USC/UCLA Super Showdown Fun Time

[Still Waiting...]

Ah yes, another thread depicting the psychological breakdown of a potential grad student. Only this one is clearly tinged with a rivalry grown over decades of mutual hatred... which is nice.

I'm in at USC and UCLA Film Critical Studies M.A. programs, and am bringing my family. I have collected a fair amount of information on both schools, but I'd love any opinions people might have about the film studies departments at both of these schools, or about the degree of prep that their programs offer for PhD candidacy to other schools. My specific concerns are about faculty (though my decision won't be primarily based on that), and I'd love any insights on personalities within the departments. For that matter I'd love any general opinions anyone could offer... Anything... Please...

[ejuliast]

Honestly, I don't have any input on these programs, but I wanted to give kudos for the title of this thread. It made me LOL.

[HelloFeminists]

Actually, I do have some advice that I recently heard from my friend who grew up in L.A. She told me that USC apparently gives out less funding for film projects - if you're going to be actually filmmaking - than does UCLA, which is why USC is often called "University of Spoiled Children": because they attract really rich students who can afford to fund themselves. However, if Film Critical Studies doesn't involve actually producing films, you can ignore this It might only apply to the MFA programs.

Ah yes, another thread depicting the psychological breakdown of a potential grad student. Only this one is clearly tinged with a rivalry grown over decades of mutual hatred... which is nice.

I'm in at USC and UCLA Film Critical Studies M.A. programs, and am bringing my family. I have collected a fair amount of information on both schools, but I'd love any opinions people might have about the film studies departments at both of these schools, or about the degree of prep that their programs offer for PhD candidacy to other schools. My specific concerns are about faculty (though my decision won't be primarily based on that), and I'd love any insights on personalities within the departments. For that matter I'd love any general opinions anyone could offer... Anything... Please...

[Still Waiting...]

Thanks a lot for the replies ejuliast and HelloFeminists. =)

My specialty would be less production oriented, but the rental situation is certainly indicative of the atmosphere at each program. Thanks again!

[swr22]

USC is fast-improving. Its undergrad SATs recently overtook Berkeley and has risen approximately 350 points in a decade (which is a record). So, USC is no longer really the University of Spoiled Children. Its grad school has started a similar transition after a huge rise in fundraising. George Lucas alone donated $170m to the film school!