<p>However, they have a great film program, great alumni connections, and academic prestige. NYU also has the big city feel as it’s located in NYC. Also, it is very far from SoCal, which is what the OP wants.</p>
<p>Yes, it does not have the school spirit and sports dominance of USC, but it does have similar characteristics and a top film program. Also, NYU’s location makes it a great spot to find internships, possibly for TV shows and movies being filmed at NYC.</p>
<p>I have also heard Northwestern, RIT, and Temple University. They are also known to have great film programs. If you are really passionate about the liberal arts, look into Vassar. I don’t know much about their film program, but they definitely provide a balanced liberal arts curriculum. In fact, Vassar was one of my top choices this year, but they waitlisted me.</p>
<p>However, don’t disregard USC as it has most of the qualities you want in a university. I wanted to be as far away from home as well, but sometimes, your top choices don’t take you in or as in my case, waitlist. I was waitlisted by 3 universities and then, rejected (or as one said, released) by all 3. Remember to have backups, I would usually suggest USC (as well as some others because the admissions process is unpredictable), but their film programs are very competitive. USC does consider you for the undecided major if you are not accepted by USC’s film school. Thus, you should find some reasonable backups that offer similar characteristics.</p>