<p>hi. so when i went to the sca info session the admissions director said something along the lines of sca only gets your portfolio not the common app. is this accurate because my personal statement on my common app tells a lot of my life story (and its a pretty good essay) so i obviously want them to read it. i could put this information in the sca personal statement but i wouldn't want to say similar things twice if they read the common app.</p>
<p>MooMoo–I doubt anyone here on cc will know more about the inner administrative workings of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts than the admissions director you heard answer this question.</p>
<p>LOL!!!</p>
<p>Be sure to put the most important information about you in your supplement (like they told you to). </p>
<p>Although they probably have access to your entire application online (just guessing), I don’t think you need to worry about duplicating info.</p>
<p>Good luck and don’t worry!</p>
<p>Hello MooMoo
My son asked the same question of his admission counselor when she visited his school last month and was told the whole application went to SCA. He was asking if he should send some things twice (resumes, essays). She said they concentrate on the supplement, but they get it all- and advised him to write completely different things for the school and supplemental essays. When we were at the SCA presentation at the school (april-so a while ago) someone asked that same question in our session and they said since it was the first year on the common app, they were not sure, but in the past they got it all.</p>
<p>This is the first year of the common app, and the first time there is a school-wide question about major emphasis and how student hopes to pursue it at USC. Since this duplicates (for the most part) a question that has been in the SCA supplement for some years, I wonder how an SCA applicant can write a very different answer for each? </p>
<p>Perhaps, if that student is applying outside the SCA for a second major, there is a chance to write about that on the CA question. If they are all in on SCA, it’s the truth, even if there are now 2 places to put it.</p>
<p>In the past, the main adcom did not look extremely closely at the SCA applicant files (for possible admission to 2nd major or undeclared in CLAS) until decisions were handed down from SCA. Perhaps that will remain the same, even with the CA. </p>
<p>Also, in the past, the SCA asked applicants to copy their main application and submit along with their supplement–but made a point to say they did NOT want the essay. It might be inferred that they were going to cast an eye on the ballpark GPA/SAT to see if the student was going to be a challenge to be admitted (scores/grades too low would be a problem) but they were not even reading the main USC essay.</p>
<p>Make of all of this what you will. And best of luck to all who are making their application submissions by today!</p>
<p>thanks both of you! i ended up calling yesterday and they do get the whole common app, what they actually read of it i don’t know…</p>
<p>Madbean: I only saw the major emphasis question on the main USC supplement this year. The questions for SCA production were very different. This year they required four things: a visual sample (move or photos) , a portfolio list, and two essays: one was a two part personal statement(1000 words introducing yourself, and 200 words on emphasis), the other some form of a film treatment. It was the long part of the personal statement (1000 words) where my son, and I think a lot of others, might have recycled their common app essay ideas if the school did not get both. It is too late for this year as all SCA applicants needed to get their applications in by yesterday, but for next year I would urge applicants to write about a different topic for this essay than they did on the common app. It is one more chance to shine and show the adcom what kind of things are important to you. It is so hard to express your full personality in just a few pages. I’m sure most kids have a few great stories to tell. Tell one on the common app and another here. You will then have revealed a bit more about yourself: and hopefully make them want to learn even more by accepting you.</p>
<p>Sorry for my misunderstanding!</p>
<p>I’ve posted in previous years that one aspect of these application essays is they seem to like a diverse array of interests and backgrounds and IMO the more interesting one comes across, the better! I’ve also noticed they want applicants to think about which aspect of filmmaking they think they’d like to pursue (this is a new question!) and I wonder if they are looking to admit a variety–and not simply a class filled with future directors? As I mentioned a while ago, my S2’s freshman class in his major at SCA were told they were the first to be selected with their particular backgrounds/goals in mind to bring in a wider variety of strengths than in the past. Some were identified for their leadership, some for their art background, some for technical skills, etc. </p>
<p>Best of luck to your S, maddenmd! This is a brave new year in admissions at USC with the Common App. I am really pulling for him and the other fine cc applicants.</p>
<p>ya that is what i ended up doing, 2 different things for the common app and the sca thing. we’ll see what happens…</p>
<p>We met with an admissions counselor at SCA and it sounds like the same one that MooMoo met. He stressed that he has no input on decision making but can provide information. He basically said everything that MooMoo and Madbean said. </p>
<p>We specifically asked if we could or should use the common app essay for the film supp, especially if it was a film/story related common app essay. He said that he would advise against that because essays and presentations and topics of interest to SCA would be much different that what is of interest to ADCOM even if the topic was film for both.</p>
<p>i can see my common app statement so being of interest to sca but my sca statement making no sense to regular adcoms</p>