<p>I am a soon to be senior and I am finishing my college search. I want to go to a liberal arts college that has a good film program. I am not lookin for a BFA or anything like that. I am not experienced and would not be able to submit a portfolio or anything like that. I want to be able to go to college without having to do anything additional in applying to study in the film program.</p>
<p>Here are some stats:
GPA: 3.7 (unweighted)
APs: 2 this year, 4 next year. Mostly honors beforehand.
Extracurriculars: forensics team, countless theater productions, student government, and many more.
SATs: 2100</p>
<p>Try Chapman University, Pitzer (a Claremont College), Loyola Marymount University. All are located in or near Los Angeles the film capital. There are more, but these are the ones that I know that have good programs.</p>
<p>it would be a reach, but Wesleyan University in Connecticut has a very well regarded film studies program. Hollywood is full of alumni these days, from Joss Whedon to Michael Bay, and the creators of How I Met Your Mother and a lot of other people in the TV industry are also alumni. If your financial situation is such that you do not require need, it will give you a very slight edge in admissions, as Wesleyan just became partially need-aware this year. Occidental College in LA also has a well regarded film studies program (they call it media arts and culture), and they are much less selective than Wesleyan. Finally, Hampshire college in Massachusetts is renowned for its film studies program, and it also is not super selective. The famous documentary film maker Ken Burns went there, among others. I am in the same boat as you, looking for LAC’s with strong film studies programs :)</p>
<p>Thanks. But looking back at my initial post, I was somewhat vague. I am not looking for a film school. Just a liberal arts college with a good film program.</p>
<p>So what’s more important - the quality of the LAC, or the quality of the film program, or both? :P</p>
<p>If you lean strongly towards the former, just do a normal search for great LACs that also have film programs. Oberlin would be a good example - it is an amazing school, and it’s film program isn’t renowned but it has a decent one. If you’re in the middle (you want a great LAC and a great film program), that gets trickier.</p>
<p>Ideally a good LAC and a good film program. I have a list of good LACs that have film programs. I am also open to regular LACs with great film programs</p>
<p>Question: do you want to focus on “theory” or hands on film; editing, sound, cinematography, equipment etc.?
My son started out similarly. He did not want a BFA with a portfolio, but also realized he was interested in " hands on". The LAC programs were all about “theory”…more or less. He will be entering Newhouse at Syracuse U. as a “television, radio, film” major.
But… for possible LAC’s Brandeis, Lafayette, Muhlenberg & Hobart William Smith had actual “Film” majors. No portfolio, and are a balance of “doing & thinking”… (so is Newhouse SU, by the way).</p>
<p>You should try Chapman. Chapman is a liberal arts university with a great film school. You can take up a major or a minor in their film program, or something else in one of their other colleges. They’re located near Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Great location for summer jobs and internships with Walt Disney.</p>
<p>Greetings, nice thread. I’ve heard some discouraging things about the social life at Chapman… snooty, rich, materialistic girls driving expensive cars, stuff like that. : ) But it wasn’t in the film program.
I understand that Pitzer and Claremont and Pomona etc have a collaborative five-college media studies major.
I’ve also heard that UC Santa Cruz has a very good film and TV program.
Any more on the West Coast?</p>
<p>Thank you Samwise3: that’s very informative. Out here on the West Coast we sometimes don’t hear enough about East Coast places other than NYU and Columbia. I spent my junior year at Wesleyan and loved it, though it would be a bit hard to get to, coming from the West Coast, perhaps… same with Hampshire, I guess. I heard Vassar mentioned in another thread-- any comments on that one?</p>
<p>Are you interested in social activism? Swarthmore College is an excellent LAC with a growing film program. When I visited in April I saw many flyers for classes such as “Films that have provoked social change”, “Documentary making for an impact”, etc. </p>
<p>Also, while I don’t think it comes closs to places like Wesleyan in terms of equipment, Swarthmore without a doubt will have enough financial resources for any project that you need funding for.</p>