforehand if you want.

Like everyone, I'm curious as to what the whole process has been like..especially the group interview.  If anyone would like to share anything that'd be great!

I'm also curious about everyone's backgrounds/why FSU...I studied architecture at U of I and now I work at an arch. firm in downtown Chicago. I'm applying to arch programs along with the MFA program.

I look forward to meeting at least 4 of you haha.  Good luck to everyone!


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## apocalypticus (Feb 29, 2012)

@jamnee - Thanks for the heads up. Getting a bit scared on the interview front. Haven't heard anything from the other two places I applied to - UCLA and Columbia - so, all my hopes are riding high on this. Please let me know how your interview turns out and what all do they enquire about? 

If an international student is doing a skype interview, does it mean he / she has already been selected and almost a given as selected as compared to the on-campus interview. Who all here are international applicants who have given an interview and have been rejected?

A stupid thought - should you dress up casually or formally for the interview? It might seem ridiculous to me since 2.30PM in the US will be like 3.30AM in India.


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## PremierGuy (Mar 5, 2012)

How did anyones interview go?


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## kmlombre (Mar 6, 2012)

My interview is March 18th in the morning!!

Anyone else???


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## PremierGuy (Mar 6, 2012)

Mines is This Saturday, Morning


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## bscua (Mar 6, 2012)

Mine is on the 18th, the afternoon session.


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## flowerkid (Mar 15, 2012)

Did anyone have the interview recently? What did they ask? I am having mine in the morning 16 March via skype. Thanks!


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## apocalypticus (Mar 16, 2012)

How did everyones interviews go? Would love to know. Hope they went well.....the silence in this thread leaves me tensed about my own interview.


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## PremierGuy (Feb 17, 2012)

Anyone on this site have a scheduled interview for Florida State for the MFA in Production? If so How many and which of the scheduled interview days are you guys attending?

Thanks!


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## flowerkid (Mar 16, 2012)

> Originally posted by apocalypticus:
> How did everyones interviews go? Would love to know. Hope they went well.....the silence in this thread leaves me tensed about my own interview.



I just had mine. I think it went OK. The signal wasn't too good so sometimes I wasn't sure if they heard me clearly and sometimes I also had to ask them to repeat the questions.

The questions were very basic, which were exactly like what I heard before.

Why FSU/Film School?
What kind of films do you want to make?
What American films have you watched lately? Do you like them? Why and why not?
Several questions related to your personal statement.
Then you get to ask them questions too.

They said the decision would be made by mid-April.

Hope it helps! Good luck!


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## PremierGuy (Mar 16, 2012)

Everything Flowerkid said is correct. plus there was a group interview where they had a list of story scenarios and you all have to pick one and pitch a story. Then there is a tour of the facilities.


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## apocalypticus (Mar 16, 2012)

Oh man oh man oh man.....just gave a grueling skype interview. My interview went for like 25 minutes. They basically started with the same questions as mentioned by flowerkid and from there  the interview took a life of its own. My resume mentioned a lot of commercials work that I had done, so they basically asked what I'd contributed to. They asked how would I collaborate with different departments, an example of the contributions you had given to a particular project, have I ever shot any short films, what was my favorite part of the filmmaking process, etc.

The completely went berserk on me. I think they had a suspicion of whether my writing samples and my resume were truly mine. But I think I have the letter of recommendations to back me up on that. All in all, I can't say for sure how my skype interview went as I stammered and struggled to frame some sentences (I always have). I'm just praying for an answer as soon as possible so that I can sleep better at night.


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## aspectralfire (Mar 16, 2012)

I had my interview a week ago. It felt pretty good. The school felt like a really great fit. I also loved the interview style. When I interviewed for another school, it felt forced, and the interviewers tried too hard to be congenial. FSU had a great mix of showing interest and being "hard" in the interview room. 

Everyone says it, but it's true: BE YOURSELF. Even if you get a tough question (I was asked to cut a scene from my favorite movie, a movie I find to be darn near perfect), you'll be fine if you're honest. It's when you try to cater to the school that you muddle things and give a false vibe to the faculty.


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## jlear (Mar 19, 2012)

Are all of the FSU interviews over?


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## kubsky234 (Mar 19, 2012)

I've been lurking on this board for a while now. I literally just received my acceptance letter for the Writing program. Good luck to everyone still waiting to hear.


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## jlear (Mar 19, 2012)

@kubsky234 Was it a letter by postal mail or an email?


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## kubsky234 (Mar 19, 2012)

@jlear It was an email.


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## aspectralfire (Mar 19, 2012)

Woah, fast!  Did they say they would be sending letters out around this time?

Production said Mid April.  Any production interviewees get an e-mail?


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## aspectralfire (Mar 19, 2012)

Derp, forgot to say congratulations! You should feel great considering how few slots exist. That's exciting!


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## jlear (Mar 19, 2012)

Douple Derp, Congratulations to @kubsky234, are you looking at other programs too or just FSU?


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## AB932 (Mar 19, 2012)

Congratulations kubsky234!

When I interviewed for production they told me late March or early April for the decisions.

It's good to know that they are already making the decisions.


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## kubsky234 (Mar 19, 2012)

@jlear I only applied to FSU this year.


Thanks guys. In my email it said that I had until April 6th to accept my spot, so I would expect to hear something from them before then.


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## aspectralfire (Mar 22, 2012)

Just got an acceptance email from Emma with a letter attached from Reb. So excited! As said before, deadline for replying is April 6 so everyone should hear back soon. Wooo!


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## gavrisr (Mar 22, 2012)

I received the same acceptance email today aspectralfire. However I still haven't made my decision. Congratulations to anyone else who got accepted.


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## aspectralfire (Mar 22, 2012)

Congrats! What schools are you deciding between?


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## Silverback15 (Mar 22, 2012)

Got my acceptance email as well guys. Congrats and good luck to everyone


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## PremierGuy (Mar 22, 2012)

Got my acceptance letter today too. Congrats to everyone who have been notified so far!


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## flowerkid (Mar 22, 2012)

Wow, congratulations to you all! Did you guys all apply for directing? Are any of you an international applicant? Fingers crossed now, hope to hear from them soon...


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## Silverback15 (Mar 22, 2012)

@flowerkid I'm a directing applicant and I had my interview in mid-Feb. I saw that you just had your interview a few days ago so you might get your admission info a little later than we did as they may still be selecting applicants. Our April 6th deadline may be due to the fact that we interviewed earlier. Just a thought though. Thanks, and I hope you get the same good news I just got.


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## PremierGuy (Feb 17, 2012)

Anyone on this site have a scheduled interview for Florida State for the MFA in Production? If so How many and which of the scheduled interview days are you guys attending?

Thanks!


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## apocalypticus (Mar 22, 2012)

And here we go. 

Congratulations to all who got accepted. 
@Silverback15 - I hope you're right about about selecting applicants who've been interviewed in mid march. I hope to get in as UCLA and Columbia are still silent.

All the best to those who wait.


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## apocalypticus (Mar 22, 2012)

Congratulations to all who got accepted. 
@Silverback15 - I hope you're right about about selecting applicants who've been interviewed in mid march. I hope to get in as UCLA and Columbia are still silent.

All the best to those who wait.


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## kubsky234 (Mar 22, 2012)

Congrats to everyone who got in and good luck to everyone still waiting. 

Other than gavrisr, are any of you considering another school or are you accepting your spot at FSU?


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## Lucy (Mar 23, 2012)

> Originally posted by flowerkid:
> Wow, congratulations to you all! Did you guys all apply for directing? Are any of you an international applicant? Fingers crossed now, hope to hear from them soon...



flowerkid, I am an international applicant, applied for film prodution, did the interview with skype on Mar.16th. I received the same acceptance email from Emma yesterday. I think no matter when you did your interview, they sent the admission emails in the same day.

Congratulations to everyone who got accepted.


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## kmlombre (Mar 24, 2012)

ACCEPTED!!!!


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## kubsky234 (Mar 31, 2012)

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone in the fall. We are trying to get a discussion started over on the FSU Film site:  http://www.fsufilm.com/group/mfa-class-of-2014.


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## Wisnoshy (Jul 31, 2012)

Just got my acceptance email today, so it looks like someone had to drop out of the select group of 24, and I'm more than excited to accept that spot in the class!!!  I am pretty much still in shock and am shaking with excitement.  But, I am way behind in planning since it is August already, and am looking at housing.  I would prefer to live with a fellow classmate to help keep costs down, does anyone know of anybody who is interested??


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