<p>not the usual “brown vs cornell”, “brown vs other ivies”, etc.</p>
<p>im applying to usc’s screenwriting program. i know that going there could get me a ton of connections in the industry. i wouldnt have to study to improve my sat scores for a retake in january or take anything besides regular stats next term.</p>
<p>but then i’m drawn to yale, princeton, brown, and a few of the other ivies.</p>
<p>can anyone tell me honestly what are the major differences between the top ivies and a school like usc? is usc pretty much just as good or is there a palpable difference (in education, in environment, student body, anything)?</p>
<p>Hi there whitecadillac…I don’t know a ton about usc. My son got a brochure from them. I think it’s more pre-professional than a research university. I also thought they are very focused in the film and 9video) gaming industries. Nice weather though!</p>
<p>well, that’s the thing. i want to go into the film industry. so that’s my dilemma…</p>
<p>This is a question you need to be asking once you’ve been accepted.</p>
<p>well, i’m not sure if i should bother getting all the math tutoring, retaking the sat for the third time, taking a really hard math class next term, etc…</p>
<p>At a glance, they seem like complete opposites to me (though I only really visited USC). USC has a ridiculous sports culture, for example, whereas sports don’t seem to be a huge thing at Brown and then there’s California’s always-gorgeous weather vs the East Coast’s distinct seasons. As someone said above, USC seems to be more career-oriented while Brown is more of a typical liberal arts & sciences college. </p>
<p>USC’s definitely the better option if you really want to go into screenwriting, I would think. I mean, you could do a major in creative writing at an ivy league school, which wouldn’t be bad, but you could actually major in screenwriting specifically at USC (unless the quick google search I just did was full of lies). </p>
<p>I guess if you’re really not into the California scene, an Ivy might be a good alternative, but I’d also, maybe check out some of these: (<a href=“http://■■■■■■■.com/yenoh5o[/url]”>http://■■■■■■■.com/yenoh5o</a>). It’d be kind of nice for a college to offer the exact major you’d like, right?</p>
<p>what do you think about ivy for undergrad, usc for grad? do you think it would be better to be a screenwriting major for undergrad or is grad just as good?</p>
<p>Maybe screenwriting is different (I only really have experience writing stories, novels, poetry, etc) but I feel like there’s only so much that can be straight-up “taught” when it comes to writing, so I wouldn’t bother with grad school. I’d rather just finish undergrad and hit the ground running-- that’s what I would have done (or will, I’m indecisive) if I planned on making a career of writing. But that’s just the particular school of thought I happen to adhere to; you’ll have to decide for yourself what you think. </p>
<p>All of the schools you’re considering are great-- they’ll get you “in the door,” so to speak, when it comes to applying to jobs after college. </p>
<p>If you’re really drawn to the idea of the Ivy League experience, go for it, but if you’re just drawn by the prestige, I think it’d actually be more impressive to come out of USC, where they specialize in that sort of thing. </p>
<p>But really, as long as you have the passion for it, you can improve as a writer no matter where you go-- taking some courses on it just helps apply some pressure to push you forward. So I’d just go with whichever school you think you’ll be happiest at and worry about which grad school you might want to attend later.</p>
<p>^that’s kind of my thinking too. when i say that i’ll probably go to usc or nyu for grad school, it’s not so much because i want to be taught “how to write”. it’s for the industry connections. going there would definitely make it easier to get into the industry than if i just hit the ground running after undergrad (if i do undergrad at any other school). unless, of course, i do make hollywood connections at my other school…which IS possible, right?</p>
<p>There are many Brown students involved in the film industry/theater industry. Is it as connected as USC is? No, but there are certainly connections to be made here (we do host the Ivy Film festival each year and do boast two heads of 20th Century Fox amongst our alumni, famous film composers, etc, etc).</p>
<p>You may or may not end up wanting to actually do screenwriting in four years and neither place is going to give you talent, just refine your abilities. In my opinion, these places are so different, I would have your subject interests take a backseat at least for a little while so you can consider which place would cause you to thrive as a person first, and then worry about whether the potential deficit of fewer connections at Brown is a problem.</p>
<p>Screenwriting and Playwriting are both very popular at Brown (used to be through Literary Arts but I believe they are moving into the Theater, Speech, and Dance department).</p>
<p>USC and Brown are two very different schools – just the fact that one is in sunny California and the other in rainy Providence means there will be a palpable difference. I don’t know much about USC, but it is an excellent school where you will get an excellent education. You will most likely be as challenged academically as you would be at an Ivy. It is a myth that the only schools that challenge you academically are at the tippy top of the US News rankings, or that all the smart kids only go to those schools.</p>
<p>Your chance of getting into Brown is about 10 percent, probably less. I don’t know about USC, but chances are it’s not a slam dunk, either (I just looked it up – 22% acceptance rate, or a reach for everybody). You should not be making decisions like whether to retake the SATs or take a challenging math class based on the 10% chance that Brown might accept you. You should take the challenging math class because you want to learn the material and expand your knowledge. If you only take it because you think the Ivies will accept you – then there is a 90% chance that you will have wasted your time.</p>
<p>I hope you have some real safeties, including financial safeties, on your list. Because you need to spend as much if not more attention on them as your reach schools. </p>
<p>I’ll also add that while you seem quite certain that screenwriting is your career path, this might change. Many college students change their mind once they start taking classes. And looking ahead now to grad school – so much will happen in the next few years that who knows if that’s what you’ll end up doing. </p>
<p>It seems to me that learning how to write screenplays is a skill that a good writer can pick up easily. What’s important is what you write about – having interpersonal experiences, gaining knowledge in many subject areas, meeting many different types of people with different backgrounds, just overall accumulation of knowledge and experience, all those things that you will turn to when you write your screenplays.</p>
<p>i can’t honestly say i WANT to take a more challenging math class. sue me, but i have no interest whatsoever in math and know for a fact i will not choose a career path where i will need advanced math (or any math, really). out of everyone who has taken all the honors math and the ap math, a couple years after they take the class–if their career paths and interests do not have anything to do with math–they have forgotten what they learned, but it doesn’t matter cuz they never ever have to use it either. so i can’t say that i would take the cuz i want to learn the material. i consider it a waste of my time, quite frankly. and only people interested in math fields would genuinely WANT to take those classes; 90% or more do it because it’ll look good on one’s transcript. i’m sure you know that.</p>
<p>i’m guaranteed acceptance into uc davis, riverside, merced, santa barbara…so yeah, i have plenty of safeties. i don’t need to spend ANY time on them cuz i am 100% guaranteed acceptance.</p>
<p>i’ve been writing scripts and making films since i was 13. i don’t see it changing. and even if it did, i will want to pursue a career that is a creative field of some kind and is in the entertainment industry. i don’t see myself just sitting behind a desk somewhere…i need to create to be happy.</p>
<p>writing screenplays isn’t easy. it takes a particular kind of writer and a specific type of mind to be able to do it successfully. in fact, it seems there is a stark lack of people who can do it…if you take a lot at all the crappy tv shows and movies that are constantly coming out. it’s rare when you find a well-written show or movie these days, imo.</p>
<p>i agree that having the best life experiences will be very helpful to me as i write screenplays. the question is: are the experiences i would have at usc and at brown (or a similar school) be pretty much the same?</p>
<p>Then you shouldn’t take the math class or retake the SAT. Apply to your reach schools as you are and in April, you’ll know. Then come back and ask all these questions.</p>
<p>(But will you have a better chance of getting into USC with the higher level math class and higher SAT? Does your school have Naviance to help you answer that question?)</p>
<p>I’m very glad to hear that you have safeties. I hope you are happy with those.</p>
<p>(Many screenwriters work behind a desk.)</p>
<p>The experience you have at any one school will be dramatically different than your experience at any other school. In fact, your experience at the same school could be entirely different depending on where you live, who lives on your hall, what classes you take, etc. Your experience at Dartmouth will be very different than your experience at Columbia. And the experience you will have at USC will be very different than your experience at Brown. Perhaps you need to define a lot more specifically what type of experience you are talking about.</p>
<p>well, it’s not that simple…i love learning (just not learning about subjects that completely disinterest me…and these are few. pretty much limited to math, actually), and i want to do all i can to get into these reach schools. if that means they want to see me take a more challenging math class and get a better score on my sat, i’ll probably have to do it. it’s unfortunate cuz i know i could achieve at these schools and perform extremely well (especially since i’d be taking classes I choose, that i’m passionate about), but they won’t believe me unless i take pre-cal and get a 700+ on my math…</p>
<p>the thing about usc is…if you get into the screenwriting program, they undergrad admissions officers just need to make sure you can do the work at usc. i think a 3.85 gpa and 2140 sat (possibly 2200 if i get the 800 in cr i think i got on the last test) clearly shows i can do the normal work at usc. if i didn’t get into the screenwriting program, i still think my stats would be strong for admission to usc as they are right now. but if i didn’t get into the major, i don’t really think i’d attend usc anyway…maybe…</p>
<p>out of my safeties, i’m only applying to one: uc davis. i’m definitely happy with it as my safety.</p>
<p>sure, screenwriters work at a desk, but i think you know what i meant. i need to be in a creative job, not a traditional white collar job.</p>
<p>what type of experience i’m talking about…well, i seek a very intellectual environment, enthusiastic about learning, lively, friendly, creative, passionate, people involved in a lot of different organizations, not a large greek scene, not a large party/drinking scene…most of those seem to fit brown more than usc, but i dunno. i could probably get more specific if you have any other questions that might make the comparison between brown and usc easier.</p>
<p>whitecadillac, this is the time when all seniors are totally anxious about making decisions. But, I suggest you follow fireandrain’s advice: apply to both. And about the math thing, do it only if you plan to learn something. Don’t feel the need to go crazy with your schedule based on a huge chance/possibility.</p>
<p>As you said, “if that means they want to see me take a more challenging math class and get a better score on my sat, i’ll probably have to do it.” Who knows what “they want”?</p>
<p>BTW, Brown superscores, so your 800 in Writing will already shine. No need to redo that one.</p>
<p>In April, assuming you’ll have both schools to choose from, go visit. Hang out. Spend some time. You’ll know then.</p>