@CADREAMIN expects the boxes to be sent out the week of 3/23. See this thread http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/2152218-usc-class-of-2024-applicants-thread-p45.html post #897.
P.S. See update on same thread mentioned in post 60 - new post #915 - could possibly come out earlier than the 23rd ⊠follow that other thread for the most up to date news.
Regarding this years USC SCA Production application-
Iâm not sure how much of a crossover this site has with other sites, but in a follow up to my previous post (#38) the USC SCA Faculty/Admissions person I mentioned has now given a 2 hour/10k word interview on a Film School site. It is very detailed and in my opinion a âmust readâ for anyone who has applied to production or is thinking of applying in the future.
Six key takeaways:
1)Applying more than once is common and so do not be discouraged too badly if you do not get in the first time. The faculty/admissions member they interviewed is a graduate and applied 4 times!
2)The âPortfolioâ (the list of prior accomplishments) is likely the LEAST weighted of all the supplements.
3)Grades and test scores are not a deal breaker.
4)At minimum, your application is given a full 30 minute consideration
5)They do not fault the applicant for minor errors etc, but can tell when a person has not put in the effort expected.
6)They want you to be the one! They read each application with hopes of seeing that âjewelâ inside that makes it stand out.
In just a couple weeks now, all who applied will find out their yes or no. If itâs yes- wow! You will be a part of something very special. If itâs a no, and itâs still your passion, reading the interview with all of itâs insightful detail on what they are looking for, is a fantastic step towards trying again.
Good wishes to all and Iâm excited to hear results soon!
I thought the most interesting and helpful part of the interview was the advice regarding the personal statement. What I took from it was they donât want an essay about youâŠthey want you to tell them a story that also reflects who you are. To me it sounds like they want the personal statement for production to be more like the character sketch you submit for Screenwriting. Didnât speak at all to âwhy USCâ or that interest in USC is important. Just looking for a group of storytellers with a unique voice or perspective. Which makes it very difficult to predict whether you are the âjewelâ they are looking for.
Do they want a personal story for the personal statement or for the why usc?
Thatâs an interesting take on what he said and I suppose his answers can be interpreted subjectively and include all kinds of ways to shine:)
I felt he said that when it comes down to it, your personal statement should be just thatâŠpersonal. Dig deep, be creative, expose yourself for who you are as interestingly as you can muster:)
@CindyLeuWho He did not mention the Why USC question.
^^^ I would just keep in mind that every USC applicant is being evaluated by 2-3 separate admissions offices⊠USC Admissions overall + your 1st choice School + potentially your 2nd choice School, if different from the 1st choice School. And those admitted are accepted by USC Admissions first and foremost.
Sometimes, SCA or any other School can argue in favor of an applicant that they really wish to admit who USC overall is inclined to reject, but clearly they must pick and choose their battles. They can fight for a few or maybe even a # of exceptions, but it is not unlimited. Admitted applicants can be accepted one of three ways⊠admitted by USC overall but only Undeclared (and not also admitted to any School), admitted to USC overall and to your 1st choice major or admitted to USC overall and to your second choice major.
My point is that it is not all about convincing SCA when applying. USC Admissions overall does evaluate why you feel that USC is the right university for you and what you may be contributing to the overall USC community. SCA professors & SCA Admissions clearly have their own set of priorities when evaluating applicants, but so does USC Admissions overall. It is therefore a balance in terms of your overall application packet. Future applicants to SCA should still keep that balance in mind.
Some of you this cycle will likely have to consider two unexpected but still positive results⊠one is being admitted to USC & also to SCA, but starting in the Spring vs the Fall⊠and the second is being admitted to USC, but only Undeclared. Neither should be seen in a purely negative light. @romns116 can speak to the spring admission and how his son made that transition seamlessly into SCA. And my daughter quickly internally transferred into SCA for her spring semester first year after only being admitted Undeclared. The acceptance rate into SCA for such internal transfers is much higher than it is for those applying as high school seniors.
Good luck to all of this cycleâs applicants to SCA. Decisions should be announced just two weeks from now.
Thank you @WWWard, for your continued info/thoughts. My daughter applied for SDA. We definitely know that you are still first and foremost, applying to USC with that app. With the separate Slideroom site and application, does USC admissions see that as well? Or just SDA? I never really thought of that. All of the extra essays and questions. Not to mention the video essay. It would be nice that they would have seen that as wellâŠ
@COmama24 Thatâs a good question⊠when you submit your application, do they initially consider everything at once(Common app + Slideroom) or just the common app info? What if you submitted your common app in late summer and then submit slideroom a couple months later? Do they wait to look at common app until everything is in? The Why USC is on the common app portion so if they look at them separately, maybe that is why it would be ultra important to nail that?
One thing for certain is there is no âcodeâ to break as to figuring out chances of acceptance as @WWWard has said so eloquently on this site. Itâs helpful and encouraging to hear their insights and behind the scenes info when they have given interviews or written blogs over the years. But in the end, why they choose someone and not someone else is something that likely evolves year to year and only they know the answer to.
Good luck to all!!!:)))
I am definitely not the expert in this, so not sure if itâs accurate, but Have heard that BFA for SDA is 80% audition/Slideroom artistic application, 20%GPA/SAT and app on the USC side. This is definitely the case for many schools my daughter applied to, like Penn State where she has an acceptance, and Boston University (still waiting for decision) is even test-optional for BFA. My daughter has a great GPA, but is one of those terrible test-takers. And luckily many top schools recognize that some of the best artists donât always take standardized tests well!
@COmama24 Youâre welcome.
While I do not know the answer for sure, my speculation is that USC Admissions overall may not even review or have access to the additional Slideroom supplemental submissions. I suspect this as there was an issue with it at some point, and Slideroom actually referred my daughter to an administrator residing specifically within one of the Schools⊠and not within USC Admissions. I suspect that the Schools could share such, but they are not initially sent to USC Admissions. It just further emphasizes the dual track in terms of evaluations.
We received a similar answer from the admissions office last year.
@WonderfulJourney I have the same problem as your daughter: Excellent GPA but poor standardized test scores. I was in a small 8-person Princeton Review tutoring group in preparation for the test, but they only taught us âtips and tricksâ to âbeatâ the test and its model instead of actually helping us learn and review the material.
My parents could not afford to get me another tutor after that horrible class, and I struggled on my own to reach my score goal. As an artist, I feel that standardized test scores and traditional school institutions do not always support the style of learning that we need. It is proven that creatives think and absorb information differently than most academics, and an acceptance into film school should not be determined by a test grade, especially one that does not apply directly to the intended major.
However, I do understand that with such a large applicant pool to pull from, there has to be a line drawn somewhere. Itâs very conflicting.
Ultimately, for everyone who is still waiting to hear back from different film schools, Iâll say this; Your craft, your art, and your success does not lie within one school. It lies within you. If you have the drive to do it, you will do it, and it will be great.
I just realized how inactive this thread has been in comparison to the general USC thread. I just wanted to wish all of you the best of luck 
remember, film is so subjective and whatever your decision is, it bears no indication of your talent or worth as a artist. <3
only 6 more days to waitâŠif you get accepted- be sure to update with your major!
Anyone admitted to UCLA yesterday? Was a no for us but not unexpected and had already ruled it out. Havenât seen many film school admissions posted.
Sorry to hear that:( My son did not apply to UCLA but overall it seems that there is less film school applicant activity online in general this year. I would love that to mean less competition but I highly doubt it- maybe some just arenât using the sites as much as in the past? Or maybe Iâm just not seeing them.
Didnât get in to UCLA or even waitlisted. Their film program is even smaller than that of USC (about 14 per year), and their undergrad program is only 2 years of film production with 2 years of GEs. Iâm sad because of missing the campus experience and missing out on how many opportunities and clubs they have, but Iâve always been far more excited about USCâs film program than UCLAâs so I personally still have hope.
So donât be too bummed I guess.
I heard people are still getting vetri tax forms? A week before decisions. Iâm so worried that with some other colleges getting disorganized with their college decisions that there is a possibility USC is not being so clever about not giving hints? Idk.
The general USC thread talked about getting the veri tax email a lot, but did any of you guys who applied for SCA get a veri tax email? I personally did not and Iâd like to think that getting the email doesnât mean anythingâŠ