USC Film School

WWWard
Thu, 15 Jun 2017 14:18:52 +0000

Gaining admission to the USC School of Cinematic Arts is a difficult proposition for everyone, even those with significant film-making experience. Bryan Singer himself was rejected twice before finally gaining admission as an internal transfer from within USC on his third try. Spielberg was rejected three times and never admitted. The overall acceptance rate ranges from 2-11%, depending on the major being sought. In your case, the range would be tighter… likely 2-4% (for screenwriting and production).

You would first be evaluated by USC overall, which now has an admit rate in the 15-16% range. If admitted, you could be accepted as Undeclared (meaning without admission to SCA as well), or you could be admitted to both USC and SCA - and assigned directly to an SCA major.

Acceptance to SCA will chiefly come down to your creative supplements… and especially your writing. Even if you have a solid visual supplement to submit, your creativity and demonstrated passion will likely be the determining factor… especially if your overall portfolio is just getting started. All that being said… they do accept a certain # per major, so there is no harm in trying. It is a highly subjective decision-making process when evaluating candidates for the creative majors. It would all come down to the case you make for yourself via your personal statement / essay and writing sample. It is possible, as Bryan Singer did, to gain admission to USC, but not yet SCA, and then transfer internally later… maybe after taking some SCA courses to show them your merit. Some on CC have suggested such as an easier path to getting into SCA vs applying directly for admission as an incoming freshman.

Good Luck