# 2018 Accepted for USC MFA Screenwriting



## spicystanislaus (Mar 9, 2018)

hi friends, figured i'd get this one going! 

i have...so...many...questions

first of them is... $$$$$$ ????


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## Michel Lichand (Mar 9, 2018)

That's my big worry too.

Does anybody know if international students should fill out the FAFSA? I keep getting emails telling me to.


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## flamesonthesidemyface (Mar 9, 2018)

Hey all. Congrats to us! I don't have anything to add in terms of financial stuff, but I went to SC for my undergrad and have been living in LA for a collective 8 years so if anyone needs help with knowing where to live, transportation, USC, and SCA in general (did my BA in Critical Studies), I can help answer any questions!


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## Lychee (Mar 9, 2018)

I believe the information about $$$ is sent out in another few weeks or so. I am also eagerly awaiting! It's nice to e-meet everyone.


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## Riki Tiki Tavi (Mar 9, 2018)

hey guys! so i actually called the school about this, and i got some concerning news. the financial aid office told me that they post federal aid around may, which would be after the confirmation deposit. that’s actually not so bad, because i was also told that i could trust the fafsa’s projection on what i’d probably recieve, plus the possibility of work-study... but then i called student services to see when departmental aid might be posted, and they told me ‘not to rely on it’, and that it could be posted anytime between now and _september.
_
the person i talked to seemed to be an assistant though, not, like, a coordinator, so i’m not really sure what to think. for the people who went to sca for undergrad, does that sound right to you?


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## Lychee (Mar 9, 2018)

This doesn't surprise me. From what I've been hearing from graduates of the program, most people pay full price.


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## Riki Tiki Tavi (Mar 9, 2018)

that’s kind of concerning... but it’s not like i haven’t been financially thrifting for this very moment, so if i have to bite the bullet for one of the best film schools in the world, i will! for once, my whole family is behind me 100% on this decision— as well as some of my, ah, wealthier mentors— so at least i have that safety net. 

my other concern is uprooting myself and moving all the way across the country! i hope i can spare the time to visit, so it doesn’t feel like i’m a stranger in a strange land.


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## Lychee (Mar 9, 2018)

That's wonderful! I... do not have savings or wealthy mentors so I may need to choose my cheaper local option. Whatever we all decide, I'm sure it will work out!


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## Riki Tiki Tavi (Mar 9, 2018)

don’t feel defeated, bu is a great school too! i applied there myself, but missed the priority deadline by a hair, thanks to some miscommunication between one of my recommenders, so i’m still waiting to hear back. whatever you choose, you should feel accomplished that you were accepted! not many people can say that, you know?


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## Lychee (Mar 9, 2018)

Oh for sure! All options are good


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## flamesonthesidemyface (Mar 9, 2018)

Riki Tiki Tavi said:


> that’s kind of concerning... but it’s not like i haven’t been financially thrifting for this very moment, so if i have to bite the bullet for one of the best film schools in the world, i will! for once, my whole family is behind me 100% on this decision— as well as some of my, ah, wealthier mentors— so at least i have that safety net.
> 
> my other concern is uprooting myself and moving all the way across the country! i hope i can spare the time to visit, so it doesn’t feel like i’m a stranger in a strange land.


Hey! Where are you from? I moved from the east coast to LA for SC undergrad and it was quite an adjustment but honestly the best decision I ever made. If you're able, I always suggest to people to move somewhere else for a time in their lives. It's such a great experience and you really learn about yourself.


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## spicystanislaus (Mar 9, 2018)

Riki Tiki Tavi said:


> hey guys! so i actually called the school about this, and i got some concerning news. the financial aid office told me that they post federal aid around may, which would be after the confirmation deposit. that’s actually not so bad, because i was also told that i could trust the fafsa’s projection on what i’d probably recieve, plus the possibility of work-study... but then i called student services to see when departmental aid might be posted, and they told me ‘not to rely on it’, and that it could be posted anytime between now and _september.
> _
> the person i talked to seemed to be an assistant though, not, like, a coordinator, so i’m not really sure what to think. for the people who went to sca for undergrad, does that sound right to you?



ugh. that's so...drawn out. for the departmental aid (i'm assuming this includes the scholarships we applied to in the app itself,) did they mention the format that might arrive in? like, email/letter wise? i'm getting a little frustrated that this is so impersonal. i applied to other mfa programs and accepted people have been getting calls/cutesy emails and i feel like we're just here screaming into the financial void. 

are there any average stats anywhere for a typical aid package?


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## spicystanislaus (Mar 9, 2018)

oh, and, i too would be moving from the east coast. i'm originally from the bay area but spent the past 4 years going to school in PA and working in NYC. 

which brings me to issue #923749387198...having a car in LA/good places to live to avoid at least some traffic getting to school. i've been hearing good things about culver city bc of the expo line. anyone else know of anything?


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## Riki Tiki Tavi (Mar 9, 2018)

flamesonthesidemyface said:


> Hey! Where are you from? I moved from the east coast to LA for SC undergrad and it was quite an adjustment but honestly the best decision I ever made. If you're able, I always suggest to people to move somewhere else for a time in their lives. It's such a great experience and you really learn about yourself.



new york! but not the part of new york you think of when you hear the words ‘new york’. it’s the new york in the middle, that big expanse of mountains and lakes no one cares about unless they’re thinking of buffalo wings. or destiny usa. or tiffany pollard.

that’s not to say i didn’t get a good education! the film industry initially started here— fun fact— and we have many surprisingly good schools as a leftover byproduct of that... but i still feel a little self-conscious about it.

i actually visited california for my graduation ‘present’, and i fell in love immediately, so i’m excited to move, even if i’m also a little scared!



spicystanislaus said:


> ugh. that's so...drawn out. for the departmental aid (i'm assuming this includes the scholarships we applied to in the app itself,) did they mention the format that might arrive in? like, email/letter wise? i'm getting a little frustrated that this is so impersonal. i applied to other mfa programs and accepted people have been getting calls/cutesy emails and i feel like we're just here screaming into the financial void.
> 
> are there any average stats anywhere for a typical aid package?



if it makes you feel ay better, when i called the screenwriting division about my departmental aid— who couldn’t help me, that’s not their gig— i must have gotten five ‘congrats! and welcome!’ in a row from the head, and she seemed very friendly and warm.

i do hope i get a call from whoever advocated for me. i’m dying to know!

...oh, and they didn’t say. to be honest, i had a feeling i was talking to an intern, they seemed a bit clueless.


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## spicystanislaus (Mar 9, 2018)

Riki Tiki Tavi said:


> new york! but not the part of new york you think of when you hear the words ‘new york’. it’s the new york in the middle, that big expanse of mountains and lakes no one cares about unless they’re thinking of buffalo wings. or destiny usa. or tiffany pollard.
> 
> that’s not to say i didn’t get a good education! the film industry initially started here— fun fact— and we have many surprisingly good schools as a leftover byproduct of that... but i still feel a little self-conscious about it.
> 
> ...



are you up towards buffalo? i spent a lot of time over the last few years up in westchester


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## Anja (Mar 9, 2018)

Hi everyone!
I'm not a screenwriter but I was accepted to the Stark Program and am super nervous/excited as well (I hope you don't mind me intruding). I've filled out all my Financial Aid documents (I hope) and was also told that they usually let you know in early summer. Things are a little more complicated for me because I'm an American citizen but have never actually "lived" in the U.S. and am not considered an international student. So I am struggling a little trying to understand the American university system but I'm trying my best to get everything done correctly and on time 
That's also why I've applied for student housing and really hope I get in because that would be one less thing to worry about (moving on my own without a car will be interesting either way haha).
Anyway, it would be exciting to meet all of you in California in the summer! Congratulations on getting in!!!


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## Riki Tiki Tavi (Mar 9, 2018)

spicystanislaus said:


> are you up towards buffalo? i spent a lot of time over the last few years up in westchester



nah, more in the middle than that, closer to syracuse. i grew up by lake skaneateles and live in north syracuse now, which is a dystopic suburban swamp lair.

westchester is nice though! that husdon valley area is very scenic.


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## Michel Lichand (Mar 9, 2018)

An e-mail from the Office of Student Services of the School Cinematic Arts that I just got: "We are in the process of awarding scholarships. If awarded, you will be notified by late March or early April."


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## Riki Tiki Tavi (Mar 9, 2018)

Michel Lichand said:


> An e-mail from the Office of Student Services of the School Cinematic Arts that I just got: "We are in the process of awarding scholarships. If awarded, you will be notified by late March or early April."



that’s what the admissions officer told me and sounds more in line with what i expected. i mean, waiting until september for a scholarship? come on.

hold on tight, guys!


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## flamesonthesidemyface (Mar 9, 2018)

Riki Tiki Tavi said:


> nah, more in the middle than that, closer to syracuse. i grew up by lake skaneateles and live in north syracuse now, which is a dystopic suburban swamp lair.
> 
> westchester is nice though! that husdon valley area is very scenic.


Grew up in Jersey! But my family has a cabin in the Catskills in Cobleskill so I know upstate New York well 

Re: financial stuff. When I went to SC so so so many of my friends worked around campus. I will say SC has amazing opportunities for work-study.


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## DamienA (Mar 9, 2018)

Hi guys. I'm in the same boat. I'm worried about $$$ as well. I just want to know when they start offering out scholarships, or have they done that already?


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## Riki Tiki Tavi (Mar 9, 2018)

flamesonthesidemyface said:


> Grew up in Jersey! But my family has a cabin in the Catskills in Cobleskill so I know upstate New York well
> 
> Re: financial stuff. When I went to SC so so so many of my friends worked around campus. I will say SC has amazing opportunities for work-study.



ah, i love the catskills. great horse back riding there, it’s just perfect for a scenic ride. only thing that compared was the sierra nevada.

anyway, that’s great news! i’m more than happy to earn my keep. hopefully they do graduate work study as well?

damien, we’re not sure! though it looks like michael got an email saying it’d be around late march/early april. admissions told me something similar, so that’s the one i’m going with.


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## Septopus7 (Mar 9, 2018)

Hey cool kids, not to interject, but can I make a request? When you receive info on scholarship stuff (be it in April or in September), would at least _one _of you share the info here? I feel like every year one of these threads is created for people who are accepted, but abandoned a few weeks in before anyone actually reports back how they did, scholarship wise. Case in point:

USC Students Fall 2017

I guess a Facebook group of the acceptees is created, and all the conversation is shifted there. Which is fine, but it does leave the rest of us hanging in terms of concrete scholarship info. Which is why pretty much none of that is available at any point in anytime. Everyone posts about WANTING to know the aid information, but no one actually follows up when they get it. Could you guys be the first? It would help hopeful applicants a bunch, I think.

I'm especially curious about the George Lucas scholarship, as it's one of the main reasons USC is my top school to begin with. From a pool of $10 million I have to imagine the award is somewhat substantial, but is it $2000 substantial or $20,000 substantial? I haven't been able to find ANY information on how much is given anywhere on the internet (even a ballpark estimate!), so if any one of you gets it, one simple report with a dollar sign (or even % of tuition!) would help a great deal, re: expectations of how much money I will be losing if I ever get it.


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## PaulP (Mar 12, 2018)

Michel Lichand said:


> That's my big worry too.
> 
> Does anybody know if international students should fill out the FAFSA? I keep getting emails telling me to.



I think you can only start a FASFA with an American Social Secutiy Number, which you can only get as a foreign student, if you are permitted to campus work by the university. At least thats what the internet tells me. So.... Wait and see?

Also, I tried to activate myUSC account, but it didn't work. Said, my user name was no good... Any of you also had this issue?


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## Michel Lichand (Mar 12, 2018)

PaulP said:


> I think you can only start a FASFA with an American Social Secutiy Number, which you can only get as a foreign student, if you are permitted to campus work by the university. At least thats what the internet tells me. So.... Wait and see?
> 
> Also, I tried to activate myUSC account, but it didn't work. Said, my user name was no good... Any of you also had this issue?



What if I already have a SSN from a previous work experience in the US? It was a J-1 visa.


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## spicystanislaus (Mar 13, 2018)

on an unrelated note...which neighborhoods are people looking at to move to? :~)


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## Riki Tiki Tavi (Mar 13, 2018)

spicystanislaus said:


> on an unrelated note...which neighborhoods are people looking at to move to? :~)



hollywood hills, obviously.

kidding! i applied for graduate housing, but i’m planning on sticking around,  and i think i’d like to move into weho. that’s the premier gayborhood, and it’s a stone’s throw away from hollywood proper.


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## Avec Love (Mar 13, 2018)

Anybody have any good details in terms of paying for films? I know SCA has suggested budgets for each film on their course map but I'm not sure if that's a bare minimum or what.


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## EF1 (Mar 14, 2018)

Hi! 

Accepted to USC Screenwriting and wanted to say hello. 
I'm currently living in Hollywood, but plan to move closer to campus.  
If anyone is in the area and would like to get together for coffee or whatnot, I'd be glad to meet some of the cohort!


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## Lindsey Robertson (Mar 14, 2018)

Hi all! Sorry, I'm super late to this bc I've been stressing about money also. But, glad we all have a place to stress together!

I'm currently living in Los Feliz, and my boyfriend is in the Stark producing program — he hasn't found commuting from our location to be too difficult this year, for what it's worth!


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## snoopdog (Mar 15, 2018)

EF1 said:


> Hi!
> 
> Accepted to USC Screenwriting and wanted to say hello.
> I'm currently living in Hollywood, but plan to move closer to campus.
> If anyone is in the area and would like to get together for coffee or whatnot, I'd be glad to meet some of the cohort!


HI! Congrats on getting accepted, when did you get notified? (I'm still waiting, pretty sure that means a rejection but just curious if there is still hope, ha ha)


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## Michel Lichand (Mar 17, 2018)

So I finally sent my financial documents, and despite a plethora of e-mails making me think I was already accepted, as soon as I sent them in my academic eligibility message disappeared.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid and should wait a little? Yeah. Definitely. Maybe. Hopefully.


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## flamesonthesidemyface (Mar 17, 2018)

Riki Tiki Tavi said:


> hollywood hills, obviously.
> 
> kidding! i applied for graduate housing, but i’m planning on sticking around,  and i think i’d like to move into weho. that’s the premier gayborhood, and it’s a stone’s throw away from hollywood proper.


I live in WeHo and honestly it’s the best. It takes me 30 minutes tops to get to downtown and 30 minutes to get to Santa Monica, etc. Comes in handy if you have an internship on the west side since that commute between SC and anything west of Mid City can be BRUTAL.


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## flamesonthesidemyface (Mar 17, 2018)

EF1 said:


> Hi!
> 
> Accepted to USC Screenwriting and wanted to say hello.
> I'm currently living in Hollywood, but plan to move closer to campus.
> If anyone is in the area and would like to get together for coffee or whatnot, I'd be glad to meet some of the cohort!


Hey! Would love to meet up at some point. I unfortunately can’t go to the admitted students event in April so it’d be great to get to know some people before classes start in August.


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## Chris W (Mar 17, 2018)

flamesonthesidemyface said:


> I live in WeHo and honestly it’s the best. It takes me 30 minutes tops to get to downtown and 30 minutes to get to Santa Monica, etc. Comes in handy if you have an internship on the west side since that commute between SC and anything west of Mid City can be BRUTAL.


Just want to say that I love your username and avatar. I need to see that movie again.

"I'm not shouting!"


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## Riki Tiki Tavi (Mar 17, 2018)

flamesonthesidemyface said:


> I live in WeHo and honestly it’s the best. It takes me 30 minutes tops to get to downtown and 30 minutes to get to Santa Monica, etc. Comes in handy if you have an internship on the west side since that commute between SC and anything west of Mid City can be BRUTAL.



oh, that’s just what i wanted to hear! the location was very attractive to me. 

i’d also love to meet up with you guys! i’m not sure if i can make it to admitted student’s event either, the cost of flying there and back alone gives me a lot of pause, but i was hoping to move in early to meet up with my fellow classmates!


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## flamesonthesidemyface (Mar 17, 2018)

Chris W said:


> Just want to say that I love your username and avatar. I need to see that movie again.
> 
> "I'm not shouting!"


It’s my favorite movie! I’m glad to meet a fellow Clue fan


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## flamesonthesidemyface (Mar 17, 2018)

Riki Tiki Tavi said:


> oh, that’s just what i wanted to hear! the location was very attractive to me.
> 
> i’d also love to meet up with you guys! i’m not sure if i can make it to admitted student’s event either, the cost of flying there and back alone gives me a lot of pause, but i was hoping to move in early to meet up with my fellow classmates!


Yes! Let us know when you move out here. I know they strongly suggest to attend that event but honestly it’s not feasible for most of us. But I’ll be around all summer before classes start! Do we want to make a Facebook group for admitted students?


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## spicystanislaus (Mar 18, 2018)

flamesonthesidemyface said:


> Yes! Let us know when you move out here. I know they strongly suggest to attend that event but honestly it’s not feasible for most of us. But I’ll be around all summer before classes start! Do we want to make a Facebook group for admitted students?



yes fb group please!! i can't make it to admitted students day either. currently in PA


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## Michel Lichand (Mar 18, 2018)

I'd love a group too, even though I'm starting to think the academic eligibility notification wasn't the same as getting admitted despite all the signs.


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## flamesonthesidemyface (Mar 18, 2018)

Awesome! I'll make a group. If people want to message me their (real) names, I'll add you to it!


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## Michel Lichand (Mar 19, 2018)

And there we go. Just got the offer of admission. Phew!


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## Lychee (Mar 19, 2018)

Hey all! I will be at the admitted students day in April since I'm still trying to decide between programs. I'd love to meet up with anyone else who attends. I am not on facebook, but I look forward to hopefully meeting many of you soon!


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