Did I already eliminate myself from the selection pool?

Colleges & Universities University of Southern California
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<p>Hi, guys. I’m new.</p>

<p>I currently go to Tulane in New Orleans, but I would like to transfer to USC to pursue a degree in film production or critical studies.</p>

<p>By the end of the semester I will have around a 3.75 (my guess, just because econ is in there, but I might end up with something higher).</p>

<p>I’m taking: Dystopian Fiction (Writing) 101, Jewish Civ 101, Cultural Anthropology 102, Italian 103, Microeconomics 101, and Law and Order (Pre-Law Seminar).</p>

<p>Next semester it looks like I’m taking: Religious Studies 101, Expository Writing 263, Italian 104, Physics 121 plus lab, Art History 101, and a 0 credit service learning class.</p>

<p>(I’m scheduling soon, so any tips on modifying my schedule would be helpful!)</p>

<p>I’m not taking film classes because I know they won’t count. But would it be recommended?</p>

<p>EC-wise, there isn’t much since high school. If it counts, I’m thinking of doing the Mardi Gras marathon (for charity, along with the whole fitness aspect) in February, but otherwise, I’ve only been doing small election stuff. Is that normal, or should I be usurping leadership positions or starting new clubs?</p>

<p>Portfolio-wise, my artwork isn’t so up to date (nothing much since high school) and I didn’t even take slides. I know they don’t look at films, but I have a variety of them to list. And I have a ton of writing. My understanding is that the portfolio is nothing more than a list, or do they want samples? I’m getting mixed messages.</p>

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<p>[USC</a> Cinema - Admissions » Applications](<a href=“http://cinema.usc.edu/admissions/applications/]USC”>http://cinema.usc.edu/admissions/applications/)</p>

<p>Go to the School of Cinematic Arts website and read all the info on admissions and admission requirements to send depending on which major you’re applying for.</p>

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<p>Thanks, but I already have all of that info on a .pdf.</p>

<p>What I’ve read on here suggested in forming an actual portfolio (i.e. “My son sent in slides with his app”) rather than just forming a list. Plus, the stuff isn’t really “recognized” for anything, so should I be entering stuff into contests or whatever?</p>

<p>Any pointers on refining my app as a whole?</p>

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<p>my son applied for production last year and he only had to make a portfolio list. Perhaps the “slide portfolio” is for Interactive Media which requires Creative Work Sample. It would be wise to work on your EC and creative work since you haven’t done much since high school. They emphasize that they are looking for creative potential so it’s not necessary that your work has won any contests or awards. But if you can still enter contests, by all means, it won’t hurt.</p>

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<p>The SCA admission requirements vary depending on your major, so don’t depend on cc for your info–check the USC website in your department to make sure you have it right. My son applied to Interactive Media last year and I just checked the website and found the requirements have changed from last year to this year. Do your homework so you don’t accidentally follow well-meaning but incorrect advice. Not mine, of course. lol.</p>

<p>You only need to send in what they specifically require for the major you are applying to. For some, like IM, they require a sample of your creative output in addition to your list of creative works. Just make sure to read what is needed for your major and you’ll be great.</p>

<p>TrojanTransfer?, I’m not sure the artwork you did needs to be really current (stuff done in HS would be fine, I’d think–just don’t go back to middle school!), but only use works that show your creative potential, ones you think will help your cause. You will need to present artwork as a portfolio, and as mentioned elsewhere, slides are the preferred method. I’ll admit, it’s kind of a pain to get this done–but necessary. USC cannot keep track of original artwork or guarantee to return it, so don’t send precious items if you don’t want to lose them. Again, this only applies to SCA majors that specifically ask you to send in a creative sample of your work.</p>

<p>As for your listing of creative works–you really get to shine here. Make sure to list every important thing you’ve done from a wide range of areas, in and out of school. If you were in a summer honors orchestra, danced ballet, won art awards, designed costumes, wrote plays, performed opera–simply everything. Check the way they presented the example, listed on the website, and follow that format–listing the date, location, title of work, etc.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>Not sure if this would help you but here is what one student did a couple years back and got into critical studies but not production.</p>

<p>[USC</a> Critical Studies vs Chapman Production??? - Topic on Studentfilms.com - Film School Advice - Digital Filmmaking Tutorials - How to get into Film School - Film Composers and Royalty Free Music](<a href=“http://forums.studentfilms.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5486066451/m/1221010544/p/3]USC”>http://forums.studentfilms.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5486066451/m/1221010544/p/3)</p>

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<p>Before Trojan Transfer goes through so much work with the application process, I suggest that you call USC to find out if the department you want is taking transfer students. Are there any openings to apply for? I read that the Cinema school is extremely competitive to get into as a freshman. If none of the current freshmen leave the department, will there still be openings for a transfer student to be considered? USC takes transfer students. I just don’t know if there are openings in the Cinema school. Also, I don’t know if there is a difference in potential? openings in either the film school or critical studies. I haven’t heard of a critical studies major at USC, but I assume you mean something in the Cinema school.</p>

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<p>mdcisp, Critical Studies is one concentration under the Cinema school.</p>

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<p>Thank you Columbia<em>Student. Since Trojan</em>Transfer is interested in applying to the Cinema school, I think the best thing is to find out from USC if there are even openings available before doing all of the application work.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all the help.</p>

<p>So the Transfer positions would be based off of how many freshman from this year change majors or how many high school seniors get accepted and matriculate? Because wouldn’t it be hard to determine all of that until June-ish?</p>

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<p>I believe transfer acceptance is around June-ish.</p>

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<p>TrojanTran… more positions may open up to transfer into SCA in junior year. The main openings before then would be from attrition, and there will often be current USC undergrads trying to transfer into the film school, too. That’s why it is a good idea to call the department you are interested in (production, crit studies, etc) and ask how many transfers they accepted for soph admits into those departments over the past few years. If you find out, could you please post the info here for other hopeful transfers?</p>

<p>When talking to the department, you might also ask if they open up extra spots for junior year. SCA is a very intense school at USC with more units required of the majors that majors found in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, for example. Therefore, it’s a good idea to get a sense of what classes you are taking now will transfer for credit and which of them can satisfy gen ed requirements at USC. If you can’t transfer many of your current classes, you will be unlikely to finish a bachelors degree in four years. Something to think about…</p>

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<p>One more thing–the openings for transfer students are not dependent on whatever happens with new freshman admits. Each major in SCA offers more positions than spots open for fall. They have learned to expect that not all will attend, but the yield to the USC SCA is much higher than to the university in general. In addition, they will offer a few freshman spring admit positions to talented students they can’t accommodate in their fall class. If less students than expected accept, the film school contacts a few lucky spring admits and offers them fall spots. </p>

<p>In any case, these spots are not open to transfers. It would still be useful to find out how many outside transfers they typically accept, and how many of those are sophomore vs. juniors.</p>

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<p>I’m sure all of my classes are transferrable (even if my Law Seminar isn’t, that’s only 1.5 credits; I’m taking 20 credits next semester ). I’m pretty sure I’ve knocked out (or will knock out) all of GEs except the " importance of science" and “social issues” which have to be taken at USC.</p>

<p>I specifically avoided film classes because I know they don’t count.</p>

<p>What I saw from the undergrad requirements, I should be able to complete it in four years. The first three semesters are for taking all of the GEs and lower level classes. So if I get in as a sophomore, the only things I’d need to take that semester would be Italian to finish the Foreign Language req. The required classes take 40 units, and I’ve read that critical studies students usually double-major, right? I read that it’s encouraged so they have a better frame of reference. The one that they say takes a full four years is “Writing for TV/Film.”</p>

<p>Now that I think of it, I should’ve put down English or something as my alternate major…</p>

<p>I have a general idea of my competition. Assuming a total of 35000 freshman and 8000 transfers apply, at least 5% of them will be applying to SCA (so ~2150, about 900 of them being transfers…). Honestly, not trying to be mean, most of those applications aren’t too competitive, so it actually narrows it down by a lot, but there’s still a lot left. Even if only five hundred of those are really serious, the acceptance rate is really low.</p>

<p>I think they have a separate transfer acceptance quota, don’t they?</p>

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<p>Perhaps someone else knows more facts. Please post them.</p>

<p>I’d heard that SCA accepts new transfers to fill spots opened up when a student leaves the program, or switches majors within the SCA, and this is not a large pool of students, so that number–if any-- will vary from year to year. With only a total of 200 new SCA admits as freshmen students spread among five UG film school majors (including 26 or so in animation, 26 in screenwriting, 12 in Interactive Media, and so on), you have to find out how many spots are likely to become open to transfers in your desired SCA major(s). </p>

<p>Production is one of the most competitive for freshman admissions, with a 4% admission rate. Unfortunately, one can surmise that only 5% of last year’s 36,000 applicants applied to SCA. The students in School of Cinematic Arts comprise 5% of all USC undergrads, but that doesn’t reflect the number who apply. The admission rate is 4% ends up being 200 students, so doing the math, the high school senior applicant pool for SCA would be 5000. Of course, this has nothing to do with transfer apps and acceptances, so it would be helpful to look at those numbers if you can find them. </p>

<p>Figure if there are 75 incoming freshmen in Crit Studies, how many will fall out and leave spots open by sophomore year? And how many (if any) current USC freshmen are also trying for those spots? It’s something to look at in order to get a realistic idea of chances. </p>

<p>As you rightly say, there are all sorts of people who apply and even if there may be only a few spots open, the really talented, super motivated student will get the spot. It very well could be you. Best of luck!</p>

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<p>Now that I think of it, if someone gets into SCA, they’re more than likely going to matriculate. I’ve only read of one instance where someone went to NYU instead.</p>

<p>I think the number I found for transfers was 900. I find so many random numbers and I’m still looking up some more things, so I’ll get back when I find something.</p>

<p>I’ll call soon after I do a little more reading. It’s the weekend, and I’m not nearly as into the process as I think I am right now. I have most of the supplemental stuff together and my LoR are from really cool professors.</p>

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<p>It was on CC that somebody got into screenwriting and turned it down for Chapman. What I’ve heard is about 25 slots open for Critical Studies when students transfer to Production in Sophomore year. But what I don’t understand is why people would leave Production at USC. Money problem maybe?</p>

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<p>Just call USC this week and find out if there are transfer openings available to apply to. There is a lot of work involved with putting together your application and you want to be sure there are potential openings available before going through this time consuming process.</p>

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<p>i know there was a production student who left USC to be a photo journalist in Africa, that was a couple of years ago, so you never know, anything can happen. And at least one production student got in after being on waitlist this year (freshman). Also, another production student transferred to another major completely (Marshall?).</p>

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<p>They have a waitlist? I know USC itself doesn’t, but SCA?</p>