Mayra Escobedo / Roundup
Representatives from USC, CSUN, Brooks Institute, Cal Arts and UCLA were on campus Thursday in the Career and Transfer Center to talk to students about Media Arts transfer requirements.
The transfer panel was part of the “Thursdays in March with Media Arts” events and had a turn out of about 30 students.
The representatives talked to students about admission requirements.
Luke Peña, assistant director of admissions for USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism told students that it wasn’t just about their GPA. He said it was. also about what classes they take and whether they are rigorous or not, as well as how many classes per semester they take.
Students were told by Peña to show their passion for their major in their personal statement.
Joanna Hernandez, undergraduate advisor for the journalism department at CSUN told students to use www.csumentor.edu when applying for admission and www.assist.org for help in selecting courses.
Hernandez also told students to try to complete lower division requirements so that when they transfer they can take upper division classes.
Leo Hobaica Jr., assistant dean of Cal Arts School of Film/Video, told students that their portfolio is what gets them in to the conversation.
Hobaica also said that students should ask themselves “what kind of life they want to create” and that they “have to really want to develop as an artist.”
Dean Dacumos, director of student services for UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, said that they look for students who have completed IGETC requirements, adding that it was more important than having taken film classes.
Dacumos also told students planning to apply as a film major that they would be required to submit a personal essay, critical essay and a creative writing paper. He also mentioned that theater majors are required to sign up for an audition/interview after applying.
Peña and Dacumos told students to make sure that they complete all of the application requirements. Peña said that about 10 to 20 percent of applicants do not complete the requirements. Dacumos said that out of 640 applicants only 450 completed everything.
The advice that was most given by the schools representatives was for students to take advantage of the resource that are available to them on campus like counselors and the Transfer Center which help prepare them for the admissions process.
Advice was also given to students about making their application stand out.
Peña advised students to research and understand the field that they want to go into, to understand the changes that are happening in media, the world around them and how they fit into it. Also to show why they want USC Annenberg to be their school, why they chose their major and to show that they have a passion for media, journalism and communication.
Representatives encouraged students to familiarize themselves to the program they are applying to.
Hernandez encouraged students to reach out to professors and students involved in the program that they select and to “have a clear idea of what they want” adding to “know where you see yourself in five years.”
Dacumos did the same telling students to go to the school’s website and to the school to ask students questions about the program. Also to tour the schools and see which one fits them the best.
Internship and job placement opportunities were also discussed by the representatives.
Peña said that students at USC Annenberg intern three to five times while attending the school.
Hobaica said that students are encouraged to develop their own opportunities through their own contacts.
Hobaica also said that there is a job fair for the animation programs in which representatives from the industry go to look at students’ portfolios and based on that internships or jobs may be offered.
Dacumos said that internships are required for film students.
Dacumos also said that for the film school they have a festival in which students award winning movies are shown to people in the industry and that theater students have design and actors showcases.
The representative for Brooks Institute said that students are required to do at least one internship.
Programs Offered
USC Annenberg offers communication, journalism and public relations programs.
CSUN offers broadcasting, news, magazine, public relations and photojournalism programs.
Brooks Institute offers visual journalism, film and photography programs.
Cal Arts offers film, video, experimental and character animation programs.
UCLA offers film and theater programs.
—
mescobedo.roundupnews@gmail.com
Luke Pena, assistant director of admissions for the Anneberg School for Communications and Journalism at USC, talks to students Lisa Rubin and Danielle Matlin. (Victor Stephen Kamont / Roundup)