I want to post my admissions process situation in the hope that it both comforts current applicants who’ve had a similar experience, and warns future applicants what they could be in for.
I applied to LMUs Film program well before the EA deadline back in October of last year. Over the next couple of months there were several technical “glitches” with my application. The first was a duplicate app being created by their system, which led to my initial app being listed as incomplete. A few weeks after this issue was resolved, my application status was again listed as incomplete although no one in the admissions department could tell me what was missing. (As it turned out nothing was missing, just another “glitch” in their system). Both of these issues required multiple phone calls and emails on my part to resolve. At no point did anyone in Admissions ever proactively contact me or even respond to my calls.
The EA notification deadline of December 20th came and went, and like most other applicants to the film program, I was “deferred”. What was strange was that when I checked my Vimeo account where I uploaded my film submission, there were no views at that point. This leads me to believe that my application, along with that of others I’ve spoken to, had never been reviewed before being deferred.
Over the next few months there was no communication from the school even as RD applicants were being accepted. Ten days ago a friend of mine (who had also applied to LMU) told me his admission status on the portal had been updated to
“Denied”. He hadn’t received any communication from the school, written or email, that his decision had been made. He just happened to check his portal and the sum communication from the school was two words “Application Denied”. I immediately logged into MyPaw and saw that I’ve been “Waitlisted”. To this day I’ve received no communication whatsoever about what this means (or for that matter, that they have even made the decision to waitlist me). What is most frustrating is that when I check my Vimeo account, my film submission has STILL never been watched.
Before anyone thinks that this is 'sour grapes", I’ll point out that I have already been denied by NYU Tisch, but have NO problem with how my application was handled as they responded by the deadline with clear communication throughout the process. I’ve also been accepted to my top choice Emerson College, along with Boston U Comm, Syracuse, U Miami, and Ithaca College (all with substantial merit aid).
I’ve decided not to accept a place on the waitlist, despite my parents urging me to play it out see what happens. I’m committing to Emerson College where, to be honest, I really love the curriculum, the facilities, and the level of energy and positive vibe on campus (not to mention the huge difference in how the admissions process was handled).
My warning for future LMU applicants is that if, like me, one of the things that attracted you to the school is their stated commitment to personal attention, you might need to overlook how the admissions process is carried out. I’m sure that students in the film program are given much support and attention, but if your experience is anything like mine, you certainly won’t get that sense during the admissions process.