WWWard is correct. USC’s admissions office has the final say in deciding who is accepted. Of course you’d need the support of the Cinema School if you expect to be accepted into one of their programs, but every year there are kids that they-and all the other schools-want to accept that don’t get it. And yes, while the portfolio is very important, most all of the film school admits have awesome portfolios AND really strong academic records. USC’s applicant pool is just that deep. Good luck!