<p>My D got MIT early action admission and was also admitted to the Interactive Entertainment major in School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) of USC. The SCA is the top film school in the nation and has a very low acceptance rate (~5%?). also USC most likely will provide my D a full-ride tuition scholarship (she will be interviewed for the Trustee scholarship in Feb.) </p>
<p>The programs (interative media) in both schools are her dream majors. My question is which school she should go? She faces a tough choice now.</p>
<p>I posted the similar question at the USC thread. all suggestions from there seem to suggest my D should go to SCA. Now I just want to hear suggestions from MIT side.</p>
<p>Compare the financial aid packages from both schools and choose accordingly. Moreover, both schools are very very good anyways, comparing the program your daughter wants to get into.</p>
<p>If your daughter is interested in learning about the cutting-edge science or engineering of interactive media, she should go to MIT. If she’s interested in the entertainment industry for other reasons that have nothing to do with science or engineering, then USC is a good choice.</p>
<p>Is she interested in completing the MIT General Institute Requirements, which are pretty science-heavy?</p>
<p>I would advocate making a decision based on which school makes her feel more at home. If she graduates from MIT, she will have many options available to her – one of my mechanical engineering friends actually went to USC’s film school for a master’s in screenwriting. But it’s incredibly important for her to pick the program that makes her happy and fulfilled, both in terms of the academic environment and the social environment.</p>
<p>my D haven’s visited any college yet. We plan to visit USC for scholarship interview in Feb. and MIT for CPW event in April. After seeing the campuses, she may come out some ideas which school is a better fit to her.</p>
<p>If in MIT, she will be in double majors, visual arts/computer, and then plan to continue graduate study at the Media Lab. </p>
<p>If in USC, she will be in interactive intertainment major, and may continue in the same field for MFA. after graduation, she will work on video games. Indeed, these are two very different career paths.</p>
<p>Considering financial aid, USC is much better, it will probably provide full-ride merit-based scholarship. MIT only has need-based aid. In our case, it is expected to get very little aid from MIT.</p>
<p>OK, now we received finaid packages from both schools.</p>
<p>MIT is $25000/yr more expansive than SCA of USC. My question now becomes if MIT is worth $100K (4 years) more than SCA of USC? D has to make her decision before May 1st. Any input?</p>
<p>My thoughts were along the lines of post #3. Perhaps a slight edge to USC because of what I think might be more available and on point internships in the field than might be available in the Cambridge/Boston area. True, NYC isn’t that far away but USC is very close to studios. Sony Pictures Entertainment, for example, is located in Culver City which is a 15 minute drive away (and, in about two year, a light rail ride away.)</p>
<p>I was offerred 1/2 ride scholarship at USC and personally am not considering this over MIT but that is because I am engineering. If I was interested in Film I am sure I would take USC film school as I am sure the connections she will make would be more advantageous. I did not like the USC campus and I really liked MIT’s. Once she visits both schools she will probably know which she will be happier at. I just can’t imagine taking all the math and science for film unless she really loves them like I do.</p>
<p>The neighborhood around USC is not very nice. When you firs drive on campus the dorms on the right have bars on the window, that was a big turnoff for me. </p>
<p>thanks for your info. We visited USC in Feb for Trustee scholarship interview. we like the USC compus, especially the new SCA building (George Lucas donated). You are right, the USC neighborhood is not very nice, especially the west of the compus. Walking on the street during night is little bit scary.</p>
<p>We’ll attend MIT CPW this month and see if D likes it. she likes both science and art. if in MIT, she wants to be double majors in CS and art.</p>
<p>The USC’s trustee scholarship (full-tuition) awarded to her is very attractive, btw.</p>
<p>In comparing the return on investment between the two schools, remember that most people in the movie industry never went to film school, and that a degree from even such a prestigious school as USC is no guarantee of a successful career in the field. </p>
<p>MIT may be more expensive but the options on graduation are certainly more varied than with a film major degree. A CS degree from MIT will largely guarantee a high paying job. If on top of that your D goes on to grad school at the Media Lab she will have a stellar background with opportunities in many industries. </p>
<p>Your D was obviously good enough in math and science to be admitted to MIT and I would not worry about her being able to handle the work. MIT admission seldom makes mistakes. </p>
<p>My D who is a sophomore at MIT was no math genius and she is now doing just fine. She also loves the arts and has taken several classes in the architecture department. Next semester she actually plans to take a class at the School of Fine Arts, very near MIT’s campus. She also plans to take an art history class at Harvard, where she can freely cross-register. When talking to her friends who took different paths after high school, she often feels that she has a much heavier workload, but she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.</p>
<p>MIT’s media lab is amazing. The MOMA in New York has several installations created by the media lab at MIT. The opportunity to engage in graphic design/visual art/multimedia at a level that integrates cutting-edge research in engineering, physics, and other related scientific fields is unmatched at MIT.</p>
<p>From your responses, we know that MIT is the best school in engineering and MIT’s media lab is also great for graduate study. I can imagine she’ll have a very different college life at MIT than USC. At USC, she may have an easy, enjoyable life, but at MIT, she’ll face a tough challenge. this is my another concern. I just hope she, like cellardweller’s D, can handle it (if at MIT).</p>
<p>Right now, D is so excited about visiting MIT. she even got an email from MIT two weeks ago, asking for her permission to display her art works (which she sent with her application) during the CPW event. hope she can make her mind after CPW.</p>
<p>One thing to remember is that engineering is going to require a lot of work wherever one goes. The unique element at MIT that does not exist anywhere else to the same extent is the very strong support structure provided the students. </p>
<p>First, students always work in groups especially freshmen: you are never alone. It is part of the culture and there is no issue of pride in asking for help. My D struggled somewhat in math and found a study group that helped her along. In biology, she was the one helping others. </p>
<p>Secondly, dorms are not segregated by class year, students pick a dorm by affinity. Your D will be with a group of people that share common interests. If need be, she will be able to ask an upperclassman down the hall for assistance and they are typically more than willing to help. If you need extra help in a particular subject, the school will assign a tutor, typically a grad student to work with you at no cost. As a sophomore, My D joined a sorority and there is always somebody who took a particular class the previous year to help out. </p>
<p>Finally, MIT is completely non-competitive. No grades first semester, no ranking of any kind, lots of options to take classes on a trial basis, late drop dates. The school goes out of its way to allow students to experiment without worrying about failing. </p>
<p>Students at MIT do work hard and probably study for more hours than at most schools. But much of that is by choice. “Drinking from the fire hose” is part of the MIT experience. Most students at MIT are intense about what they do and often take on extra projects and activities because they enjoy it, not because they have to. Still, they find time to do lots of things outside of class. Very few if any students work Friday or Saturday nights. There are more varsity teams (41) than virtually any school in the country, the gym facilities are excellent. My D spends time doing research, volunteering at a hospital and a homeless shelter, doing yoga and swimming. She still finds time to go a party at one of the fraternities, go shopping or to the movies, cheer at an MIT basketball game and even watch an occasional TV show or eat out with her friends. She leads an extremely busy but still very normal life for a young adult.</p>
<p>We came back from MIT CPW event last week, we enjoyed every moment during our stay there. D loves MIT, and Random Hall where her host lives. OK, Today D officially turned down SCA of USC for MIT!</p>
<p>Hope she made the right decision this time.</p>