I’ve been singing since I was very young, and it has always been the one thing I can say I’m truly passionate about. That being said, I made the mistake of following my Mormon parents’ expectations for me to go to BYU Provo (a school I wasn’t particularly excited to attend) and study something I wasn’t very interested in (physics), on an Air Force ROTC scholarship.
In addition to my apathy to these things, I was also just not ready for college on an emotional level, and to make a long story short I ended up doing terribly and flunking out after a year, and since then I’ve been living on my own working full time.
I’m 21 now, and I really want to go back to college to study music. I am planning on going to community college first, hopefully next year if I can afford it, and then transferring to a four-year university. I was looking at two community colleges (Cuyahoga Community College and Terra State Community College), as both offer music programs and are located in Ohio. I don’t live in Ohio currently but I will be moving there very soon.
I was looking at what schools I might transfer to afterwards, and I remembered that at one point I was interested in Berklee College of Music. I’m wondering, supposing I did well at whatever community college I go to, would I have a decent chance at getting in?
If it matters, my high school GPA was 3.43 (I’m assuming my most recent GPA will matter more though), and my ACT score was 33. The only thing I’m worried about is that my status as a transfer student, or my previous failure at BYU, or my three years of not attending school at all, would possibly make me less likely to be accepted.
For some further information that might be helpful:
I am an Eagle Scout and was in NHS during my senior year of high school
I took music classes in high school every year I was able (mainly choir, but also a music theory and band class)
I have taken private voice lessons, as well as a bit of piano
I did a solo for our district contest in high school, which was rated a 2 (at age 17; I am much more confident in my singing abilities now)
If I’m leaving anything important out just tell me, but I think that’s the main stuff.
Probably not without financial aid and help from family. I certainly don’t have $100,000 just lying around, if that is what you mean. But I know my grandpa would be happy to help as much as he could, and I could possibly convince my dad and/or my step dad to help me as well.
Then again, maybe not. But I wouldn’t want to rule it out completely just because I might not be able to afford it. That will be at least three years down the road, who knows what could happen. I’m just wondering what my chances are as far as everything else goes. If my chances are shit anyway, then even having all the money I need wouldn’t do me much good.
Yes, as @rockinmomab mentioned above, Berklee will certainly overlook your prior academic performance given a spectacular audition. Only you know your vocal abilities/talent though, so reflect upon where you would stand in Berklee’s applicant pool/compared to other applicants’ abilities. And yes, your college GPA will matter most; at this point, your high school gpa will carry little to no weight in the admissions process. Good luck, I hope everything works out for you!
I have had private voice teachers since I was 16 (not continuously), though I haven’t been getting any lessons in the past few months. If I had to say where I am as far as my abilities, I would say I’m somewhere between intermediate and advanced. Especially recently I have had some significant breakthroughs in areas of my voice I was struggling with, and my most recent teacher commented on my improvement.
I think by the time I’d be auditioning, I will be pretty advanced, considering I’d be able to focus a lot more of my energy into improving my singing and musical skills in general once I am a full-time student at a CC.
Whose to say. I would contact the admissions department at Berklee College of Music. If you boost your GPA a cc and have an outstanding audition you may have a shot.