# Hollins University



## JMG (Feb 13, 2013)

I wanted to share my positive grad experience at Hollins University, nestled amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.

I found Hollins in late 2007 when I Googled "film studies mfa." The screenwriting program is a low-residency course of study (six weeks a summer for three to five summers) that I applied to alongside Boston University's MFA screenwriting program. Though I was accepted to both, I accepted Hollins's offer for two major reasons:

1. The cost of the entire program was less than half of BU. The fact that it freed me up for the rest of the year (as opposed to a full-time program) was also attractive.

2. Due to Hollins's niche as a summer program, it attracts faculty from schools such as UCLA, NYU, Prague, and such, from whom you learn the same precepts far more cost-effectively.

The program at Hollins was collaborative, rather than competitive, and I made some amazing friends and colleagues. I hadn't visited the school before attending, but as my undergrad experience was as urban as it could've been, I welcomed the pastoral setting. It was like being at a six-week writers' retreat, and ever since completing the program in three summers (as of 2010), I return every year to visit or present my latest work. The Roanoke Valley has a way of grabbing you. Plus, the karaoke and local food is excellent.

Since graduating, films I've written have run the festival circuit, and I just this past week scored a professional development grant to support my screenwriting endeavors.

I'm a bit of a cheerleader for the school. I honestly wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. It's a relatively new program, but I'm so glad that I found it. It's well worth your time to check out:

http://www.hollins.edu/grad/film/screenwriting.htm


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## thehamm99 (Feb 13, 2013)

That must be Spam, cause Jelly don't shake like that.


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## JMG (Feb 13, 2013)

This jelly does. You can find my non-spam self at jaredmgordon.net. I can shake with the best of 'em.


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## thehamm99 (Feb 14, 2013)

Touche.

I'm glad you had a good experience.
The Hollins program definitely sounds like an interesting option.

Seems like a pretty polished sell though...


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## TTA (Feb 27, 2013)

I can confirm that Jared was a student in our program.  I can also attest to his well written testimonial.  I am the director of the graduate screenwriting program at Hollins.  We are a low residency MFA program that meets for 6 weeks each summer.  Students also do independent studies during the year.  We offer screenwriting, television writing, production, producing and film theory courses.  Because of our summer only class schedule, we attract faculty from the top film schools in the nation.  This summer (2013) our faculty will include professors from UCLA, Northwestern University, professional television writers from SOUTH PARK, MALIBU COUNTRY and MEDIUM, and feature writers with numerous credits and films in development at all the major studios.  Our guests this summer will include James Ponsoldt (writer/director of SMASHED, THE SPECTACULAR NOW, and the upcoming FOX 2000 release of an adaptation of the YA novel PURE), Hal Ackerman (co-chair of the UCLA MFA program) and television writer Susan Hurwitz-Arneson (Malibu Country, South Park).  I personally teach during the year in the UCLA MFA program and past students have sold hundreds of scripts to all the major production companies.  Scott Kosar wrote the film THE MACHINIST in my class at UCLA.  I'm here to let people know that we are a viable, affordable option to the big schools.  I like to say you get a UCLA education (and connections) at Hollins for 1/3 of the price.  Don't hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.


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