<p>Any idea on average how many applicants they get for this each year? I understand they accept 75 or so. Does it matter much if it is your first or second choice of major?</p>
<p>SCA does not make those numbers public. Extrapolating from the SCA acceptance rate of approx 5% (they state from 4-6%), it would mean they consider in the neighborhood of 3000 applicants for Critical Studies each year for those 75 spots. Some of these (perhaps many) may also be applying to other majors at SCA (Production, etc.) On the other hand, due to space restrictions in other majors, the school can offer admission as a CS major to a great applicant who only applied to Production (where there are only 50 open spots) even if that applicant didn't list CS on their application supplement.</p>
<p>As far as I know, USC has not released any numbers regarding how many applicants applied to each of the various programs.</p>
<p>But to be perfectly honest, (you could say this about any major school) "most" of the applicants aren't so competitive. It's a pretty big assumption, but I'd say a majority of the applicants are "big dreamers," but might not cut it creatively or academically. There's a lot of fluff. That, and USC-SCA has a reputation to maintain. I'm sure lots of qualified applicants get turned away.</p>
<p>I've often joked that all the SCA applicants are certainly a strongly committed group of applicants because filling out that SCA supplement is really really demanding. Anyone who is willing to put in the work required to complete that baby is not just applying on a whim. :) But no one should be discouraged by the cold numbers--just go out after your dream.</p>
<p>Even if you don't make it, you can come to USC and then always transfer. My friend did that and I must say her stats weren't that extraordinary... just try it and see what happens.</p>
<p>I might just be really mean-spirited (I think competitve...), but I'd say quite a few applicants:</p>
<p>1) picked a film major but didn't even do the supplemental stuff (I know a few kids from my high school that put down production as their number one major, but didn't even know there was a supplementary app...)
2) overestimate the portfolio aspect to compensate for okay (or bad) high school stats (same deal, I have confidence in the guy, but it seems like a reach)</p>
<p>I know a few people get in because of a stellar portfolio, but those writings have to be perfect.</p>
<p>Specifically for Critical Studies, I'd estimate less than a thousand apply. With stuff like production, interactive media, and screenwriting, critical studies is kinda pushed to the side.</p>
<p>I doubt your portfolio carries that much weight unless you can prove for it using recommendations and your creative writing pieces. You can tell when someone has experience based on the quality of their pieces. USC didn't pick a character study just for fun, they knew that would be a way for them to see if someone had what it takes to develop an interesting character (I'm talking about Production here that's what I applied for). Also the Statement of Purpose is really important. I had a very good portfolio list but I had my recommendations to back up for it. Good Recs can make or break an app. </p>
<p>I know that a large number of people apply to USC Creative Studies for Undergrad and many hope to do production in their graduate years (either at USC or another institution). So a lot of these guys will be rather qualified, they are just looking to put off Production for grad.</p>
<p>I think they must accept more than 75 to get a yield of 75 students. Any guess as to how many students USC actually admit?</p>
<p>Probably a little over 100. I've read that people who apply to production might be considered for Critical Studies even if that isn't the choice for a major. I have no doubt that SCA is always full.</p>
<p>And I'd say LORs aren't a huge deal considering you need three (that makes it seem like a deterrent to some applicants). They're important to keep you honest on what you've been doing (especially what you listed on your portfolio), but even then they might not be the best indicator of what you've done and what you're capable of doing. </p>
<p>So yes, it comes down to what you yourself write. For production, I think the limit is a page to prove yourself. They can probably go in and tell if you've "got it" by the first paragraph.</p>
<p>I actually heard from a production student that USC doesn't like students with too perfect of a portfolio.. Those students tend to have a big head and go against what USC SCA wants to teach or something. Not quite sure but that's what she said lol.</p>
<p>I think it makes sense. And not to put down any accomplishments, but winning a student film festival isn't a huge indicator of talent or creativity, especially since 1) they don't watch it at all 2) the contestant pool is limited 3) anyone can make a movie and show it off now. </p>
<p>I mean, there's always the guy who is willing to learn more, but I bet a lot of production applicants flaunt a list of movies they made with stolen music and concepts from viral videos and such.</p>
<p>The thing with Crit Studies is that the 75 you all are talking about does not mean 75 were accepted that year - it's that there are 75 students in the actual class (i.e. 75 crit studies for class of 2010, etc.). There's a lot of transfers into Crit Studies but the class is capped at 75 according to a friend of mine in Crit Studies. Her major has the most transfers of any SCA major, meaning that usually there are about 30 or so freshman in the 75 CS students while the rest are upperclassmen. </p>
<p>People talking about SCA admissions can't forget about the transfers from within the school, particularly for Crit Studies and less so for Production because both are BA programs, therefore they don't actually start until junior year, leaving a lot of room for transfers to beef up their apps and make it in by that time. In my experience, the Screenwriting BFA only accepts transfers when accepted freshman decline; this year there were two of the 26 who declined, therefore we have two transfers. On the other hand, the BA's leave room for prospective transfers.</p>
<p>tor-dazzle, you are right there on campus, I know, and can see it all, but now I'm getting confused. The SCA admissions website states they accept 75 freshmen each year into Critical Studies. Some of these do eventually switch to Production, if they want to and a space opens up, and that allows some CLAS students the chance to switch to CS in SCA. Since the entire freshman class in SCA starts at around 200 (75-CS, 50- Prod, 25-screenwriting, 20-animation, 12-Interactive Entertainment or so...) and the entire enrollment in SCA undergrad is just under 800, this seems to make sense. Do you have different numbers?</p>
<p>I know it's weird numbers, I actually asked my friend in CS to clear it up for me. </p>
<p>I mispoke before when I said 75 weren't accepted - 75 ARE accepted into the program but not everyone accepted actually comes. There was a lot of snatching going on between NYU and USC, in my own division as well as in CS (i.e. those accepted to CS but not production/screenwriting at USC were accepted to the production/screenwriting equivalent at NYU and went there). From what I hear, SCA doesn't really bother with yield, accepting only enough to fit the class and that's it. Also, when I asked her again, she said the freshman CS majors for her year were closer to 50/60 students, not 30.</p>
<p>You're right about switching, madbean; there's a lot of fluidity between CS and Production, with some CS majors moving into Production. And of course there's the occasional drop-out, leaving the school, etc.</p>
<p>The most important thing I want to get across is that, for prospective SCA transfers, CS is usually their goal, adding even more competition to the mix. I can't tell you how many people I've met in my cinema class that are trying to transfer in. USC really likes to "promote from within" sort of thing, allowing current students who want the opportunity to switch into SCA to have it.</p>