Mockumentary-style independent web series “Admitted” — written, shot and produced by Boston University students — is expected to premiere in 2023. “Admitted” is set in the admissions office of the fictional Beacon Hill University, following six main characters but focusing on new hire MC as she navigates herself through this atypical work environment.
Maggie Borgen, a sophomore in the College of Communication, is the show’s mastermind, executive producer and showrunner, as well as one of its writers and actors. Borgen said she came up with the idea while working at the BU admissions office.
“Last year doing the different info sessions, I thought everything was really interesting and that admissions is a very niche workplace group, and I think would be really interesting for a workplace comedy,” Borgen said.
She shared the idea with a few of the people who would become her team on the project in late Spring 2022. Then, Borgen said they began writing the episodes, hiring writers and working on pre-production tasks to prepare for the first day of filming the weekend after classes started.
Co-director Elle Misko, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said working on an independent series the team is already taking “steps to improve” organization of the project.
“Making the show on our own not only gives us a lot of creative freedom, but it also helps us create our own boundaries and decide what’s best for our own show,” Misko said.
Misko said she was initially approached to join the “Admitted” team as a production designer but was thrilled when her friend and fraternity little Serena Ata, a sophomore in COM, said the team was looking to bring on a co-director. Ata is leading the webseries as head writer, producer and actor.
“Directing is so much fun for me, and I think it’s where I get a lot of my energy from,” Misko said. “Some people say working with friends isn’t always the best idea, but from my experience with ‘Admitted,’ it’s just proven to me that the chemistry is hard to make otherwise.”
Now, the production team films one to three times a week. But Ata said this time commitment and level of dedication does not feel like a chore.
“It doesn’t even feel like work, we will just speak for hours, especially in the writers’ room,” Ata said. “We genuinely care about every single take, every line or every aspect of production design. It’s what makes the show so special… It doesn’t feel like a job, even though we’re all serious about it.”
Misko said the environment on set is “bubbly” and “lighthearted.”
“I’m impressed that with all that fun and lightheartedness, we’re still able to achieve what we make so efficiently,” Misko said.
The trailer will come out early next semester, but in the meantime, students can follow the team’s progress on Instagram and TikTok.
Director of Photography Andy Bae, a sophomore in COM, said this show focuses on young college students navigating their way in a workplace environment. Bae said he hopes the newness of the show’s concept will resonate with the audience.
“I hope … it impacts … people who end up in places that they didn’t expect, but have to accept that it happened and move on and try to make the best of it,” Bae said.
Ata said the characters in the series did not necessarily expect to end up at Beacon Hill University. She said she hopes the show will impact college students facing similar uncertainty.
“Regardless of where you land, there’s always this sense of community that you can really tap into,” Ata said. “It’s all about finding the positive aspects and your own place where you are, and so that’s something that we really wanted to highlight with ‘Admitted.’”
Serena Ata was a staff writer at The Daily Free Press. She was not involved in the editing of this article.
