just wanted to put my 2 cents in:

I was accepted as a Directing fellow at AFI. I did not apply anywhere else.

I went to Hampshire College for my B.A. At Hampshire there are no grades, only narrative evaluations. I think it's safe to say that I was accepted to AFI on the strength of my portfolio/essay/interview and not for (traditional) academics.

anyway, just wanted to share this. i think all of these schools are probably amazing, but given my alternative education, AFI seems the best fit.

Peace

Jayimess,

Much better scores than mine. I had a great letter to open my door at USC but didn't make it for Peter Stark. What I've heard from other applicants is that they average GRE scores and if you're below the average you get dropped from the applicant pool right away. Don't know how much truth there is to this but I wouldn't be surprised if it's true.

Once a schools' website mentioned "GRE required", I did not even bother to apply there. so USC was once school that was crossed out from the get go.

as much as i hate standardized tests, and i've taken more than enough. I think taking the GRE isn't that much of a hassle and opens a lot more opportunities. Plus if you kinda look at it like you against the test and you want to kick its butt it turns into a game.

redpokiepenguin maybee you are right

but I am done with test that are limmited by time. I am done with SAT's. and constructed test tacking! That's child stuff.

Plus I think big schools more than others require you take the GRE test. schools that are more academic like USC, UCLA ( not for film production), Temple Univ .....etc

whats the point of the GRE?

quote:

they average GRE scores and if you're below the average you get dropped from the applicant pool right away

that doesn't make much sense. in order for there to be an average, at least one person needs to be below it (unless everyone has the exact same score, in which case that is the average...but that seems at least a little unlikely.)

for instance, if the scores are let's say 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, and 1600, the average is 1400. if the 1200 and 1300 are dropped, the new average becomes 1500. now the 1400 must be dropped, and the new average is 1550. now the 1500 is dropped, and we're left with one and only one score--1600. being at the average (and a perfect score) this person would stay in the applicant pool, but all of these other already accepted applicants would be cut off.

the GRE's just the SATs with slightly harder math (still quite aceable, as 6% of takers can attest to) and slightly more tedious verbal. don't be afraid.

I can see the use of GRE's if you are going to be studying Film Theory and want to teach at the university level, but they make no sense if you are an exceptional filmmaker with not so good math or verbal skills.

Take a foreign filmmaker for instasnce, say he/she wanted to apply to USC and didn't speak the language that well, then he/she would be screwed.

I just don't see the point.

From what I can tell, the GRE doesn't matter for the School of Cinematic Arts, it's a minor hoop for the university everyone must jump through. Plenty of cats here bombed it, from Russia to Boise.


Though who knows with the Stark program? They have a specified score that exceeds the uni minimum.


It doesn't matter as a writer or for production or animation.

It's just a hoop. You can climb or hop through it, just as long as you acknowledge it. The GRE is not what gets people into this program, nor is it what keeps them out of it.


But either way, it must help some admit committees, otherwise they wouldn't want the scores, otherwise the unis wouldn't have rebelled when the GRE people tried to change the test this year.

I don't know. It sucked, but, hey, I took it. For one school out of the three I applied to.

Four hours, then it was over, even though my scores weren't too hot.

It didn't bother me, but whatever.

What about good grad schools in Hawaii? Does anyone know of any success stories or recommendations?

hawaii? grad school? in all my years here, and that's many there are no grad programs. Unless UH decided to expand their undergrad program to include a grad program also. The film industry here is....okay. It's nothing really super impressive but it exists. I know the gov't tried many times to get productions out here, i.e. baywatch and north shore, but most of them fell flat and left. Lost is totally excluded. I dunno I have friends here who went to Chapman (undergrad) and came back here. He works on some productions but not all the time. hope that's helpful