For those talented individuals that got accepted to either NYU, USC, or UCLA graduate schools for some division of their respective film schools:

I think it would be very helpful to create this thread as a collection of accepted applicants' credentials so that prospective graduate film students can get a basis for the submitted applications that belong to those students who were accepted.

Feel free to answer thoroughly or briefly! Any information you provide will surely be helpful to others.

Questions:

1. Your university, cumulative GPA, and major
2. GRE score (if taken)
3. Film-related jobs/work experience that you took part of that you listed on your application
4. The general gist of your 'personal statement' (as in, did you talk about your childhood, etc.?)
5. Who wrote your letters of recommendation?
6. (optional) The single, most important piece of advice you could give to prospective students applying to these schools.

This thread can be really helpful for future film school applicants. I'd have loved all this info when I was completing my applications.

1. University, cumulative GPA, major:

==> Undergrad - Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), 3.56/4.0, Business Management major w/ minors in Marketing & Film Studies.

==> Certificate program - UCLA Extension, Entertainment Studies & Writing, 3.5/4.0

2. GRE:

==> Didn't take it

3. Film-related jobs/experience:

==> Internships at The Weinstein Company and Crossroads Films.
==> Worked as PA on music video shoots (Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, Atreyu etc.) in Los Angeles.
==> Made a few short films.

4. General gist of personal statement:

==> Personal statement was mainly autobiographical...I talked about the influence of my family and how living in different cultures (Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Indiana & Los Angeles) has helped shaped me as a person and an artist. Also, talked passionately about my love for films and filmmaking with an emphasis on why I want to be a filmmaker.

5. Letters of recommendation:

==> Executive Producer (former boss)
==> Chair of film department at Purdue University (instructor)
==> Independent Spirit Award nominated filmmaker, also NYU graduate (instructor at UCLA Extension)

6. Single most important advice:

==> Be honest

Got into New York University (NYC) MFA. That's the only school I applied to.

Hello, bright-eyed applicant!

Here's the only advice which would have helped me: don't sweat it. Seriously. As in, for the love of God, you're scaring the kids.

I went crazy last October reading these forums, listening to folks insist that, in order to gain admission to "top programs," you must have STELLAR, KICK-ASS, KILLER materials!!1!1!! I'm not sure where this particular silliness originated, but it'll drive you to drink.

For better or for worse, film school is not Juilliard. Film school is not the Yale School of Drama. The Big Five are not hyper-selective programs which accept only three or four students a year. They are gigantically, humongously enormous grad programs--with yields as high as 30%--which collectively accept hundreds of students a year. Add to this the fact that their applicant pools are not particularly self-selective (only smart, educated people are applying to the Anthropology PhD program whereas every yahoo with stars in his eyes is applying to the film school), and the odds tilt dramatically in the serious applicant's favor. (By "serious applicant," I include the vast majority of StudentFilms.com posters.)

So I guess my advice is, do yoga. Go a couple rounds with the bag. Listen to river sounds as imagined by disinterested foley guys. Whatever.

Just breathe. You'll be fine.

--Icarus

(Requisite CV: Got into UCLA, USC, and AFI.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Icarus Ascending,

1. University of Notre Dame; 3.8; Program of Liberal Studies (philosophy / literature), and second major in film.

2. 1380 / 6.0

3. Worked for local film society, did camera crew on a couple big indie films made in Austin, wrote and directed two of my own short films.

4. talked about my outlook on life, incorporating life experience / studies and how I think they can make me a better filmmaker... showed passion.

5. a professor, two people who produced my shorts, a friend who works in the industry, the DP i've worked with.

6. Be bold and original, but also consistent with how you represent yourself. You want to be unique so that you stick out. Some programs might like you and some might not, but it's important to be original while being honest. Make sure you demonstrate why you think you deserve to be going to school among the most talented filmmakers of the future. If you don't believe you should be there, either will they. Confidence with a degree of humility is good. I think, mostly, you just need to demonstrate passion and vision.

It also depends where you're applying. AFI is very reliant on your reel and your interview, but USC is based entirely on your writing. So if you want to go to USC, you better be a good writer. If you want to go to AFI, you better have made a strong or interesting film. Most of the other programs fall somewhere between those two.

I will be attending USC in the fall.

bandar,

thanks for the kinds words.

you got into nyu (nyc)? or was it nyu (asia) either way congratulations! i didnt know you applied to nyu.

andy

Yea, sorry I never really replied to this post

I think Icarus pretty much nailed it on the head.

I can see how you want to be in a top 5 school. 5 years ago, it was make or break. If I couldn't get into a top 5 school then I wasn't good enough for the industry and I thought that that would be it for me.

Film school is so complicated in that there is no set "perfect applicant."

If I were to write a book on how to be a universally accepted applicant it would be this:

A person who tells good stories
Has been through a lot in life
Is a charming and composed individual

I am not going to lie and say that I am the perfect applicant, but there are sparks in me that show potential.

To answer your questions, my GPA is about 3.5/4 at the University of South Florida in Broadcasting

GRE score? I got less than 1000 the first time and was so pissed at how expensive it was to take it that I managed a horrible 1200 just to meet the minimum of 1000.

Film related jobs? Wedding videos, being dragged on the set of my uncle's sets as a child, my own short films, nothing big

Personal statement: A lot of talk about why you truly want to be a filmmaker. Talk about your passion. Don't be the typical applicant that says "I want to provide a voice to those who have none."

Letters of recommendation: a well known broadcaster, an well known short story writer, and a (just recently) sundance filmmaker

Most important advice: know why you are going to film school. I know so many people that are toying with the idea about their idols not going and how they made it. Schools are different. NYU, USC, UCLA are not the top schools for everyone. It seriously is a "perfect fit" kind of deal. Be true to yourself and ask yourself why you want to go to these respective schools.

Lastly, don't be lazy. This is the only reason why I did not apply to USC or UCLA, because they have an early November deadline opposed to EVERYONE ELSE that has a December deadline. The application process is NOT FUN, its not just filling out forms, but second guessing the font you use, the sentence structure, the penmanship, you would be surprised how hectic your life gets when you are trying to juggle 4 applications from 4 totally different application procedures. So give yourself plenty of time.

I was accepted to NYU's Grad Program in NYC

If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to message me.

Andy

Great, great topic. Thank you by the way.
So, on to my relatively boring question: are there minimum GRE scores for UCLA and USC?
Again thanks.

No GRE for UCLA.

USC Production/Screenwriting/DADA: 1000

USC Stark: 1100

1. Biola University - 3.86 GPA. Majored in English, with minors in Philosophy and Biblical Studies

2. GRE - 1360/5.5

3. Film related experience - wrote and directed around 40 short films. (Very amateur). Did some minor professional work, made a few wedding videos, etc.

4. My personal statement was about the role of film in my personal development. Specifically, I was making a case for why film school was a necessary step in my development as a filmmaker and a person. I discussed some of the experiences that I want to explore through filmmaking, and explained how the specific program I was applying to would fit my needs for artistic/personal development. (This means I rewrote my personal statement for each school I applied to.)

5. Two professors, one in creative writing, the other in medieval literature. One former employer and producer of several of my short films.

6. Know yourself and know your story. Then tell that story in all your creative materials. I definately agree with bscofield's synopsis of being unique. This might mean anticipating some potential stereotypes you could fit into and addressing them in your personal statement/reel. However, there is a delicate balance between seeming reactionary and standing out in a crowd. That's why I would emphasize the need to get honest and helpful feedback from people you trust during your application process. Most of my writing samples underwent some significant change because I had some good friends who gave me good feedback. Ultimately this process boils down to vision, dedication and talent. If you can show those things, the doors are probably going to open for you.

I was accepted into USC's Production and Chapman's Screenwriting MFA programs. I'm going to USC.

Great responses so far guys, I've been getting some PM's about how helpful this thread has been to prospective grad students. Keep your answers coming!

Great idea for a thread. Wish I had found something like this when I was putting my applications together.

I'm going to USC for Graduate Film Prod this Fall, but you should also know that I applied internationally, for any non-Americans thinking of applying.
*NB: Interestingly, during my phone-interview, we talked a lot as to why I'm currently in China (where I've been for the last 3 months).

1. University of Sydney, Distinction Average (Australia doesn't use GPA, Triple Major: Media & Communications, Philosophy & Film Studies)

2. GRE - 1420

3. Internship at ICON Distribution | Wrote & directed a $6000 short | Offline editor for commercially released concerts | Runner and tech on prof. TVCs | a fair bit of theatre experience (on and off stage) | and the usual, editing, lighting, ADing on friends and student's shorts | and short listed for a couple of major AusFilm Funds

4. Personal Statement. I read and re-wrote and edited and edited my statement God knows how many times. Obviously, I delved into "why film", and how my passion began from seeing film as more than just a tool for entertainment. I also talked about the political and philosophical implications of the moving image, how such ideas temper the kinds of films that I'd like to make. I didn't analyze any specific films or filmmakers that I admire, opting instead to scatter a few references here or there. The few references I did make were broad. I wanted to stay away from pigeonholing myself into a particular style or genre. I also talked about film and story-telling in relation to the world's current geo-political issues. I talked a little on my cosmopolitan background, having lived in Aus, Asia, the States and Europe and how this has effected my perspective of storytelling in the media in general etc. I tweaked and augmented things in terms of the schools I was applying to. The style of my essay was not formal - how can it be when you're trying to convince someone of your passion? Importantly however, no matter how creative or poetic it got, I made sure it was articulate. I gave it to a friend who was writing his doctoral thesis (not in film) to drill out any recondite dribble. It had a structure, but it flowed from paragraph to paragraph.

5. Letters of recommendation: The head of Marketing from ICON Film Aus; Chair Prof. of Media & Comm @ Uni of Sydney; Former-CEO of Village Roadshow (who happened to be a family friend); and a friend who is a PhD student who I had as a tutor in 1st year. (Out of the referees, he knew me creatively the best, and it was good to have him - as a third-party - talk about my work in theatre and film studies.)

6. Edit edit and edit your materials. And get others to read it. If your friends, colleagues and past professors would accept you based on them, then that's a good start.

I hope that helps some people. Good luck to all who are applying in the near future. And congrats to everyone who are in now. Looking forward to seeing some of you in LA soon!

Daniel,

How many times did you take the GRE? Did you spend a lot of time studying for it?

Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel G:
2. GRE - 1420

Just popping my head in to say, for whatever it's worth, that I never really mentioned film in any of my personal statements. The statements were about things like waste anthropology and Denny's. I just tried to write engaging, thoughtful essays while incorporating enough autobiography to give a rounded sense of myself.

Obviously, there's nothing bad or wrong about discussing one's relationship with the movies; it sounds like lots of successful applicants went that route. I just wanted to point out that there are plenty of valid avenues to take re: the Narrative Statement / Statement of Purpose / Autobiographical Character Sketch.

--Icarus

Icarus, dahling,

Have you made a final decision? Last I heard you were 99.5% Trojan.

I am a committed Trojan! My chariot is in the mail.

(Should have chosen a different sn though, huh?)

--IA

ascend, icarus; ascend!

Congrats Icarus! See you there!

quote:

Originally posted by SD Grad:
Daniel,

How many times did you take the GRE? Did you spend a lot of time studying for it?

Hey SD Grad,

I gave myself about a month and a half to prepare for the GRE. I wasn't studying till my eyes bled, but I studied enough to be confident of an OK score.

I probably spent most of my time memorizing word definitions from GRE word lists I had found online. Also went over past-papers. If you're planning for it, I'd recommend getting your hands on as much of these as possible. They reuse a lot of the same examples. It's a pretty formulaic exam, apart from the analytical. Good luck!!!

and i quote...

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Daniel G:

quote:
Originally posted by SD Grad:
Daniel,

How many times did you take the GRE? Did you spend a lot of time studying for it?



Hey SD Grad,

I gave myself about a month and a half to prepare for the GRE. I wasn't studying till my eyes bled, but I studied enough to be confident of an OK score.

I probably spent most of my time memorizing word definitions from GRE word lists I had found online. Also went over past-papers. If you're planning for it, I'd recommend getting your hands on as much of these as possible. They reuse a lot of the same examples. It's a pretty formulaic exam, apart from the analytical. Good luck!!!

I was searching the net furiously a few years ago for anything that told me what kind of people got into film school.

Now that I'm in at USC, I'm still not sure =P

Still, I think it's valuable to compare notes, some of you have made some great points (FLFilmFan for one), just to try and give someone something to go on.

1. Undergrad
UC Berkeley English BA, 3.67 GPA overall, unsure about major GPA.

2. GRE
1400. I bought several giant GRE practice books and churned through them in my senior year of college. I would recommend against this as it made my last year super intense, and I didn't end up getting in until 2 years after graduation anyway.

3. Film Experience
I have made a few VERY amateur shorts, and I worked on a indie production as a PA (total gofer work, but was a blast)

4. Personal Statement
My statement was basically about how much I love the hell out of film. It sounds stupid, but I basically relayed my personal history with film and my passion for chasing this dream down.

5. Letters of Recommendation
I had one from a professor who loved me and film, one from a family friend who is semi involved in the business, and the third was from an employer of mine who went to NYU (but I got rejected from NYU so...)

6. Advice?
I truly, honestly believe I got in because of two factors. I worked very diligently on my character sketch. I was on maybe my fifth character when I finally had someone I thought was interesting enough and well developed enough to send. Second, they required a "Most Emotional Moment" essay which I took in a radically different direction. My phone interviewer spoke in depth with me regarding that aspect of my application. At the time, I felt it was risky to send something so different but in retrospect it might have set me apart

Again, that's just my best guess. I really have no idea why I was let in. I'm sure doing well at Berkeley and on my GREs helped a great deal as well.

So my advice in a nut shell, Work hard, revise those essays to death, and do your best to be unique without loosing any honesty.