Hey guys. I'm currently in my third year of my undergraduate degree and will be applying to graduate Film School next year.

When you guys were in this position and first decided you were going to apply, what did you do to prepare? Spend time writing? Perfect your 'personal statements'? Do endless amounts of research?

I've got my own ideas and I'm well on my way to putting together an impressive application, I was just wondering what you guys did when time was on your side.

Thanks!

Honestly-- you are ahead of game.I realized I wanted to apply to film school two months before my first application was due.

Given the opportunity I would spend as much time as possible researching the different schools and looking at their work and their philosophies. Oh and VISIT the schools

I ended up at Chapman-- I was lucky-- I applied on a whim and knew nothing about the school. If it hadn't been for talking to people on here I wouldn't have followed through with the application and would never have visited the school-- And I fell in LOVE with it.

If you aren't a strong writer work on the writing skills and try to contact others who have been through the process and find good people for letters of recommendation. But mainly research the schools so you know what they're looking for in their students.

Best of Luck!

I decided to apply in January of 2006, so I had almost a year.

First I researched to decide where I would apply. I originally narrowed it down to eight schools, but by fall, it was down to three.

I worked on the biography of my life first, which I used to build the personal narratives and statements of purpose.

I thought about the creative challenges each application required, and started doing rough runs on them. My first stab at USC's "Most Emotional Moment" was a failure for that challenge, but I used it to make my first film, so I benefited from the effort.

I started rewriting the script I wanted to send as a writing sample.

I studied for the GRE like a crazy person.

I thought long and hard about who write my letters of recommendation and made thorough packets with stamped envelopes and a deadline checklist for each of them.

I started telling people I was going to film school in 2007, so this was my last winter before I moved to LA...the power of intent is suggestive!

For all of that prep, I threw out just about everything for USC about thirty seconds before the deadline, and rewrote everything from scratch. I greased a postal worker to get a backdated postmark because I got there four minutes late.

I often wonder if the original stuff I wrote would've gotten me in straight up, instead of waitlisted, but then I think, who cares...you got in, and you go there.


It's a long process, from start to finish, whether you start a decade before the deadline or a week.

Best of luck to ya!