The prestige of the film school was the main drawing-in factor for me. I'd always known the school to be one of the best film schools in the country, hence my enthusiasm to apply. I didn't believe it when I got in but I am grateful I did.
Course Curriculum
I thought it was great to get a bearing on how to craft a story and realize it from start to finish. I think a more business-centric required curriculum would be helpful. There are a few classes available on pitching on distribution, but none are needed for a degree.
Exams
I took the SAT and scored in 1800. I didn't take any other tests within the list.
Placement
The placements and job opportunities are fairly okay! I was able to earn a few interviews and jobs through the USC and SCA job boards, and SCA First Jobs. They have many opportunities for students and recent grads, which I'm grateful for.
Internship
They require internships and require you to pay for a class in order to receive credit. Not the best system to be down $5000 for an unpaid internship, but that's the system in line, so ah well. C'est la vie.
Events
There were musical and cultural events surrounding the beginning and end of semesters, as well as sporting events and holidays. A fair amount of events to choose from on a weekly basis, and often free.
Fees
It was fairly expensive. About $250,000 for all four years, not including housing, I believe. Each unit was $2000 when I was there.
Scholarship
I applied for scholarships and grants both inside and outside of the university and was lucky enough to cover about 75% of my tuition.
Examination Structure
I'm not well-versed in the exam structure, as a liberal arts student with no post-grad aspirations. As such, I didn't take any exams outside of what each particular class required of me. In those cases, exams were straight forward essays in Blue Books.
Faculty
I believe many of the faculty members are intelligent, kind, and generous, open to the ideas of the students and supporting them outside of the curriculum (e.g. emotionally) as needed.
Hostel
I had a different residence for each of my years at USC, and perhaps enjoyed the non-USC managed apartment in my last year the most, but management around USC is a bit dicey. University housing is expensive, but the RAs were nice and the proximity was great.
