<p>is there a difference in going for undergrad or grad? does grad provide more connections post-grad? is it harder to get in for undergrad or grad? are there any other differences?</p>
<p>cuz i'm leaning towards going to a different school for undergrad (the screenwriting program is the only thing really tying me to usc, but for other stuff, there are other schools i prefer) and then going to usc for grad. thoughts?</p>
<p>I’d suggest going there for graduate school. In fact, I’m applying for just that right now. Deadline in 15 days…wow. Anyway, I just graduated from college in May. I was a history major that dabbled in plenty of media studies classes, though not the 2 theory classes I refused to take that would’ve given me a minor. In my opinion, I think the route I am taking is better–though who really knows??–because I am much more well-rounded. As a history major, I was exposed to “stories” for 4 years. Many of the things I have written have been things that I have researched and learned about. I had the opportunity to go abroad. Go to lectures across all disciplines. Take classes out of my comfort zone. All of this, I believe, has made me a much better person and writer. </p>
<p>Also, and I hate thinking about this too, there’s no guarantee that you’ll ever make a dime writing scripts…or that you’ll be as passionate about film after 4 years of college. What then? It’s important to have backup plans. Have other marketable skills. </p>
<p>Anyway, that’s just my opinion. Good luck!</p>
<p>I think pofreshnyc makes many great points. Writers need a lot of life experiences and years of doing something other than studying films and screenplays. They need to observe and stretch and read and find out what is what in the world. It’s all gold you can mine in the future. If you have other academic interests to carry you for the next 4 years and don’t mind the $$ and time it will take to go on to get a MFA, it’s a fine plan.</p>
<p>That said, no one needs a masters (or any degree) to get a job writing film or tv scripts. It takes talent and discipline and hard work and knowing the right people and luck. If you don’t live in L.A. or have family friends who can get your script to Spielberg, it helps to relocate and make your own contacts. USC is unmatched in getting you on this path. In fact, the stats on last year’s undergrads are 7 out of 8 2009 USC screenwriting grads are already working on major TV series and films right out of school. That’s amazing. The talented writers who are chosen for the program plus the incredible working writers who teach plus the open door to networking/internships in Hollywood plus the SCA alumni mafia cannot be denied. It’s up to the individual to make it work.</p>
<p>Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I would say the same thing as madbean. If you have other interests you wish to pursue, then going for a MFA is always a great idea. However, if you know you want to go into screenwriting, you can’t get much better than going to USC Undergrad and then not even have to deal with going to grad school. Why pay more when you really don’t need to? Plus the Trojan network is amazing and coming from the best film school in the nation doesn’t hurt either ;)</p>