Hi so I aspire to be a film producer and my choices are USC or Northwestern. USC is pretty expensive but they probably have the best contacts in film. Northwestern is a well known university, and cheaper, and their School of Communication is ranked as #8. I’m leaning towards Northwestern but I want some advice from anyone who goes there, has experiences with this, etc… I also want a friendly environment where people aren’t afraid to talk to each other and people like hanging out to do work or have fun on the weekends after their work is complete. Is Northwestern a good choice?
The difference in cost between USC and NU is negligible.
USC doesn’t give a lot of financial aid though. NU gives up to 80%
Any such comparison is pointless until you know the relative costs. Apply to both schools, get accepted, and then compare the FA packages. If they’re equivalent, then you have a legit decision on your hands.
That is not true OP. NU meets full need and recently announced that they will not be offering loans as part of packages and will instead provide extra grant money.
Comparing the two which would be best to go to if I wanna be a film producer and don’t have anyone in my family with contacts in the business?
Hi OP! I was accepted to NU’s Radio/Television/Film major for the class of 2020. Since I haven’t decided on whether I am going or not, I can’t paint you an accurate portrait of what going to NU will be like. Instead, I will tell you why I applied, and hopefully that can help you.
- I knew I wanted to work in media production, but I wasn't sure where. I love sound design, lighting design, and video editing so I wanted to get a taste of all of it. Also, because the cap for the RTVF major is set at 100 (per incoming class I think) I could get some close attention in my field, while also benefiting from the big school environment.
- I have strong interests in other fields such as computer science (looking to possibly double major) and theater tech. The quarter system and NU's high standard of academics may help build skills that RTVF could not offer. Since you want to be a producer, maybe you might want to look into the business school as well.
- NU supposedly has a strong alumni network, especially in LA. I'm not sure how effective it is, because I'm not a current student.
- NU does claim to meet 100% of need. I'm still waiting for my aid, so we'll see if they are true to their word.
Both are really selective schools. I think the acceptance rate for NU was around 10% this year. So keep an open mind and apply to both!
Thank you so much! I know the early acceptance rate for NU is really high while USC doesn’t have early acceptance at all so I could apply to NU first.
I applied early and was deferred. I would take caution with early, especially if you’re super worried about financial aid. IDK what I would have done if I was accepted early without a good FA package.
I would say that “really high” is a stretch…