# USC MFA Fall 2016 Applicants



## Scorsitchcubrick (Oct 6, 2015)

Just wondering if anyone else out there is applying to the USC MFA program for the Fall of 2016.  This is my 2nd attempt and hoping things work out better this time around.


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## Alison Hendrix (Oct 7, 2015)

Right here!


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## granados_1111 (Oct 11, 2015)

I'm applying although my first choice is Columbia. How are you guys doing with you application?


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## roar2k (Oct 14, 2015)

Applying to USC, NYU, Columbia, lots to do! Working on my screenplay for NYU which I can also partly use for Columbia


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## granados_1111 (Oct 18, 2015)

roar2k said:


> Applying to USC, NYU, Columbia, lots to do! Working on my screenplay for NYU which I can also partly use for Columbia


What's your first choice? Have you heard any good tips that you can share?


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## granados_1111 (Oct 18, 2015)

I have 4 recommendation letters to choose from people I've worked with: a director, a cinematographer, a screenwriter and a producer. 

I can only upload three; which ones would you recommend for a directing/screenwriting program?


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## Chris W (Oct 18, 2015)

granados_1111 said:


> I have 4 recommendation letters to choose from people I've worked with: a director, a cinematographer, a screenwriter and a producer.
> 
> I can only upload three; which ones would you recommend for a directing/screenwriting program?


Not the cinematographer.


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## Bobby_T (Oct 20, 2015)

Hello everyone!  Does anyone have any other information on how deferring admission works?  I know their site says:

"USC does not offer deferments in the traditional sense of the term. (In other words, we do not guarantee re- admission.) However, admitted students do have the option to update their file."

I am applying for fall 2016 but will be deployed for most of next year so would not be able to attend until fall 2017 (if I even get in which of course is assuming a lot) and wanted to know if anyone had personal experience with deferring. I know re-admission isn't guaranteed (as stated) but I was curious how much weight being admitted previously held for the following year. Thank you!


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## Bobby_T (Oct 23, 2015)

How are everyone's applications going?


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## Ilovefilms (Nov 29, 2015)

hey...I attend USC and finishing up my first year in the graduate film program... happy to answer any questions if you have any.


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## Alison Hendrix (Nov 30, 2015)

Ilovefilms said:


> hey...I attend USC and finishing up my first year in the graduate film program... happy to answer any questions if you have any.


Hey Ilovefilms! Are you in the MFA program for Screenwriting?


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## Ilovefilms (Nov 30, 2015)

Unfortunately I know nothing about the screenwriting program.  They keep the producing, production and screenwriting programs pretty separate.  Thats one of the complaints I have about it.  They don't integrate the programs enough but I think most film schools don't.


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## panda (Nov 30, 2015)

Ilovefilms said:


> Unfortunately I know nothing about the screenwriting program.  They keep the producing, production and screenwriting programs pretty separate.  Thats one of the complaints I have about it.  They don't integrate the programs enough but I think most film schools don't.



What internship or work opportunities have you had since enrolling? What is the general vibe of the people there (and is it different for each of the programs, or can you really only speak to yours)?


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## Ilovefilms (Nov 30, 2015)

panda said:


> What internship or work opportunities have you had since enrolling? What is the general vibe of the people there (and is it different for each of the programs, or can you really only speak to yours)?



The internship opportunities are pretty amazing! I would almost anywhere you go there are USC alumni that work there.  USC definitely gets your foot in the door.  The Trojan Mafia is very very strong. It was only my first semester and I had about 3 interviews with different production companies for last summer.

In terms of the people here, I think it really depends on the class that gets enrolled for that semester.  My cohort is very close nit and very strong.  I really love the people I go to school with.  Most people are really solid.  I can say that Star Wars is mentioned in almost every class I am in!  lol USC loves Lucas the way NYU loves Scorceses.    People say that USC is competitive and it is to some extent, but I think for my class we know that if one of us gets successful it means we can also be successful.  I haven't encountered anyone being mean spirited to get their projects done.  Ultimately the name of the game is building relationships.  If you are asshole that fucks people over, you ultimately won't be someone people want to work with so that strategy generally doesn't really work.


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## Chris W (Nov 30, 2015)

Ilovefilms said:


> If you are asshole that fucks people over, you ultimately won't be someone people want to work with so that strategy generally doesn't really work.


This is true x10000 everywhere you are.


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## Point Break (Dec 1, 2015)

Hey! I thought I reached out to this thread earlier, but I guess that was a sad assumption. I'm also attending USC (Screen/TV Writing program), and can answer questions to the best of my abilities.


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## panda (Dec 1, 2015)

Point Break said:


> Hey! I thought I reached out to this thread earlier, but I guess that was a sad assumption. I'm also attending USC (Screen/TV Writing program), and can answer questions to the best of my abilities.



How's the program been so far? Favorite components?


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## Point Break (Dec 1, 2015)

I was pretty candid in my "review" http://www.filmschool.org/filmschools/usc-school-of-cinematic-arts.7/reviews#review-8

I think you might have already checked it out, but I will say (now that we're handing in script drafts) I'm loving the program more and more each day. I packed on a lot in my first semester, which everyone suggested I don't do, so it feels good to breathe and enjoy the perks more.

Last night alone, Conan O'Brien came to talk for a few hours about his career and philosophies on TV and comedy. Simply amazing!

I'm a simple person though. My favorite component would be the constant panels and conversations with industry professionals who are USC alumni. It makes this unbelievable dream seem like an attainable goal. We're constantly creating, critiquing, and developing better ways to tell stories. They want us all to succeed and they really make the effort to provide numerous resources and anecdotes to help us get there.

It would have been tough for me to create a body of work worthy to approach producers and agents with if I didn't pursue film school. And the breadth of the program has helped me to consider TV, when I initially came in wanting to solely work in film. No program is perfect for everyone. But I truly feel like this is where I am supposed to be.


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## Paul J. (Dec 2, 2015)

@Point Break @Ilovefilms Thank you so much for your insight!  Loving this forum and the information it provides! Please pour out more insight into the program, how you team up for projects, what resources you have, what limitations etc! Give it to us!  Maybe shoot us some pics on campus or on sets of student films? Would be cool.


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## Ilovefilms (Dec 2, 2015)

Paul J. said:


> @Point Break @Ilovefilms Thank you so much for your insight!  Loving this forum and the information it provides! Please pour out more insight into the program, how you team up for projects, what resources you have, what limitations etc! Give it to us!  Maybe shoot us some pics on campus or on sets of student films? Would be cool.



This is for the MFA Production Program
Teaming up for projects
The first semester like I said you are required to shoot and direct your own film. So you get people to help out on your films by showing good will to others by showing up for them for their films.  The 2nd semester you don;t pick... you get placed in trios and you have to work with them the whole semester.  Its hell... but you get through it... and you learn a lot about how to work with people.  

2nd year - You get picked and vetted.  USC treats projects like how they would treat it in the studio system.  There is a pitch process. A handful of films get picked.  The directors and producers of that project pick their team and you work on that project the whole semester.  These films are funded by the school and usually get submitted to festivals.

Resources and limitations
Oh boy.... so.. there are a ton of limitations.  People complain about it a lot.  Can you imagine?  People complaining all the time and they go to the best film school in the country.... its annoying.  lol The school is HUGE on safety and makes you go through a lot to make sure you are doing things safely.  Thats not really a bad thing but its kind of a pain cause there is a ton of paperwork.  There are other rules that just seem dumb and arbitrary.  My advise to that... suck it up....know what rules you can break and which ones you can't, but wait a few semesters before you go breaking them.  

Your biggest resource will be your instructors and your classmates.  The instructors I can;t say enough are amazing.  I had an academy award winning sound professor last semester.  He read my script and gave me notes on my movie.  That just seems insane to me.  My producing teacher this semester use to work at New Line Cinema and brings in amazing guests that she has worked with in the past that have worked on major films.  They also talk a lot about the business side of the industry and how its changing.  How the studios work and how we need to be aware of box office numbers and how that relates to how many films get made.  They also are still working on their own projects too and it seems to me most people with any level of success have a lot of different projects going on at the same time.  

Your classmates are going to be the people that don't just pick you to crew up in later semesters but also will be the ones to hire you in the future. Ryan Coolger is the most recent graduate that has gotten a huge amount of success recently.  From what I am told he still works with the same people he worked with when he attended USC.


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 4, 2016)

Has anyone tried logging into https://camel2.usc.edu/AdmGradCertification/GradIntentToEnroll.aspx?


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## AxelBelle (Jan 5, 2016)

Mr.TeaRex, well I can't get into the scholarship or financial aid portal with my USC ID.

Anyone having similar problems?


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## ThatDude (Jan 5, 2016)

AxelBelle said:


> Mr.TeaRex, well I can't get into the scholarship or financial aid portal with my USC ID.
> 
> Anyone having similar problems?



Yep, same issues with accessing this site https://cinema.usc.edu/scholarships/scholarshipOnlineApp.cfm


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## panda (Jan 5, 2016)

ThatDude said:


> Yep, same issues with accessing this site https://cinema.usc.edu/scholarships/scholarshipOnlineApp.cfm



I am able access the site with my ID. Are you still having issues?


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## ThatDude (Jan 5, 2016)

panda said:


> I am able access the site with my ID. Are you still having issues?



Contacted SCA student services and they fixed the issue, good to go!


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## AxelBelle (Jan 5, 2016)

Still can't get through the portal. I'll have to call them, too.


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## ThatDude (Jan 5, 2016)

AxelBelle said:


> Still can't get through the portal. I'll have to call them, too.



I replied to the scholarship email they sent on 12/22 and cited the issue. They fixed it within 5 minutes!


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 5, 2016)

From camel site I was sent to a you.usc.edu when I inputted my information. I was also able to start the form for the scholarship/financial aid site. Anyone have the same experience with the camel site?


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 6, 2016)

has anyone tried using the link I posted? it was used in the past year threads.


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## Paul J. (Jan 6, 2016)

The email I received contained the link that @ThatDude posted. Have not yet logged in. Was a bit worried as they say you have to submit all at once and cannot continue later on - yet the login page only asks for your student pin and select term and then a button "submit" - but I am assuming it is only to log in and not yet submit the application? Since they require a CV and FASFA info. Or was something else needed once inside?


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 6, 2016)

@Paul J. thanks for the update. I think you need to submit everything all at once. I need to to the FAFSA before anything. However, this link:
https://camel2.usc.edu/AdmGradCertification/GradIntentToEnroll.aspx?
was used in past threads to see if people got in. I applied to Peter Stark before and they found out before the letters went out. 
,


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## ThatDude (Jan 7, 2016)

Mr.TeaRex said:


> From camel site I was sent to a you.usc.edu when I inputted my information. I was also able to start the form for the scholarship/financial aid site. Anyone have the same experience with the camel site?



I was able to log on to the camel site but don't know how to get to the scholarship site from there.


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## Paul J. (Jan 7, 2016)

Dunno what the camel site even is? Wasn't the given address in the USC e-mail: https://cinema.usc.edu/scholarships/scholarshipOnlineApp.cfm

Did you do login there @ThatDude ?


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## ThatDude (Jan 7, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> Dunno what the camel site even is? Wasn't the given address in the USC e-mail: https://cinema.usc.edu/scholarships/scholarshipOnlineApp.cfm
> 
> Did you do login there @ThatDude ?



I think the camel site is a general hub for applicants. I didn't know about it until reading a previous year's USC MFA thread as I haven't received any correspondence from USC directing me to it. 

But yes, I did login to the address provided in the email. That's the only way I have been able to access the scholarship application.


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## Paul J. (Jan 7, 2016)

Ok so "submit" means login? Figured as much  was anything else required except fafsa info and a resume? How did you choose various grants to apply from or was it just general and they choose which you are eligible for?


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## ThatDude (Jan 7, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> Ok so "submit" means login? Figured as much  was anything else required except fafsa info and a resume? How did you choose various grants to apply from or was it just general and they choose which you are eligible for?



Not too sure how the whole process works, I'm waiting for my W-2 form to come in so I can do my taxes and FAFSA. From what I've seen so far, it's just a general scholarship application with some essay questions. 

Really wish they would have these applications due after they decide who is all admitted. Seems like an awful waste of time for over 1000's of applicants to each write up several 500 word essays.


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## Paul J. (Jan 7, 2016)

Shoot... was hoping for no essays. Kinda thought they could have had access to the personal statement and that would have been enough - but I guess not. Yeah - seems like a waste of everyones time. Curious that you can't save during the process but have to "write the essay" on the go.


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## ThatDude (Jan 7, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> Shoot... was hoping for no essays. Kinda thought they could have had access to the personal statement and that would have been enough - but I guess not. Yeah - seems like a waste of everyones time. Curious that you can't save during the process but have to "write the essay" on the go.



Yeah, makes me wonder if they use the financial information for admittance consideration.


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## Paul J. (Jan 7, 2016)

I think I saw a statement that said no, but who knows. Money talks and it's possible that they see it as extra work if they choose good but poor applicants and have to burn through the wait list. Dunno. Maybe I'll just take off my foil hat.


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## ThatDude (Jan 7, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> ,,,Maybe I'll just take off my foil hat.



Yeah I think I'll do the same


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## AxelBelle (Jan 7, 2016)

I'm logged onto the scholarship site but did anyone else have trouble logging in, initially? I'm nervous that not being in the system initially was a bad sign lol. But, I was contacted by USC asking for additional information about my application so I'm hoping that's a good sign.


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## ThatDude (Jan 7, 2016)

AxelBelle said:


> I'm logged onto the scholarship site but did anyone else have trouble logging in, initially? I'm nervous that not being in the system initially was a bad sign lol. But, I was contacted by USC asking for additional information about my application so I'm hoping that's a good sign.



I had to contact SCA to get access to the scholarship site. I was contacted by USC general admissions requesting my transcripts but that's it. What additional information did you have to provide?


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 8, 2016)

@ThatDude I'm hoping being able to login is a good sign! I know it has been in the past threads, but I'm not sure if USC caught on. We'll see.


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## ThatDude (Jan 8, 2016)

Mr.TeaRex said:


> @ThatDude I'm hoping being able to login is a good sign! I know it has been in the past threads, but I'm not sure if USC caught on. We'll see.



You're talking bout the camel site right? If so, same here  I only applied to USC and UCLA for the producer programs but am pretty sure I'm out of the running for UCLA since I didn't have my recommendations in by the application deadline. So all my eggs are in the USC basket right now.


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 8, 2016)

Oh nice @ThatDude. You applied for Peter Stark? I had applied to UCLA, USC, and AFI last year for producing. Got to 2nd rounds for UCLA (terrible interview lol) and accepted to AFI. No go for Peter Stark. It all worked out though because I realized that directing was what I really wanted to do, so here I am.


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 8, 2016)

Good luck with Peter Stark, if that's where you applied for USC. Definitely a competitive school to get into! If that camel site is an indicator of being accepted, my hat's off to you! @ThatDude


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## ThatDude (Jan 8, 2016)

Mr.TeaRex said:


> Oh nice @ThatDude. You applied for Peter Stark? I had applied to UCLA, USC, and AFI last year for producing. Got to 2nd rounds for UCLA (terrible interview lol) and accepted to AFI. No go for Peter Stark. It all worked out though because I realized that directing was what I really wanted to do, so here I am.



Yep! Applied to the Stark Program. What happened with AFI? I feel ya on directing, I'll probably be doing the same next year if I don't get into the Stark program.


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 8, 2016)

ThatDude said:


> Yep! Applied to the Stark Program. What happened with AFI? I feel ya on directing, I'll probably be doing the same next year if I don't get into the Stark program.



I dropped out. About a month or two in, I realized I wanted to direct. Right after, I shot my first short and applied to USC with it. Definitely need to master the craft, but I made the right choice.


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## ThatDude (Jan 8, 2016)

Mr.TeaRex said:


> I dropped out. About a month or two in, I realized I wanted to direct. Right after, I shot my first short and applied to USC with it. Definitely need to master the craft, but I made the right choice.



Right on, do you think you would have done the same if you had been accepted to Stark? How was AFI?


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 8, 2016)

AFI was dope. I just took the jump because my heart was set on directing.


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## AxelBelle (Jan 8, 2016)

@ThatDude Just my updated transcript and final year grades (current senior in college).
@Mr.TeaRex I checked out the camel site. I was able to log into the first screen with my 10-digit USC ID and birth date, but then it asked me to create an account on you.usc.edu. Is that what you're talking about?


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 8, 2016)

@AxelBelle yeah that's what I was talking about. In the past threads, people who were accepted were able to login. I think USC just caught on though, so they made it so students were redirected to you.usc.edu - no evidence of this happening before in past years. I guess we continue to wait! 

What are you applying for @AxelBelle?


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## AxelBelle (Jan 8, 2016)

Oh, Ok. Gotcha. I applied to USC MFA in Producing for Peter Stark this year. Also applied to Columbia University's Creative Producing progra. Honestly, starting to get a lot more interested in Directing but my background aligns better with Producing.


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 8, 2016)

@AxelBelle ahh. Seems to be a common theme for producers. Funny. I was in the same situation. I never saw myself as a director and my personality and experience made producing seem like the logical choice. You guys need to read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I found a pdf copy right now after a quick google search. It's attached. I dropped AFI and went for directing after reading this  

If you get into Stark though, don't pass it up. You can get anything out these programs if you know what you want going in.


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 8, 2016)

@AxelBelle Columbia and Peter Stark, ay? Not a common combo. Interesting.


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## AxelBelle (Jan 8, 2016)

Yeah, I know it's a clash between the Indie  vibe of NYC and the commercial sense of Hollywood/LA. I'm kind of on the artsy side so I think Columbia might be a better fit. I'm not sure it's the right "Indie" vibe I'm looking for, though. Peter Stark has great recognition and history and I can't ignore that. I was also drawn by the amount of scholarships they offer. I heard George Lucas donated 10M toward graduate scholarships this year and I'm hoping USC might offer some aid for the MFA.


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## AxelBelle (Jan 8, 2016)

Also, you guys should check back into the USC Scholarships application. I think they updated the questions to reflect the individual scholarship opportunities. Anyone know how much is offered for each scholarship? George Lucas? Shriram? Robert Rodriquez?


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 9, 2016)

@AxelBelle http://cinema.usc.edu/scholarships/index.cfm 
this should help


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## Mr.TeaRex (Jan 9, 2016)

Mr.TeaRex said:


> @AxelBelle http://cinema.usc.edu/scholarships/index.cfm
> this should help



http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/docs/Scholarships.pdf this too


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## panda (Jan 11, 2016)

Is USC need blind? I'm assuming so (with the exception, perhaps, of international applicants), but I haven't been able to find anything concrete on their website.


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## Paul J. (Jan 12, 2016)

Anyone attending the Student Aid Webinar today?


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## ThatDude (Jan 13, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> Anyone attending the Student Aid Webinar today?



Hi Paul, I attended the webinar. The highlight for me was finding out that the admissions process is need blind. Also, I counted 80 participants,15 Latino names and 15 oriental names, just something I noticed as I was interested in how many people would be applying for the diversity scholarships.


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## AxelBelle (Jan 13, 2016)

ThatDude said:


> Hi Paul, I attended the webinar. The highlight for me was finding out that the admissions process is need blind. Also, I counted 80 participants,15 Latino names and 15 oriental names, just something I noticed as I was interested in how many people would be applying for the diversity scholarships.



Yeah, that sounds about right. I was pretty upset that they didn't offer any half/full scholarships, even for the diversity ones. $60,000 per year is a hefty investment.

Does USC meet 100% of need? I got most of my undergrad paid through financial aid at my school. I'm wondering if it's a similar process.


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## ThatDude (Jan 13, 2016)

AxelBelle said:


> Yeah, that sounds about right. I was pretty upset that they didn't offer any half/full scholarships, even for the diversity ones. $60,000 per year is a hefty investment.
> 
> Does USC meet 100% of need? I got most of my undergrad paid through financial aid at my school. I'm wondering if it's a similar process.



Now I'm wondering the same...looks like I'll have to sign up to the next webinar to find out  One thing to note is that many financial students do provide private loans to graduate students. I know many don't do so for undergrad but do for grad school. Barring any discrepancies in your credit report, I'm guessing that being admitted into USC would go a long way into being approved for the private loans.


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## ThatDude (Jan 13, 2016)

Interesting article from 2014 http://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiem...for-graduate-school/#2715e4857a0b78a4124f23cf

Last Paragraph:
Graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 per year in a graduate Stafford Loan, which carries a 6.21% interest rate and 1.072% origination fee. If you need to borrow beyond that amount and wish to borrow federally, you’re facing that 7.21% rate on the Grad Plus loan plus a 4.288% origination fee. You can turn the Stafford’s 6.21% rate into a 5.96% rate by signing up for auto-debit when the loan enters repayment, so maxing out the Stafford before turning to other funding sources makes sense. But if you need more than $20,500, you might wonder:   is it worth it to forgo federal protections on a Grad Plus loan in favor of a cheaper private loan?


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## Paul J. (Jan 17, 2016)

Did you guys get any info on when would repayment start on federal loans? I was kind of surprised that the actual tuition part of the budget was "only" a tad over 30k. I was kind of in the understanding that tuition for USC (as well as NYU and Columbia) were more in the 50k range per year. Guess that counts as a positive surprise if correctly understood.


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## AxelBelle (Jan 17, 2016)

It's around $30,000 per semester.


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## Paul J. (Jan 17, 2016)

What I thought - but this screen grab is from the financial aid webinar:


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## AxelBelle (Jan 17, 2016)

Yeah, you're right! Tuition and fees ends up being around 35,000. If you hustled you're way through scholarships and possibly a good paying summer job, you might actually be able to make ends meet and stay away from staggering debt!


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## AxelBelle (Jan 21, 2016)

Is anyone having trouble logging in to the USC Financial Aid webinar?


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## supertramp19 (Jan 21, 2016)

N/A


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## siriusdanger (Jan 22, 2016)

Hey everyone!
Thanks for posting webinar info. I've had to work during every single one of them :/

Is anyone else wishing they could tweak their application now? I am feelin it _hard. _


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## ThatDude (Jan 23, 2016)

siriusdanger said:


> Hey everyone!
> Thanks for posting webinar info. I've had to work during every single one of them :/
> 
> Is anyone else wishing they could tweak their application now? I am feelin it _hard. _



Let me first congratulate you for stepping out of the shadows, I see this is your first post  Welcome!

If I could go back, I would probably tweak my UCLA application. In particular, I would submit the recommendation requests earlier and tweak a portion of a treatment. I applied to the UCLA and USC producing programs but don't expect to hear back from UCLA. It turns out that you have to have your recommendations in on the application deadline of Nov 1st, unlike USC which gives you some time after their Nov 15th deadline. Therefore, my application was classified as incomplete on the UCLA deadline date. Although the person I corresponded with didn't confirm that my application had been eliminated from consideration, their curt responses made me lose hope.

I'm a lot more confident in my USC application, which isn't saying much. The only thing that I would change is my 3rd recommendation source; I chose a person without industry experience but who could attest to my character and work ethic. Overall, I'm confident that I was able to communicate my goals and who I am; so much so that I won't reapply to either program if not admitted and will look towards Tisch, Columbia, Chapman, and LMU instead. I'll just have to get a start on the GRE's this go around.

Whatever may happen, I'm excited about the upcoming weeks. So many cliffhangers in my life that will be answered, it's going to feel like I'm binging on Netflix


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## Solomon_E (Jan 23, 2016)

ThatDude said:


> Let me first congratulate you for stepping out of the shadows, I see this is your first post  Welcome!
> 
> If I could go back, I would probably tweak my UCLA application. In particular, I would submit the recommendation requests earlier and tweak a portion of a treatment. I applied to the UCLA and USC producing programs but don't expect to hear back from UCLA. It turns out that you have to have your recommendations in on the application deadline of Nov 1st, unlike USC which gives you some time after their Nov 15th deadline. Therefore, my application was classified as incomplete on the UCLA deadline date. Although the person I corresponded with didn't confirm that my application had been eliminated from consideration, their curt responses made me lose hope.



That's interesting about UCLA needing the recommendations in on the deadline of Nov. 1st. I'm sorry that happened, and I hope you get accepted to USC. In my case, I didn't apply to UCLA because I didn't think two of my letter writers could get their letters sent in by Nov. 1st. I had a feeling it was too risky to apply to UCLA for that reason, and oddly enough those same two letter writers ended up needing to be replaced (one got life threateningly ill and one went AWOL from many people she knows). Fortunately, my replacement letter writers got their recommendations sent to USC within a timeframe USC was happy with.

As for going back and tweaking my application, yes, I might tweak something in it. If I could, I'd also warn myself about those two letter writers needing to be replaced before it happened to save myself a lot of time and stress in November. But I'm satisfied with my personal statement and I'm glad for that.


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## CReynes (Feb 8, 2016)

When is everyone expecting to hear back? I'm also a 2016 USC MFA applicant for writing for film and television.


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## CReynes (Feb 8, 2016)

Edit:
accidental double post


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## Paul J. (Feb 8, 2016)

@CReynes welcome to the forums! Still the waiting game here as well....

Remember to fill out your info in the spreadsheet we have up to gather info and follow where we are at with each school!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-QPRZ-gc15WuHBmlxorJiTS1z-8vE-7uUttLDdxHtE0/edit#gid=0


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## CReynes (Feb 8, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> @CReynes welcome to the forums! Still the waiting game here as well....
> 
> Remember to fill out your info in the spreadsheet we have up to gather info and follow where we are at with each school!
> 
> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-QPRZ-gc15WuHBmlxorJiTS1z-8vE-7uUttLDdxHtE0/edit#gid=0



Hey Paul -- the spreadsheet seems to have applicants from 2015. Is there one that students in this current admissions cycle are using?


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## Paul J. (Feb 8, 2016)

It is in the same document, just under another tab. Should be at the top of your screen (or bottom..,). But you can check out last years interview dates and acception rates for reference!


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## panda (Feb 8, 2016)

CReynes said:


> Hey Paul -- the spreadsheet seems to have applicants from 2015. Is there one that students in this current admissions cycle are using?


There should be a tab within the Google doc for Fall 2016 applicants. Welcome to the forums, glad to see another MFA writing applicant. Did you apply to any other programs, or just the one?


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## Paul J. (Feb 9, 2016)

Guys who had an interview with USC, how did it go? What did they ask. Most seem to have heard nothing. :/


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## VictimX (Feb 9, 2016)

Mate Boegi said:


> So, I've read in the last year posts that if you can login to this site, you are good to go!
> 
> https://camel2.usc.edu/AdmGradCertification/
> 
> With USC ID and birthday... I can't login, however, I still think we are pretty early in the process... At least one more week!




Hello everybody, I was going thru the USC thread back from 2014 and found this interesting post.
So basically they say if you can log into this link with your USC ID and birthday then it means you got in.

I know it sounds like superstition and I don't know if USC's system has been updated since, but can you guys give it a try?
I actually can log into that site, but it just redirect to youSC site which i think everybody can access.


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## Solomon_E (Feb 9, 2016)

VictimX said:


> Hello everybody, I was going thru the USC thread back from 2014 and found this interesting post.
> So basically they say if you can log into this link with your USC ID and birthday then it means you got in.
> 
> I know it sounds like superstition and I don't know if USC's system has been updated since, but can you guys give it a try?
> I actually can log into that site, but it just redirect to youSC site which i think everybody can access.



I could sign in as well, but it redirected me to the YouSC site. I am glad I checked things there, however, because USC needs my Enrollment and Housing form to process any potential financial aid and visiting the youSC portal reminded me of that.


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## Paul J. (Feb 10, 2016)

I had some missing documents as well! Though, I don't recall ever seeing them being asked for. How have I missed that? What is the housing form? Would seem they need a scan of my Social security card and my fafsa had problems so... yippee.


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Feb 10, 2016)

Do we fill the housing form now? Even if we haven't been accepted or rejected yet?


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## Alison Hendrix (Feb 10, 2016)

Hm but it's looking like this thing is letting all of us in? So I'm not sure it could mean we all got in, right?


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Feb 10, 2016)

Alison Hendrix said:


> Hm but it's looking like this thing is letting all of us in? So I'm not sure it could mean we all got in, right?


Yeah I don't think it means we got in... I think they caught on to what was happening in past years! haha


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## nervouslurker (Feb 10, 2016)

VictimX said:


> Hello everybody, I was going thru the USC thread back from 2014 and found this interesting post.
> So basically they say if you can log into this link with your USC ID and birthday then it means you got in.
> 
> I know it sounds like superstition and I don't know if USC's system has been updated since, but can you guys give it a try?
> I actually can log into that site, but it just redirect to youSC site which i think everybody can access.



I saw that too in previous years but it looks like that was still later in the month just a day or so before notifications so it's probably too early.


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## siriusdanger (Feb 10, 2016)

I was able to get in as well. I seemed to have missed filling out the housing supplemental form, too. I'm thinking that it was something they sent out after we filled out the financial aid form, though. I was on YouSC yesterday and it wasn't there. Perhaps they just sent it to everyone who wants on campus housing.


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## AxelBelle (Feb 12, 2016)

I was contacted by  USC via email about them needing additional information on my financial aid application today.


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## TezcaJuan (Feb 12, 2016)

I just called the financial aid office and asked them about the housing form. The person who took my call said that it would be better to wait until we've received an acceptance letter before filling out the form because that would help with filling out the graduation year/units per semester portion of the form. Hope this helps, and I'm curious if any of you have filled out the form anyway and how you determined the units portion.


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## juliabulia (Feb 12, 2016)

TezcaJuan said:


> I just called the financial aid office and asked them about the housing form. The person who took my call said that it would be better to wait until we've received an acceptance letter before filling out the form because that would help with filling out the graduation year/units per semester portion of the form. Hope this helps, and I'm curious if any of you have filled out the form anyway and how you determined the units portion.



I filled it out. I looked up the degree requirements for the program I applied to (MFA Film Production) and it seems that it's 8 units a semester for the first two semesters, so I chose the 8-14 option on the drop down. And it's supposed to be a three year program, so I just said 2019 since I'm applying now. You could look up the degree requirements for the program you applied to if you want to get it in, but if they said it's okay to wait then I'm sure that's fine!


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## googoomuck (Feb 12, 2016)

8-14 units is how many units you take to be a full-time student. 4-7 units counts as a part-time student. The only thing I was unsure of was summer session...I have no idea how it works at USC or if it's even offered in every program. I just put 8-14 there too. It says somewhere on the page that it's not binding and you can come back and change it throughout the year; it's just a projection so no sweat if you are unsure.


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## TezcaJuan (Feb 12, 2016)

Thanks @juliabulia and @googoomuck. I went ahead and submitted. I wasn't sure what to do with the summer portion either, so I left it blank (not enrolling). Glad to hear we can alter it later. You guys probably already know this, but when I was looking up the unit count, I read that we will hear back from USC, for screenwriting, by Mid-March. Good luck to everyone!


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## siriusdanger (Feb 16, 2016)

So, no one has been contacted for an interview yet?


----------



## lady-vengeance (Feb 16, 2016)

I know that Screenwriters don't get interview invites. But when do Director and  Producer applicants ~usually get invites?


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## filmschoolol (Feb 16, 2016)

I got interviewed by USC today! It was a quick and chill phone interview with the faculty, we chatted for about 12 mins. He asked me some questions about my portfolio work, and gave me a chance to ask questions about the program. He told me the decisions will be made in early April and he seemed to be impressed by my work... fingers crossed!

And hope you guys all get your interviews soon!


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## Paul J. (Feb 16, 2016)

@filmschoolol Wow, great news! Didn't see your info on our google sheet, you should add it there! When did you get your interview invite or did someone just call you up? Production, Stark or SW?


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## filmschoolol (Feb 16, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> @filmschoolol Wow, great news! Didn't see your info on our google sheet, you should add it there! When did you get your interview invite or did someone just call you up? Production, Stark or SW?



Where is the googlesheet? I got an email interview invite on Feb. 12th! And I'm applying to the production program!


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Feb 16, 2016)

filmschoolol said:


> I got interviewed by USC today! It was a quick and chill phone interview with the faculty, we chatted for about 12 mins. He asked me some questions about my portfolio work, and gave me a chance to ask questions about the program. He told me the decisions will be made in early April and he seemed to be impressed by my work... fingers crossed!
> 
> And hope you guys all get your interviews soon!


Do you mean early march? I was told it was in early march at the latest


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## filmschoolol (Feb 16, 2016)

Tiffany Kontoyiannis said:


> Do you mean early march? I was told it was in early march at the latest


hmm... I think I heard early April but maybe that's the latest?


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## Paul J. (Feb 16, 2016)

Here is the sheet to add your info!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-QPRZ-gc15WuHBmlxorJiTS1z-8vE-7uUttLDdxHtE0/edit#gid=0

What kind of visual sample did you guys submit?


----------



## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Feb 17, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> Here is the sheet to add your info!
> 
> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-QPRZ-gc15WuHBmlxorJiTS1z-8vE-7uUttLDdxHtE0/edit#gid=0
> 
> What kind of visual sample did you guys submit?



I did a short portrait film of a classmate of mine. Anyone else dying with anticipation? I hope they tell us soon. Last year they started hearing back around the 21st of February.


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## siriusdanger (Feb 18, 2016)

I submitted a comedic short I wrote and co-directed when I studied abroad in London!


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## Paul J. (Feb 18, 2016)

I submitted a scene from a longer piece of a comedy. All set in one location and four actors (with a large amount of extras filling the surrounding). All revolves around the main character who is just hanging out in one spot. So kind of nervous the setup or action is not flashy enough, even though the acting is spot on if you ask me. (I should think that, right?) Also it is in a foreign language which might be a turn off?

I watched through application videos on youtube and still felt confident of my application but hearing nothing is nerve wrecking... Here is to hoping!


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Feb 23, 2016)

How's everyone holding up while waiting for decisions to come out?


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## CReynes (Feb 24, 2016)

Tiffany Kontoyiannis said:


> How's everyone holding up while waiting for decisions to come out?



Honestly, not great. I've been in panic mode since last Friday.


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## Solomon_E (Feb 24, 2016)

CReynes said:


> Honestly, not great. I've been in panic mode since last Friday.



I've been in panic mode for a while too about all of the schools I applied to. I also keep waiting to hear back from USC; it feels like the screenwriting applicants could hear from USC any time and my life is on hold for the time being.


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## CReynes (Feb 24, 2016)

Solomon_E said:


> I've been in panic mode for a while too about all of the schools I applied to. I also keep waiting to hear back from USC; it feels like the screenwriting applicants could hear from USC any time and my life is on hold for the time being.



Exactly, it's this feeling of suspension/limbo. Maybe we'll hear back from USC on the last Sunday of the month, like last year -- same day as the oscars?


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## CReynes (Feb 24, 2016)

panda said:


> There should be a tab within the Google doc for Fall 2016 applicants. Welcome to the forums, glad to see another MFA writing applicant. Did you apply to any other programs, or just the one?



Forgot to reply @panda. No, I just applied to USC screenwriting program.


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## Solomon_E (Feb 24, 2016)

CReynes said:


> Exactly, it's this feeling of suspension/limbo. Maybe we'll hear back from USC on the last Sunday of the month, like last year -- same day as the oscars?



That would be awesome if it happened because it would end the limbo.  I suppose we'll find out soon if it does.


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## Paul J. (Feb 24, 2016)

Kind of lost hope on USC since I never received an interview and I am kind of sceptical on chances of getting in without one (production). Thinking I should have perhaps entered a different visual sample but too late to cry over that, I guess


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Feb 24, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> Kind of lost hope on USC since I never received an interview and I am kind of sceptical on chances of getting in without one (production). Thinking I should have perhaps entered a different visual sample but too late to cry over that, I guess


Don't lose hope! They accept a bunch of people without conducting an interview! It really depends on the professor looking over your application! Are you talking about tv and film production?


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Feb 24, 2016)

I check the camel website like every two seconds. Every year before us people started finding out around the 21st. The possibility that we could find out any day now is killing me with anticipation. How many of you are tv and film production applicants?


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## Paul J. (Feb 24, 2016)

@Tiffany Kontoyiannis hope you are right and will try to stay hopeful until the bitter end!  And yeah, production side. And you? Any other programs targeted? Didn't see your nic on the spread sheet?


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Feb 24, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> @Tiffany Kontoyiannis hope you are right and will try to stay hopeful until the bitter end!  And yeah, production side. And you? Any other programs targeted? Didn't see your nic on the spread sheet?


Yes!!! I am really worried they are gonna take longer than just a few days... It sucks that we have no way of knowing what's going on haha. I applied for production as well! That's my top! I did the spreadsheet  but just didn't put my full name!


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## siriusdanger (Feb 29, 2016)

Anybody heard anything yet?


----------



## Timothy Marc Hopper (Feb 29, 2016)

siriusdanger said:


> Anybody heard anything yet?



Nope not yet. 

Any lurkers out there with info?


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## Solomon_E (Feb 29, 2016)

siriusdanger said:


> Anybody heard anything yet?



Nope. I signed in to my USC portal to be sure.


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Feb 29, 2016)

I keep hearing that we will find out in mid march. How strange since people normally find out at the end of February....


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## Jessica Esteves (Feb 29, 2016)

Thank God I found this thread. I've been getting so anxious since I haven't heard back yet but I guess not many/no one has yet. They must have received some solid applications this year .


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## Timothy Marc Hopper (Feb 29, 2016)

Jessica Esteves said:


> Thank God I found this thread. I've been getting so anxious since I haven't heard back yet but I guess not many/no one has yet. They must have received some solid applications this year .




Seriously, they had to of  

We need a purgatory theme song


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## Megan (Mar 1, 2016)

The waiting is killing me. Looking at last year's spreadsheet, it looks like decisions were handed out at the end of February. When I had my interview a couple of weeks ago, she said it would be "a while" before I heard anything. And various people here have said mid-March or late April. I wish they could just give us a specific date. Oh well, I guess I'll just keep obsessively checking my email...


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## CReynes (Mar 1, 2016)

Purgatory song per request, loosely related to this situation.


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## Sibi Naayagam (Mar 1, 2016)

I'm getting really anxious by the day and as USC required lesser no. of portfolio materials, compared to the other universities I applied to, its making the anxiousness worse.
While I was able to submit more than one video for other applications, I submitted just the following one for USC. And Im not sure if they will like it because the making is completely different from what they would usually see. It would be nice if someone could tell me what they think about it and if it was atleast a decent submission or if it was a mistake to submit it atall?
Thanks

Here is the video:


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 2, 2016)

Has anyone heard anything? From what I've heard decisions are starting to trickle out!


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## CReynes (Mar 2, 2016)

Tiffany Kontoyiannis said:


> Has anyone heard anything? From what I've heard decisions are starting to trickle out!



Where did you hear that from?


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 2, 2016)

The "2016 Interviews- Acceptances- Rejections" thread!


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## CReynes (Mar 2, 2016)

That's so exciting! 

I'm crossing my fingers. I applied for the MFA in screenwriting. Do you think we'll hear back sometime tonight if we were accepted?


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 2, 2016)

Generally the acceptances and waitlists come out first. So if we made it, we should hear I would say before Friday (hopefully). But I would LOVE if we found out tonight! The anticipation is actually killing me. haha. I think we will all know for sure by mid march (acceptances, waitlists and rejections)


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## siriusdanger (Mar 2, 2016)

Nothing's changed for me, either. The anticipation is KILLING me!


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## OEO (Mar 3, 2016)

Hey everyone, I've applied for cinematography mfa and when I've checked youSC today I saw that there was a document (about my financial stuff cause I'm international). Notification of that document came in email today after I logged on but they've uploaded it yesterday, so you should all check youSC to see if there's something waiting for you there

As for the status of my application, the document basically said that "we need some financial documents before we send you your official admission letter", so I guess I'm in (without an interview). Has anybody heard about the scholarships? It's been a month since the scholarship application deadline.


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## Paul J. (Mar 3, 2016)

@OEO @Sibi Naayagam Congrats to both of you! I guess this confirms the "not everyone is interviewed" theory this year as well! And just after I had already put my hope to rest concerning USC. Well, I guess we'll find out one way or another within the next few days  I am confused on how they trickle out - why is this phase not a single burst of notifications?


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## siriusdanger (Mar 3, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> @OEO @Sibi Naayagam Congrats to both of you! I guess this confirms the "not everyone is interviewed" theory this year as well! And just after I had already put my hope to rest concerning USC. Well, I guess we'll find out one way or another within the next few days  I am confused on how they trickle out - why is this phase not a single burst of notifications?



Perhaps they're notifying international students first?


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## siriusdanger (Mar 3, 2016)

I just checked the Google Doc and so far, the three that have been notified for the Directing/Production program have been international students.


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 3, 2016)

So do you think that we have to wait for snail mail? Maybe they don't want to wait to physically mail it to international students since it would take longer? 

For the international students who have heard back: Is the decision showing up on the youSC portal?


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## victorab (Mar 3, 2016)

I got an acceptation letter as well, almost a month after doing my interview on Skype. Today I had an e-mail telling me to check a PDF file on the youSC portal.

Being an international student, it's not an official admission letter yet: technically it's a confirmation of academic elegibility for admission to the Fall 2016 semester. They've asked me to send a couple of documents to prove funding, in order to issue the official admission letter.

It definitely seems that they're sending admission and waitlist letters these days. Good luck to everyone!


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## Paul J. (Mar 3, 2016)

@victorab Congrats! It would indeed seem like the next few days should be interesting! Thanks for the info - makes sense why they would contact internationals first!


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## OEO (Mar 3, 2016)

victorab said:


> I got an acceptation letter as well, almost a month after doing my interview on Skype. Today I had an e-mail telling me to check a PDF file on the youSC portal.
> 
> Being an international student, it's not an official admission letter yet: technically it's a confirmation of academic elegibility for admission to the Fall 2016 semester. They've asked me to send a couple of documents to prove funding, in order to issue the official admission letter.
> 
> It definitely seems that they're sending admission and waitlist letters these days. Good luck to everyone!



That's exactly the document I've got. Have you heard about any scholarships?


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## victorab (Mar 3, 2016)

OEO said:


> Have you heard about any scholarships?



I've got a scholarship from a private foundation in my country, so I didn't apply for any USC scholarships: I'm sorry I can't be of more help...
Congratulations on your admission!


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## OEO (Mar 3, 2016)

victorab said:


> I've got a scholarship from a private foundation in my country, so I didn't apply for any USC scholarships: I'm sorry I can't be of more help...
> Congratulations on your admission!


Oh well, I probably didn't get any... But anyway, congrats to you too


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## Tomas GB (Mar 3, 2016)

Hey folks,

Just joined the conversation. International student from Argentina. Received emails today from USC, and apparently admitted pending financial verification and passport info, no interview. Hope this info helps!


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## siriusdanger (Mar 3, 2016)

A senior from my undergrad just got in to the directing/production program! She's in NY currently, but is from Geneva. Do you think they still count her as international even though she's currently living in NY?


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## Paul J. (Mar 3, 2016)

Unless she is a U.S. citizen, she will be considered an international applicant regardless of where she resides.


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## Matt Ramphele (Mar 4, 2016)

Hey kids. I'm an international student and I also got accepted for the program. Pending boring international documents (financial documents and passport). Hope that helps


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 4, 2016)

Hey Guys!!!! I just got my acceptance letter for Film and Television Production! I can't wait to some of you! Good Luck!


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## A (Mar 4, 2016)

@Tiffany Kontoyiannis congratulations!!! Did you get it through email? 

Congratulations to everyone else so far who've been accepted. Good luck to those waiting!


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 4, 2016)

babyreKx said:


> @Tiffany Kontoyiannis congratulations!!! Did you get it through email?
> 
> Congratulations to everyone else so far who've been accepted. Good luck to those waiting!



THANK YOU! I got a notification to check youSC!


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## Alison Hendrix (Mar 4, 2016)

Hey! Got my acceptance to the Writing Program today!


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## Paul J. (Mar 4, 2016)

@Alison Hendrix @Tiffany Kontoyiannis congrats to both! Who knows, might see you in sunny SoCal later this year!


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## siriusdanger (Mar 4, 2016)

Congratulations, everyone!


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## ZSwriter (Mar 4, 2016)

Hi everyone! I have kind of been in the shadows but I received my acceptance letter today for screenwriting! Best of luck to everyone!


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## Dosh (Mar 4, 2016)

Congrats to all the future filmmakers who got in!! I wish to join you guys soon but I’m not sure if USC have already given accption decisions to all the people who got accepted  for the Film and Television program by today? Do you guys know if the decisions are still coming or it’s over for the Film and television program? I’m trying not to lose hope but probably I need to prepare myself for the rejection since International students have already heard


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## Sibi Naayagam (Mar 5, 2016)

@Paul J. Thanks a lot. And congrats to you too for getting through. 

Congratulations @Tiffany Kontoyiannis for getting accepted


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 6, 2016)

Thank you @Sibi Naayagam and @Paul J. !!!! See you next year!!!!!!


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## Paul J. (Mar 6, 2016)

@Tiffany Kontoyiannis the scary part is that it's not next year - it's not even half a year away! Out of curiosity to you and all the rest, what spesific concentration(s) are you interested in pursuiting?


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 6, 2016)

@Paul J. so true! WOWW! I'm really interested in directing for now. But I'm very much open and am truly obsessed with pretty much every aspect of the filmmaking process. My goal in life is to both Produce/Direct films. How about you?


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 6, 2016)

Also, if anyone is interested in watching my film that I made for the application here is the link. I went to USC and interviewed with Stark. While I was here I realized that the production MFA was a much better match for me and decided to make a film even though I only had a month to make it! Still can't believe I got in! This is a dream. I'm currently an undergrad at Columbia and this is a film about a classmate of mine! Hope this helps anyone in the future!


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## Paul J. (Mar 6, 2016)

@Tiffany Kontoyiannis I've been writing, directing and producing for the past years after my undergrad. Mostly commercials - a couple of shorts. And while I've been an ok producer, I truly enjoy writing and directing. The five-year-old in me pops out and I feel like being on a play ground  

Columbia undergrad? Nice, is it in film too or something completely different? Have an interview next week there for screenwriting/directing and have to say the pressure is off after the usc news. Luckilly going in person to get a feeling of SoA. If I'd get into both, now then things get tricky.


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## Tiffany Kontoyiannis (Mar 6, 2016)

@Paul J. That's awesome! Yes I love writing too! I double majored in Psych and Film Studies. Columbia undergrad is very theoretical so it wasn't as hands on as I would have liked. But the writing program is probably one of the best for grad school. I wouldn't really recommend columbia for production. But that's just my opinion. If I wanted to pursue screenwriting alone, then yeah Columbia is great. The film program is quite small compared to USC's. The resources are also much less than USC. I've taken a lot of classes with grad students (Columbia I think has them take some of the same requirements as undergrads) and they tell me that the writing is probably the programs greatest strengths. However, I have met a few directing and production grad students, and they are insanely talented. So I think it's really what type of experience you are looking for. I liked that USC was in LA and had an entire section of the campus devoted to film. Columbia has a lot of film critics teach the classes I took... and I never had an actual filmmaker teach the class. The best classes I took were labs taught by MFA students (they actually told me things that were useful to filmmaking). Columbia's film program mainly exists on like a floor or two in one building (at least it seems that way). 

Again this is all my experience from an undergrads perspective. I hope this helps!


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## WriterGirl (Mar 11, 2016)

Congrats to all those who got in!

If you don't mind sharing, could you tell me if it was your first time applying or if you were re-applying? TIA!


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## Paul J. (Mar 12, 2016)

In my case, though my joining date might be off-putting, it was actually my first applying to any U.S. schools. I have been working in the industry outside of the U.S. for 6 years after my undergrad, so I have had time to build my portfolio and gain experience both in narrative work as well as in advertisements. I am sure that is what helped me getting accepted first time applying. Hope that helps!


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## OEO (Mar 12, 2016)

This was my first time too, I've graduated in July 2015 from engineering, so not much experience. Lately I've been thinking, are they not that picky? I don't know if it's because I'm an international student (no financial aid, so easier to get money from) or what, but I didn't get an interview, didn't hear anything before the acceptance letter (also applied to Chapman, same thing happened). Even when I applied to London Film School I've had an interview! (Had a really nice chat about my portfolio and the script I've submitted.) I don't really know about their reputation in admissions so what do you guys think? 

Also this might be a funny question but I've always thought I've applied to cinematography emphasis at USC, but now I'm not so sure. Did we submit the emphasis we wanted when applying? I can't remember


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## Paul J. (Mar 12, 2016)

@OEO I believe concentrations are chosen after the first year. Though I bet they have tried to make a good mix of ppl beforehand so that not everyone coming in wants to be the boom-pole-guy.


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## WriterGirl (Mar 12, 2016)

OEO said:


> This was my first time too, I've graduated in July 2015 from engineering, so not much experience. Lately I've been thinking, are they not that picky? I don't know if it's because I'm an international student (no financial aid, so easier to get money from) or what, but I didn't get an interview, didn't hear anything before the acceptance letter (also applied to Chapman, same thing happened). Even when I applied to London Film School I've had an interview! (Had a really nice chat about my portfolio and the script I've submitted.) I don't really know about their reputation in admissions so what do you guys think?
> 
> Also this might be a funny question but I've always thought I've applied to cinematography emphasis at USC, but now I'm not so sure. Did we submit the emphasis we wanted when applying? I can't remember



Don't be mistaken, they liked something about you because they are very selective, so pat yourself on the back! 

I have no idea on their handling of international students (I'm one myself) in regards to applications. On one hand, they might be interested in bringing people from elsewhere for diversity reasons, but admissions are supposed to be (at least in theory) need-blind. And they do offer financial help to international applicants if they want them enough. Whether they advertise it or not, all schools have a discretionary budget for scholarships that can go to anyone. It's only Federal aid that is limited to US citizens. So if they think they have the next Oscar winner among the applicants, they can lure that kid, no matter how poor, with scholarships so that they can compete with other schools who are likely to want him/her too 

Also, don't use interviews as you guide because some schools simply don't interview anyone for some programs. They do their selection based entirely on the portfolio submitted, and that doesn't mean it's easy to be admitted (if anything, I feel they make it harder for you to prove you'd be a good fit).

You mentioned you're not sure what you applied for? If it was for writing, many programs don't interview writers at all, so there's that 

Congrats on your admission! Feel good about it because it's definitely not that easy!


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## OEO (Mar 12, 2016)

WriterGirl said:


> Don't be mistaken, they liked something about you because they are very selective, so pat yourself on the back!
> 
> I have no idea on their handling of international students (I'm one myself) in regards to applications. On one hand, they might be interested in bringing people from elsewhere for diversity reasons, but admissions are supposed to be (at least in theory) need-blind. And they do offer financial help to international applicants if they want them enough. Whether they advertise it or not, all schools have a discretionary budget for scholarships that can go to anyone. It's only Federal aid that is limited to US citizens. So if they think they have the next Oscar winner among the applicants, they can lure that kid, no matter how poor, with scholarships so that they can compete with other schools who are likely to want him/her too
> 
> ...


Thank you for the uplifting response  I know about the scholarships, it's just that I didn't get one  And I applied to production mfa, but couldn't remember if I chose an emphasis when applying. Probably mixed it with Chapman's application, where we certainly did choose a specialization. Hope you get good news from the remaining schools!


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## Paul J. (Mar 13, 2016)

Has anyone received notification via regular mail? What was in there? Was there financial aid plans? Also, what was the info you put on FAST? Planned graduation date? Are we enrolled during the summer etc? Kind of lost and still fighting to get my FAFSA properly through the system. :/


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## ZSwriter (Mar 13, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> Has anyone received notification via regular mail? What was in there? Was there financial aid plans? Also, what was the info you put on FAST? Planned graduation date? Are we enrolled during the summer etc? Kind of lost and still fighting to get my FAFSA properly through the system. :/


Hey! I received my physical letter the other day (Screenwriting mfa). I live on the east coast. It was a big envelope with a USC folder in it. On the left side of the folder was a USC Admissions certificate and on the right side was my official acceptance letter. Behind the acceptance letter was another letter informing me I had received the Shriram fellowship (this was the first I had heard). So, I'm assuming if you receive a scholarship/fellowship, it will come with your letter if not by email? That was the only financial related item in my letter. There was also a little brochure thing for Admitted Students Day.

As far as FAST goes, I put May 2018 as my graduation date, I think I put 8-14 credits a semester, and I only enrolled for fall and spring.

Hope this helps!


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## panda (Mar 13, 2016)

@Paul J. I received my package in the mail last week! It unfortunately seems I wasn't awarded any sort of fellowship or scholarship - but that doesn't surprise me, considering how few scholarships there are for incoming graduate students. Financial aid notifications are sent later (I believe within a month of submitting all required documents through FAST).

And congrats @ZSwriter on your fellowship! Are you planning on going to the Admitted Graduate Student Day? I'm still on the fence.


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## ZSwriter (Mar 13, 2016)

@panda Thank you! And I don't think so. I can't really justify it to myself to fly out just for the weekend. I also heard that it isn't a huge deal if you don't attend, so I'll probably sit this one out.


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## Point Break (Mar 13, 2016)

It's not a huge deal if you miss the admitted students day, and definitely conserve your finances for the move, deposit, and eventual tuition fees if you're not in the general area/state. 

BUT... I would recommend coming to the admitted students day if you can figure out a way (I personally megabus'd from the Bay Area to and fro, staying at a friend's house overnight). It's a cathartic way to cap off the application season and a great way to start your USC experience, should you decide to accept. 

You get to meet your cohort for the first time, and interact with students a year ahead and from all the other divisions, which becomes less frequent the deeper you dive into your work here. Plus, free food..... a lot of free food lol.

I personally rode this exciting wave into writing a spec script over the summer. So, if you're looking to get a jump start on your portfolio, get a crew together and shoot a short, or ease the transition into LA with a group of motivated, talented, and inspiring people, you won't be disappointed.


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## panda (Mar 13, 2016)

@Point Break how many people from your cohort went last year? Will all the professors be there, or just a few?


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## Point Break (Mar 13, 2016)

panda said:


> @Point Break how many people from your cohort went last year? Will all the professors be there, or just a few?



I'd say about 75% came during my year. Some flew in overseas and one ended up choosing UCLA after weighing options/preference. It's a good way to get a feel for USC. 

The majority of the faculty is there and current students from all divisions are encouraged to join.


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## Timothy Marc Hopper (Mar 14, 2016)

Is there anyone out there who have not received an Acceptance, Rejection, Waiting list or any sort of notification from USC Screenwriting Department regarding your application? 

Apparently they are still sending out Acceptance, rejection, and waitinglist notifications. The lady at the front desk stated she was actually processing ACCEPTED application notifications.


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## Paul J. (Mar 20, 2016)

To those living outside the U.S. - have you received your physical acceptance letter already and when? (Production). Just came back from the states to find... nothing. And ofcourse, due to recent hiccups with Tish with another member, I got a bit worried. I was sure I'd come home to find it but nothing... Only the e-mail correspondence.


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## peace. (Mar 20, 2016)

hey, i got the official acceptance letter by email and on the yousc website. It's an official letter, pdf format. What did you get?


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## Paul J. (Mar 20, 2016)

Oh yeah, I got that too but I was kind of waiting for a physical letter via regular mail with perhaps more info etc. Am I waiting in vain?


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## peace. (Mar 20, 2016)

@Paul J. don't sweat it: you got a pdf letter by email --- that's valid proof that you're in. It's something in writing vs. a phone call. You're on safe grounds. 

I have a question all, i've been looking for cost of tuition and I repeat tuition only (NOT housing) for USC, can anyone help? I see the close to $60K figure everywhere but I know it can't be ONLY tuition, if not: how much is tuition on average --- esp asking current students here @Point Break  if you around, you've been so helpful! 

Thanks and good luck to everyone!


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## Paul J. (Mar 20, 2016)

This is what I grabbed from the financial aid webinar back in the days. Kind of hoped the physical acceptance letter would have had costs etc info as well. Thats why I waited for it so eagerly! Also want to start getting finances in order asap.


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## peace. (Mar 20, 2016)

thanks .... yes, I understand, same headache here! @Paul J.


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## Point Break (Mar 20, 2016)

This is perfect @Paul J. 

Just remember that the per unit cost is valid for one academic year, and it will likely increase based on inflation. Some courses, in production specifically, have additional lab fees and production budgets to consider. And each MFA program has their own unit requirement for degree - Writing (44), Starkies (44), Production (52 in 3yrs), etc. So adjust financial aid packages accordingly if you take more than the 10 units/semester this estimates. 

FEES are automatically added by the university (as shown above), and you're also required to have health insurance (either on your own or through the university). That should round everything out to an approximate $60,000, more or less. You can adjust everything else if you bike to school, eat out and go out less, and live in a cheap place if you choose.


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## peace. (Mar 21, 2016)

THANK YOU @Point Break ! 

One last question guys: anyone knows how big is the producing (not Starkies) program? I found figures for Writing and Stark but nothing for Producing for Film and TV


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## Point Break (Mar 21, 2016)

I thought I saw 40 somewhere in the catalogue, but now I can't find it...


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## Paul J. (Mar 21, 2016)

@Point Break Based on your experience, how well do they choose production students to fill all disiplines? I mean the experience would be vastly different if nobody would want to be a production designer or DoP compaired to a good mix match of drive in all departments?


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## Point Break (Mar 21, 2016)

I have very limited experience with everyone's background in the production program. From the students that I've met, I can say that they all have varied experience and skills and there's a bit of self-selection during the 3-yr program. 

Everyone I've met came into the production MFA wanting to either write or direct. They find a way to specialize, hopefully before they graduate: editing, production design, producing, children's television, etc. Some people have very little production experience, some have worked in the industry. Some come in with animation and CGI talent, wanting to break from that and write. 

I don't know if this answers your question. Everyone's truly different. I don't know how they choose cohorts or how much attention is given to fill a quota for cinematographers and editors (like AFI), but people find out what they're good at and pursue that.


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## Paul J. (Mar 22, 2016)

@Point Break Thanks for providing all the insight! It seems like there is a good mix match of people attending. Do you guys collaborate with the production program? I mean do you write for Starkies to produce and production ppl to shoot or are all programs apart from each other?

Oh and to other internationally located ppl - I received this from USC:

"We don’t mail physical letters to international admits, however you can pick up a physical copy of your letter once you arrive on campus. The first day of classes begin on Monday, August 22nd."


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## peace. (Mar 22, 2016)

Ahaaaaa!!!! The physical letter mailing mystery solved! Thanks @Paul J. 

And yes on August 22nd, that's what I had found in my research...it's so soon! I'm far from being ready, I'm still in the middle of nowhere, far far away! haha
Anyways, if it is USC that is ...

Good luck all!


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## Point Break (Mar 22, 2016)

There are official opportunities to collaborate with Stakies and Production students (for shorts and sometimes features). But it's heavily regimented (in my opinion) and the faculty goes through a selection process.

There is an equally positive and negative quality to each division attempting to train their cohorts to be complete filmmakers (TV included). Starkies write. Production students produce. Writers take a production class. And I'm sure animators, critical studies phd's, and media arts are told they are gods. I actually appreciate this because you feel like you're getting your money's worth in such a prestigious and expensive school.

But this also means not everyone has the time or is willing to collaborate if they think they can do it themselves. We all want to, but it's an additional hurdle some times... I've also heard horror stories of writers coming in to write and the creative/collaborative process morphing their work into something it wasn't. Now this is a true industry experience, so it's very valuable. But some are not ready to sacrifice their "vision" for the greater good of the project. Vince Gilligan visited earlier this year and said "Don't let your good idea stand in the way of someone else's better idea". 

I'm glad you're asking about collaboration, bc film/tv is a collaborative art. Generally, each division could work in their own lane and graduate w/o branching out to other divisions, but a major goal for all film school students should be to collaborate with at least one other division (which I personally haven't done yet) or develop a network of artists that you would collaborate with (which I'm more drawn to). Time is against us all.

*I really hope this rambling is coherent lol


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## Nic L. Kelly (Apr 11, 2016)

Hello all, figured I would bump this guy up a bit. I know some of us got in for Fall 16' and some for Spring 17'(like myself). I'd like to congratulate all who got in, as well as those who didn't and will try again as I did. 

I would also like to keep the lines of communication open for those that will be starting in the Fall as it can only help prepare the Spring class. Has any one made their decision to go or not to go? Also has anyone received a financial package from the school? Where do you who are going plan to live?


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## DCMaker (Apr 19, 2016)

Nic L. Kelly said:


> I would also like to keep the lines of communication open for those that will be starting in the Fall as it can only help prepare the Spring class. Has any one made their decision to go or not to go? Also has anyone received a financial package from the school? Where do you who are going plan to live?



Hi Nic! I, like you, am a Spring admit, and this forum, though I found it very late in the game (read: about a month ago), has been very useful in my decision making. I'll be going to USC, and probably moving out to LA in August even though I'm a Spring admit -- this is because I'm also waitlisted for the fall, and you can't opt to go in for the Spring on purpose -- you have to be ready to start August 22nd, even if they move you off the waitlist on August 19th! 

So I haven't received a financial package -- as they said in the webinar, waitlists will not be required to submit their deposit until their spot is determined. I'm not sure what the ultimate spring deposit deadline will be. 

One heartening thing -- they also said that waitlist applicants will not receive scholarship information until they are taken off the waitlist, and so I'm not sure what that means for spring admits, but it keeps hope alive that there may be a little financial help still coming. TBD. Nice to know someone else who is in a similar boat.


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## Nic L. Kelly (Apr 20, 2016)

DCMaker said:


> Hi Nic! I, like you, am a Spring admit, and this forum, though I found it very late in the game (read: about a month ago), has been very useful in my decision making. I'll be going to USC, and probably moving out to LA in August even though I'm a Spring admit -- this is because I'm also waitlisted for the fall, and you can't opt to go in for the Spring on purpose -- you have to be ready to start August 22nd, even if they move you off the waitlist on August 19th!
> 
> So I haven't received a financial package -- as they said in the webinar, waitlists will not be required to submit their deposit until their spot is determined. I'm not sure what the ultimate spring deposit deadline will be.
> 
> One heartening thing -- they also said that waitlist applicants will not receive scholarship information until they are taken off the waitlist, and so I'm not sure what that means for spring admits, but it keeps hope alive that there may be a little financial help still coming. TBD. Nice to know someone else who is in a similar boat.



Hey DC, What's your specialty? I know USC is general production, but do you prefer to direct, edit, etc.? I'm very nervous about the possible rush move part of being wait-listed. I do have a friend who stays in Burbank, so it wouldn't be the worst thing, having to move last minute. Otherwise, I'm planing to move in December. I'm in Baltimore, so ill be driving cross-country likely by myself. 

I was also on the webinar and am looking forward to a scholarship but not letting it bother me. I have started researching some of the one's offered by the school, but it seems like they are almost all closed. What do you plan to do out there if you're not called off the wait-list? Summer in LA sounds fun. What are your housing plans? I've been out there twice since Oct 2015, still don't have my mind wrapped around the cost, locations, and bug issues that come with renting in LA lol. That said, I'm freaking excited!


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## WriterGirl (Apr 20, 2016)

A little bit random, but is anyone that has accepted their offer/received the welcome packet, willing to share the official costs as given by the school? There's a lot of info missing from their website, and I would like to see what the real cost of attendance (everything included) _really_ is.

I'm trying to compare some schools from a financial perspective.

Thanks in advance!


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## Sibi Naayagam (Apr 20, 2016)

Yesterday, I received a mail from USC with the subject "_Scholarship Opportunities & Other Reminders for New SCA Grad Students_" and the first line started with _"Congratulations once again on your admission to the USC School of Cinematic Arts!". _This is slightly confusing as I'm waitlisted for Fall 2016 and offered a place in Spring 2017 batch. The mail talks about the 2016 batch and nothing about the spring batch either. 

Did anyone else receive this mail, especially the waitlisted students? 

And @WriterGirl , this link was included in the mail. Maybe it would be helpful to you... http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/graduates/prospective/how-much-wil-my-education-cost.html


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## Nic L. Kelly (Apr 21, 2016)

Sibi Naayagam said:


> Yesterday, I received a mail from USC with the subject "_Scholarship Opportunities & Other Reminders for New SCA Grad Students_" and the first line started with _"Congratulations once again on your admission to the USC School of Cinematic Arts!". _This is slightly confusing as I'm waitlisted for Fall 2016 and offered a place in Spring 2017 batch. The mail talks about the 2016 batch and nothing about the spring batch either.
> 
> Did anyone else receive this mail, especially the waitlisted students?
> 
> And @WriterGirl , this link was included in the mail. Maybe it would be helpful to you... http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/graduates/prospective/how-much-wil-my-education-cost.html



Yes I got that yesterday as well. I'm in the same boat as you with the WL(Fall 16/In for Spring).


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## DCMaker (Apr 22, 2016)

Sibi Naayagam said:


> Yesterday, I received a mail from USC with the subject "_Scholarship Opportunities & Other Reminders for New SCA Grad Students_" and the first line started with _"Congratulations once again on your admission to the USC School of Cinematic Arts!". _This is slightly confusing as I'm waitlisted for Fall 2016 and offered a place in Spring 2017 batch. The mail talks about the 2016 batch and nothing about the spring batch either.



Same boat here, waitlist 16/admitted 17, and got the email.


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## WriterGirl (Apr 23, 2016)

Thanks for sharing the info!


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## Paul J. (May 9, 2016)

Has anyone who was accepted got any furer info after paying the deposit? I was under the impression that we would hear something shortly after but only radio silence here (and the occasional invitation to a aid webinar)


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## Paul J. (May 14, 2016)

I guess people have  abandoned the boards? Anyways if someone could help me, would be great. And also, if you could ask someone from the fb group to finally accept me - that also would be nice


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## panda (May 15, 2016)

@Paul J. yep, pretty much radio silence on their end so far. It's been posted in the FB group that people will be hearing from their division about registering for classes and other general info in June or July. I'm unable to accept you to the group, I think only the admin (aka USC staff who created it) can do that unfortunately.


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## Paul J. (May 16, 2016)

@panda thanks for the info? Is the fb group active? I tried pm:ing Katie and sent a mail to student services but no response


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## panda (May 18, 2016)

Paul J. said:


> @panda thanks for the info? Is the fb group active? I tried pm:ing Katie and sent a mail to student services but no response



Hmm, that's strange. It's semi-active. Try PM-ing Katie or Marcus, the other two admin? The admin haven't posted in a while, though...


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## Sibi Naayagam (Aug 26, 2016)

Hi guys. Did any of the waitlisted applicants from Fall 2016 receive further notification regarding the promised Spring 2017 admission? They had previously told we would receive notification by Aug 19 but no sign of any news as yet.


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## DCMaker (Aug 31, 2016)

Sibi Naayagam said:


> Hi guys. Did any of the waitlisted applicants from Fall 2016 receive further notification regarding the promised Spring 2017 admission? They had previously told we would receive notification by Aug 19 but no sign of any news as yet.



Hi Sibi,

I've talked with the folks at the front desk (I'm in the same position as you) and they clarified a couple things:

1) Yes, if your letter says you will be granted a Spring spot, you are guaranteed a slot for the spring. 

2) They'll be sending out a letter and an email around the end of September for those who are Fall waitlist/Spring admits, with further details (this, I assume is when they will take deposits, start financial aid process, etc.). 

The fall waitlist/spring admit position is not particularly fun and has entailed a lot of waiting around with little communication -- I've definitely had mornings where I woke up and was convinced that it wasn't real, but it seems it will happen after all...


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## Sibi Naayagam (Aug 31, 2016)

DCMaker said:


> Hi Sibi,
> 
> I've talked with the folks at the front desk (I'm in the same position as you) and they clarified a couple things:
> 
> ...



That is great to hear. Thanks a lot! I was certainly starting to get a bit worried.


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## Paul J. (Sep 8, 2016)

We'll be waiting for ya'll!


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## Sibi Naayagam (Sep 13, 2016)

Hi guys! Just now received the admission letter from USC saying I have been admitted to the Spring 2017 batch!


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