Undergrad Enrollment: 28,514
Female Student Body: 60%
Undergraduate Tuition and Fees: $2,864
Famous Alum: Steven Spielberg
Popular Majors: Criminal Justice, Film and Electronic Arts
Sources: www.csulb.edu and www.princetonreview.com

Founded in 1949, Cal State Long Beach is currently the second largest four-year university in California. Its diverse student body represents nearly every state in the United States and almost 90 foreign countries. Savvy Miss spoke with senior Allie about being a film major, living at the beach and her advice for prospective students.

SM: Why did you choose to go to Cal State Long Beach? What were you looking for in a university?
Allie: I was looking for a school with a good film department that was located in the L.A. area. I knew I wanted to attend a [California State University]. On top of meeting both of these requirements, the campus was really nice; I knew it was the place for me.

SM: What’s it like to be a film major? Is it difficult to get accepted into the major?
Allie: My major is Film and Electronic Arts. I want to eventually be a movie producer. It’s a really popular major and since there are a lot of applicants the department limits the number of students admitted to about 250-300 people. As a freshman, I was admitted as a premajor. I then had to get a B or higher in the Film and Electronic Arts [introductory] course to actually be admitted into the department. It’s very competitive because it’s such a great program.

SM: What are the classes like? Do you get to watch a lot of movies?
Allie: Mostly, we spend time learning film theory. All of my classes have focused on genre, stylistic and aesthetic film techniques and the business side of making a movie. In my film symposium class our professor would show us a film and then arrange for someone involved in the making of it to talk to us. We had the opportunity to ask questions and hear the inside scoop about how the film we just watched was made. It was really interesting and gave us a great idea of what really goes into making a movie, as well as the things that you don’t see on the big screen.