Okay, so I’m a senior and I’m having trouble with choosing colleges, particularly Arizona State University and University of Southern California. I know they’re pretty different but there’s reasoning.
I want to study animation, USC has a great animation program and I feel a lot more comfortable getting an internship during college and after graduation.
ASU on the other hand doesn’t have my major. I decided I can do software development and do animation on my own and freelance it. Hopefully I’ll see someone like Steven Spielberg in the grocery store and happen to have my portfolio with me.
Now you’re probably like ‘duh, just go to USC’ well here’s the thing. I got into ASU but not USC as yet. I believe ASU’s housing is due in early February and you don’t find out if you get into USC (with scholarship consideration) until late January or a little into February. So it’s a bit too tight of stretch. And you have to reserve housing, unless you want crappy housing at ASU. ASU is also a lot cheaper than USC. Also even though I had an interview with USC and it went well, my grades are barely where they need to be and my test scores are definitely not there. I’s say I’m a pretty unique student because of where I’m from and what I want to study, basically I don’t know anyone else with the same story, and my teacher say I’m doing a pretty good job telling my story.
But either way, other than my major, price and getting in, other reasons why I’d like to go is because my best friend is going there. I know that sounds like a bad reason but we’ve been friends at a boarding school for 5 years and starting over again would be insanely difficult.
The best school is the one you get into. If you don’t get into USC then it isn’t really an option.
If you are really serious about animation and want to be surrounded by a peer group where everyone aspires to be the best, USC is the only way to go. If your family will not be able to pay their mortgage while paying USC tuition or you’ll be saddled in $80,000 of debt, then ASU is the way to go.
I agree with poster #1, first wait until you get some acceptances before you try to decide. Do not put the cart before the horse. Also poster #2 makes a good point about applying to more than 2 schools. You never know in this competitive college environment of what will happen so it is always good to have a safety schools just in case.
Well, I guess my question should have been should I even consider to apply to USC and take my chances or just go with Arizona. I saw the other colleges and what takes most of them off the list are:
I don’t want to stay in the south
I don’t want to go to an art school.
1 is just a personal preference, I've been here for 5 years and I don't want to live here..
2 is from personal experience, and my personality. I'm not an artsy person. How do I know this? I visited Cal Arts earlier this year, and I immediately felt out of place. I'd rather have a college that isn't specialized, if that makes sense.
But that does leave some colleges, like Loyola Marymount. I visited and I didn’t really feel it, I started applying and the questions didn’t catch my attention either. I was probably just lazy.
As for the any updates on what I’m thinking if I don’t get into USC. I might do some type of computer science program (not sure yet) and freelance film and animation.
You can deposit at ASU and if you do get into USC and the school is affordable and you prefer USC you can then withdraw from ASU and deposit at USC. You would lose your deposit at ASU. You can’t deposit at two schools at one time but you would not be doing that under this scenario.
You can also talk to your guidance counselor about this situation.
I would not choose a college based on where your best friend is going.
Nw2this I know you’re trying to help but Florida is considered the south. I’m also not interest in going to Texas. I know this might seem like I’m making things difficult because I’m not open to a lot of things but I’d rather not have to transfer every year of college.
Happy1 I’m probably going to do that, I won’t even know if I’m into the Animation program at USC until April and I haven’t even gotten a decision of whether I’m in the school at all yet. And I have talked to my college counselor about this but I honestly think he has no way of helping me. He keeps telling me to just apply to a community college and transfer in. Now that sounds great right? But I didn’t come all the way from my home country for my parents to pay $30,000 a year on a boarding school just for me to graduate and go to a community college. There is no way my parents would even allow that.
I want to thank all of you for your help, it’s got me to realize a lot of other options I hadn’t had before.
In my opinion, you’ll have a much better chance getting picked up by companies in the film industry at USC for sure. If you get into USC, I think that you should go there, even with the high tuition cost.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I really don’t think that you need that much software developing experience to get into animation. When animating, you’re mostly working on or with a program, rather than programming the program. If you want to make the program that animators use, that would super cool, and it would combine both of your passions.
I’m a firm believer in the fact that, to advance fast in an industry, you must well ground in your fundamentals. I think USC would help you best in doing so.
Wait until you get into USC before you ask this question. Do you think you’ll get in? What are your stats? Maybe look into Chapman too. Also, the southeast is very different than the southwest. Florida will not be like Arizona at all.
Are you an international student? I think admissions are tougher for internationals. Does name recognition matter to the companies in your home country?
@ austinmshauri Technically no. I was born in Florida but my family is from the Bahamas. I have citizenship but I can’t get instate anywhere since I technically don’t live in the US as yet.
How much can your parents pay per year? Make sure you have a couple financial safeties on your list. If your parents can pay $30k per year, your safety won’t be at a cc.
My mom says around $25,000 but I think that’s changed (as in gone lower), I was not planning on working during school year my first couple of years but if I have to I will. I’m already planning on doing internships during the summer.
UPDATE** I’m also applying to OCAD U and University of Toronto both in Toronto, so along with those ASU, and UC Denver, are all safety schools. OCAD U is an art school, with my major (crazy huh?) it’s kinda small for my liking but since it’s in a huge city, that I love, I can put up with it. My brothers are there as well so I won’t totally be alone. U of Toronto on the other hand has a killer computer science program but I’m considering their film major.
Scholarships from USC, that actually cover the tuition and R&B, tend to go to the students with top stats.
Any school that is OOS for you will be really expensive and above $25K per year.
At most colleges, you have to learn to make new friends.
No job is going to pay a student enough money to make up those costs.
I think you are assuming way too much and have idealized USC. You need to apply to schools where your current stats will get you in and that you can afford.
BTW in California, we don’t see “industry” people in the grocery stores or walking down the street. You’ve developed quite an imagination.
No offense (please don’t take offense), but I think you shouldn’t be “deciding” between ASU or USC just yet. Wait until you get into one or the other, or both. Then you can worry about it. You could “decide” to attend Harvard all you want, but unless you get in, it won’t do you much good.
I know, maybe I should have been more clear in what I wanted to ask, I wanted to know if I should still be applying to USC even though I already got accepted to ASU.