So as the title says, I have been blessed to be accepted into UCLA’s School to Theater, Film and Television, NYU Tisch for film, Columbia as a John Jay Scholar, and Stanford University.
I am 100% sure (well, as 100% as anyone is at age 17, I guess) that I want to work in the film industry, writing and directing my own movies. Obviously, getting to write an direct features is a hard career goal to obtain, but even if I don’t get that far in the industry, I still very much enjoy directing or writing a TV show, producing, cutting trailers, directing music videos, editing, or doing cinematography (basically any job involved in the creative process of filmmaking). So my top priority is what’s best for my career.
UCLA:
Right now, I’m leaning towards UCLA TFT because they only accept around 30 students each year (< 3% acceptance rate), which must give students a ridiculous amount of individual attention from professors and probably makes your small class very close. I’ve also hear that they are #1 for screenwriting, which is at least a component of what I want to do. It’s also in LA, which I see as a big advantage, so my internships and work outside the classroom can establish connections in the city where I’m ultimately going to end up. I also have 9 5’s on my AP’s, and I’m taking 6-7 more this year, so I think I would try to graduate in 3 years in order to save money, since UCLA’s AP credit policy is quite generous and basically accepts all of them. I would be paying out of state tuition as well, which is just under $40k.
NYU:
However, I know in the Hollywood Reporter’s rankings (not sure how reliable or official those are, and they seem to be for graduate schools more than undergraduate), NYU is ranked higher than UCLA (#2 vs. #3). A lot more reputable alumni come from NYU, but they also have a much larger class size (over 200 students), so there is much less attention per person. NYC is also a great location, but can’t quite match LA in terms of the movie industry. The other huge factor is cost, which is frankly obscene at NYU. I’m not sure if I could justify spending $70k a year on film school.
Columbia:
Columbia seems like a good balance of academics and film. I know they have a reputable film program, probably not as technical and industry-focused at UCLA or NYU, but still good. I was also named a John Jay Scholar, which I don’t know too much about and apparently it’s not a big deal on campus or anything, but it seems like you get some nice perks like stipends for unpaid internships, summer grants, and grants instead of loans for financial aid (which I think would shave over $5k off tuition).
Stanford:
Obviously an academic heavyweight and an amazing choice for a lot of people. However, their Film & Media studies major is pretty weak and is basically just critical studies, which doesn’t teach you how to actually make or write films at all. My aunt who went there wants me to consider so I can build connections and then go to film school for grad school. To me, that seems like a waste of time and money, and I should probably seize the chances at the great film school options I already have. But Stanford is also a big opportunity to throw away.
Anyone who has gone to these schools or knows someone who has, knows anything about the film industry, or just anyone who wants to chip in his or her opinion, please let me know your thoughts! I know it kinda sounds like I already have my mind made up, but I really want to consider all opinions!
Thank you!