film school college essay

The conservatory style schools (e.g., AFI) only require one application, while film schools based at four-year universities (e.g., USC and NYU) typically require two applications: the application to the overall university (usually the Common Application ) and the supplementary application to the film school.

I won’t get into the nitty-gritty of how to write the best general application (for more on that, check out our guide to  building a versatile college application ). This application is still important, though, because you won't be admitted to a college's film program if your test scores, transcript, letters of recommendation, and other materials are not impressive enough.

Instead, I'll be talking about the supplementary application specifically (the only application for conservatory schools),  and I'll be using USC’s as my example as I’m sure many of you who are reading this will be applying there. Even if you aren’t applying to USC, its application is pretty much the standard film school application.

For USC’s film application , you'll need the following materials:

• Cinematic Arts Personal Statement
• Writing Sample (A or B or C)
• Visual Sample (Video or Photo Option)
• Creative Portfolio List
• Letters of Recommendation (3)*

I'll go into detail for each of the components below (excluding the letters of recommendation since these are just your typical letters).

#1: Cinematic Arts Personal Statement

One part of the USC film school application is the personal statement. Here is how USC describes this component (all bold emphasis mine):

The personal statement will be read by the Film & Television Production Admission Committee as a measure of creativity, self-awareness and vision. We are looking for a sense of you as a unique individual and how your distinctive experiences, characteristics, background, values and/or views of the world have shaped who you are and what you want to say as a creative filmmaker . We want to know about the kind of stories you want to tell. Bear in mind that enthusiasm for watching films, descriptions of your favorite films and the involvement in the filmmaking process is common in most candidates. As a result, we encourage that you focus on your individuality. Note that there is no standard format or correct answer. (1,000 words or less)

What should you write?

In layman’s terms, your personal statement should be an essay of no more than 1,000 words that captures your individuality and your passion for film.  I think USC gives very helpful hints to what makes a great (or terrible) personal statement. All film school applicants enjoy watching movies and have their favorites (if you didn't, why would you want to go to film school?), so you don’t want your personal statement to be all about that (otherwise, you'll seem unoriginal).

Think about it: what distinguishes you from all those other candidates? Your individuality, who you are.  What USC wants to see in your personal statement is   that you're an interesting, talented person they should add to their class. USC film school doesn't want average; it wants an engaging storyteller with unique tales to share.

Does USC want you to tell them what a great storyteller you are? No.  USC, as well as other film schools, want you to show  them what a great storyteller you are. To do this, you must tell  a story.

Let me demonstrate. Here is the introduction to my personal statement from my actual USC film application:

Cheerleader. A word that makes me want to hurl and is too often used to describe yours truly. I guess a bubbly, outgoing personality and attractive physique means you are a cheerleader. I sit excitedly waiting to hear my name. It’s 2006. I’m 14, and I’ve made it all the way to the Florida State Science Fair for my experiment on determining whether bacteria or fungi is more effective in cleaning up oil spills (BP could have used my help). I finally hear my name called and eagerly rush up to meet one of the judges to discuss my project. I spot him and am about to introduce myself. Before I can get a word out, he stops me, saying, "Let me guess, you’re a cheerleader." Let me clear the air now I am not now nor have I ever been a cheerleader. Firstly, I lack the acrobatic prowess required for such a role. Secondly, I hate the label. I correct the judge, to his embarrassment. We continue on to have an intelligent discussion about bioremediation, and I end up placing third in the state and winning an award from NASA.

I'm a huge fan of complex characters. It's too easy to jump to conclusions. "A vivacious personality, a flair for style, a good-looking appearance, she clearly has no intelligence to speak of." I want to tell stories with surprises and characters that break the rules like Martin and John Michael McDonagh.

In this introduction, I've told you a story about me from my past that reveals who I am, and I analyze it to show you what kind of storyteller I want to be.  I know this is no easy task, but I'll try to help you brainstorm your personal statement story.

Is there a moment in your life you're particularly proud (or even ashamed) of? For example,  did you help someone? Win an award? Overcome a challenge? Make a big mistake? These are all great types of stories that illustrate your character and your potential to tell a story.

If you're starting to put pen to paper, here are two topics to avoid:

• Sports victories and/or challenges:  Unless you have a very rare event to discuss, don’t do it (e.g., you tore your ACL while scoring the winning goal in the state championship). Think about how many students across the country play a sport at their high schools. These are the most common stories admissions officers read, and they hate them. (This is an example of a topic that would make you seem unoriginal.)
• Religious experiences (such as camp stories, mission trips, etc.):  Again, there might be an exception to this, but if you're talking about a religious awakening, it's an experience many people have had. Also, it might make the admissions officer feel uncomfortable.

Admissions officers want to see what is special about you ,   so don’t tell a story that will group you in with most other applicants.  Simple experiences/stories are often best. 

I wrote another personal statement (for my other applications) about giving money to a homeless man. After I walked away, the homeless man followed me down the street. I tried to get away from him, thinking he was trying to harass me. Finally, he caught up with me and asked for my name. I hesitated but told him it. He then shouted, "God bless, Lauren!" He had followed me to thank me and shake my hand. I was horribly ashamed that I’d thought the worst of him.

Do not think that your story needs to be about saving the world.

#2: Writing Sample for Film School

The writing sample provides you with another opportunity to reveal what kind of storyteller you’d like to be. According to USC, your writing sample can be one of three options :

• A dialogue scene between two people. Provide a one-paragraph introduction describing the two characters in screenplay format. (no more than three pages)
• A description of a four-minute film that contains no dialogue. It can be fiction or non-fiction. The story has to be communicated visually. (no more than two pages)
• Describe a concept for a feature-length movie, fiction or documentary, which you would like to develop. (no more than two pages)

I recommend option 2 or 3. You can attempt option 1 if you want, but I think it's the most difficult of the three to write well. I chose option 3, which I believe is the easiest option. Only submit option 2 if you feel very confident about your dialogue (i.e., that it sounds realistic and not cheesy) and scene structure (i.e., that it has a clear beginning, middle, and end).

#3: Visual Sample for Film School

Next up is the visual sample. Here are the requirements for this application component at USC :

Please submit one of the two visual samples. It is essential that you specify what role(s) you have played in your visual sample.

• Video Option: Create a brief narrative video in which you had a major creative role. The video can be either live-action or animation, fiction or documentary, but it should reflect your aesthetic tastes and intellectual and emotional interests. (No longer than five minutes.) Please submit only ONE video. Multiple submissions WILL NOT be reviewed.
• Photo Option: Prepare a series of eight photographs you have taken which, when viewed in a specific sequence, portray a unique and original character or which tell a simple narrative story. Also, include a one-page narrative about the character being portrayed in the photos. The images may either be black-and-white or in color. Please upload the photos in order of sequence (1-8). Please upload the required one page narrative into the online application.

Basically,  you're required to submit one visual sample, which can be either a video or series of photographs.

Here's my strong recommendation:  do not choose the photo option (unless you're applying for a photography degree program). I repeat: do not do the photo option. I have never met a person accepted to film school that chose this option. By contrast, I have met people who applied with the photo option and did not get in. So don’t do it!

While I don't know why the photo option doesn't seem to work well for admission, I have a couple of theories. You're applying to film school to be a storyteller. In your application, film schools want to see the types of stories you want to tell. From just eight photographs, though, it's difficult to tell a complete story (and one that fits into a film genre like comedy). Simply put, telling a narrative or portraying a unique character is extremely difficult to do through photos.

By opting for the photo option, you essentially disadvantage yourself since other applicants can tell a full story (and really reveal their storytelling skills) in a five-minute video. If you care at all about getting into film school, you'll take the time to throw a video together. 

As with the writing sample, the video sample should capture a different side of you or genre of storytelling that interests you.   USC also lets you submit a video you had a major role in (e.g., you wrote, directed, edited, or produced it). Note that I'd only submit something you didn't write or direct if you have no interest in being a writer or director (and mention in your personal statement that you want to be an editor/DP/production designer/etc.).

USC wants to see your storytelling style, and if you didn't have a major role in the work (as a writer or director), it might be hard to see your influence on the final product.   I didn't have a video to submit for film school, so I wrote and directed something. My friends acted in it, and a friend with a camera filmed and edited it. It doesn’t look like a feature film, but it tells a cute, unique story.  Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Star-Crossed Trekkies

Password: SCA2011

Objectively, it's amateurish, but I managed to tell a sweet story that demonstrated my interest in comedy.  While I wrote about the McDonagh brothers in my personal statement and composed a WWII period piece for my writing sample, my video sample—a comedy about trekkies trying online dating—was completely different.

The bottom line? Show an interest in multiple aspects of storytelling in your application! 

#4: Creative Portfolio List for Film School

The final piece of your application to film school is the creative portfolio list. Below is  how USC describes this application component :

The portfolio list is a written record of the applicant's creative materials. It should include a concise description of each project, the month and year the project was completed, the applicant's creative role and the purpose of the project. The material, which does not need to be film- or television-related, should give an idea of the range and depth of the applicant's creative ability. Formal recognition—such as awards, publications, jobs and exhibitions—should be noted. The name of the institution or publication should be included when listing creative materials prepared for a class or publication.

Basically, you're creating an artistic resume.  USC offers examples of what kinds of projects an applicant might include in her list as well as how it should be formatted:

July 2008, A Day in the Life, digital video, 12 minutes. Position: writer/director. A documentary on a homeless Iraq vet who has lived on the streets since his return from the military. Created for senior-year multimedia term project, San Raphael High School, Miami, Florida.

March 2008, Doorways, a series of 5 black-and-white photographs. Position: photographer. "Second Prize Winner" in the Des Moines Sunday Journal photo contest.

February 2007, Cellomorphosis , short story. Position: writer. A variation on the novella by Franz Kafka; published in Writing, vol. IV, 2007, at Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts.

Do not worry too much about your portfolio.   You don't need to have won awards to get into film school. I had won zero awards for my artwork.

Your portfolio just needs to show that you have an interest in art.  This could include acting, art projects (for fun or for school), and music you’ve written or performed (e.g., at a school talent show). Really, anything artistic can and should be included.

Just make sure you don't include any profane or inappropriate artwork.   I know this should go without saying, but in one of the applications I read at USC, the student had mentioned something inappropriate on his portfolio list. So I want to make sure you don’t do this, too! His high school art teacher had put an end to the project, but he'd still decided to mention it in his application. If your teacher does or did not approve of a project, it is very likely an admissions committee won’t either!

Completing Your Film School Application

Now that we've covered what materials you need to apply to film school, I want to give you a few pointers on completing your application.

Make sure you know the application deadlines for the film schools you're applying to so you can submit your application well before it's due. If you're unsure of a school's deadline, you can either search for "[College Name] film school application deadline" on Google or check the school's application page on the college's official website.  Most schools' deadlines are December 1. 

It's a good idea to create a timeline so you can ensure you finish your application on time. After all, your best creative work will probably take more than a week! I suggest spending the summer between your junior and senior years of high school working on your application. If you don't have a video to submit, plan on writing, filming, and editing a video over the summer so that you have it done and won't have to worry about it while you're focused on school work.

Also, prepare your personal statement and written sample over the summer so you can dedicate enough time to each. You'll likely work through several drafts and need people you trust (such as teachers or your parents) to look them over for you. Working on both during the summer lets you take your time and prevents you from rushing through the process. 

The only part of your film school application you should not complete during the summer is the portfolio list. You can write a draft, but don't forget to add all your artistic involvements in the fall of your senior year to your portfolio later on.

Final Points to Remember When Applying to Film School

If you're applying to film school, you'll need to understand just how you can produce an excellent application to increase your chances of admission. Here are the essential points to remember when applying to film school:

• Show diversity/multiple interests in your application.  For example, you could talk about how you're interested in comedies, period pieces, and sci-fi.
• Emphasize your individuality and prove that you're a unique candidate.   Avoid writing about something in your personal statement that most other applicants have experienced, too, such as getting injured in a sport.
• Simple stories are often the best ones!
• Do not do the photo option for the visual sample. Always do the video option; hardly any applicants get accepted to film school with the photo option.
• Do not write about anything inappropriate on your application.  If a project you did got canceled or was not approved by a teacher, chances are it's not appropriate to put on your application!

What’s Next?

Studying for the SAT? Check out our complete guide to the SAT . And if you're taking the SAT in the next month, be sure to read  our guide to cramming for the test . 

Not sure where you want to go to college? Get tips in  our guide to finding your target school . We also teach you how to find your target SAT score or target ACT score . 

Thinking about getting a job while in high school? Check out our guide to the eight best jobs for teens   and learn how to find yours!

As an SAT/ACT tutor, Dora has guided many students to test prep success. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum laude and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. She is also passionate about acting, writing, and photography.

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Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

I took a chance and wrote my college essay about wanting to be like Barbie. I was accepted into one of the world's top film schools.

• When I wrote my college-admissions essay, I took a risk and wrote: "I want to be like Barbie."
• I always liked how Barbie could be anyone, but I worried colleges wouldn't take me seriously.
• Luckily, I got into my dream school, one of the top film schools in the world.

"I want to be like Barbie."

In 2021, before Barbie mania existed, I chose that controversial six-word phrase to open the most important essay of my life: the one for my college application .

In the fall of my senior year, I sat at my computer reading the acceptance rates of my dream film schools: 7%, 5%, and 2%. How was I, another Hollywood wannabe in Southern California, going to stand out?

As the application deadline loomed, I spent week after week ignoring the inevitable. Instead, I poured myself into other work, disregarding the essay questions that would change the trajectory of my life: Who are you? What do you want? Why should we choose you?

"I'm a 17-year-old who wants to be done with college applications," I told myself. "Maybe I could just submit that, and the admissions counsel would respect my honesty and risk."

I thought about what I liked; I liked film. I liked it a lot, but throughout my life, I had many dreams. Film was just one of them. That's when I was reminded of Barbie .

I found myself thinking back to my earliest memories when a familiar face appeared: Barbie

"I want to be like Barbie," I thought to myself with just a week left before my application deadlines. She's a doctor, lawyer, dancer, singer, and fashionista — all at the same time. Barbie has been to space and debated the nature of humanity, all with just a quick costume change.

Related stories

I grew up playing with Barbie, and while some admired her for her good looks, I loved Barbie because she was everything she wanted to be. She never chose between art and science; she did both. The Barbies I played with as a kid were mathematicians by day and artists by night. 

Like Barbie, I embraced all my interests — even when they were "contradictory." At school, I played on the basketball team, and I was a cheerleader. I took AP calculus, and I participated in theater. Barbie chose all of her dreams, and through pursuing film as a career, I could too. By being a storyteller, I could live countless lives.

I knew Barbie was the way to tell my story and show the college-admissions boards who I really was.

But I worried about what the admissions boards would think about my love for Barbie

This was 2021 — long before the "Barbie" movie mania. Dr. Seuss had been canceled, Mr. Potato Head was no longer a mister, and the M&M characters were under scrutiny. 

Endorsing Barbie could crush my dreams. What if someone on the admissions board was one of those people who hated Barbie — a so-called feminist warrior who was missing the entire point? Or what if there was a curmudgeon who believed only serious people should get into film school? I was serious. 

My life had been a constant battle between science and the arts, between athlete and nerd, between on-screen talent and behind-the-scenes production. With help from Barbie, I consistently chose it all, and through film, I could bring my ballerina-astronaut dreams to life.

I had to take a chance and tell my story with the help of Barbie

I knew this essay of 650 words or fewer was the only way to show a glimpse of my personality and aspirations to the admissions boards .

Now, two years later, I'm entering my sophomore year of studying film and television production at Chapman University, one of the world's top film schools. I've had the opportunity to direct short films about basketball, pancakes, dance, human trafficking, and even the Easter Bunny.

Barbie can do everything, and through film, so can I — all with some sparkle. I couldn't see any other way to live my life than with the credo: "I want to be like Barbie."

Watch: Meet the woman behind Barbie’s most iconic looks

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The Basics of Film School Applications

Written by Emily Toffelmire on May 17th, 2021

• film major ,
• film school ,
• Letter(s) of recommendation, sometimes from a teacher who can comment on your artistic potential
• A film or arts resume
• A video introduction of yourself, usually under a two minutes

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Follow these pre-application steps to help your student stay on track for admissions success., related resources.

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Tips For Writing An Outstanding Essay

Every part of your college application is important. However, when faced with a sea of exceptional applicants, it is an outstanding essay that can tip the balance and solidify your place at the college you desire. Don’t let the anxiety over writing the essay make you procrastinate. Time is your friend, it gives you the opportunity to write multiple drafts, hone your language and ensure your essay is in your own voice.

According to Jeff Brenzel, who was Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Yale University, it is important to choose a topic that will highlight you . Tell a personal story that shows a creative approach. This is the time to shine a light on all the areas that are not covered in other parts of the application. Remember to keep the focus narrow and personal. If you try to cover too many topics, you risk turning the essay into a resume. Colleges want to see who you are and what you’re about. It is easier to do this if you write about something that is important to you and has had an impact on your life. They need a reason to believe you’ll be a contributing member of their student body and that you’ll take full advantage of higher education.  T his is your time to shine. You get to spend all 600 words talking about YOU. So, let’s get started! 

How to Write a Great College Essay

Storytime. Choose a story that showcases who you are. Think about a time when you were put to the test and you came out victorious or maybe a time when you failed—but you got back up again and kept trying. People remember stories, especially ones with plenty of heart. Just remember there needs to be a moral to this story. Be sure to include what you learned from this experience and how it has changed you. 

Show not tell. This means describe the scene and what you did. Tell about how you felt before, during, and after by describing your actions. Actions speak louder than words—especially in an essay. 

As you write, do not simply recount an event . Reflect on what you learned and how it changed you, then describe it to the reader. Be careful not to repeat yourself. The information in your essay should not contradict other parts of your application. Do not list awards or discuss test scores here.

Use your own voice. Sometimes, we want to impress people so much that we start using words and phrases that aren’t our own. College admissions committees want to see who YOU are. While we don’t recommend filling your essay with slang, it is important to keep your own voice. 

Choose something simple. You don’t have to have climbed Everest or participated in a protest to have done something impactful. As Martha C. Merrill , a dean of admission and financial aid at Connecticut College said, “Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make the best essays. Some of my favorites have included essays that reflect on the daily subway ride to school, or what the family goldfish observed from the fishbowl perched on the family kitchen table. It doesn’t have to be a life-changing event to be interesting and informative.” 

Something new. Don’t rehash your application. If all of your extracurriculars are sports, choose something outside of sports that impacted you. Or, if you went to a performing arts school, write about a different aspect of your education. You want to present something new and show that you are well rounded.

Be honest. You don’t have to have done and won everything to be awesome. Don’t make up a story or give yourself credentials you don’t actually have. It is fine to be the treasurer of a club instead of the president. It is your experience that counts. Be you!

Read it out loud. Seriously! Most writers recommend doing this for any piece because you’ll spot mistakes or confusing sentences that you wouldn’t if you just read it quietly on from the screen.  One of the easiest ways to stand out is to have correct spelling and grammar . In your edit, ask yourself if the way the essay is organized makes sense. Can anything be clearer? Can anything be cut?

Have a parent or (better yet!) a teacher proofread. Just like reading your essay out loud, having someone else proofread will help you focus your essay, catch grammar and spelling mistakes, and ask questions when they don’t understand. Why do we say teachers are better? Because they’re less likely to try and write it for you and take away one of the key components of your essay: YOU.

Don’t wait. If you want to make every word count, you’re going to need to spend some time on your essay. Don’t put it off till the last minute . Make sure you give yourself time to think before you sit down and type it out.

Make sure you answer the question. It might seem easier to just use an essay from another application, but we strongly discourage this. You want to be sure you are focused on answering the question exactly. If you don’t, it’s an easy way for an admissions team to toss your application.

Create a feeling. How do you want the admissions dean to feel when they read your essay? When you choose a topic, you should think about what feelings are associated with it. What you write about will often be the feeling the reader gets, so make sure it’s a positive feeling!

Example Essays for Guidance

We’ve pulled together a resource list of essays that we think are pretty great—and so did their admissions officers, since these essays were written by students who were accepted to their top choice of university. 

• The University of Chicago “Create your own Prompt Essay.” Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
• Common app college essay. Dead Bird Example
• Johns Hopkins University Essays. This is actually a collection of essays that the office of undergraduate admissions put together that they really liked. We particularly liked the essay: On Potatoes.

Our Final Thoughts

Just in case you missed it, one of the biggest tips for writing college admissions essays is to be yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not, give yourself credentials you don’t have, or write with a voice that isn’t your own. 

Who you are is enough. 

By just being yourself, you’ll give admissions committees a glimpse into the incredible person and student that you are. By showing who you are in your essay, you could turn a “maybe” into a “yes.”

Hopefully, these tips will help you approach your application essay with more confidence. You can write an outstanding essay that showcases your personality and helps you stand out to admissions officers. We wish you the best of luck as you write your essay and begin your journey into continuing your education. You can do it!

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The Writing Place

Resources – writing about film: the critical essay, introduction to the topic.

Like it or not, studying film may very well be a part of the well-rounded education you receive here at Northwestern University. But how to go about writing such an essay? While film reviews and theoretical essays are part of Film Studies, the most common paper that students will face is: “the critical essay”

Fear not. Though its title combines a serious undertone that implies it is both a large chuck of your grade and also really hard and vague, this post will guide you on your way.

First, what is the critical essay? It may surprise you to note that it is much more than 35% of your grade. In actuality, the most common form of the cinematic critical essay is one in which the writer explores one or more aspects of a film and analyzes how they enhance the film’s meaning and/or artistry. This is very similar to English analysis papers. For example,  The Scarlet Letter  can be analyzed in terms of its motif of civilization versus the wilderness. In the novel, the town is representative of human civilization and authority while the forest represents natural authority (Sparknotes Editors, 2003).  Likewise, the same motif illustrates Terrence Malick’s  Tree of Life.  The wilderness represents the way of nature while the family (or civilization) represents the way of grace. The crossing over of these settings enables the viewer to visualize the internal struggles of Malick’s characters as they seek higher meaning from God.

“Hmmm…” I can hear you wondering. “I already know how to do that! It’s all we did in high school English classes!” But here is where the cinematic essay diverges from the literary essay— the elements that we analyze. Films can be analyzed from traditional literary aspects such as themes, narrative, characters, and points of view but there are also uniquely cinematic aspects: mise-en-scene, the shot, aesthetic history and edited images.

Parts of a Critical Essay

Aspect 1: mise-en-scene.

Mise-en-scene refers to everything in a scene independent of the camera’s position, movement, and editing (Corrigan, 1998). This includes lighting, costumes, sets, the quality of the acting, etc. It is important to remember that every aspect of a scene was consciously chosen by the director and his or her team. Because movies often present themselves as instances of real life, this fact is easily forgotten and the artistic choices that the film crew made are overlooked.

In the following still from   Wes Anderson’s  Moonrise Kingdom  (2012), one can analyze it in terms of mise-en-scene. One could note the arrangement of the props. In real life, it would be unlikely that rocks, sticks, and supplies would arrange themselves in an almost perfect circular fashion around the map. However, Anderson’s decision to arrange the props focus viewer’s attention on the map and highlight the adventure that the two children are about to go on in  Moonrise Kingdom.

Click  here for an example of an essay dealing with mise-en-scene.

Aspect 2: The Shot

The shot refers to the single image before the camera cuts to the next scene (Corrigan, 1998). These shots can include a lot of variety and movement. We can analyze the effect that shots have in terms of their photographic qualities such as tone, speed, and perspectives created, to name a few examples (Corrigan, 1998). A single shot is composed of multiple frames, or stills of the same scene. We can analyze the shot in terms of framing, i.e. what was actually decided to be included within the image and the location of stuff within the frame.

Watch the following shot (beginning at the 30 second mark) for an example: Click Here to Navigate to YouTube

In this shot from Dayton and Faris’  Little Miss Sunshine  (2006), Dwayne has just found out he cannot join the air force. He had maintained a vow of silence to help him focus on getting admitted to the air force and breaks it from utter frustration. The shot’s stationary position as Dwayne runs screaming from his family helps highlight how the physical distance Dwayne puts between himself and his family reflects the emotional distance and frustration he feels at the moment.

Aspect 3: Edited Images

When one or more shots are joined together, they become edited (Corrigan, 1998). These usually have two main purposes. One is the logical development of the story. A shot in the morning connected with a shot in the afternoon connotes to the viewer that time has passed. Other times the editing of shots has artistic intent. For example, in a Chipotle commercial the first shot is of an industrial slaughterhouse. The next shot features animals grazing in a pasture. This is an artistic statement on the part of the advertising team to convey to Chipotle’s customers about the higher standard of care and ethics that they ensure their meat sources follow.

Edited images can also be analyzed from other aspects. For example, one could explain how meaning is created by the specific arrangement in shots, their collisions with each other, and the presence of visual motifs “echoing” through subsequent shots.

For instance, in the edited shots from Patar and Aubier’s movie  A Town Called Panic  (2009) the editing of the kitchen shot and the snow shot serves two purposes. One purpose is to further the logical chronological development of the story. The other purpose is to add humor. Because being asleep for an entire summer is impossibly long, it adds absurd humor.

Hopefully, the brief foray into the various cinematic aspects that one could examine was helpful. The world of film analysis is vast and wide, offering a fecund source for analytical and cinematic exploration and creation.

-Developed by Kyla Donato  

Click here to return to the “writing place resources” main page..

Film Analysis

What this handout is about.

This handout introduces film analysis and and offers strategies and resources for approaching film analysis assignments.

Writing the film analysis essay

Writing a film analysis requires you to consider the composition of the film—the individual parts and choices made that come together to create the finished piece. Film analysis goes beyond the analysis of the film as literature to include camera angles, lighting, set design, sound elements, costume choices, editing, etc. in making an argument. The first step to analyzing the film is to watch it with a plan.

Watching the film

First it’s important to watch the film carefully with a critical eye. Consider why you’ve been assigned to watch a film and write an analysis. How does this activity fit into the course? Why have you been assigned this particular film? What are you looking for in connection to the course content? Let’s practice with this clip from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). Here are some tips on how to watch the clip critically, just as you would an entire film:

• Give the clip your undivided attention at least once. Pay close attention to details and make observations that might start leading to bigger questions.
• Watch the clip a second time. For this viewing, you will want to focus specifically on those elements of film analysis that your class has focused on, so review your course notes. For example, from whose perspective is this clip shot? What choices help convey that perspective? What is the overall tone, theme, or effect of this clip?
• Take notes while you watch for the second time. Notes will help you keep track of what you noticed and when, if you include timestamps in your notes. Timestamps are vital for citing scenes from a film!

For more information on watching a film, check out the Learning Center’s handout on watching film analytically . For more resources on researching film, including glossaries of film terms, see UNC Library’s research guide on film & cinema .

Brainstorming ideas

Once you’ve watched the film twice, it’s time to brainstorm some ideas based on your notes. Brainstorming is a major step that helps develop and explore ideas. As you brainstorm, you may want to cluster your ideas around central topics or themes that emerge as you review your notes. Did you ask several questions about color? Were you curious about repeated images? Perhaps these are directions you can pursue.

If you’re writing an argumentative essay, you can use the connections that you develop while brainstorming to draft a thesis statement . Consider the assignment and prompt when formulating a thesis, as well as what kind of evidence you will present to support your claims. Your evidence could be dialogue, sound edits, cinematography decisions, etc. Much of how you make these decisions will depend on the type of film analysis you are conducting, an important decision covered in the next section.

After brainstorming, you can draft an outline of your film analysis using the same strategies that you would for other writing assignments. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind as you prepare for this stage of the assignment:

• Make sure you understand the prompt and what you are being asked to do. Remember that this is ultimately an assignment, so your thesis should answer what the prompt asks. Check with your professor if you are unsure.
• In most cases, the director’s name is used to talk about the film as a whole, for instance, “Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo .” However, some writers may want to include the names of other persons who helped to create the film, including the actors, the cinematographer, and the sound editor, among others.
• When describing a sequence in a film, use the literary present. An example could be, “In Vertigo , Hitchcock employs techniques of observation to dramatize the act of detection.”
• Finding a screenplay/script of the movie may be helpful and save you time when compiling citations. But keep in mind that there may be differences between the screenplay and the actual product (and these differences might be a topic of discussion!).
• Go beyond describing basic film elements by articulating the significance of these elements in support of your particular position. For example, you may have an interpretation of the striking color green in Vertigo , but you would only mention this if it was relevant to your argument. For more help on using evidence effectively, see the section on “using evidence” in our evidence handout .

Also be sure to avoid confusing the terms shot, scene, and sequence. Remember, a shot ends every time the camera cuts; a scene can be composed of several related shots; and a sequence is a set of related scenes.

Different types of film analysis

As you consider your notes, outline, and general thesis about a film, the majority of your assignment will depend on what type of film analysis you are conducting. This section explores some of the different types of film analyses you may have been assigned to write.

Semiotic analysis

Semiotic analysis is the interpretation of signs and symbols, typically involving metaphors and analogies to both inanimate objects and characters within a film. Because symbols have several meanings, writers often need to determine what a particular symbol means in the film and in a broader cultural or historical context.

For instance, a writer could explore the symbolism of the flowers in Vertigo by connecting the images of them falling apart to the vulnerability of the heroine.

Here are a few other questions to consider for this type of analysis:

• What objects or images are repeated throughout the film?
• How does the director associate a character with small signs, such as certain colors, clothing, food, or language use?
• How does a symbol or object relate to other symbols and objects, that is, what is the relationship between the film’s signs?

Many films are rich with symbolism, and it can be easy to get lost in the details. Remember to bring a semiotic analysis back around to answering the question “So what?” in your thesis.

Narrative analysis

Narrative analysis is an examination of the story elements, including narrative structure, character, and plot. This type of analysis considers the entirety of the film and the story it seeks to tell.

For example, you could take the same object from the previous example—the flowers—which meant one thing in a semiotic analysis, and ask instead about their narrative role. That is, you might analyze how Hitchcock introduces the flowers at the beginning of the film in order to return to them later to draw out the completion of the heroine’s character arc.

To create this type of analysis, you could consider questions like:

• How does the film correspond to the Three-Act Structure: Act One: Setup; Act Two: Confrontation; and Act Three: Resolution?
• What is the plot of the film? How does this plot differ from the narrative, that is, how the story is told? For example, are events presented out of order and to what effect?
• Does the plot revolve around one character? Does the plot revolve around multiple characters? How do these characters develop across the film?

When writing a narrative analysis, take care not to spend too time on summarizing at the expense of your argument. See our handout on summarizing for more tips on making summary serve analysis.

Cultural/historical analysis

One of the most common types of analysis is the examination of a film’s relationship to its broader cultural, historical, or theoretical contexts. Whether films intentionally comment on their context or not, they are always a product of the culture or period in which they were created. By placing the film in a particular context, this type of analysis asks how the film models, challenges, or subverts different types of relations, whether historical, social, or even theoretical.

For example, the clip from Vertigo depicts a man observing a woman without her knowing it. You could examine how this aspect of the film addresses a midcentury social concern about observation, such as the sexual policing of women, or a political one, such as Cold War-era McCarthyism.

A few of the many questions you could ask in this vein include:

• How does the film comment on, reinforce, or even critique social and political issues at the time it was released, including questions of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality?
• How might a biographical understanding of the film’s creators and their historical moment affect the way you view the film?
• How might a specific film theory, such as Queer Theory, Structuralist Theory, or Marxist Film Theory, provide a language or set of terms for articulating the attributes of the film?

Take advantage of class resources to explore possible approaches to cultural/historical film analyses, and find out whether you will be expected to do additional research into the film’s context.

Mise-en-scène analysis

A mise-en-scène analysis attends to how the filmmakers have arranged compositional elements in a film and specifically within a scene or even a single shot. This type of analysis organizes the individual elements of a scene to explore how they come together to produce meaning. You may focus on anything that adds meaning to the formal effect produced by a given scene, including: blocking, lighting, design, color, costume, as well as how these attributes work in conjunction with decisions related to sound, cinematography, and editing. For example, in the clip from Vertigo , a mise-en-scène analysis might ask how numerous elements, from lighting to camera angles, work together to present the viewer with the perspective of Jimmy Stewart’s character.

To conduct this type of analysis, you could ask:

• What effects are created in a scene, and what is their purpose?
• How does this scene represent the theme of the movie?
• How does a scene work to express a broader point to the film’s plot?

This detailed approach to analyzing the formal elements of film can help you come up with concrete evidence for more general film analysis assignments.

Reviewing your draft

Once you have a draft, it’s helpful to get feedback on what you’ve written to see if your analysis holds together and you’ve conveyed your point. You may not necessarily need to find someone who has seen the film! Ask a writing coach, roommate, or family member to read over your draft and share key takeaways from what you have written so far.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Aumont, Jacques, and Michel Marie. 1988. L’analyse Des Films . Paris: Nathan.

Media & Design Center. n.d. “Film and Cinema Research.” UNC University Libraries. Last updated February 10, 2021. https://guides.lib.unc.edu/filmresearch .

Oxford Royale Academy. n.d. “7 Ways to Watch Film.” Oxford Royale Academy. Accessed April 2021. https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/7-ways-watch-films-critically/ .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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6 Ways to Prepare for Applying to a Film School or Film Major

• Walk the walk, friend  It is easy to say you want to be a filmmaker. Watch: “I want to be a filmmaker.” There, it’s literally that easy. What’s not easy is producing a body of actual work. If you are a filmmaker, even an aspiring filmmaker, you should be making films! Every weekend, over your summer, with friends, with enemies, however you can get it done. But this is NOT about creating a portfolio. (More on that later.) It’s about learning technical and storytelling skills and finding your own voice. Even if some of the movies turn out “bad,” you will learn something! It’s not like you will be forced to screen your movies for anyone. Speaking of which…
• Screen your movies for people Yes, even the bad ones. Allow people to critique your films and give yourself the opportunity to see others’ work. This will give you new ideas and help you figure out if there is a better/easier/cheaper way you could be making the kinds of films you want to make. You may also meet a collaborator!
• Attend a summer film program  While, yes, you can and should “learn by doing,” that can sometimes be a daunting task. Oftentimes students will want a guide before they jump right into making their own films. Luckily, there are several summer filmmaking opportunities for high school students-whether you want to direct, write or produce. Or even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do yet. Here a just a few, NYU being perhaps the most prestigious. – NYU – New York Film Academy –  USC –  UCLA
• Prepare an “Artist’s Statement” If you’re a rising senior, this one’s for you. Not every school will ask for this, but it’s still good to have because it will answer a question that ALL school applications will ask: Why do you want to apply to your major? If that major is film, you will want to have a clear, compelling answer to: a. Why are you interested in film in the first place? To entertain? To change people’s minds? To change the world? b. What are your greatest achievements so far? If you won a festival and are an expert on RED camera cinematography, that’s awesome. If not, don’t worry about it! Plenty of great films have been made on iPhones , and what schools  really  care about most is your storytelling chops. c. What kind of films do you want to make? This will connect part a with part b. Maybe you have only ever shot a film in your backyard, but you want to make $200M superhero movies, that is a pretty good reason to say you need to go to film school.
• Prepare your portfolio  Boy, it’s a good thing you made all those movies with your friends/enemies over your weekends/summers! Cause now you need to bring together a killer “5-minute reel” from them. I know that sounds really short, but think of it this way: the people viewing your films will have to watch hours and hours (and hours) of student films even with this short running time. They may even want to re-watch certain films a second time. If they had to watch 30-minute portfolios-well, they just wouldn’t. Choose the films that show your passion, your unique voice and your storytelling talent-not just the ones with the best production value. You can be taught ways to increase production value; passion, not so much… If you have one really killer film (or a killer 5-minute section from a 4-hour masterpiece) just use that. It will give the impression that all your work is that good. If, on the other hand, you just can’t decide what’s your best piece, cut together 2-3 clips from your greatest hits. (Don’t go below ~30 seconds for any one film or else the viewer won’t really be able to get a sense of the film.) Can’t decide what your best films are because you spent your blood, sweat and tears on each one and consider them all your babies? See: “# 2, Screen your movies for people.” Which of your films do  others  like?
• Write your creative resume A creative resume is much like a regular resume, just more focused. It should include only film or other creative activities (painting, photography, architecture, web design…).  Be sure to include your role(s), the equipment used so they know your amazing technical skills, any special circumstances involved, and if it won any sweet awards! Here’s some formatting help for each bullet point:
• Director/Writer/Photographer/Editor
• Filmed on BlackMagic Pocket Cinema 4K; edited on Adobe Premiere
• Awarded Best Surreal Dramedy at Surreal Dramedy Awards, 2019
• Filmed on location in a raft in the middle of the Ocean/Raised $10,000 for charity/etc…

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Film, Television & Digital Media (BA)

How to apply

First-year applicants.

You may apply for admission as a first-year if you meet the following criteria You’re currently in high school. Or, you’ve already graduated from high school, but haven’t yet enrolled in a regular session at a college or university.

For first-years, the Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television is a four-year program consisting primarily of two years of general college studies and two years of major coursework.

Transfer Applicants

You may apply for admission as a transfer if you meet the following criteria: You graduated from high school and completed college-level coursework in a regular session at any college or university since your graduation. Note: You cannot disregard your college record and apply as a freshman. We do not accept applications from students seeking second baccalaureate degrees. For transfer students, the Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television is a two-year program for those who have completed two years of general college studies.

Current UCLA Students | Change of Major

For current UCLA students, the Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television is a two-year program for those who have completed two years of general college studies. The Department of Film, Television and Digital Media (FTVDM) admits Change of Major students only once each year for the Fall Quarter.

How to Apply

Choose applicant Type to Learn how to apply

APPLICATION WORKSHEET AND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY

October 1 – November 30, 2023

UC Application

Complete the University of California Application for Undergraduate Admission .

• For more information about UCLA Undergraduate Admissions, go to: http://www.admission.ucla.edu/

Deadline: December 7, 2023

Supplemental Application

Complete the Undergraduate FTVDM Supplemental Application .

• Note: This is not the same login used for the UC Application.

Complete all required information.

• Indicate areas of interest within Film.
• Personal Essay (2 page max)
• Life Challenge Essay (2 page max)
• Critical Essay (3 page max)
• Creative Writing (5 page max)
• Enter the names and emails of all recommenders into the Undergraduate FTVDM Supplemental Application.
• Upload unofficial copies of all transcripts.

By the time of entrance, Freshman Applicants must:

• Have at least a 3.0 GPA (CA Residents) or 3.4 GPA (Non-CA Residents)
• Satisfy the University of California’s General Freshman Admission Requirements.

October 1–November 30, 2023

• For more information on UCLA Undergraduate Admissions, go to: http://www.admission.ucla.edu/

Deadline: January 11, 2024

• Must be completed ONLINE by January 11, 2024 .
• Select the GE Plan completed. For information on the TFT General Education requirements, visit http://www.tft.ucla.edu/ge .
• Personal Essay (2 page max).
• Critical Essay (3 page max).
• Creative Writing (5 page max).
• Enter the names and emails of all recommenders into the film Undergraduate Supplemental Application
• Unofficial copies of all transcripts.

By the time of entrance, Transfer Applicants must:

Have at least a 3.2 GPA.

Satisfy the University of California’s General Transfer Admission Requirements .

Complete a minimum of 60 semester/90 quarter units of transferable work.

Complete ONE of the following General Education Plans:

UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television GE Requirements .

Another UC campus GE Requirements.

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) at a California Community College.

Change of Major

December 9, 2023 – January 11, 2024

Online Application

Complete the Undergraduate Program Change Petition

• Email [email protected] to receive a Fee Waiver Code.
• Completed Program Change Petition
• Life Challenge Essay (2 page max).
• Submit Unofficial UCLA Transcripts.

By the time of entrance, Change of Major Applicants must:

Enroll at UCLA in Winter & Spring Quarters of the current academic year.

Complete a minimum of 90 and not exceed a maximum of 135 quarter units of coursework.

Another UCLA Major GE Requirements.

Home — Application Essay — Engineering Schools — Film: College Admission Essay Sample

Film: College Admission Essay Sample

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Words: 764 |

Published: Jul 18, 2018

Words: 764 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

My friends and family have always known that I'm a person with high aspirations. But aspirations matter little unless they motivate hard work and action. I don't think I surprised my parents the day I announced I would become a filmmaker. They glanced at each other and smiled politely. What they did not realize was that my passion for filmmaking wasn't just a phase and that I wasn't just dreaming about making it my career.

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'Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned'?

Just a few short years later I found myself pacing back and forth within the confines of Raw Productions studios. My pacing, I soon realized, was the aftermath of caffeine consumption and sleep deprivation. But I was sleep deprived for a reason-it's hard to find enough hours in the day while filming a new reality TV show. I always had something to do, whether it was using my interpersonal skills to secure locations or get people to sign talent release forms, or using my video expertise to capture candid moments on camera or edit footage on Final Cut Pro. It was only the second week of our thirteen week shoot, and our team had already run into several roadblocks. I was stressed out, tired, and anxious-but somehow, I loved every minute of it.

My extensive video background earned me the privilege of being part of the crew for this reality TV show. This opportunity was a long time in the making. I set foot into a video production class for the first time during my sophomore year and didn't stop taking video classes until the day I graduated. For those three years, I was totally immersed in my studies-all I did was eat, sleep, and breathe film. I completed two student films; the first was nominated for best cinematography and best movie and the second won best screenplay at my high school's Final Cut Film Festival. Additionally, I created several news segments for our student-run news program, worked on multiple live switches, and made a twenty minute show counting down the top five most influential artists of all time. I had been out of high school for half a year when I spotted an ad posted on a bulletin board at Palomar College for an experienced videographer to film weddings for a company called Golden Tree Productions. I responded, and within a few weeks I had filmed my first wedding at a Temecula winery. By the age of twenty, I landed my job at the 13 Weeks reality TV show. Finally, I had the chance to put my skills and prior knowledge to the test.

Production has ended for 13 Weeks, but my passion for working in the field of film is now stronger than ever. Currently, I am writing out a business plan for the establishment of my own video production company, called Pennyroyal Productions. Pennyroyal Productions will film weddings, birthday parties, and other special events. I will capture my customers' memories with two Panasonic DVX - 100B cameras. Moreover, I will edit the videos to customer specifications with the latest version of Pinnacle Studio Media Suite. Though this entrepreneurial venture is exciting, I plan to use the video production company as a stepping stone to higher, ultimate goals like shooting documentaries and directing feature films. Moreover, I plan to spend a summer semester studying abroad in my original hometown of Prague, Czech Republic. Once there, I aim to take film courses at FAMU, one of the premier film schools in Europe, in order to establish valuable connections and creative dialogue with leading minds in the film industry. But I am confident that I can find inspiration in a place much closer than Prague: as a future film student at San Diego State, I would greatly enjoy studying under Professor Timothy Powell because of his innovative filmmaking techniques. I am particularly interested in learning about the new film time-code process used in his 1998 film, Riding with James Dean and hope to gain some of his insight into filming documentaries.

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Though I find the study of film itself fascinating, I plan to put the knowledge I acquire to good use. I will apply my education at the San Diego State film program to the real world by becoming a director. I aspire to make films that carry power and meaning even outside of the movie theater. The study of film is much more than just learning the techniques and theory of film. Film, when used correctly, is perhaps the best tool we have for study and analysis of our culture and of our own lives.

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2022’s top 25 american film schools, ranked.

From full-funded MFAs to LED walls for new virtual production curriculums, these film programs are trying to entice and educate the next generation of blockbuster directors and award-winning auteurs.

By Mia Galuppo

Mia Galuppo

Film Writer

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How do you prepare students for an entertainment industry in a constant state of flux? For some, the answer is LED walls. Schools ranging from Chapman to Cal State Northridge are doubling down on digital production in an effort to prepare their students for industry. And while rising tuition costs have would-be filmmakers worried, schools are increasing scholarships or offering fully funded MFAs.

These 25(ish) programs offer students the best chance at navigating Hollywood’s changing terrain.

1. American Film Institute

Related stories, 2023 top 25 american film schools, ranked, 2021's top 25 american film schools, ranked.

The prestigious graduate program consistently churns out Oscar winners, including CODA director and 2022 Oscar winner Sian Heder, and blockbuster directors, and has made an effort to diversify its student body. Over half of the incoming students are women, and nearly half are filmmakers of color — all are eligible for new funds like the Halyna Hutchins Memorial Scholarship. This year, AFI’s speaker seminars were an Oscar fest, including the likes of Guillermo del Toro, Denis Villeneuve and Maggie Gyllenhaal, while professors are still notably active in the industry, like cinematography head Stephen Lighthill, who was reelected as the ASC president. “More than anything, I wanted to find those essential creative collaborators,” AFI grad and Sundance breakout Chloe Okuno says of the school’s main perk.

TUITION $65,800 (graduate)

ALUMNI Patty Jenkins, Ari Aster, Sam Esmail

2. New York University

The Tisch School of the Arts will launch an academic and production institute in honor of alumnus Martin Scorsese thanks to a gift from George Lucas and Mellody Hobson. The institute will feature a major virtual production facility, as well as support for student scholarships. In the coming academic year, the graduate program will continue its mentorship program, which pairs students with filmmakers — the inaugural year brought in Isabel Sandoval and Raven Jackson.

TUITION $63,000 (undergraduate); $68,000 (graduate)

ALUMNI Chloé Zhao, Dee Rees

3. University of Southern California

LOS ANGELES

TUITION $63,468 (undergrad); $37,149-$54,461 (graduate)

ALUMNI Ryan Coogler, Jon M. Chu

4. Chapman University

ORANGE, CALIFORNIA

Drawing names like Lorenzo di Bonaventura to teach classes, while adding high-end tech like a fleet of RED Komodo cameras, the Dodge College continues to impress. It also offers production students subsidies up to $15,000 for theses. The school opened a new career center to help with the post-graduate transition into the industry, but students are succeeding while still in school, like Phumi Morare, who took home the top narrative prize at the most recent Student Academy Awards. “Prior to film school, we had mostly worked with each other,” says alumni and Stranger Things creators the Duffer brothers. “Suddenly, we were collaborating with dozens of peers to achieve one goal, one vision.”

TUITION $60,290 (undergrad); $46,936 TO $49,788 (graduate)

ALUMNI The Duffer brothers, Justin Simien, Carlos López Estrada

SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA

TUITION $54,440

ALUMNI Tim Burton, Brad Bird

6. Emerson College

Emerson’s reach expands to an L.A. outpost on Sunset Boulevard as well as global opportunities in Paris and the Netherlands. Back in Beantown, a new Visual and Media Arts directing studio was inaugurated in 2021, and curriculum additions include such classes as The Art of Anti-Racist Media Making and Accessible Cinema, the latter of which teaches students to produce captions and audio descriptions for non-auditory and low-vision audiences. “What I loved about the Emerson experience is the latitude, creative freedom and support we had to find our voices,” says Oscar-nominated Raya and the Last Dragon writer Adele Lim. “As a foreign student who grew up in a more restrictive culture, this was revolutionary.”

TUITION $51,264 (undergrad); $1,322 (per credit graduate)

ALUMNI Richard LaGravenese, Erik Messerschmidt

7. Columbia University

TUITION $69,152 (undergrad); $65,620 (graduate)

ALUMNI Kathryn Bigelow, James Mangold, Jennifer Lee

8. Loyola Marymount University

This summer, LMU brought in former UNC School of the Arts program head Joanne Moore as the long-awaited replacement for Peggy Rajski, and the Westchester campus appointed Charles Swanson as associate dean of DEI. Recently, LMU hosted a pitch event for individuals who completed their Film Independent Story Development Incubator Lab, a one-year program that preps alumni to dive headfirst into the industry. 

TUITION $54,630 (undergrad); $26,226-$34,968 (graduate)

ALUMNI Francis Lawrence; How I Met Your Father writer Karen Joseph Adcock

TUITION (undergrad) $13,804 resident, $31,026 nonresident; (graduate) $17,756 resident, $32,858 nonresident

ALUMNI Dustin Lance Black, Gina Prince-Bythewood

10. University of North Carolina School of the Arts

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

America’s first public arts conservatory, UNCSA now has Deborah LaVine leading the filmmaking program. This fall, it launches an Anthology Production Lab dedicated to producing a 13-episode streaming series, and Emily Spivey will teach Acting for Animators.

TUITION (undergrad) $6,497 resident, $23,731 nonresident; (graduate) $9,196 resident, $23,899 nonresident

ALUMNI Danny McBride; Mare of Easttown director Craig Zobel

11. University of Texas at Austin

Filmmaking to Decolonize and Social Justice Filmmaking are two additions to the production curriculum, a part of the school’s commitment to DEI. Faculty includes filmmakers like Iliana Sosa, whose doc What We Leave Behind just premiered at SXSW, while alumni spans both above- and below-the-line talent like Wes Anderson and Oscar-winning sound designer Mac Ruth ( Dune ).

TUITION (undergrad) $11,230 resident, $39,756 nonresident; (graduate) $9,996 resident, $18,816 nonresident

ALUMNI Glen Powell; Shang-Chi writer Andrew Lanham

12. Columbia College Chicago

TUITION $31,026 (undergrad); $35,000 (graduate)

ALUMNI Lena Waithe, George Tillman Jr.

13. Wesleyan University

MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT

A small liberal-arts school with a vast alumni roster of boldfaced names, Wesleyan’s film studies are primarily focused on analysis, which breeds auteurs. Students enjoy the use of the recently completed Jeanine Basinger Center, which houses three theaters, a production wing and archives. With a big private school price tag, the school additionally offers three filmmaking grants for first-generation and BIPOC film majors as well as Career Transition Grants. Star Trek: Discovery EP and program alum Alex Kurtzman says of beloved professor Basinger (now retired), “Jeanine told me that if I really wanted to be a screenwriter, I should take drum lessons. At the time I had no idea what she meant, but of course she was exactly right: I understood that screenwriting is all about rhythm and pace.”

TUITION $63,722

ALUMNI Lin-Manuel Miranda

14. Florida State University

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA

TUITION (undergrad) $6,517 resident, $21,683 nonresident; (graduate) $14,379 resident, $33,300 nonresident

ALUMNI Barry Jenkins; Father of the Bride writer Matt Lopez

15. DePaul University

Thanks to an eight-figure donation, the School of Cinematic Arts is rich with resources to help students with tuition and state-of-the-art equipment. Also new are advisory boards, including one tied to the Second City comedy degree — Keegan-Michael Key and Steve Carell have signed on.

TUITION $42,189 (undergrad); $23,400-$32,000 (graduate)

ALUMNI John C. Reilly, Gillian Anderson

16. Ithaca College

ITHACA, NEW YORK

The school is constructing The Cube, a volume stage featuring LED panels on the floor, ceiling and walls — akin to what The Mandalorian uses for its production. The construction comes as Ithaca changes one of its degree names from Television-Radio to Television & Digital Media Production to reflect the state of Hollywood. Liz Tigelaar, showrunner of Little Fires Everywhere , still treasures her time in Elisabeth Nonas’ writing class: “We wrote a group Seinfeld script, and I loved the process of pitching jokes.”

TUITION $48,126

ALUMNI David Boreanaz, Rachel Lee Goldenberg, Mike Royce

17. Boston University

TUITION $61,050

ALUMNI Benny Safdie, Jim Gianopulos

18. Syracuse University

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

The Newhouse School now allows students to spend a semester working at Lionsgate Studios. It has added a Talent Management Clinic, while new tracks of study include media innovation, entertainment business and custom study in entertainment media.

TUITION $58,440 (undergrad); $32,436 (graduate)

ALUMNI Rob Edwards, Dan Silver

19. ArtCenter College of Design

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

ArtCenter boasts a tactile approach to the business, and thanks in part to a donation from alumnus Zack Snyder, students have access to the renovated Ahmanson Auditorium, where they can use the Dolby Atmos sound system, and the 4K digital screen to color-correct films.

TUITION $48,942 (undergrad); $51,726 (graduate)

ALUMNI Michael Bay; Pulp Fiction co-writer Roger Avary

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

TUITION $39,105 (undergrad) $40,050 (graduate)

ALUMNI Dune VFX artist Austin Bonang

21. Ringling College

SARASOTA, FLORIDA

Known for its animation endeavors, as well as curriculum that prepares students for music video production and branded content, Ringling also offers more than 30,000 square feet of soundstage and production space. Student Alexander Tullo was recognized with a 2nd place honor at this year’s Student Academy Awards for their animated short, “Barking Orders.”

TUITION $48,110

ALUMNI Editor Andrew Halley

22. Rhode Island School of Design

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Best known for experimental and digital arts, RISD offers high-minded courses on topics like the relationship between music and moving images and how technology can be used to engage remote audiences with live performance. Ryan Cunningham, an alum and head of Running Man Post, says of his experience: “The tenets of my RISD education were problem-solving with design, out-of-the-box thinking, and the ability to critique.”

TUITION $56,435

ALUMNI Gus Van Sant

23. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College

TUITION $21,134 resident; $30,564 nonresident

ALUMNI More Happiness director Livia Huang

24. Howard University

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The film program at Howard is the only MFA offered at an HBCU. Since 1983, the school has had an independent filmmaking focus, pairing practical production with film theory courses that cover African Cinema and postcolonial Third Cinema. In July it was announced that Disney would be partnering with the university for a storytellers fund that will provide stipends for student projects across mediums.

TUITION $33,860 (graduate)

ALUMNI Selma cinematographer Bradford Young

25. California State University Northridge (tie)

NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA

TUITION $7,064 (undergrad); $8,498 (graduate)

ALUMNI Lionsgate vp production Ami Cohen

25. Northwestern University (tie)

As documentaries continue to dominate Netflix’s most-watched lists, Northwestern, with a famed journalism program, offers the courses to help students navigate the nonfiction boom. Recent visiting artists included Oscar-nominated doc filmmaker Garrett Bradley, while Professor Marco Williams, Emmy nominated for Tulsa Burning , recently earned a grant from the National Endowment for his next documentary project. Taking a step toward making graduate degrees in the arts more attainable, especially for students of color, the university is fully funding its MFA programs beginning with the 2022-23 school year.

TUITION $62,391 (undergrad)

ALUMNI Seth Meyers, Greg Berlanti, Zach Braff, Stephen Colbert, Ashley Nicole Black

In order to decide which programs make up The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 25 American Film Schools list— and then where they end up within the list — calls are made to knowledgable industry players to determine what each school’s reputation is within greater Hollywood. Also taken into consideration are the changes the school has made year-over-year (for example, whether an Oscar winner was hired to teach screenwriting students about story structure). Finally, THR looks at the alma maters of the past year’s top awards-season winners, film festival breakouts, and box office stars.

Alternative New York and California Film Schools

Many of the top film programs in North America are housed inside private colleges and universities, meaning tuition costs are an outsized financial factor when students are pursuing an education in filmmaking.

Student loan debt is an ever-increasing concern as tuition costs continue to rise. And for an impacted industry like entertainment with uncertain employment prospects, the cost can give many would-be filmmakers increased anxiety. With this in mind, THR has compiled a list of state and community college programs in or near entertainment hubs of Los Angeles and New York City .  

City College of New York

The only BFA in film offered in New York City, the program at City College sees 25 students follow a two-year curriculum focused on single-camera fiction production and documentary filmmaking. Students, who pay an in-state tuition of $7,340, will produce thesis films that can be either narrative or doc shorts.

SUNY Stony Brook

Christine Vachon and her Killer Films helped to build out the curriculum for the MFA film program, while the school’s MFA in Television Writing was built by TV writing instructor Alan Kingsberg. Students have had their work screened in the Atlanta Film Festival, DOC NYC and the New York Short Film Festival.

Purchase College, State University of New York

Rutgers University

Yes, it’s in New Jersey, but the school is NYC-adjacent and houses a BFA in filmmaking program, where students learn with high-end cameras, and a dedicated Documentary Film Lab. In the past year, its visiting filmmaker series has brought in names like White Tiger director Ramin Bahrani.

Cal State Long Beach

The school offers a B.A. and a minor from the Department of Film & Electronic Arts, where students can focus on theory or narrative production. Classes range from Intro to Production Design to Writing the Short Script.

Cal State Los Angeles

CSU has a yearly tuition of $6,781 for in-state students, offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Industry partners include Adobe and the Sundance Institute, and its Television, Film & Media Center houses a 2,300-square-foot soundstage, a 20-camera full-body motion capture system and sound recording rooms.

Santa Monica City College

Associate degrees in film production and film studies are offered from the West L.A. campus, with the film program having launched in 2010. Recently, the student short film “The War Within” — written and directed by SMC film student Marta D’Ocon — screened at the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the American Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival.

San Francisco State University

Update Aug. 5, 3 p.m. A version of this story previously listed Joanne Moore as the former dean of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She was the chair of the Producing Department.

This story first appeared in the Aug. 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe .

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How to Write the University of California Essays 2023-2024

The University of California (UC) school system is the most prestigious state university system in the United States and includes nine undergraduate universities: UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Merced, and UC Irvine.

The University of California system has its own application portal, as well as its own deadline of November 30th—a full month before the Common Application is due. All nine universities use one application, so it is easy to apply to multiple UCs at the same time. 

The application requires you to answer four of eight personal insight questions, with a 350-word limit on each prompt. This may seem daunting at first, but we provide this guide to make the prompts more approachable and to help you effectively tackle them! 

University of California Application Essay Prompts

Note: There is only one application for all the UC schools, so your responses will be sent to every University of California school that you apply to. You should avoid making essays school-specific (unless you are applying to only one school).

You might want to start by deciding which four of the eight prompts you plan on answering. The eight prompts are:

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

2. every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. describe how you express your creative side., 3. what would you say is your greatest talent or skill how have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time, 4. describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced., 5. describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. how has this challenge affected your academic achievement, 6. think about an academic subject that inspires you. describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom., 7. what have you done to make your school or your community a better place, 8. beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the university of california.

As you begin selecting prompts, keep the purpose of college essays at the forefront of your mind. College essays are the place to humanize yourself and transform your test scores, GPA, and extracurriculars into a living, breathing human with values, ambitions, and a backstory. If a specific prompt will allow you to show a part of who you are that is not showcased in the rest of your application, start there. 

If nothing immediately jumps out at you, try dividing the prompts into three categories: “definites,” “possibilities,” and “avoids at all costs.” “Definites” will be prompts that quickly spark up a specific idea in you. “Possibilities” might elicit a few loose concepts, anecdotes, or structures. And “avoids” are prompts where you honestly cannot see yourself writing a convincing essay. Next, take your “definites” and “possibilities” and jot down your initial thoughts about them. Finally, look at all of your ideas together and decide which combination would produce the most well-rounded essay profile that shows who you are as an individual.

Of course, this is just one way to approach choosing prompts if you are stuck. Some students might prefer writing out a list of their values, identifying the most important ones in their life, then figuring out how to showcase those through the prompts. Other students select prompts based on what they are excited by or through freewriting on every prompt first. Do not feel constrained by any one method. Just remember:

• Do not rush into prompts at first glance (though trial writing can be very valuable!).
• Make sure that you consider potential ideas for many prompts before making final decisions, and ultimately write about the one with the most substance.
• The prompts you select should allow you to highlight what is most important to you.

Check out our video to learn more about how to write the UC essays!

The 8 UC Personal Insight Questions

“Leadership Experience” is often a subheading on student resumes, but that is not what admissions officers are asking about here. They are asking for you to tell them a specific story of a time when your leadership truly mattered. This could include discussing the policies you enacted as president of a school club or the social ties you helped establish as captain of a sports team, but this prompt also gives you the freedom to go past that.

Leaders are individuals with strong values, who mentor, inspire, correct, and assist those around them. If you don’t feel like you’ve ever been a leader, consider the following questions:

• Have you ever mentored anyone? Is there anyone younger than you who would not be the person they are today without you?
• Have you ever taken the initiative? When and why did it matter?
• Have you ever been fundamental to positive change in the world—whether it be on the small scale of positively impacting a family member’s life or on the large scale of trying to change the status of specific communities/identities in this world?
• Have you ever stood up for what’s right or what you believe in?

Leadership is a concept that can be stretched, bent, and played with, but at the end of the day, the central theme of your essay must be leadership. Keeping this in mind, after your first draft, it can be helpful to identify the definition of leadership that you are working with, to keep your essay cohesive. This definition doesn’t need to appear within the essay (though, if you take on a more reflective structure, it might). Some examples of this include “being a positive role model as leadership,” “encouraging others to take risks as leadership,” and “embracing my identities as leadership.”

Here are some examples of how a leadership essay might look:

• You’ve always loved learning and challenging yourself, but when you got to high school it was clear that only a certain type of student was recommended to take AP classes and you didn’t fit into that type. You presented a strong case to the school counselors that you were just as prepared for AP classes as anyone else, enrolled in your desired classes, and excelled. Since then, AP classes have become more diversified at your school and there has even been a new inclusion training introduced for your district’s school counselors. 
• When you were working as a camp counselor, the art teacher brought you two of your campers who were refusing to get along. To mediate the conflict, you spent long hours before bed talking to them individually, learning about their personal lives and family situation. By understanding where each camper came from, you were better equipped to help them reach a compromise and became a role model for both campers.
• As a member of your school’s Chinese organization, you were driven by your ethnic heritage to devote your lunch breaks to ensuring the smooth presentation of the Chinese culture show. You coordinated the performers, prepared refreshments, and collected tickets. You got through a great performance, even though a performer didn’t show and some of the food was delivered late. You weren’t on the leadership board or anything, but exhibited serious leadership, as both nights of the culture show sold out and hundreds of both Chinese and non-Chinese people were able to come together and celebrate your culture.

Like the last prompt, this prompt asks about a specific topic—creativity—but gives you wiggle room to expand your definition of that topic. By defining creativity as problem-solving, novel thinking, and artistic expression, this prompt basically says “get creative in how you define creativity!” 

Additionally, this broad conception of creativity lets you choose if you want to write about your personal life or your academic life. A robotics student could write about their love of baking on the weekends or their quick thinking during a technical interview. A dance student could write about their love of adapting choreography from famous ballets or their innovative solution to their dance team’s lack of funds for their showcase. You have space to do what you want!

That said, because this prompt is so open, it is important to establish a focus early on. Try thinking about what is missing from your application. If you are worried that your application makes you seem hyper-academic, use this prompt to show how you have fun. If you are worried that you might be appearing like one of those students who just gets good grades because they have a good memory, use this prompt to show off your problem-solving skills.

Also, keep in mind that you don’t have to describe any skill in creative pursuits as you answer this prompt. The prompt asks you how you express your “creative side,” alluding to creative instinct, not creative talent. You could write about how you use painting to let out your emotions—but your paintings aren’t very good. You could write about dancing in the shower to get excited for your day—but one time you slipped and fell and hurt your elbow. Experiences like these could make for a great reflective essay, where you explore the human drive towards creative expression and your acceptance that you personally don’t have to be creatively inclined to let out creative energy.

Some examples:

• A math student writing about a time they devised a non-textbook method to proving theorems 
• A creative writer describing how they close-read the ups-and-downs of classical music as an attempt to combat writers’ block and think of emotional trajectories for new stories
• An engineering student writing about cooking as a creative release where numbers don’t matter and intuition supersedes reason
• A psychology student writing about the limitations of quantitative data and describing a future approach to psychology that merges humanism and empiricism.

This is the kind of prompt where an answer either pops into your head or it doesn’t. The good news is that you can write a convincing essay either way. We all have great talents and skills—you just might have to dig a bit to identify the name of the talent/skill and figure out how to best describe it.

Some students have more obvious talents and skills than others. For example, if you are intending to be a college athlete, it makes sense to see your skill at your sport as your greatest talent or skill. Similarly, if you are being accepted into a highly-selective fine arts program, painting might feel like your greatest talent. These are completely reasonable to write about because, while obvious, they are also authentic! 

The key to writing a convincing essay about an obvious skill is to use that skill to explore your personality, values, motivations, and ambitions. Start by considering what first drew you to your specialization. Was there a specific person? Something your life was missing that painting, hockey, or film satisfied? Were you brought up playing your sport or doing your craft because your parents wanted you to and you had to learn to love it? Or choose to love it? What was that process like? What do these experiences say about you? Next, consider how your relationship with your talent has evolved. Have you doubted your devotion at times? Have you wondered if you are good enough? Why do you keep going? On the other hand, is your talent your solace? The stable element in your life? Why do you need that?

The key is to elucidate why this activity is worth putting all your time into, and how your personality strengths are exhibited through your relationship to the activity. 

Do not be put off by this prompt if you have not won any big awards or shown immense talent in something specific. All the prompt asks for is what you think is your greatest talent or skill. Some avenues of consideration for other students include:

• Think about aspects of your personality that might be considered a talent or skill. This might include being a peacemaker, being able to make people laugh during hard times, or having organization skills.
• Think about unique skills that you have developed through unique situations. These would be things like being really good at reading out loud because you spend summers with your grandfather who can no longer read, knowing traffic patterns because you volunteer as a crossing guard at the elementary school across the street that starts 45 minutes before the high school, or making really good pierogi because your babysitter as a child was Polish.
• Think about lessons you have learned through life experiences. A military baby might have a great skill for making new friends at new schools, a child of divorce might reflect on their ability to establish boundaries in what they are willing to communicate about with different people, and a student who has had to have multiple jobs in high school might be talented at multitasking and scheduling. 

Make sure to also address how you have developed and demonstrated your selected talent. Do you put in small amounts of practice every day, or strenuous hours for a couple of short periods each year? Did a specific period of your life lead to the development of your talent or are you still developing it daily? 

The purpose of college essays is to show your values and personality to admissions officers, which often includes exploring your past and how it informs your present and future. With a bit of creativity in how you define a “talent or skill,” this prompt can provide a great avenue for that exploration. 

This prompt offers you two potential paths—discussing an educational opportunity or barrier. It is important that you limit yourself to one of these paths of exploration to keep your essay focused and cohesive. 

Starting with the first option, you should think of an educational opportunity as anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for life and your career. Some examples could include:

• participation in an honors program
• enrollment in an academy geared toward your future profession
• a particularly enlightening conversation with a professional or teacher
• joining a cultural- or interest-based student coalition
• plenty of other opportunities

The phrasing “taken advantage of” implies the admissions committee’s desire for students who take the initiative. Admissions officers are more interested in students who sought out opportunities and who fought to engage with opportunities than students who were handed things. For example, a student who joined a career-advancement afterschool program in middle school could write about why they were initially interested in the program—perhaps they were struggling in a specific subject and didn’t want to fall behind because they had their sights set on getting into National Junior Honor Society, or their friend mentioned that the program facilitated internship opportunities and they thought they wanted to explore therapy as a potential career path.

On the other hand, if an opportunity was handed to you through family connections or a fortuitous introduction, explore what you did with that opportunity. For example, if a family member introduced you to an important producer because they knew you were interested in film, you could write about the notes you took during that meeting and how you have revisited the producer’s advice and used it since the meeting to find cheap equipment rentals and practice your craft.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you have faced, consider the personal characteristics and skills you called upon to overcome the challenge. How did the process of overcoming your educational barrier shape you as a person? What did you learn about yourself or the world? An added plus would be talking about passing it forward and helping those in your purview obtain the knowledge you did from your experiences.

Some examples of educational barriers could include:

• limited access to resources, materials, technology, or classes
• lacking educational role models
• struggles with deciding on a passion or career path
• financial struggles

One example of an interesting essay about educational barriers:

As a student at a school that did not offer any honors classes, you enrolled in online lectures to learn the subject you were passionate about — Human Geography. Afterward, you spoke to your school administrators about high-achieving students needing higher-level courses, and they agreed to talk to the local community college to start a pipeline for students like you.

Either way that you take this prompt, it can be used to position yourself as motivated and driven—exactly the type of student admissions officers are looking for!

This prompt is three-pronged. You must 1) identify a challenge 2) describe the steps you have taken to overcome the challenge and 3) connect the challenge to your academic achievement.

When approaching this prompt, it is best to consider these first and third aspects together so that you identify a challenge that connects to your academic life. If you simply pick any challenge you have experienced, when you get to the third part of the prompt, you may have to stretch your essay in ways that are unconvincing or feel inauthentic.

That said, remember that “academic achievement” reaches far beyond grades and exams. It can include things like:

• Deciding your career goals
• Balancing homework, jobs, and social/familial relationships
• Having enough time to devote to self-care
• Figuring out how you study/learn best
• Feeling comfortable asking for help when you need it

You should begin brainstorming challenges and hardships that you have experienced and overcome. These could include financial hardships, familial circumstances, personal illness, or learning disabilities. Challenges could also be less structural—things like feeling like you are living in a sibling’s shadow, struggles with body image, or insecurity. While it is important that your challenge was significant, it matters much more that you discuss your challenge with thoughtful reflection and maturity.

Some ways to take this prompt include:

• Writing about how overcoming a challenge taught you a skill that led to academic success — for example, a high-achieving student who struggles with anxiety was forced to take time off from school after an anxiety attack and learned the importance of giving oneself a break
• Writing about a challenge that temporarily hindered your academic success and reflecting on it — for example, a student who experienced a death in the family could have had a semester where they almost failed English because reading led to negative thought spirals instead of plot retention
• Writing about how a challenge humbled you and gave you a new perspective on your academics — for example, a student with a part-time job who helps support her family missed a shift because she was studying for a test and realized that she needed to ask her teachers for help and explain her home situation

As you describe the steps you have taken to overcome your selected challenge, you will want to include both tangible and intangible steps. This means that you will need to discuss your emotions, growth, and development, as well as what you learned through overcoming the challenge. Was your challenge easy to overcome or did it take a few tries? Do you feel you have fully overcome your challenge or is it a work in progress? If you have fully overcome the challenge, what do you do differently now? Or do you just see things differently now? If you were to experience the same challenge again, what would you have learned from before?

Here are some detailed examples:

• Your parents underwent a bitter, drawn-out divorce that deeply scarred you and your siblings, especially your little brother who was attending elementary school at the time. He was constantly distraught and melancholy and seemed to be falling further and further behind in his schoolwork. You took care of him, but at the cost of your grades plummeting. However, through this trial, you committed yourself to protecting your family at all costs. You focused on computer science in high school, hoping to major in it and save up enough money for his college tuition by the time he applies. Through this mission, your resolve strengthened and reflected in your more efficient and excellent performance in class later on.
• Your race was the most significant challenge you faced growing up. In school, teachers did not value your opinion nor did they believe in you, as evidenced by their preferential treatment of students of other races. To fight back against this discrimination, you talked to other students of the same race and established an association, pooling together resources and providing a supportive network of people to others in need of counseling regarding this issue.

The first step for approaching this prompt is fun and easy—think about an academic subject that inspires you. This part of the essay is about emotional resonance, so go with your gut and don’t overthink it. What is your favorite subject? What subject do you engage with in the media in your free time? What subject seeps into your conversations with friends and family on the weekends?

Keep in mind that high school subjects are often rather limited. The span of “academic subjects” at the university level is much less limited. Some examples of academic subjects include eighteenth-century literature, political diplomacy, astronomy, Italian film and television, botany, Jewish culture and history, mobile robotics, musical theater, race and class in urban environments, gender and sexuality, and much more.

Once you’ve decided what subject you are most interested in and inspired by, think about a tangible example of how you have furthered your interest in the subject. Some common ways students further their interests include:

• Reading about your interest
• Engaging with media (television, film, social media) about your interest
• Volunteering with organizations related to your interest
• Founding organizations related to your interest
• Reaching out to professionals with your academic interest
• Using your interest in interdisciplinary ways
• Research in your field of interest
• Internships in your field of interest

While you should include these kinds of tangible examples, do not forget to explain how your love for the subject drives the work you do, because, with an essay like this, the why can easily get lost in describing the what . Admissions officers need both.

A few examples:

• You found your US government class fascinatingly complex, so you decided to campaign for a Congressional candidate who was challenging the incumbent in your district. You canvassed in your local community, worked at the campaign headquarters, and gathered voter data whilst performing various administrative duties. Though the work was difficult, you enjoyed a sense of fulfillment that came from being part of history.
• Last year you fell in love with the play Suddenly Last Summer and decided to see what career paths were available for dramatic writing. You reached out to the contact on your local theater’s website, were invited to start attending their guest lecturer series, and introduced yourself to a lecturer one week who ended up helping you score a spot in a Young Dramatic Writers group downtown.
• The regenerative power of cells amazed you, so you decided to take AP Biology to learn more. Eventually, you mustered up the courage to email a cohort of biology professors at your local university. One professor responded, and agreed to let you assist his research for the next few months on the microorganism C. Elegans.
• You continued to develop apps and games even after AP Computer Science concluded for the year. Eventually, you became good enough to land an internship at a local startup due to your self-taught knowledge of various programming languages.

With regards to structure, you might try thinking about this essay in a past/present/future manner where you consider your past engagement with your interest and how it will affect your future at a UC school or as an adult in society. This essay could also become an anecdotal/narrative essay that centers around the story of you discovering your academic interest, or a reflective essay that dives deep into the details of why you are drawn to your particular academic subject.

Whatever way you take it, try to make your essay unique—either through your subject matter, your structure, or your writing style!

College essay prompts often engage with the word “community.” As an essay writer, it is important to recognize that your community can be as large, small, formal, or informal as you want it to be. Your school is obviously a community you belong to, but your local grocery store, the nearby pet adoption center you volunteer at, your apartment building, or an internet group can also be communities. Even larger social groups that you are a part of, like your country or your ethnicity, can be a community. 

The important part of your response here is not the community you identify with but rather the way you describe your role in that community. What do you bring to your community that is special? What would be missing without you?

Some responses could include describing how you serve as a role model in your community, how you advocate for change in your community, how you are a support system for other community members, or how you correct the community when it is veering away from its values and principles.

Here are some fleshed-out examples of how this essay could take shape, using the earlier referenced communities:

• A student writes about the local grocery store in his neighborhood. Each Sunday, he picks up his family’s groceries and then goes to the pharmacy in the back to get his grandmother’s medication. The pharmacist was a close friend of his grandmother’s when she was young, so the student routinely gives the pharmacist a detailed update about his grandmother’s life. The student recognizes the value in his serving as a link to connect these two individuals who, due to aging, cannot be together physically.
• An animal-loving student volunteers one Saturday each month at the pet adoption center in their city’s downtown district. They have always been an extremely compassionate person and view the young kittens as a community that deserves to be cared for. This caring instinct also contributes to their interactions with their peers and their desire to make large-scale positive social change in the world.

Your response to this prompt will be convincing if you discuss your underlying motives for the service you have done, and in turn, demonstrate the positive influence you have made. That said, do not be afraid to talk about your actions even if they did not produce a sweeping change; as long as the effort was genuine, change is change, no matter the scale. This essay is more about values and reflection than it is about the effects of your efforts.

Lastly, if you are discussing a specific service you did for your community, you might want to touch on what you learned through your service action or initiative, and how you will continue to learn in the future. Here are a few examples:

• Passionate about classical music, you created a club that taught classical and instrumental music at local elementary schools. You knew that the kids did not have access to such resources, so you wanted to broaden their exposure as a high school senior had done for you when you were in middle school. You encouraged these elementary schoolers to fiddle with the instruments and lobbied for a music program to be implemented at the school. Whether the proposal gets approved or not, the kids have now known something they might never have known otherwise.
• Working at your local library was mundane at times, but in the long run, you realized that you were facilitating the exchange of knowledge and protecting the intellectual property of eminent scholars. Over time, you found ways to liven up the spirit of the library by leading arts and crafts time and booking puppet shows for little kids whose parents were still at work. The deep relationships you forged with the kids eventually blossomed into a bond of mentorship and mutual respect.

Be authentic and humble in your response to this essay! Make sure it feels like you made your community a better place because community is a value of yours, not just so that you could write about it in a college essay.

This is the most open-ended any question can get. You have the freedom to write about anything you want! That said, make sure that, no matter what you do with this prompt, your focus can be summarized into two sentences that describe the uniqueness of your candidacy.

The process we recommend for responding to open-ended prompts with clarity involves the following steps:

1. On a blank piece of paper, jot down any and every idea — feelings, phrases, and keywords — that pop into your head after reading this prompt. Why are you unique?

2. Narrow your ideas down to one topic. The two examples we will use are a student writing about how her habit of pausing at least five seconds before she responds to someone else’s opinion is emblematic of her thoughtfulness and a student whose interest in researching the history of colonialism in the Caribbean is emblematic of their commitment to justice.

3. Outline the structure of your essay, and plan out content for an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

4. Before you start writing your essay, write one or two sentences that summarize how you would like the admissions officers to perceive you based on this essay. These sentences will not be in your final product, but will help you to maintain a focus. For our examples, this would be something like “Natalie’s habit of gathering her thoughts before responding to other people’s opinions allows her to avoid undesired complications and miscommunications in her social interactions. This has not only helped her maintain strong relationships with all the staff members of the clubs she leads, but will also help her navigate the social environments that she will face in the professional world.” A summary for the student writing about their interest in the history of colonialism could be “Jonathan has always been highly compassionate and sympathetic by nature. When they found out about the historical injustices of colonialism in the Caribbean through the book The Black Jacobins , they realized that compassion is what is missing from politics. Now, they are inspired to pursue a political science degree to ultimately have a political career guided by compassion.”

5. Finally, write an essay dedicated to constructing the image you devised in step 4. This can be achieved through a number of different structures! For example, Natalie could use an anecdote of a time when she spoke too soon and caused someone else pain, then could reflect on how she learned the lesson to take at least five seconds before responding and how that decision has affected her life. Jonathan could create an image of the future where they are enacting local policies based on compassion. It is important to keep in mind that you do not want to be repetitive, but you must stay on topic so that admissions officers do not get distracted and forget the image that you are attempting to convey.

As exemplified by the examples we provided, a good way to approach this prompt is to think of a quality, value, or personality trait of yours that is fundamental to who you are and appealing to admissions officers, then connect it to a specific activity, habit, pet peeve, anecdote, or another tangible example that you can use to ground your essay in reality. Use the tangible to describe the abstract, and convince admissions officers that you would be a valuable asset to their UC school!

Where to Get Your UC Essays Edited

With hundreds of thousands of applicants each year, many receiving top scores and grades, getting into top UC schools is no small feat. This is why excelling in the personal-insight questions is key to presenting yourself as a worthwhile candidate. Answering these prompts can be difficult, but ultimately very rewarding, and CollegeVine is committed to helping you along that journey. Check out these UC essay examples for more writing inspiration.

If you want to get your essays edited, we also have free peer essay review , where you can get feedback from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by editing other students’ essays.

You can also receive expert essay review by advisors who have helped students get into their dream schools. You can book a review with an expert to receive notes on your topic, grammar, and essay structure to make your essay stand out to admissions officers. Haven’t started writing your essay yet? Advisors on CollegeVine also offer  expert college counseling packages . You can purchase a package to get one-on-one guidance on any aspect of the college application process, including brainstorming and writing essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Film Analysis: Example, Format, and Outline + Topics & Prompts

Films are never just films. Instead, they are influential works of art that can evoke a wide range of emotions, spark meaningful conversations, and provide insightful commentary on society and culture. As a student, you may be tasked with writing a film analysis essay, which requires you to delve deeper into the characters and themes. But where do you start?

In this article, our expert team has explored strategies for writing a successful film analysis essay. From prompts for this assignment to an excellent movie analysis example, we’ll provide you with everything you need to craft an insightful film analysis paper.

• 📽️ Film Analysis Definition

📚 Types of Film Analysis

• ✍️ How to Write Film Analysis
• 🎞️ Movie Analysis Prompts
• 🎬 Top 15 Topics

📝 Film Analysis Example

• 🍿 More Examples

🔗 References

📽️ what is a film analysis essay.

A film analysis essay is a type of academic writing that critically examines a film, its themes, characters, and techniques used by the filmmaker. This essay aims to analyze the film’s meaning, message, and artistic elements and explain its cultural, social, and historical significance. It typically requires a writer to pay closer attention to aspects such as cinematography, editing, sound, and narrative structure.

Film Analysis vs Film Review

It’s common to confuse a film analysis with a film review, though these are two different types of writing. A film analysis paper focuses on the film’s narrative, sound, editing, and other elements. This essay aims to explore the film’s themes, symbolism , and underlying messages and to provide an in-depth interpretation of the film.

On the other hand, a film review is a brief evaluation of a film that provides the writer’s overall opinion of the movie. It includes the story’s short summary, a description of the acting, direction, and technical aspects, and a recommendation on whether or not the movie is worth watching.

Wondering what you should focus on when writing a movie analysis essay? Here are four main types of film analysis. Check them out!

📋 Film Analysis Format

The movie analysis format follows a typical essay structure, including a title, introduction, thesis statement, body, conclusion, and references.

The most common citation styles used for a film analysis are MLA and Chicago . However, we recommend you consult with your professor for specific guidelines. Remember to cite all dialogue and scene descriptions from the movie to support the analysis. The reference list should include the analyzed film and any external sources mentioned in the essay.

When referring to a specific movie in your paper, you should italicize the film’s name and use the title case. Don’t enclose the title of the movie in quotation marks.

📑 Film Analysis Essay Outline

A compelling film analysis outline is crucial as it helps make the writing process more focused and the content more insightful for the readers. Below, you’ll find the description of the main parts of the movie analysis essay.

Film Analysis Introduction

Many students experience writer’s block because they don’t know how to write an introduction for a film analysis. The truth is that the opening paragraph for a film analysis paper is similar to any other academic essay:

• Start with a hook to grab the reader’s attention . For example, it can be a fascinating fact or a thought-provoking question related to the film.
• Provide background information about the movie . Introduce the film, including its title, director, and release date. Follow this with a brief summary of the film’s plot and main themes.
• End the introduction with an analytical thesis statement . Present the central argument or interpretation that will be explored in the analysis.

Film Analysis Thesis

If you wonder how to write a thesis for a film analysis, we’ve got you! A thesis statement should clearly present your main idea related to the film and provide a roadmap for the rest of the essay. Your thesis should be specific, concise, and focused. In addition, it should be debatable so that others can present a contrasting point of view. Also, make sure it is supported with evidence from the film.

Let’s come up with a film analysis thesis example:

Through a feminist lens, Titanic is a story about Rose’s rebellion against traditional gender roles, showcasing her attempts to assert her autonomy and refusal to conform to societal expectations prevalent in the early 20th century.

Movie Analysis Main Body

Each body paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the film that supports your main idea. These aspects include themes, characters, narrative devices , or cinematic techniques. You should also provide evidence from the film to support your analysis, such as quotes, scene descriptions, or specific visual or auditory elements.

Here are two things to avoid in body paragraphs:

• Film review . Your analysis should focus on specific movie aspects rather than your opinion of the film.
• Excessive plot summary . While it’s important to provide some context for the analysis, a lengthy plot summary can detract you from your main argument and analysis of the film.

Film Analysis Conclusion

In the conclusion of a movie analysis, restate the thesis statement to remind the reader of the main argument. Additionally, summarize the main points from the body to reinforce the key aspects of the film that were discussed. The conclusion should also provide a final thought or reflection on the film, tying together the analysis and presenting your perspective on its overall meaning.

✍️ How to Write a Film Analysis Essay

Writing a film analysis essay can be challenging since it requires a deep understanding of the film, its themes, and its characters. However, with the right approach, you can create a compelling analysis that offers insight into the film’s meaning and impact. To help you, we’ve prepared a small guide.

1. Understand the Prompt

When approaching a film analysis essay, it is crucial to understand the prompt provided by your professor. For example, suppose your professor asks you to analyze the film from the perspective of Marxist criticism or psychoanalytic film theory . In that case, it is essential to familiarize yourself with these approaches. This may involve studying these theories and identifying how they can be applied to the film.

If your professor did not provide specific guidelines, you will need to choose a film yourself and decide on the aspect you will explore. Whether it is the film’s themes, characters, cinematography, or social context, having a clear focus will help guide your analysis.

2. Watch the Film & Take Notes

Keep your assignment prompt in mind when watching the film for your analysis. For example, if you are analyzing the film from a feminist perspective, you should pay attention to the portrayal of female characters, power dynamics , and gender roles within the film.

As you watch the movie, take notes on key moments, dialogues, and scenes relevant to your analysis. Additionally, keeping track of the timecodes of important scenes can be beneficial, as it allows you to quickly revisit specific moments in the film for further analysis.

3. Develop a Thesis and an Outline

Next, develop a thesis statement for your movie analysis. Identify the central argument or perspective you want to convey about the film. For example, you can focus on the film’s themes, characters, plot, cinematography, or other outstanding aspects. Your thesis statement should clearly present your stance and provide a preview of the points you will discuss in your analysis.

Having created a thesis, you can move on to the outline for an analysis. Write down all the arguments that can support your thesis, logically organize them, and then look for the supporting evidence in the movie.

4. Write Your Movie Analysis

When writing a film analysis paper, try to offer fresh and original ideas on the film that go beyond surface-level observations. If you need some inspiration, have a look at these thought-provoking questions:

• How does the movie evoke emotional responses from the audience through sound, editing, character development , and camera work?
• Is the movie’s setting portrayed in a realistic or stylized manner? What atmosphere or mood does the setting convey to the audience?
• How does the lighting in the movie highlight certain aspects? How does the lighting impact the audience’s perception of the movie’s characters, spaces, or overall mood?
• What role does the music play in the movie? How does it create specific emotional effects for the audience?
• What underlying values or messages does the movie convey? How are these values communicated to the audience?

5. Revise and Proofread

To revise and proofread a film analysis essay, review the content for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Ensure the paper flows logically and each paragraph contributes to the overall analysis. Remember to double-check that you haven’t missed any in-text citations and have enough evidence and examples from the movie to support your arguments.

Consider seeking feedback from a peer or instructor to get an outside perspective on the essay. Another reader can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement.

🎞️ Movie Analysis: Sample Prompts

Now that we’ve covered the essential aspects of a film analysis template, it’s time to choose a topic. Here are some prompts to help you select a film for your analysis.

• Metropolis film analysis essay . When analyzing this movie, you can explore the themes of technology and society or the portrayal of class struggle. You can also focus on symbolism, visual effects, and the influence of German expressionism on the film’s aesthetic.
• The Godfather film analysis essay . An epic crime film, The Godfather , allows you to analyze the themes of power and corruption, the portrayal of family dynamics, and the influence of Italian neorealism on the film’s aesthetic. You can also examine the movie’s historical context and impact on future crime dramas.
• Psycho film analysis essay . Consider exploring the themes of identity and duality, the use of suspense and tension in storytelling, or the portrayal of mental illness. You can also explore the impact of this movie on the horror genre.
• Forrest Gump film analysis essay . If you decide to analyze the Forrest Gump movie, you can focus on the portrayal of historical events. You might also examine the use of nostalgia in storytelling, the character development of the protagonist, and the film’s impact on popular culture and American identity.
• The Great Gatsby film analysis essay . The Great Gatsby is a historical drama film that allows you to analyze the themes of the American Dream, wealth, and class. You can also explore the portrayal of the 1920s Jazz Age and the symbolism of the green light.
• Persepolis film analysis essay . In a Persepolis film analysis essay, you can uncover the themes of identity and self-discovery. You might also consider analyzing the portrayal of the Iranian Revolution and its aftermath, the use of animation as a storytelling device, and the film’s influence on the graphic novel genre.

🎬 Top 15 Film Analysis Essay Topics

• The use of color symbolism in Vertigo and its impact on the narrative.
• The moral ambiguity and human nature in No Country for Old Men .
• The portrayal of ethnicity in Gran Torino and its commentary on cultural stereotypes.
• The cinematography and visual effects in The Hunger Games and their contribution to the dystopian atmosphere.
• The use of silence and sound design in A Quiet Place to immerse the audience.
• The disillusionment and existential crisis in The Graduate and its reflection of the societal norms of the 1960s.
• The themes of sacrifice and patriotism in Casablanca and their relevance to the historical context of World War II.
• The psychological horror in The Shining and its impact on the audience’s experience of fear and tension.
• The exploration of existentialism in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind .
• Multiple perspectives and unreliable narrators in Rashomon .
• The music and soundtrack in Titanic and its contribution to the film’s emotional resonance.
• The portrayal of good versus evil in the Harry Potter film series and its impact on understanding morality.
• The incorporation of vibrant colors in The Grand Budapest Hotel as a visual motif.
• The use of editing techniques to tell a nonlinear narrative in Pulp Fiction .
• The function of music and score in enhancing the emotional impact in Schindler’s List .

Check out the Get Out film analysis essay we’ve prepared for college and high school students. We hope this movie analysis essay example will inspire you and help you understand the structure of this assignment better.

Film Analysis Essay Introduction Example

Get Out, released in 2017 and directed by Jordan Peele, is a culturally significant horror film that explores themes of racism, identity, and social commentary. The film follows Chris, a young African-American man, visiting his white girlfriend’s family for the weekend. This essay will analyze how, through its masterful storytelling, clever use of symbolism, and thought-provoking narrative, Get Out reveals the insidious nature of racism in modern America.

Film Analysis Body Paragraphs Example

Throughout the movie, Chris’s character is subject to various types of microaggression and subtle forms of discrimination. These instances highlight the insidious nature of racism, showing how it can exist even in seemingly progressive environments. For example, during Chris’s visit to his white girlfriend’s family, the parents continuously make racially insensitive comments, expressing their admiration for black physical attributes and suggesting a fascination bordering on fetishization. This sheds light on some individuals’ objectification and exotification of black bodies.

Get Out also critiques the performative allyship of white liberals who claim to be accepting and supportive of the black community. It is evident in the character of Rose’s father, who proclaims: “I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could” (Peele, 2017). However, the film exposes how this apparent acceptance can mask hidden prejudices and manipulation.

Film Analysis Conclusion Example

In conclusion, the film Get Out provides a searing critique of racial discrimination and white supremacy through its compelling narrative, brilliant performances, and skillful direction. By exploring the themes of the insidious nature of racism, fetishization, and performative allyship, Get Out not only entertains but also challenges viewers to reflect on their own biases.

🍿 More Film Analysis Examples

• Social Psychology Theories in The Experiment
• Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader: George Lukas’s Star Wars Review
• Girl, Interrupted : Mental Illness Analysis
• Mental Disorders in the Finding Nemo Film
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Film: Interpretive Psychological Analysis
• Analysis of Spielberg’s Film Lincoln
• Glory – The Drama Movie by Edward Zwick
• Inventors in The Men Who Built America Series
• Crash Movie: Racism as a Theme
• Dances with Wolves Essay – Movie Analysis
• Superbad by G. Mottola
• Ordinary People Analysis and Maslow Hierarchy of Needs
• A Review of the Movie An Inconvenient Truth by Guggenheim
• Chaplin’s Modern Times and H.G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau
• Misé-En-Scene and Camera Shots in The King’s Speech
• Children’s Sexuality in the Out in the Dark Film
• Chinese and American Women in Joy Luck Club Novel and Film
• The Film Silver Linings Playbook by Russell
• The Role of Music in the Films The Hours and The Third Man
• The Social Network : Film Analysis
• My Neighbor Totoro : Film by Hayao Miyazaki
• Marriage Story Film Directed by Noah Baumbach

❓ Film Analysis Essay: FAQ

Why is film analysis important.

Film analysis allows viewers to go beyond the surface level and delve into the deeper layers of a film’s narrative, themes, and technical aspects. It enables a critical examination that enhances appreciation and understanding of the film’s message, cultural significance, and artistic value. At the same time, writing a movie analysis essay can boost your critical thinking and ability to spot little details.

How to write a movie analysis?

• Watch the film multiple times to grasp its key elements.
• Take notes on the story, characters, and themes.
• Pay attention to the film’s cinematography, editing, sound, message, symbolism, and social context.
• Formulate a strong thesis statement that presents your main argument.
• Support your claims with evidence from the film.

How to write a critical analysis of a movie?

A critical analysis of a movie involves evaluating its elements, such as plot, themes, characters, and cinematography, and providing an informed opinion on its strengths and weaknesses. To write it, watch the movie attentively, take notes, develop a clear thesis statement, support arguments with evidence, and balance the positive and negative.

How to write a psychological analysis of a movie?

A psychological analysis of a movie examines characters’ motivations, behaviors, and emotional experiences. To write it, analyze the characters’ psychological development, their relationships, and the impact of psychological themes conveyed in the film. Support your analysis with psychological theories and evidence from the movie.

• Film Analysis | UNC Writing Center
• Psychological Analysis of Films | Steemit
• Critical Film Analysis | University of Hawaii
• Questions to Ask of Any Film | All American High School Film Festival
• Resources – How to Write a Film Analysis | Northwestern
• Film Analysis | University of Toronto
• Film Writing: Sample Analysis | Purdue Online Writing Lab
• Film Analysis Web Site 2.0 | Yale University
• Questions for Film Analysis | University of Washington
• Film & Media Studies Resources: Types of Film Analysis | Bowling Green State University
• Film & Media Studies Resources: Researching a Film | Bowling Green State University
• Motion Picture Analysis Worksheet | University of Houston
• Reviews vs Film Criticism | The University of Vermont Libraries
• Television and Film Analysis Questions | University of Michigan
• How to Write About Film: The Movie Review, the Theoretical Essay, and the Critical Essay | University of Colorado

Descriptive Essay Topics: Examples, Outline, & More

371 fun argumentative essay topics for 2024.

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CalArts Center for New Performance Presents the World Premiere of 'Etta and Ella on the Upper West Side'

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CalArts Alums Named 2023 United States Artists Fellows

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CalArtians Among the Nominees, Honorees for 50th Annie Awards

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Here's to a Joyous 2023!

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CalArtians Win at Inaugural Children’s & Family Emmy Awards

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The latest issue of The Pool, CalArts’ twice-yearly alumnx/alumni magazine, is now online with features and news items about the CalArts community.

Raven Chacon Wins 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music

On May 9, Diné artist, composer, and CalArts alum Raven Chacon (Music MFA 04) was awarded the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in music.

Calendar of Events

Alumni Stories

Andreas levisianos.

As far as I know this is the only composer-performer doctorate program that exists. It’s not a typical dual degree; instead it combines the two notions. As a composer, pianist and a conductor, I was presented with the opportunity to exercise all, merging the ideas of analysis, synthesis...

I came out of my undergrad at Harvard knowing that, if nothing else, I could stay in the studio all night, work myself into a corner, and throw myself at building something. What was great about CalArts is that it broke all those habits and proved to me that it wasn’t just the labor that...

Hilary Greenbaum

Three years after finishing my BFA at Carnegie Mellon I decided to change the trajectory of my career. I wanted to do different types of work and learn to incorporate a personal voice into what I was making. When I looked into the MFA Graphic Design Program at CalArts, I felt inspired by the...

Jenny Foldenauer

As a little girl I wanted to be a painter, but soon realized that textiles and clothing were my medium. What I love about costume design–which is different from fashion–is that I am creating characters, parts of new worlds imagined by a writers, directors, set, lighting and sound...

John Schwerbel

When I entered CalArts I thought I was only interested in performing, but two amazing teachers and mentors, David Roitstein and Lauren Pratt, widened my scope of possibilities. I learned concert production from Lauren, who hired me to produce the Charlie Haden concert at REDCAT, as well as the...

Catherine Rockhold

I started working with photography when I was 12 or 13. I used photography and Photoshop as a way to create scenes and stories with found images, working with landscapes, animals, and beautiful colors. After visiting CalArts, it was initially the community that attracted me. I majored in...

Amarnath Ravva

Since 2005, I’ve been part of a shared group space called Betalevel. It’s not a collective—it’s more of a venue for social experimentation and hands on culture that we use for readings and other events. Most of our current seven members are grads from the CalArts Writing...

My mother was a pianist and my first piano teacher. I sang as a child, took a break right around adolescence when my voice dropped, and I began singing again in rock bands when I was 15 or 16. After some classical training I realized how much I enjoyed singing classical music, and at CalArts,...

Kirsten Lepore

Before coming in to CalArts, I’d been freelancing for clients such as Google, Whole Foods, Facebook, Toyota and Nestlé, but I wanted to get more serious about directing—about becoming the one in charge. I looked at the CalArts website and found the student work incredibly...

Before I came to CalArts I studied media and interactive design in Korea. I was also working as a motion graphic designer.  Technology is rapidly changing and I wasn’t sure how this accelerated moment was affecting my identity as an artist.  When I decided it was time to pursue...

Anne-Marie Kinney

The two most important things about the Writing Program for me were the mentorship—being pushed by, and being championed by, faculty—both while I was at CalArts and after I graduated. Also, the peer group with which I’m still in contact. We had daily workshops; a handful of...

Carmina Escobar

There’s a great interest in the voice right now—throughout the culture—in the arts, in music and philosophy. It’s all about extending one’s own corporeality. My sound art springs from my concept of the voice, which is my primordial instrument. I relate to the world...

C.O. Thomas

Suzan-Lori Parks introduced me to CalArts while I was working for The Public Theater in New York. I wanted the opportunity to expand my horizons because by the time I visited CalArts, I knew how to do small theater. Round three-fourth thrusts, proscenium arch—that’s how you present...

Daron Nefcy

I was pitching ideas for shows while I was still a student at CalArts. My first job out was on Warner Bros.’ MAD. It ran on Cartoon Network for many seasons and was cool because I got to make my own mini films. Then, I worked at Nickelodeon as a storyboard revisionist...

Ann Telnaes

As an artist, you realize that everything you’ve learned in your whole art life will come back at some point; it has for me. It’s been amazing how my design training at CalArts has helped me in editorial cartooning for print.

Dan Bustillo

When I first looked into the Art & Technology program at CalArts, I was especially excited to see that not all of the work students in the program were making could be thought of as explicitly having to do with technology. From pneumatic sculptures, to operatic performances, to videos about...

Vashti Harrison

My graduate thesis film was about folklore and ghost stories as told through the voices of members of my mother’s family in Trinidad. There’s an element of narrative in my work, but it’s not purely narrative; there are no scripts or actors. It’s most easily referred to as...

Alan S. Tofighi

Alan S. Tofighi is an Interdisciplinary artist who lives and works in Southern California. Utilizing a background in research, performance, sound, video, emergent & low tech; Tofighi’s work deals with analyses of the dispersion, obfuscation, and (de)formation of information/history to...

Stephanie Moorehouse

I was inspired to play the violin at age 6 after watching a live performance in Branson, Missouri. My mom encouraged me to pursue it and after my first lesson I knew that the violin was going to be my passion. As I studied the violin, I began to branch out from my classical training and started...

Daniel Charon

By the time I enrolled at CalArts, I had performed for 15 years, and was focused on my choreography and teaching. CalArts gave me the time, space and support—with my mentors, faculty and my peers—pushing me forward saying, "Yes, you are capable and ready to do other things. Yes,...

Miwa Matreyek

Excerpts from Miwa Matreyek's alumni story video.   When I started CalArts I thought I was just going to make a bunch of short films and graduate and work in the animation industry. I really give credit to CalArts for being this incubator of creativity that led me onto a...

Leila Navon

Like most music students, my background was in classical music. Before coming to CalArts I thought I wanted to do studio recordings, DJ-ing and scratching with vinyl records. But when I got here, I realized that the art world is much larger than I had imagined. In my second year I attended the...

Crystaldawn Bell

It was such a great feeling to be a greenhorn at CalArts, knowing that I had the faculty behind me—and the whole student body, too, trying to help me understand who I was as an artist. The faculty nurtured the type of dancer that I was, and that I am. I’m 5’10” and very...

When I came to CalArts I had limiting preconceptions about how to achieve the kinds of dramatic effects I wanted in my films. The faculty helped by pointing out precisely where I had missed opportunities in editing a scene, or possible moves for the characters that I hadn’t...

Cristina Fernandez

I think there is a higher level of expectation for an actor-artist at CalArts than at other places. You’re an active participant in making a piece of art. When I started, I didn’t think I had that capacity as an actor to make my own work; I didn’t understand the language....

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What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.

Here’s How Ivy League Schools Evaluate Student GPAs

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One of the main gates on the Brown University campus, decorated with the University crest. (Photo by ... [+] Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)

A stellar GPA is one of the building blocks of a successful Ivy League application, and as the school year winds down, many students are anxiously seeking to give theirs a final boost. While most students and families understand the importance of a 4.0, few are aware of how top colleges evaluate student GPAs or what they look for when reviewing student transcripts. Though your GPA may seem to be a simple metric, nothing could be further from the case—colleges consider more than just the number, accounting for complexities such as diverse grading systems across schools, trends in grade inflation, and level of course rigor.

Here are three important facts to keep in mind about your GPA as you choose your courses:

1. Your GPA isn’t directly comparable to GPAs of students at other schools.

One common misconception among college applicants is that they can compare their GPAs with those of students attending different schools. However, the GPA is not a universal metric but rather a reflection of an individual's academic performance within their specific educational environment. As a result, comparing GPAs from different schools is like comparing apples and oranges. For instance, some schools offer a plethora of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and honors courses, while others may have limited options or offer none at all. Additionally, the weight assigned to AP versus honors versus regular classes varies from school to school. So, your GPA may not hold the same weight as those of your peers at different schools, even if you all have 4.0s.

Admissions officers understand that schools vary in their rigor, curriculum, and grading policies. Therefore, they evaluate your GPA in the context of your high school, considering the courses offered and the academic challenges presented. Instead of fixating on how your GPA compares to your friends’ from other schools, focus on challenging yourself and taking advantage of all the opportunities available to you at your school.

2. GPAs across the country are inflated—and colleges know it.

The last few years have seen surges in high school student GPAs nationwide. While GPA inflation has been on the rise over the last decade, average ACT composite scores are steadily declining. “For the 1.4 million ACT test-takers in the high school class of 2023, the average composite score on the exam was 19.5 out of 36, the lowest score since 1991,” according to The New York Times New York Times . The parallel differences, coupled with academic differences across schools, suggest that GPA must be considered in tandem with multiple other factors. Simply put, an A no longer means what it used to on a transcript.

Cannes Film Festival 2024: Stars Arrive On Red Carpet For Annual Event

Televisaunivision 2024-25 slate touts latino culture, vix growth, juanpa zurita, william levy deals, northern lights could show up yet again tonight here s an updated aurora borealis forecast.

Ivy League schools and other top colleges are well aware of this trend and evaluate student GPAs alongside other metrics such as standardized test scores and AP exam scores in order to better understand a student’s academic skill sets. While some Ivy League and other top schools remain test-optional , they still emphasize course rigor and the context from your high school profile to understand the grades on your transcript.

3. Colleges will recalculate your GPA.

Given the abundance of variables in GPA calculations, colleges often recalculate the metric to create a standardized baseline for comparison between students across different schools. The recalibration may involve adjusting for variations in grading scales or the weighting of honors, IB or AP courses. The University of California system, for example, calculates students’ UC GPAs by converting grades to grade points (an A is equivalent to four points, a B to three points and so on) for classes taken between the summer after 9th grade and summer after 11th grade, and adding one point for each honors class, and dividing by total classes taken to yield final GPA. (Variations exist for in-state versus out-of-state students and by high school. Be sure to calculate your GPA following the UC issued guidelines.)

Other colleges also take additional factors that impact academic performance into consideration, and envelop GPA into a broader, holistic consideration. For instance, the lawsuit by Students for Fair Admissions against Harvard University over affirmative action practices revealed that Harvard rates students on a scale of 1 to 6 (with one being the most desirable) in academic, extracurricular, athletic and personal categories. A student’s GPA and test scores are folded together into an academic score which “summarizes the applicant’s academic achievement and potential based on grades, testing results, letters of recommendation, academic prizes, and any submitted academic work.”

This process aims to provide a fair and equitable evaluation of students from different educational backgrounds. Keep in mind that Harvard considers not only your grades, test scores, and academic rigor in this score, but also “evidence of substantial scholarship” and “academic creativity,” which can make the difference between a 1 and a 2 in the scoring system. These systems underscore the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity, showcasing your unique personality and creativity, and seeking to maximize opportunities to improve your performance within the academic landscape of your institution.

By understanding the complex way by which colleges evaluate students’ GPAs, you are better equipped to present a comprehensive and competitive picture of your academic achievements on your transcript and stand out in the competitive Ivy League admissions landscape.

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Writing South Carolina Volume 11

The Honors College is proud to showcase selections from the 11th annual South Carolina High School Writing Contest. Featuring submissions from high school juniors and seniors from across the state, the works are edited by Honors students from our SCHC 384 course.

Bright and strong, the tall goldenrod is South Carolina’s state wildflower. We think Solidago altissima also represents our state’s best young writers. Here are 18 of them, each of whom composed an original response to our annual question, “How can we make South Carolina better?” Read on and take heart. These writers are bright and strong indeed.

First Place – My Name, My Roots, My Home by Dayanara Reyes

Second Place – I Promise, You're Not Forgotten by Zayd Kidwai

Third Place – "Hands Up!" by Brookelynn Little

Honorable Mention – A Queer Child's Lullaby by Lily Heiner

Argumentative Essays

Savoring Heritage, Saving Health by Kensley Green

Education and the Role It Plays in the Development of Democracy by Brantley Metcalf

Navigating Towards Equity: We Need to Inspire Change by Raghav Pallapothu

The Red Flood of Ignorance by Davies Roberts

Education Inequality: The Need for Reform by Justin Schlag

Dollars for Scholars by Sophia Strobel

Thirty-One Seconds by Shaina Dashiell

Tangled Love by Catherine Milburn

The Dealer's Daughter by Kendall Pifer

Personal Essays

State-Owned by Abigail Bailey

Chronology of My Neighborhood by Avelyn Bailey

Roadkills by Kimora Brown

The State of My Identity by Eunwoo Choi

Subarus, Trucks, Giraffes, and Unity by Kristin Rotchford

Acknowledgements

The annual South Carolina High School Writing Contest wouldn’t be possible without other individuals and organizations. We thank South Carolina Honors College alumnus  Thad Westbrook , the  Pat Conroy Literary Center  (Jonathan Haupt, executive director); the  South Carolina State Library  (Leesa Aiken, director);  South Carolina Academy of Authors (Wilmot Irvin, chair); and the  South Carolina Writers Association  (Ash Smith, president). We also thank Felicia Mitchell , grand judge for this year’s contest, and the many high school guidance counselors and teachers who encouraged students to submit. The students in the fall 2023 semester of SCHC 384, Finding Your Voice: Writing and Editing for Life, were the first editors of volume 11. They are Alex Alleyne, Allison DeHart, Catherine DeMino, Lauren Douglas, Abigail Elliott, Seth Gould, Isabel Jordan, Hannah Augsbach Lamma, Sanskruti Patel, Paul Ward Pratz, Ronnie Rahenkamp, Rylyn Reynolds, Alexis Simpson, Caroline Smith and Kennedy Westendorff. 

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

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Teens come up with trigonometry proof for Pythagorean Theorem, a problem that stumped math world for centuries

By Bill Whitaker

May 5, 2024 / 7:00 PM EDT / CBS News

As the school year ends, many students will be only too happy to see math classes in their rearview mirrors. It may seem to some of us non-mathematicians that geometry and trigonometry were created by the Greeks as a form of torture, so imagine our amazement when we heard two high school seniors had proved a mathematical puzzle that was thought to be impossible for 2,000 years. 

We met Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson at their all-girls Catholic high school in New Orleans. We expected to find two mathematical prodigies.

Instead, we found at St. Mary's Academy , all students are told their possibilities are boundless.

Come Mardi Gras season, New Orleans is alive with colorful parades, replete with floats, and beads, and high school marching bands.

In a city where uniqueness is celebrated, St. Mary's stands out – with young African American women playing trombones and tubas, twirling batons and dancing - doing it all, which defines St. Mary's, students told us.

Junior Christina Blazio says the school instills in them they have the ability to accomplish anything. 

Christina Blazio: That is kinda a standard here. So we aim very high - like, our aim is excellence for all students. 

The private Catholic elementary and high school sits behind the Sisters of the Holy Family Convent in New Orleans East. The academy was started by an African American nun for young Black women just after the Civil War. The church still supports the school with the help of alumni.

In December 2022, seniors Ne'Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson were working on a school-wide math contest that came with a cash prize.

Ne'Kiya Jackson: I was motivated because there was a monetary incentive.

Calcea Johnson: 'Cause I was like, "$500 is a lot of money. So I-- I would like to at least try."

Both were staring down the thorny bonus question.

Bill Whitaker: So tell me, what was this bonus question?

Calcea Johnson: It was to create a new proof of the Pythagorean Theorem. And it kind of gave you a few guidelines on how would you start a proof.

The seniors were familiar with the Pythagorean Theorem, a fundamental principle of geometry. You may remember it from high school: a² + b² = c². In plain English, when you know the length of two sides of a right triangle, you can figure out the length of the third.

Both had studied geometry and some trigonometry, and both told us math was not easy. What no one told  them  was there had been more than 300 documented proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem using algebra and geometry, but for 2,000 years a proof using trigonometry was thought to be impossible, … and that was the bonus question facing them.

Bill Whitaker: When you looked at the question did you think, "Boy, this is hard"?

Ne'Kiya Jackson: Yeah. 

Bill Whitaker: What motivated you to say, "Well, I'm going to try this"?

Calcea Johnson: I think I was like, "I started something. I need to finish it." 

Bill Whitaker: So you just kept on going.

Calcea Johnson: Yeah.

For two months that winter, they spent almost all their free time working on the proof.

CeCe Johnson: She was like, "Mom, this is a little bit too much."

CeCe and Cal Johnson are Calcea's parents.

CeCe Johnson:   So then I started looking at what she really was doing. And it was pages and pages and pages of, like, over 20 or 30 pages for this one problem.

Cal Johnson: Yeah, the garbage can was full of papers, which she would, you know, work out the problems and-- if that didn't work she would ball it up, throw it in the trash. 

Bill Whitaker: Did you look at the problem? 

Neliska Jackson is Ne'Kiya's mother.

Neliska Jackson: Personally I did not. 'Cause most of the time I don't understand what she's doing (laughter).

Michelle Blouin Williams: What if we did this, what if I write this? Does this help? ax² plus ….

Their math teacher, Michelle Blouin Williams, initiated the math contest.

Bill Whitaker: And did you think anyone would solve it?

Michelle Blouin Williams: Well, I wasn't necessarily looking for a solve. So, no, I didn't—

Bill Whitaker: What were you looking for?

Michelle Blouin Williams: I was just looking for some ingenuity, you know—

Calcea and Ne'Kiya delivered on that! They tried to explain their groundbreaking work to 60 Minutes. Calcea's proof is appropriately titled the Waffle Cone.

Calcea Johnson: So to start the proof, we start with just a regular right triangle where the angle in the corner is 90°. And the two angles are alpha and beta.

Bill Whitaker: Uh-huh

Calcea Johnson: So then what we do next is we draw a second congruent, which means they're equal in size. But then we start creating similar but smaller right triangles going in a pattern like this. And then it continues for infinity. And eventually it creates this larger waffle cone shape.

Calcea Johnson: Am I going a little too—

Bill Whitaker: You've been beyond me since the beginning. (laughter) 

Bill Whitaker: So how did you figure out the proof?

Ne'Kiya Jackson: Okay. So you have a right triangle, 90° angle, alpha and beta.

Bill Whitaker: Then what did you do?

Ne'Kiya Jackson: Okay, I have a right triangle inside of the circle. And I have a perpendicular bisector at OP to divide the triangle to make that small right triangle. And that's basically what I used for the proof. That's the proof.

Bill Whitaker: That's what I call amazing.

Ne'Kiya Jackson: Well, thank you.

There had been one other documented proof of the theorem using trigonometry by mathematician Jason Zimba in 2009 – one in 2,000 years. Now it seems Ne'Kiya and Calcea have joined perhaps the most exclusive club in mathematics. 

Bill Whitaker: So you both independently came up with proof that only used trigonometry.

Ne'Kiya Jackson: Yes.

Bill Whitaker: So are you math geniuses?

Calcea Johnson: I think that's a stretch. 

Bill Whitaker: If not genius, you're really smart at math.

Ne'Kiya Jackson: Not at all. (laugh) 

To document Calcea and Ne'Kiya's work, math teachers at St. Mary's submitted their proofs to an American Mathematical Society conference in Atlanta in March 2023.

Ne'Kiya Jackson: Well, our teacher approached us and was like, "Hey, you might be able to actually present this," I was like, "Are you joking?" But she wasn't. So we went. I got up there. We presented and it went well, and it blew up.

Bill Whitaker: It blew up.

Calcea Johnson: Yeah. 

Ne'Kiya Jackson: It blew up.

Bill Whitaker: Yeah. What was the blowup like?

Calcea Johnson: Insane, unexpected, crazy, honestly.

It took millenia to prove, but just a minute for word of their accomplishment to go around the world. They got a write-up in South Korea and a shout-out from former first lady Michelle Obama, a commendation from the governor and keys to the city of New Orleans. 

Bill Whitaker: Why do you think so many people found what you did to be so impressive?

Ne'Kiya Jackson: Probably because we're African American, one. And we're also women. So I think-- oh, and our age. Of course our ages probably played a big part.

Bill Whitaker: So you think people were surprised that young African American women, could do such a thing?

Calcea Johnson: Yeah, definitely.

Ne'Kiya Jackson: I'd like to actually be celebrated for what it is. Like, it's a great mathematical achievement.

Achievement, that's a word you hear often around St. Mary's academy. Calcea and Ne'Kiya follow a long line of barrier-breaking graduates. 

The late queen of Creole cooking, Leah Chase , was an alum. so was the first African-American female New Orleans police chief, Michelle Woodfork …

And judge for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Dana Douglas. Math teacher Michelle Blouin Williams told us Calcea and Ne'Kiya are typical St. Mary's students.  

Bill Whitaker: They're not unicorns.

Michelle Blouin Williams: Oh, no no. If they are unicorns, then every single lady that has matriculated through this school is a beautiful, Black unicorn.

Pamela Rogers: You're good?

Pamela Rogers, St. Mary's president and interim principal, told us the students hear that message from the moment they walk in the door.

Pamela Rogers: We believe all students can succeed, all students can learn. It does not matter the environment that you live in. 

Bill Whitaker: So when word went out that two of your students had solved this almost impossible math problem, were they universally applauded?

Pamela Rogers: In this community, they were greatly applauded. Across the country, there were many naysayers.

Bill Whitaker: What were they saying?

Pamela Rogers: They were saying, "Oh, they could not have done it. African Americans don't have the brains to do it." Of course, we sheltered our girls from that. But we absolutely did not expect it to come in the volume that it came.  

Bill Whitaker: And after such a wonderful achievement.

Pamela Rogers: People-- have a vision of who can be successful. And-- to some people, it is not always an African American female. And to us, it's always an African American female.

Gloria Ladson-Billings: What we know is when teachers lay out some expectations that say, "You can do this," kids will work as hard as they can to do it.

Gloria Ladson-Billings, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, has studied how best to teach African American students. She told us an encouraging teacher can change a life.

Bill Whitaker: And what's the difference, say, between having a teacher like that and a whole school dedicated to the excellence of these students?

Gloria Ladson-Billings: So a whole school is almost like being in Heaven. 

Bill Whitaker: What do you mean by that?

Gloria Ladson-Billings: Many of our young people have their ceilings lowered, that somewhere around fourth or fifth grade, their thoughts are, "I'm not going to be anything special." What I think is probably happening at St. Mary's is young women come in as, perhaps, ninth graders and are told, "Here's what we expect to happen. And here's how we're going to help you get there."

At St. Mary's, half the students get scholarships, subsidized by fundraising to defray the $8,000 a year tuition. Here, there's no test to get in, but expectations are high and rules are strict: no cellphones, modest skirts, hair must be its natural color.

Students Rayah Siddiq, Summer Forde, Carissa Washington, Tatum Williams and Christina Blazio told us they appreciate the rules and rigor.

Rayah Siddiq: Especially the standards that they set for us. They're very high. And I don't think that's ever going to change.

Bill Whitaker: So is there a heart, a philosophy, an essence to St. Mary's?

Summer Forde: The sisterhood—

Carissa Washington: Sisterhood.

Tatum Williams: Sisterhood.

Bill Whitaker: The sisterhood?

Voices: Yes.

Bill Whitaker: And you don't mean the nuns. You mean-- (laughter)

Christina Blazio: I mean, yeah. The community—

Bill Whitaker: So when you're here, there's just no question that you're going to go on to college.

Rayah Siddiq: College is all they talk about. (laughter) 

Pamela Rogers: … and Arizona State University (Cheering)

Principal Rogers announces to her 615 students the colleges where every senior has been accepted.

Bill Whitaker: So for 17 years, you've had a 100% graduation rate—

Pamela Rogers: Yes.

Bill Whitaker: --and a 100% college acceptance rate?

Pamela Rogers: That's correct.

Last year when Ne'Kiya and Calcea graduated, all their classmates went to college and got scholarships. Ne'Kiya got a full ride to the pharmacy school at Xavier University in New Orleans. Calcea, the class valedictorian, is studying environmental engineering at Louisiana State University.

Bill Whitaker: So wait a minute. Neither one of you is going to pursue a career in math?

Both: No. (laugh)

Calcea Johnson: I may take up a minor in math. But I don't want that to be my job job.

Ne'Kiya Jackson: Yeah. People might expect too much out of me if (laugh) I become a mathematician. (laugh)

But math is not completely in their rear-view mirrors. This spring they submitted their high school proofs for final peer review and publication … and are still working on further proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem. Since their first two …

Calcea Johnson: We found five. And then we found a general format that could potentially produce at least five additional proofs.

Bill Whitaker: And you're not math geniuses?

Bill Whitaker: I'm not buying it. (laughs)

Produced by Sara Kuzmarov. Associate producer, Mariah B. Campbell. Edited by Daniel J. Glucksman.

Bill Whitaker is an award-winning journalist and 60 Minutes correspondent who has covered major news stories, domestically and across the globe, for more than four decades with CBS News.

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