Some questions about Wesleyan in general, students, and film studies

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wesleyan University
1

I’m really interested in Wesleyan and I love the film program, but I have some concerns about whether I would be a good fit.

  1. Are there "normal" and intellectual students? I know thats a vague question, i'll try to explain: I know Wesleyan students are known for being very quirky and artsy. While I like this culture to a certain extent, I'd like to be friends with people who are grounded and not too weird. (I've read about naked dorms and sex parties at Wes...)
  2. Is the social justice/political atmosphere overbearing? My tour guide was very involved in social justice and i've already heard a lot about the strong political climate. I'm a Democrat, but I don't want politics to be a huge part of my college experience. I'm particularly concerned about how the newspaper was defunded after publishing a conservative op-ed, and how students are demanding that the film department diversify their staff and globalize the curriculum. I'm not a big fan of super excessive political correctness. (I can live with if, I just roll my eyes)
  3. What are parties like? Are there lots of alcohol and drugs? Is the stoner reputation accurate? I'm ok with normal drinking but I don't want to go to crazy parties where people are getting blackout drunk and doing drugs. I also don't want to be around a bunch of people smoking weed. I know there will be people smoking at any college, but I don't want the "stoner dude" vibe to be too prominent.
  4. Are people nice? I mainly just want to go to a college where everybody is nice and I can make good friends.
  5. How hard is it to get into the film major? I know you have to get a certain grade in the intro classes then apply. If I want it and take it seriously, will I get in? I wouldn't want to go to Wesleyan for the program only to not get in.
  6. How much are students in the film major focused on production? It's obviously a studies/theory based education first, but I still want to be writing and making movies.
  7. How easy is it to double major in film and something else non-STEM? I want to have options in case a career in film doesn't work out (which it probably wont)
  8. Does the film program do a good job of getting students entry-level internships/jobs in Hollywood? Is the "Wesleyan Mafia" really that prominent in the industry?

I’m sure some of these questions are stupid but i’m just really trying to get a good feel for the school to see if I might want to apply ED. Thanks!

2

They’re not stupid questions. I’m just not sure if one person is capable of answering all of them. I’ll take a shot at a few of them, with the understanding that I’m only an alumnus who visits campus once in a while and tries to keep abreast of what’s going on.

1, Are there “normal” students at Wesleyan? Indeed, the overwhelming majority are kids who graduated in the top 10% of their high schools (of those that rank) and are at Wesleyan because something about it piqued their intellectual curiosity. The most popular majors are Economics, Psychology, Government and English, you know - regular stuff.

  1. Is the social justice/political atmosphere overbearing? It might be. And, I say that, not because I think Wesleyan is doing anything wrong; I say it because the country as a whole is going through a rough patch, with a lot of division along race, class and geographic lines and, IMO, Wesleyan will not shield you from that. You mentioned, the student newspaper being "defunded", but, the important takeaway from that experience was that, if left to their own devices (and, with a little prodding from other stakeholders), Wesleyan students eventually came up with their own solutions. And to my knowledge, the student newspaper has not been defunded.
  2. Others can chime in here, but, my sense is that weed has been superseded by alcohol as the pre-game contraband of choice, much to the chagrin of older alumni.
  3. Are people nice? Not everybody, but, enough to feel at home and to form a multitude of social groups over the space of four years.

I’ll stop for now.

3

I feel as though 4. deserves a little elucidation. I said not everybody was nice and I think I’m just being honest when I observe that I don’t think Wesleyan really filters for niceness. They, first of all, aim for the most gifted and interesting class they can cull from thousands of applicants. A lot of nice people result from that process, but, more than a few highly functioning, socially maladroit, people can also arrive on campus as a result. Among my pet peeves are things that might escape the notice of a younger person but nonetheless drive me crazy; things like wearing ear buds at the dinner table, not returning a greeting (even if it is from a total stranger), and, of course, the insane amount of (mostly anonymous) trolling that goes on in the comments and letters section of the student newspaper. Stuff like that.

4

@circuitrider Thank you! I’ve been going through a lot of old CC threads for Wesleyan and your comments are always very helpful!

5

just curious- are you going to submit a portfolio? I wonder if that hurts you in getting in

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5, 6, 7 and 8 (all CFILM questions.) I’m going to answer as best I can, in no particular order.

The College of Film is one of the real, home-grown, success stories of modern-era Wesleyan. It’s an example of a small college taking a chance on a woman lecturer who made up in enthusiasm for what she lacked in formal academic credentials, sticking with her through the completion of her doctoral thesis, and eventually awarding her tenure. In return, she oversaw the creation of the most innovative film studies program in the country. Believe me when I say, this could not have happened at Yale.

Now in her seventies (I’m proud to say I was one of her first pupils), Jeanine Basinger is showing no signs of slowing down. However, there are signs that the program may be falling victim to its own success. It is an open secret that the Wesleyan film “mafia” does network heavily and will offer entry-level positions to graduates right out of Middletown. One key to its success has been the department’s maintaining tight control over the number of people introduced into a workforce that already faces daunting odds against life-long success. This makes CFILM different than any other department at Wesleyan, in many ways, more like a guild which, of course, has its drawbacks, chiefly that it doesn’t accurately reflect the demand for entry into the “guild”.

There has been growing pushback, chiefly from groups underrepresented within the industry, and the Harvey Weinstein scandal is sure to add fuel to their resentments. For, even though he is not an alum (phew!), Weinstein represents everything its critics hate about the department: its Establishment ties, its focus on Hollywood, and frankly - its clear domination by men. One solution could involve the possibility of creating separate tracks or sub-fields the way big departments like History and English did when faced with similar stresses. But, that would be a violation of the essential founding principle of the department and so far, CFILM has responded by attempting to more clearly manage expectations. The website (which was recently re-written) now states pretty emphatically that:

Another way CFILM has tried to meet demand is through the creation of a separate minor in film studies. It requires fewer courses than the major; only one prerequisite (for a B grade, rather than a B+) and no production requirement. Is it possible to double major in CFILM and a non-STEM major? According to the department’s FAQ, it is not only possible but encouraged: https://www.wesleyan.edu/filmstudies/for-majors/faq.html

Official coursework in production does not begin until junior year, but many people get started well before then by working with other students on thesis projects or other independent projects of their own. Screenwriting, IMO, benefits from a lengthy re-write and critiquing process and it can take place both in and out of the classroom. Check with professors on what their policy is regarding an on-going pet project and the possibility of incorporating it as part of your classwork.

I hope this helps.