UCLA FILM - Risky Creative Writing Sample?

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

<p>January 7 is the cutoff date for postmarks on transfer applications and I’ve been going back and forth on my creative writing sample.</p>

<p>The sample I’m currently planning to send in is a bit of a risk, I feel. But I was wondering if people think it may be a risk worth taking. My sample is a 5-page screenplay excerpt which plays sort of like something out of Curb Your Enthusiasm (unscripted, I know). It is almost purely comedic, and contains some vulgar language (4 F-bombs. Not that I think they object to foul language, but the term is used comedically in reference to the sexual act). Part of me feels like they’ll look at this and say “boy, this is pretty juvenile,” but another part of me thinks that they probably get a lot of really pretentious stuff and may actually find this refreshing.</p>

<p>I’m from New Jersey, and looking at how low the acceptance rates are of non-California based transfer students to UCLA, I feel like standing out might be very important.</p>

<p>Thoughts of any kind?</p>

2

<p>Well, I’m pretty sure lots of students also try to be innovatively refreshing, so it could backfire as one of those attempts. On the other hand, daring and funny is probably daring and funny. My English teacher once gave the class a printed article written by an admissions officer who recounted the reactions to a kid who replied to an essay prompt literally by writing one word. Some (top) schools liked it, others didn’t. In the end it depends on the officers who receive your application, and whether your sample fits in convincingly with the rest of your package and completes it rather than works against it.</p>