All applicants wishing to be considered for the Interactive Entertainment B.A. program must follow the instructions below.
All steps, where applicable, must be completed in order to be considered. Please note that the application submission to the
Interactive Entertainment B.A. program is a two-part process— you must submit the Common Application for Admission
and the USC Writing Supplement as well as the corresponding supplemental materials for the Interactive Entertainment
B.A. program via the SlideRoom application. Supplemental materials sent by mail will not be accepted.
All applicants wishing to be considered for admission must complete the following steps of the application process:
Step 1: Submit Both the Common Application for General Admission and the USC Writing
Supplement
To begin the application process, you must submit the Common Application for Admission and USC Writing Supplement:
o http://usc.edu/commonapp
o Please complete all sections of the application, including USC’s Writing Supplement.
o Upon selecting the Interactive Entertainment program in the “Academics” section of the application, a box will
appear indicating that you that you will be submitting a portfolio for consideration to the Interactive
Entertainment program—a “Portfolio” link with instructions on where to submit your supplemental materials
will appear on the left menu bar.
Step 2: Submit Supplemental Materials via the SlideRoom Application
By indicating that you wish to apply for the Interactive Entertainment program, a “Portfolio” link will appear on the left
menu bar. Here, you will find a link to the SlideRoom application. Please ensure that you complete the SlideRoom
application titled: Interactive Entertainment B.A. Program: First-Year/Freshmen Applicants.
The following supplemental materials for the Interactive Entertainment B.A must be submitted via SlideRoom:
! Cinematic Arts Personal Statement: Please upload under the “Forms” section in PDF format
The Cinematic Arts personal statement is an opportunity to express your ideas about and interest in Interactive
Entertainment, help us to understand your background and creative potential, and explain why you would like to
study interactive media production at the School of Cinematic Arts. This statement will be read by the Interactive
Admission Committee as a measure of creativity, self-awareness and vision. Your statement should give the
committee a sense of your long-term goals and artistic ambitions. It should answer the questions: "Who are you as a
person? What are you trying to say, using interactive media? Why do you want to attend the Interactive
Entertainment Program? What are your career/professional/artistic goals?”
!
! Writing Sample I or II: Please upload under the “Forms” section in PDF format
You may choose either Category I or Category II for your first writing submission.
• Category I (Character Profile): Write a one-page story about a character or person you find interesting or
unique. For example, tell us a story about a person who was not what they first seemed to be, a person
who had to make a difficult decision, or a person who made a difference in the world at great cost to
themselves. This can be a character you devise or a real world person; it can be someone you know, or
someone you don't. Communicate through your story why this person is so interesting to you.
• Category II (Emotional Moment Essay): Describe an emotionally charged experience you have had. For
example, a moment in which you came to understand the value of something differently than you had in the
past, or a moment that changed your way of thinking or seeing your family, community or the world. This
experience should be told as a story, with a beginning, middle and end, but please limit your description to
two double-spaced, typed pages.
! Writing Sample III (Interactive Media Experience): Please upload under the “Forms” section in PDF format
Describe an experience that has inspired you to enter the field of interactive media. This might be the experience of
playing a particular game, visiting a museum installation, seeing an interactive artwork, etc. Or, it might be a story
Interactive Entertainment Program Application Procedures
Freshmen Applicants
Fall Deadline: December 1
st
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Sprig!
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about how you created an interactive experience for others to participate in or play with. Tell us the story of how and
why this experience affected you, how it changed your way of thinking about interactive media, and what it means
for your plans for the future.
! Creative Portfolio List:!Please upload under the “Forms” section in PDF format
The!portfolio!list!is!a!written!record!of!the!applicant's!creative!material.!Please!list!all!of!your!creative!work,!when!
and!in!what!capacity!it!was!created.!For!example,!was!the!work!made!in!a!class!or!for!a!show?!What!was!!your!role?!
List!your!most!recent!work!first!and!list!related!work!as!a!single!entry,!such!as!a!group!of!drawings!completed!for!a!
single!showing.!If!you!have!created!interactive!software,!animation!or!gam es,!please!be!sure!to!list!these!on!your!
portfolio!and!describe!the!development!environment!for!the!piece.!For!example,!the!program!or!langua g e!u sed .!If!
you!have!created!paperDbased!games,!please!list!these!as!well.!
! Creative Work Sample: Please upload under the “Media” section
The creative work sample represents your best or most relevant work. Choose a major piece of work that you are
extremely proud of for your creative sample. If you have completed a game or animation project, you should strongly
consider including this. Otherwise this work might be digital or analog, it or may be a film, photo essay, script or story.
For visual art, you may submit a small selection of pieces. Make sure your piece is easily viewable by the admissions
committee. If you are uncertain that your software will run, include screenshots and a video play-through just in case.
Please send a creative sample that can be viewed, played or read in less than 10 minutes. Please limit the length of a
written creative sample, e.g. movie scripts, should be no more than 20 pages. We are looking for individuals who show
both talent and personal initiative. Use the creative sample to show us your best work and the portfolio to show us the
breadth of your creative endeavors.
! Letters of Recommendation (One letter from an academic reference)
Three letters of recommendation are required. Letters of recommendation may be submitted via the SlideRoom
references system. In addition, any letters submitted via the Common Application may be used towards the three
letters of recommendation required. Applicants are responsible for requesting letters of recommendation as well as
confirming that they have been received.
Step 3: Send Official Academic Transcripts
Official transcripts from all high schools attended must be submitted. Please request original copies of official transcripts to
be sent directly from your institution to USC Undergraduate Admissions. Transcripts can be sent electronically via the
Common Application or sent by mail to USC.
Step 4: Submit Official SAT or ACT Test Scores
USC requires scores from the SAT or the ACT (with the writing component) from all freshmen applicants, including
International Students. For students who take the SAT more than once, USC records the highest scores for each section -
Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing -- even if achieved in different sittings. For students taking the ACT, USC will
record the highest composite score.
Step 5: Submit Official English Proficiency Test Scores (International Applicants Only)
Unless applicants have scored a minimum of 600 on the Critical Reading section of the SAT or a minimum of 27 on the
English section of the ACT, the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE tests will be required for admission consideration. Applicants must
meet one of the minimum required scores below:
! TOEFL/IELTS/PTE Test Scores
o TOEFL: Submit scores via ETS to USC: ETS code = 4852
" Minimum required score: 100 on the iBT test
o IELTS: To submit your IELTS results to USC, please select the “University of Southern California”
" Minimum required score: 7.0 overall band score
o PTE: Please submit your scores electronically to USC via the PTE website
" Minimum required score: 68 on the PTE test
! Proof of Financial Support
The US government requires all international students to provide proof of the ability to pay tuition and living
expenses for the first academic year. Along with your application for admission, you must submit the Financial
Statement of Personal or Family Support, accompanied by documentation of available funds. Visit the following link
for more information: http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/docs/Part2_InternationalForm.pdf
