# USC Film & TV Production BFA Fall 2021



## points4irony (Dec 6, 2020)

Fall 2021 undergraduate BFA applications to USC's SCA  Film & TV production program discussion thread. Surprisingly, I couldn't find a thread for SCA's undergraduate Fall 2021 applications so here it is. My son just finished submitting his application last week, and being the curious parent that I am, found this nice little corner of the internet to share our experience (hoping it's not a short lived one that ends in a rejection).


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## points4irony (Dec 6, 2020)

I wish we found this site BEFORE submitting the application - lots of great information here!


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## Chris W (Dec 6, 2020)

points4irony said:


> I wish we found this site BEFORE submitting the application - lots of great information here!


Glad you like the site!


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## q64 (Jan 13, 2021)

I was wondering whether there will be a spike this year in film school applications... Universities are reporting record number of applicants, so I’m kind of scared there could be a crazy number of students applying to SCA this year


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## q64 (Jan 26, 2021)

I asked about the application number for fall 2021 during an information session, and was told that SCA had a ‘tiny bit increase’ in application.  Judging by what the admission counselor said, USC in general seems to have had a significant increase in application


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## cgold (Jan 27, 2021)

q64 said:


> I was wondering whether there will be a spike this year in film school applications... Universities are reporting record number of applicants, so I’m kind of scared there could be a crazy number of students applying to SCA this year


I asked my interviewer for the MFA and she said it was about the same number as normal!


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## q64 (Feb 5, 2021)

Has anyone received an interview request?


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## Rian Abreu (Feb 7, 2021)

q64 said:


> Has anyone received an interview request?


Not yet. On USC website says that merit scholarships finalists are supposed to be contacted this week. Wondering whether I will receive both the scholarship interview request and the film one.
How about you? Have you received anything??


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## q64 (Feb 7, 2021)

Rian Abreu said:


> Not yet. On USC website says that merit scholarships finalists are supposed to be contacted this week. Wondering whether I will receive both the scholarship interview request and the film one.
> How about you? Have you received anything??



I haven’t received any emails from SCA at all regarding interview or supplemental documents.  My idea is that If they are seriously considering my application, I expect SCA to contact me for an interview because I am a non-traditional applicant, and they would be interested in clarifying a few things (what I’ve been doing, illness, etc)

From what I read, the interview requests were sent out early/mid-February last year.  Since the scholarship notifications are mid-February (10th, 11th or 12th), I think SCA could send out interview requests late-February.


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## Rian Abreu (Feb 13, 2021)

Did you receive the merit scholaship finalists email yesterday?


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## q64 (Feb 13, 2021)

Rian Abreu said:


> Did you receive the merit scholaship finalists email yesterday?



Nope!  I wasn’t expecting much but I still cried in bed


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## Rian Abreu (Feb 13, 2021)

q64 said:


> Nope!  I wasn’t expecting much but I still cried in bed


I’m respectfully laughing hahaha 
Yes, I felt really really bad too, mainly because that scholarship was literally everything to me. Now, even if I get accepted, I won’t be able to afford it...


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## q64 (Feb 13, 2021)

Rian Abreu said:


> I’m respectfully laughing hahaha
> Yes, I felt really really bad too, mainly because that scholarship was literally everything to me. Now, even if I get accepted, I won’t be able to afford it...



don’t lose hope!  SCA offers departmental scholarships.  

And start writing.  You never know whether your screenplay gets sold to fund your education lol.  Dream big bro, and good luck.


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## D.LaCroix (Feb 14, 2021)

points4irony said:


> Fall 2021 undergraduate BFA applications to USC's SCA  Film & TV production program discussion thread. Surprisingly, I couldn't find a thread for SCA's undergraduate Fall 2021 applications so here it is. My son just finished submitting his application last week, and being the curious parent that I am, found this nice little corner of the internet to share our experience (hoping it's not a short lived one that ends in a rejection).


Another curious (obsessing but staying out of my son's way as best I can) parent here! Thanks for making this thread. My son applied to USC's SCA for 2021 too. There is so little info out there and holding my breath this long is exhausting. My son is self-propelled and very possessive of his journey which is great and I am as proud as I can be, at the same time, I fell like I'm living out the plot of Bird Box. Anyone know anything about what it means when a kid gets a zoom interview request?


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## q64 (Feb 14, 2021)

D.LaCroix said:


> Another curious (obsessing but staying out of my son's way as best I can) parent here! Thanks for making this thread. My son applied to USC's SCA for 2021 too. There is so little info out there and holding my breath this long is exhausting. My son is self-propelled and very possessive of his journey which is great and I am as proud as I can be, at the same time, I fell like I'm living out the plot of Bird Box. Anyone know anything about what it means when a kid gets a zoom interview request?











						The USC Film School Interview | How to get Into USC Film School: Advice from an Admissions Committee Member
					

How do interviews work in the admissions process?  This is something that I feel is viewed with so much mystery. [Interviews] don't mean much at all. If I'm reading an application and there's something in that application that makes me want to...



					www.filmschool.org


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## FilmParent1234 (Feb 14, 2021)

Tips for undergrad interview?  DD is very nervous/excited about hers this week.  The wording made her wonder if it would mainly be about the content of  her application? Or will it be  more about the program or her goals?


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## q64 (Feb 14, 2021)

FilmParent1234 said:


> Tips for undergrad interview?  DD is very nervous/excited about hers this week.  The wording made her wonder if it would mainly be about the content of  her application? Or will it be  more about the program or her goals?



As the link above your post details, just be herself.  None of us wouldn’t know why she is being contacted for an interview, so authenticity would be her best strategy.  Just tell her to thoroughly review her application (her essays, her Common App extracurriculars, etc).  According to what I’ve read, the ‘interviews’ were almost like casual conversations.  There also is a list of questions that are commonly asked during interviews on this website- Film School Interview Questions

When was your daughter contacted for interview?


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## q64 (Feb 15, 2021)

It seems like interview requests were sent out over the weekend after scholarship announcement.


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## Rian Abreu (Feb 15, 2021)

q64 said:


> It seems like interview requests were sent out over the weekend after scholarship announcement.


Have you been requested for one?


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## q64 (Feb 15, 2021)

Rian Abreu said:


> Have you been requested for one?





nope


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## FilmParent1234 (Feb 15, 2021)

She was contacted on Sunday.  But from what we have read from the article posted above and from the email she received it is very clear this doesn't mean she has been accepted.  Apparently 1/2 the people who are accepted are not interviewed and of those who are interviewed many do not get in.  Normally she would post here to ask but this herself but this comes on the 1 week she has an extraordinary amount of work to do for her internship and volunteer positions.


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## q64 (Feb 15, 2021)

FilmParent1234 said:


> She was contacted on Sunday.  But from what we have read from the article posted above and from the email she received it is very clear this doesn't mean she has been accepted.  Apparently 1/2 the people who are accepted are not interviewed and of those who are interviewed many do not get in.  Normally she would post here to ask but this herself but this comes on the 1 week she has an extraordinary amount of work to do for her internship and volunteer positions.



Cool.  I wish her good luck!


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## FilmParent1234 (Feb 15, 2021)

Thanks!  And I guess interview is the wrong term.  Contacted for questions about her application is the term they used she just told me.


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## Adam13 (Feb 15, 2021)

q64 said:


> Has anyone received an interview request?


I do received interview


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## q64 (Feb 15, 2021)

Do the interview requests for undergrads for out in waves?  I know it depends on professors reviewing the application, but I am curious about the period during which professors send out requests.  Is it normally a one-week span?


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## FilmParent1234 (Feb 16, 2021)

FilmParent1234 said:


> She was contacted on Sunday.  But from what we have read from the article posted above and from the email she received it is very clear this doesn't mean she has been accepted.  Apparently 1/2 the people who are accepted are not interviewed and of those who are interviewed many do not get in.  Normally she would post here to ask but this herself but this comes on the 1 week she has an extraordinary amount of work to do for her internship and volunteer positions.


Someone asked and yes she applied for film production.


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## Chris W (Feb 19, 2021)

If any of you are applying for a different undergrad film program as well please feel free to create an application thread for those as well to meet your fellow applicants.


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## FilmParent1234 (Feb 19, 2021)

Just a quick update. My daughter enjoyed her interview.  She said they talked about her film and one of her essays from her portfolio and the program.  
She is in meetings all day  today and this weekend and then the big projects for her jobs will be over for a while and she will be able to post more info on the thread next week if anyone wants to know more.
Good luck to everyone! I know everyone worked so hard on their applications.  As a parent I amd so impressed with all the work that went into applying to these programs and I hope you take a moment and appreciate what you have done! It is an accomplishment in and of itself and shows you have the work ethic to go far in your life.


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## q64 (Feb 20, 2021)

Someone on Reddit claimed he/she got an interview request today this morning.  So the requests still seem to be going out.


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## q64 (Feb 26, 2021)

No interview request for me, and I doubt they will interview applicants in March when announcements are a couple of weeks away...  Now I’m worried.


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## Chris W (Feb 27, 2021)

MFA acceptances are rolling in. Any updates on BFA side?


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## q64 (Feb 27, 2021)

Chris W said:


> MFA acceptances are rolling in. Any updates on BFA side?



No words from SCA yet.  USC says decisions for all undergrad programs will be announced by April 1.  Has SCA announced decisions for BFA earlier than other programs?


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## Chris W (Feb 27, 2021)

q64 said:


> No words from SCA yet.  USC says decisions for all undergrad programs will be announced by April 1.  Has SCA announced decisions for BFA earlier than other programs?


For graduate? I think FSU already sent decisions.


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## q64 (Feb 27, 2021)

Chris W said:


> For graduate? I think FSU already sent decisions.



Sorry for confusion.  I was wondering whether historically SCA has announced decisions for BFA ahead of university-wide decision date of late March.


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## Chris W (Feb 27, 2021)

Oh. I don't know sorry. There's not a huge sample unfortunately but you can check decision dates in our database from previous years.


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## q64 (Feb 28, 2021)

Does anyone know how often common app is reviewed at SCA? One of the most surprising things I heard during an SCA virtual information session is that SCA itself doesn’t really review common app. This question was brought up multiple times, but they vaguely answered by saying they have ‘access’ to common app, and that they can ‘request’ the application data ‘if needed.’ If SCA really has the final say on admits (my admission counselor said ‘talent-based programs’ make the decisions because “they’re the experts”), one can get admitted to or rejected by SCA without a single word on his/her common app being read by those who make decisions. This could mean SCA not considering crucial information available on common app such as extracurriculars/awards/internships/volunteers, common app personal statement, USC supplemental essays, course rigor, etc.


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## Chris W (Mar 5, 2021)

Being Creative in Stillness: A Conversation With Nolan Lampson, Film and Television Writing freshman at USC


					Nolan Lampson (Filmschool.org Member @kukichiyo3) sits in his dorm room with his roommate, who is folding laundry and listening to Air pods. Their walls are covered in posters for hit indie films like The Florida Project. Lampson has spent all of his freshman year working out of their small...
				


Alexa P.
Mar 5, 2021
Comments: 2
Category: Film Student Interviews






New article with current undergraduate student is up.


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## q64 (Mar 7, 2021)

Decision date is rumored to be 30th.


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## q64 (Mar 30, 2021)

Damn I didn’t get in.  Gonna apply again this year lol.  Congrats to all who was accepted.  You truly earned it.


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## Chris W (Mar 30, 2021)

q64 said:


> Damn I didn’t get in.  Gonna apply again this year lol.  Congrats to all who was accepted.  You truly earned it.


Doh! Be sure to add your application to our database to improve our data.

Here's our brand new Acceptance Data page for USC:






						Admissions Statistics for USC School of Cinematic Arts (BA/BFA)
					

Acceptance rate, minimum GPA, SAT, GRE, and demographics of admitted applicants for USC School of Cinematic Arts (BA/BFA) calculated from our database of thousands of film school applications.



					www.filmschool.org
				




It needs more applications to improve the data.


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## Chris W (Jun 3, 2021)

Be sure to update your applications on the with as much information as you have as it helps the site calculate a lot of important data for each school. See how the site uses this amazing data in the article below:














 Your Chances of Getting into Film School: Acceptance Rates, GPA Requirements, Waitlist Data, and More...


					You've been wondering how hard it is to get into film school and what your are chances getting into top film programs such as USC. Maybe you’ve heard that their acceptance rate is 2% — but what is it, really? You've been wondering what is the lowest GPA a film program will accept and what is the...
				


Chris W
Jun 3, 2021
Category: Applying to Film School






If you could update your application with all the important notification dates, your final status (accepted, rejected, off waitlist, attending... etc), how much scholarship money was awarded (if any), your undergraduate degree, GPA, test scores etc that would be AWESOME and very helpful to the site's members. If you could update your application with examples of your submitted material that would be even more awesome.

The Acceptance Rates & Data page for each school uses all this data to help future applicants. To see the data for a particular film school, find your school in our film school database and select the Acceptance Rates & Data tab. If there are enough applications in our database, you enjoy access to valuable tips and information.


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## sahermir (Oct 12, 2021)

Hey I'm new to this site, but I'm applying to USC SCA TV/Film production as a freshman applicant. Would anyone accepted be willing to share their portfolio with me so I have an idea of how it should be formatted/look like? Thanks!


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## Chris W (Oct 12, 2021)

sahermir said:


> Hey I'm new to this site, but I'm applying to USC SCA TV/Film production as a freshman applicant.


Good luck! Feel free to create a 2022 thread as well to get that going to meet your fellow applicants this year.



sahermir said:


> Would anyone accepted be willing to share their portfolio with me so I have an idea of how it should be formatted/look like?



Our application database has some applications with portfolios:






						Film School Application Database
					

A database of thousands of film school applications to calculate acceptance rates to film programs and the minimum GPAs, minimum SAT and GRE scores, experience of accepted applicants, and much more....



					www.filmschool.org
				




Also be sure to read our interview with USC admissions for more info on portfolios:














 How to get Into USC Film School: Advice from an Admissions Committee Member


					Considered by many to be the best film school in the world, it’s no wonder why the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) is so sought after by prospective undergraduate and graduate students alike. However, the film school’s prestige can often make the application process particularly stressful and...
				


Svaja Paka
Mar 5, 2020








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Comments: 5
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Category: Admissions Dept. Interviews


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