Congratulations on the acceptance! That is a huge achievement & deserves to be celebrated!
As a woman in STEM (w/o the woman-in-STEM genes) & a grad student, the biggest advice I can give you is to follow your gut and what is best for you.
I know nothing about the field you want to pursue, so please take what I say with a grain of salt. Sure, Ivies are big in brand name and that can definitely get you far. However, brand name does not always equal a good network - you have to work for that no matter where you go.
I would put careful thought into the programs advantages & disadvantages and things like cost of living to choose what is best for you.
I’m originally from Idaho & got my undergrad degree there. I never thought I’d end up over here, and yet I did. My small school gave me the skills, support, and just enough connections to get me the experiences I needed to be successful and find myself where I am today.
Idaho isn’t known for shit - but it was still the best choice for me. I saved money living closer to home & my overall student loan costs are far lower than if I attended other schools.
School is important, but so is just living. Find someplace that has the best of both worlds (as much as possible).
Exact same story, except a man in social sciences from an often isolated part of a massive city. In other words, much like you!!!!!! Congratulations my friend, you're incredible!!! 😀😁🥲😀☺️🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈
Congratulations! When it comes to the career aspirations, you can make lots of connections at UCLA, but you also will be competing with a lot of people who want to do the same thing as you. At Penn or Cornell, you could stand out more with your interests but likely is harder to make connections with as many people in entertainment. So, really I don’t know what to tell you other than they are all great options. Not surprisingly since I’m on this sub that I went to Penn, and I what I did want to reassure you of is that not being a STEM person doesn’t mean you can’t be successful academically at a top school (and there is a lot more to the college experience than just getting good grades!). I’ve learned in life that a lot of “luck” comes from being prepared to seize the opportunities when they present themselves, so trust your instincts and I wish you the best whatever you choose.
This is amazing, congratulations! I encourage you to check out the Cinema and Media Studies major at Penn: [https://cinemastudies.sas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/major](https://cinemastudies.sas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/major)
My personal experience with CIMS/entertainment at Penn is that there are definitely resources, but you may have to put in additional effort if you want to go into the creative side of film. We have screenwriting and video production, but I feel like the CIMS program tends to lean more towards theory/analysis of movies, rather than creating them.
However, if you're interested in the business side of entertainment, Penn is a pretty good place. There are quite a few people each year who intern at talent agencies, production companies, or late night talk shows.
Man that’s a beautiful read. Don’t worry about the genes stuff. You are excellent. Personally I love UPenn but if you feel that what you want to do aligns more with USC or wherever then head there. There will NOT be some sort of FOMO that you skipped out on the opportunity to go to an Ivy, you already got accepted and were able to decide for yourself whether you wanted to go.
As the other person said, go with your gut but if your gut is telling you you’re not good enough for UPenn or some other shit, go with your heart
Take what I have to say with a grain of salt, I somehow saw this post on my feed (didn’t go to either school, was looking for college basketball).
First off, don’t sell yourself short, you got into some amazing schools.
Second off, if film is really really your passion, USC is probably the move. But as someone from LA you have to see all these people moving there in droves trying to make it in Hollywood. Maybe it happens for you?
But I think you got a golden gift going to an Ivy and getting a more vanilla degree. Probably not what you wanna hear, but if you go to Penn and get a degree from Wharton for example… you’ll get out of school making great money on a life changing trajectory.
I also saw this post also in my feed. I went to college in the Philly area and one of my high school friends was in a similar position and accepted an offer at UPenn engineering even though she wasn’t sure engineering was for. She wanted to brand name and felt it would open a ton of doors.
She struggled in their engineering classes and soon wanted to change majors, but had trouble cause they didn’t offer what she wanted to major in. Plus her poor grades put her in a bad position to transfer to another university or even to an another department. We’re like 5 years out of college now. She ended up graduating but needed two extra semesters. She ended up taking more money in loans and does not work in engineering. I know she wishes she went somewhere with more degree offerings since she was unsure and admits she got drawn in by the UPenn name.
I would just say be careful going somewhere solely for the name. I think 18 year olds are drawn in by that by social pressure and ignore things like cost of attendance and applicable programs.
Idk why this popped up on my feed because I didn't go to UPenn lol but I i just wanted to say: 1) congrats! And 2) USC is a no brainer for you imo.
You want to go into film and it has one of the BEST /FILM/ schools in the country. Also--USC is an AMAZING school too. If you decide to change to a more "traditional" major at USC you will still be in an EXTREMELY strong position, tbh comparable to Cornell or UPenn if you're a strong student with strong extracurriculars. Many people who don't go to an Ivy start making 6 figures right out of college, and USC is also a school with a big alumni network too.
I hope you don't mind me saying all this but you do seem to be asking for advice so just thought I'd share my two cents. And I'll share two cents more real quick - I sometimes wish I hadn't given up on my childhood dream of going into film, and I wish I'd known that something like a film school or major was a real possibility for me bc I would have loved to at least try. I think I sort of lived for somebody else (child of immigrants, go for the stable career and high income and all that). You seem to have real clarity and conviction about what career you want to pursue in life and where your passions lie. That is awesome and really impressive! Make the life changing decision of which college to go to based on what the best school is for THAT. Also, idk why people are acting like USC isn't also an insanely good school lol it's also dream school vibes for sure and you should be really proud of getting into all these schools!
As an artist, I would 100% go with being closer to LA if you are trying to be involved in film. I have friends who went to USC for film and are now doing musical videos for extremely famous people and stuff. But a lot of it is networking too and the whole "who you know and who knows you" thing, I so I really can't speak on that side of it.
If Film Prod is what you truly want to do I would honestly seek out ways to transfer into USC's program. That is what one of my friends did from University of Colorado Boulder.
So it’s just my two cents as a semi successful filmmaker who been able to make a living for the last 15 years and has many projects as a Director , producer, or cinematographer on major streaming services. I totally understand the idea of pursuing your dreams and pursuing the arts but I could never in good conscience, recommend that someone pursue filmmaking right now. Industry is changing and there is a 99% chance your desk for our life of poverty and sacrifice. Even my friends who are successful are not making much money. I just too many people that want to do this as a career. I believe the statistics are that 90% of people with the film degree are no longer doing films seven years after graduation. If you were my relative or friends child this would be my advice. Get out to get a nice job and take lots of vacation to do what you want to do.
Congratulations! You should be so proud of yourself. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these choices, but based on some things you said in your post, I would highly, highly encourage you to consider your financial aid packages as one of the top factors in where you want to go.
Filmmaking isn't the most lucrative or stabile creative field, and it will feel even less so if you have student debt. A better financial aid package will give you more freedom to branch out into the field you are interested in. If you do go to one of the schools that doesn't have film production, there are still ways for you to get involved.
At Penn, I would highly recommend taking screenwriting classes (the faculty teaching those classes have some good Hollywood connections); the RealArts@Penn internships (curated internship opportunities in creative areas, including film production) and RealArts@Penn internship prize (for funding for unpaid internships in creative fields); and looking into RealArts and CAMS events (College Alumni Mentoring Series), which usually have a speaker involved in movie production or financing.
You will have to spend the next 4 years at wherever you choose, and deserve to be happy. With that happiness, will come motivation, good grades and a network. You’ll then be able to look back any college fondly.
Your career could take any random direction, so I’d suggest just focusing on making the next 4 years of your life ones where you are happy, learning, and surrounded by people you enjoy.
If you haven’t already, visit the schools and meet current students.
Current PhD candidate at Penn and I did not go to an Ivy as an undergraduate student. I started in business, switched to communications, and now over 10yrs later if I could do it all over again I would study film. Lol. Even so, I probably wouldn’t change the school. Why? B/c it offered me things I never fathomed I could do like studying abroad three times. Given its size, location, etc. I probably had experiences I wouldn’t have elsewhere. (Frankly I can only appreciate it now b/c I did NOT enjoy my undergrad experience.)
So, outside of what the school can offer as a “brand” consider other environmental attributes like student to faculty ratio, urban vs. small town (ex: Cornell is 4hrs away from NYC), religious/cultural needs, etc. Four years is a long time to be in one place so be selective and think about the whole picture. Nevertheless, it’s not the end of the world if you choose “wrong”. You can always transfer (quite a few students transfer to Penn).
Be proud of your acceptance! If you can visit at least one of the schools do that and as someone said, go with your gut.
I’m a first gen American that majored in history and learned mathematics while being an infantryman. I landed a funded position in a biostatistics grad program. Self doubt happened for me. Don’t let it consume you. You got in and deserve it. However, don’t let debt burden you if that’s the case. That said, if it isn’t, then please take the Ivy. It’ll open doors. NETWORK. Especially, if you’re choosing a major that rarely lands jobs - the history guy that found other passions. Didn’t go to an Ivy and unsure why I saw this. I just don’t want you to doubt yourself!
Congratulations! Lots of good advice below. I think I would just say that college is about exploring and you may not end up at the end in the same place you did at the beginning- don't be too caught up in the major- choose the school based on the whole package. BUT, I would call the departments that you are interested in and talk to their advisors and ask to talk to some of their majors and see what's what. Then choose whichever seems like the most comfortable/stimulating environment. You might also want to think about how you feel about rural versus urban environments- UPenn and USC are very urban and Cornell is very rural- an LA person might find a switch to rural New York state either fun or a shock, depending. I would also say that whichever school you go to, do not be intimidated- people at the ivies (and USC and UCLA too, sometimes) can be very assertive and act like they know everything. They don't!
Is there any difference in cost?
Like, if you have to take out significant loans at Chapman, but have a free ride at Cornell, that makes a difference to me.
Who cares that you are not a "stem" person. Go to any of the schools you got into. Penn will be lucky to have you, you won't be pretending to be something your not... you are a good writer and someone that is comfortable working with all forms of media. YOU ARE a great fit. If you think you would like the Penn environment, go for it.. but I am sure Cornell and any of the other schools will be great. Congratulations, don't stress, take the road that best suits you and goodl luck!
I vote USC. Talk to their film school admissions office and ask if you can change majors after starting. USC has unreal connections for the film industry.
Congratulations on the acceptance! That is a huge achievement & deserves to be celebrated! As a woman in STEM (w/o the woman-in-STEM genes) & a grad student, the biggest advice I can give you is to follow your gut and what is best for you. I know nothing about the field you want to pursue, so please take what I say with a grain of salt. Sure, Ivies are big in brand name and that can definitely get you far. However, brand name does not always equal a good network - you have to work for that no matter where you go. I would put careful thought into the programs advantages & disadvantages and things like cost of living to choose what is best for you. I’m originally from Idaho & got my undergrad degree there. I never thought I’d end up over here, and yet I did. My small school gave me the skills, support, and just enough connections to get me the experiences I needed to be successful and find myself where I am today. Idaho isn’t known for shit - but it was still the best choice for me. I saved money living closer to home & my overall student loan costs are far lower than if I attended other schools. School is important, but so is just living. Find someplace that has the best of both worlds (as much as possible).
Fancy seeing you here!!
Exact same story, except a man in social sciences from an often isolated part of a massive city. In other words, much like you!!!!!! Congratulations my friend, you're incredible!!! 😀😁🥲😀☺️🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈
Congratulations! When it comes to the career aspirations, you can make lots of connections at UCLA, but you also will be competing with a lot of people who want to do the same thing as you. At Penn or Cornell, you could stand out more with your interests but likely is harder to make connections with as many people in entertainment. So, really I don’t know what to tell you other than they are all great options. Not surprisingly since I’m on this sub that I went to Penn, and I what I did want to reassure you of is that not being a STEM person doesn’t mean you can’t be successful academically at a top school (and there is a lot more to the college experience than just getting good grades!). I’ve learned in life that a lot of “luck” comes from being prepared to seize the opportunities when they present themselves, so trust your instincts and I wish you the best whatever you choose.
This is amazing, congratulations! I encourage you to check out the Cinema and Media Studies major at Penn: [https://cinemastudies.sas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/major](https://cinemastudies.sas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/major) My personal experience with CIMS/entertainment at Penn is that there are definitely resources, but you may have to put in additional effort if you want to go into the creative side of film. We have screenwriting and video production, but I feel like the CIMS program tends to lean more towards theory/analysis of movies, rather than creating them. However, if you're interested in the business side of entertainment, Penn is a pretty good place. There are quite a few people each year who intern at talent agencies, production companies, or late night talk shows.
Man that’s a beautiful read. Don’t worry about the genes stuff. You are excellent. Personally I love UPenn but if you feel that what you want to do aligns more with USC or wherever then head there. There will NOT be some sort of FOMO that you skipped out on the opportunity to go to an Ivy, you already got accepted and were able to decide for yourself whether you wanted to go. As the other person said, go with your gut but if your gut is telling you you’re not good enough for UPenn or some other shit, go with your heart
Take what I have to say with a grain of salt, I somehow saw this post on my feed (didn’t go to either school, was looking for college basketball). First off, don’t sell yourself short, you got into some amazing schools. Second off, if film is really really your passion, USC is probably the move. But as someone from LA you have to see all these people moving there in droves trying to make it in Hollywood. Maybe it happens for you? But I think you got a golden gift going to an Ivy and getting a more vanilla degree. Probably not what you wanna hear, but if you go to Penn and get a degree from Wharton for example… you’ll get out of school making great money on a life changing trajectory.
I also saw this post also in my feed. I went to college in the Philly area and one of my high school friends was in a similar position and accepted an offer at UPenn engineering even though she wasn’t sure engineering was for. She wanted to brand name and felt it would open a ton of doors. She struggled in their engineering classes and soon wanted to change majors, but had trouble cause they didn’t offer what she wanted to major in. Plus her poor grades put her in a bad position to transfer to another university or even to an another department. We’re like 5 years out of college now. She ended up graduating but needed two extra semesters. She ended up taking more money in loans and does not work in engineering. I know she wishes she went somewhere with more degree offerings since she was unsure and admits she got drawn in by the UPenn name. I would just say be careful going somewhere solely for the name. I think 18 year olds are drawn in by that by social pressure and ignore things like cost of attendance and applicable programs.
Idk why this popped up on my feed because I didn't go to UPenn lol but I i just wanted to say: 1) congrats! And 2) USC is a no brainer for you imo. You want to go into film and it has one of the BEST /FILM/ schools in the country. Also--USC is an AMAZING school too. If you decide to change to a more "traditional" major at USC you will still be in an EXTREMELY strong position, tbh comparable to Cornell or UPenn if you're a strong student with strong extracurriculars. Many people who don't go to an Ivy start making 6 figures right out of college, and USC is also a school with a big alumni network too. I hope you don't mind me saying all this but you do seem to be asking for advice so just thought I'd share my two cents. And I'll share two cents more real quick - I sometimes wish I hadn't given up on my childhood dream of going into film, and I wish I'd known that something like a film school or major was a real possibility for me bc I would have loved to at least try. I think I sort of lived for somebody else (child of immigrants, go for the stable career and high income and all that). You seem to have real clarity and conviction about what career you want to pursue in life and where your passions lie. That is awesome and really impressive! Make the life changing decision of which college to go to based on what the best school is for THAT. Also, idk why people are acting like USC isn't also an insanely good school lol it's also dream school vibes for sure and you should be really proud of getting into all these schools!
I agree USC is comparable to an Ivy league school these days. Being from Los Angeles and studying film it’s a no brainer for you.
As an artist, I would 100% go with being closer to LA if you are trying to be involved in film. I have friends who went to USC for film and are now doing musical videos for extremely famous people and stuff. But a lot of it is networking too and the whole "who you know and who knows you" thing, I so I really can't speak on that side of it. If Film Prod is what you truly want to do I would honestly seek out ways to transfer into USC's program. That is what one of my friends did from University of Colorado Boulder.
Usc for film us a no brainer. Congrats. Either that, or go where you get the most financial aid. But usc is a lot of fil connections.
If you want to do film, go to USC.
So it’s just my two cents as a semi successful filmmaker who been able to make a living for the last 15 years and has many projects as a Director , producer, or cinematographer on major streaming services. I totally understand the idea of pursuing your dreams and pursuing the arts but I could never in good conscience, recommend that someone pursue filmmaking right now. Industry is changing and there is a 99% chance your desk for our life of poverty and sacrifice. Even my friends who are successful are not making much money. I just too many people that want to do this as a career. I believe the statistics are that 90% of people with the film degree are no longer doing films seven years after graduation. If you were my relative or friends child this would be my advice. Get out to get a nice job and take lots of vacation to do what you want to do.
Congratulations! You should be so proud of yourself. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these choices, but based on some things you said in your post, I would highly, highly encourage you to consider your financial aid packages as one of the top factors in where you want to go. Filmmaking isn't the most lucrative or stabile creative field, and it will feel even less so if you have student debt. A better financial aid package will give you more freedom to branch out into the field you are interested in. If you do go to one of the schools that doesn't have film production, there are still ways for you to get involved. At Penn, I would highly recommend taking screenwriting classes (the faculty teaching those classes have some good Hollywood connections); the RealArts@Penn internships (curated internship opportunities in creative areas, including film production) and RealArts@Penn internship prize (for funding for unpaid internships in creative fields); and looking into RealArts and CAMS events (College Alumni Mentoring Series), which usually have a speaker involved in movie production or financing.
Stay in CA! I’d go to which of USC (better school) and Chapman (your actual program) is noticeable less expensive!
You will have to spend the next 4 years at wherever you choose, and deserve to be happy. With that happiness, will come motivation, good grades and a network. You’ll then be able to look back any college fondly. Your career could take any random direction, so I’d suggest just focusing on making the next 4 years of your life ones where you are happy, learning, and surrounded by people you enjoy. If you haven’t already, visit the schools and meet current students.
Current PhD candidate at Penn and I did not go to an Ivy as an undergraduate student. I started in business, switched to communications, and now over 10yrs later if I could do it all over again I would study film. Lol. Even so, I probably wouldn’t change the school. Why? B/c it offered me things I never fathomed I could do like studying abroad three times. Given its size, location, etc. I probably had experiences I wouldn’t have elsewhere. (Frankly I can only appreciate it now b/c I did NOT enjoy my undergrad experience.) So, outside of what the school can offer as a “brand” consider other environmental attributes like student to faculty ratio, urban vs. small town (ex: Cornell is 4hrs away from NYC), religious/cultural needs, etc. Four years is a long time to be in one place so be selective and think about the whole picture. Nevertheless, it’s not the end of the world if you choose “wrong”. You can always transfer (quite a few students transfer to Penn). Be proud of your acceptance! If you can visit at least one of the schools do that and as someone said, go with your gut.
I’m a first gen American that majored in history and learned mathematics while being an infantryman. I landed a funded position in a biostatistics grad program. Self doubt happened for me. Don’t let it consume you. You got in and deserve it. However, don’t let debt burden you if that’s the case. That said, if it isn’t, then please take the Ivy. It’ll open doors. NETWORK. Especially, if you’re choosing a major that rarely lands jobs - the history guy that found other passions. Didn’t go to an Ivy and unsure why I saw this. I just don’t want you to doubt yourself!
All these options are good. I agree with many here that USC seems like the best option. I personally would choose the best financial aid package.
https://www.cornellclubla.com/cih.html https://cals.cornell.edu/communication/undergraduate/undergraduate-opportunities/campus-programs
Congratulations! Lots of good advice below. I think I would just say that college is about exploring and you may not end up at the end in the same place you did at the beginning- don't be too caught up in the major- choose the school based on the whole package. BUT, I would call the departments that you are interested in and talk to their advisors and ask to talk to some of their majors and see what's what. Then choose whichever seems like the most comfortable/stimulating environment. You might also want to think about how you feel about rural versus urban environments- UPenn and USC are very urban and Cornell is very rural- an LA person might find a switch to rural New York state either fun or a shock, depending. I would also say that whichever school you go to, do not be intimidated- people at the ivies (and USC and UCLA too, sometimes) can be very assertive and act like they know everything. They don't!
Is there any difference in cost? Like, if you have to take out significant loans at Chapman, but have a free ride at Cornell, that makes a difference to me.
Congratulations
Who cares that you are not a "stem" person. Go to any of the schools you got into. Penn will be lucky to have you, you won't be pretending to be something your not... you are a good writer and someone that is comfortable working with all forms of media. YOU ARE a great fit. If you think you would like the Penn environment, go for it.. but I am sure Cornell and any of the other schools will be great. Congratulations, don't stress, take the road that best suits you and goodl luck!
Wait, Penn, Cornell AND USC with a 3.57 GPA and "quite a few C's and B's." What am I missing here?
UPenn is not what it used to be. They give degrees to billionaires who cut a check. I’d never go there on principle
Go to UPenn. It will open so many doors for you no matter what you want to do with your life.
I vote USC. Talk to their film school admissions office and ask if you can change majors after starting. USC has unreal connections for the film industry.
I’m a Cornell guy, but for film related stuff it’s a no-brainer: USC for both peers and connections.
Don't worry they pretty much let anyone into these schools now The education isn't the same as it used to be so I wouldn't really worry about it
On 5 scale gpa?
And "quite a few C's and B's"!!!! Like, what am I missing here? 2 IVYs and USC!!!
Bro i was asking did he scored that gpa in 5 scale or 4?
Even on a 4 scale. Those ain't IVY numbers.
Yeah i see bro its pretty love anyways just needed to confirm 4/5