HELP! Chance me for film schools?- NYU Tisch, USC SCA, Emerson, Columbia, etc.

(Already posted in the “what are my chances” forum but I really really need help)
Hey so I was wondering if anyone could help me estimate my chances of getting into some of my top colleges. For background, I’m a white female, but I have a dual citizenship if that makes a difference.

I’ve always loved film and definitely want to major in some sort of film production. So my top schools are NYU, USC, Emerson, and Columbia. I will also be applying to some other more general schools, and I’m open to suggestions for others! I’ll be a senior in the fall, graduating in spring of 2017.

Some stats:
-Public High School, but extremely academically competitive
-GPA UW: Approx. 3.9
-SAT (New SAT that is): 1520 (760 M, 760 R) and perfect essay (24/24)
-ACT : 34 (Took it once with the winging it strategy, could take it again and try for higher)
-AP: 6 APs so far, I believe I’m taking 2-3 more senior year
-Other coursework: Nearly all other classes honors/AC, with some art classes and symphony band thrown in.
-Senior courseload: AP French, AP Calc BC, Portfolio AC, Humanities AC, Symphony band, expecting to take screenwriting at University of Michigan.

ECs:

  • Coming up on 4 years Varsity Tennis (am now a captain)
  • Gay Club (President)
  • Symphony band (section leader, band nationally recognized for merit)
  • Marching band
  • Other miscellaneous clubs, etc.
  • NHS (volunteering)
  • Heavily involved in theater (acting, backstage, everything)

My background has been primarily in writing and visual arts, but I do have experience filming and editing. I think my commonapp essay is probably solid, and my rec letter will be good. I’m a little concerned about the visual samples and portfolio (especially USC’s Personal Statement), but hopefully I’ll be okay. Still terrified though because there’s so much chance… so chance me? Thank you so so much.

Your academics are fine for those choices. You won’t be denied admission based on that. Haven’t seen your samples but Emerson has a higher admit rate than the others so that’s a decent choice for a backup.

You might consider Northwestern (although selectivity is on par with some of your other choices), BU, Syracuse, FSU (VERY hard to get into, from what I understand).

Have you looked into RISD/SCAD/CalArts or other dedicated schools of art/design/film? Then there are UCLA/Chapman/LMU and other CA schools.

UCF has a decent film department. They have direct admit (very selective) but you can also start as pre-film and then apply as a second year. If you go the latter route, then you will be admitted based on your academics and EC’s. Your stats should get you some good merit aid there.

Good luck!

@Mamelot Funny you should mention it, I have been really looking at RISD and CalArts (I’ll be touring the former next week!) My concern with those is going to a full-on arts school; while I do have a lot of experience in visual arts, I don’t know if I want a true arts school over a college with more other options available, though RISD does have Brown next door. I plan to apply, though!

Yeah, Emerson is kind of a backup. They have a decent film program, but I’d choose NYU/USC/ maybe RISD or CalArts first.

I do have some other more general schools I plan to apply to, a few of which have film programs, like U of M, Smith, Wellesley, Northwestern, UChicago, and Columbia (though those last two are definitely considered reaches).

Acceptance rates are just so intimidating.

@kjk2017 as long as you select a few reaches, matches and a couple of safeties you should be fine. Again, not sure what your samples look like but your academics are fine for the most selective ones so rather than re-take tests you might think about focusing on your portfolio and samples. Get feedback when/where possible. Good luck to you!

i suggest you look into VCUARTS in Richmond VA. Its highly ranked (#2 ranked in the country by USNWR) has a
incredible film and performing arts department. Though I believe admission is quite competitive. Great city and school.

I may have missed it but is your family comfortable with paying full freight?

@TempeMom Merit/other scholarships would be ideal, but yes.

Mamelot has great suggestions, your academics are great, but totally understand your concern about competitiveness of admission at the very tip top. You could have really good merit opportunity at LMU/Chapman/etc. slightly lower academic tier schools, which still have excellent film departments. Visitation possibilities? I think you have the possibility of multiple admissions, but there is a world of difference in the vibe/fit between NYU/Emerson/USC/ LMU/Chapman. Where is your dual citizenship?

@jtmoney I’m actually hitting like all my east coast potential schools this week. Columbia was not for me at all, but I toured NYU and its film school and LOVED it. Might consider ED for that, especially if I don’t like RISD or Emerson. My dual citizenship is with Belgium.

again , do yourself a favor and look into VCUARTS. Terrific town and community. School is ranked #2 in country.
the film Lincoln was made with help of many of its students.

Nyu and USC will depend on your film submission. Columbia will probably be out of reach because it is so academically selective. Emerson will be easiest.

Other film schools that get lots of kids into the industry that would work with your stats: chapman, Loyola Marymount university, Boston university, Syracuse

@YoHoYoHo Totally fine with no Columbia, just toured there last week and couldn’t stand the place.

research the percentage of students in each film school you are considering that actually go on to be employed in the film industry and how long it took after graduation. Also , see if they remained in the industry to be considered a career.
Too many schools focus on a few famous alumni but look at the percentages and weight the one with the highest placement history and longest careers as the #1. You will be glad you did.

@stones3 How do you find those stats on highest placement history and longest careers?

@kjk2017 - Your stats, background and extracurricular activities are stellar! You should be very proud of your accomplishments and not afraid of pushing the envelope on top school choices. As a prospective film major, there are certainly mainstream colleges, especially someplace like NYU, that are ripe for you. Based on your interests and temperament, however, I agree with earlier posters on this thread, that you should seriously consider dedicated art schools. You have apparently considered and rejected some of these, e.g., SCAD, which is a healthy part of the process. Many art schools will not be “academic” enough for you to meet your intellectual needs outside of art school. Because your academic record is so stellar, the joint degree program between Brown and RISD could be an ideal synergy for you. Pratt is also considered a more academically-oriented dedicated art school and works well for you in the funky Brooklyn areas with ready access to NYC. A school such as VCU will be well below your academic level. While the art school is fine, the rankings cited above refer to graduate programs in fine arts, not to undergraduate programs for which there is no generally accepted ranking system. In any case, even referring to such rankings in Film, the top choices are Carnegie Mellon, UCLA, UCSD, CAIA (California), SAIC (Chicago), and SVA (another cool dedicated art school in NYC, just north of NYU). VCUarts is not even on the list.

call the department chair and ask to be directed to a source.

please, VCUARTS is actually tied with UCLA as both are #2 ranked in the country GRAD program and BOTH are tied
for #1 public in the entire country. They are BOTH challenging programs , neither is “beneath you nor above you” but it all depends on your talent level more than ANYTHING. If you pursue a dedicated art school know that is what matters most, talent and hardwork. What you are capable of producing will directly effect your ability to be successful.
And make no mistake these two programs are very competitive, and each has a well known culling process. Academic rankings have little relation to how successful a dedicated art school is or its students become. Its really quite easy to see why its ranked so so highly both UCLA and VCUARTS.

@stones3 - No one is disputing that VCUArts is tied with UCLA at #2 on USN&WR current list of top fine arts GRADUATE schools. While IMHO the metrics of that ranking are suspect, the list says what it says. This of course, as always, is not the point since the OP is inquiring about UNDERGRADUATE schools.

Since this is the source from which you are citing data, I am not certain where you are seeing that UCLA and VCU (Arts?) are tied for #1 in the entire country. For what category? From USN&WR’s current list of top public schools, UCLA is #2 and VCU is tied for #84.

If you re-read my post to which you are responding, you will see that I was not saying that VCUArts is academically below the OP. We were talking about academic opportunities outside of the dedicated art school. The RISD/Brown joint degree program, or simply being able to take classes at Brown while attending RISD, combine the resources of one of the top undergraduate art programs in the country with one of the top undergraduate programs. While VCUArts may be one of the top art programs in the country, the same cannot be said for VCU as a whole. It is currently ranked #158 by the publication from which you cited your other statistics.

The OP expressed reservations about attending a dedicated art program, in part because of other academic interests. The OP’s academic and extracurricular resume’ is stellar. In the ordinary course of looking at undergraduate academic opportunities, I can only imagine this student will be strongly encouraged by guidance counselors, parents and peers to pursue matriculation at the highest levels. Colleges and universities ranked substantially higher than VCU are arguably safe schools for this applicant. So yes, VCU (not the art school) is probably significantly below the OP’s academic level.

UCLA fine arts and VCUARTS are tied for #1 public fine arts programs in all of the USA. Which of course, is in addition to being tied as the #2 programs overall in all of the USA. Academically, I am pointing out that the level of academic achievement when looking at just the arts program students is considerable higher than the larger VCU university. Just as the same can be said for the fine pre-med program and engineering program students of VCU.