<p>I'm currently a junior and have been looking at colleges for quite a while now. I plan on getting a BFA in Acting, and one of the schools that caught my interest was CMU. However, am I right in stating that when applying to CMU, academics matter...a lot?</p>
<p>I haven't taken the SATs or ACTs yet, so I can't say anything about my scores. However, my GPA is a little shaky. My freshman year I had a 3.6 and my sophomore year it dropped to a 2.8 (I had Cs in many of my academic classes.) However this year (so far, and I plan on doing everything I can to keep it this way), I have all As, with the exception of a B+ in French (I'm working on that.) I'm the VP of our school's International Thespian Society (where we also do a lot of volunteer work, and next year I'll be President), and I'm very involved in my school (I audition for things every 6 weeks or less, and if I don't get in, I either usher or stage manage the show). I know my test scores are going to matter, but aside from that, will my sophomore year GPA hurt my chances of getting in?</p>
<p>Actually, while CMU is generally very competitive academically, for the BFA Drama and MT programs it is my understanding that your audition will count for 80% - 90% of the admissions decision, so grades and standardized test scores may actually be under-weighted in the CMU admission process.</p>
<p>However, this is not true for all universities that offer BFA Drama or MT programs. At schools like Michigan and Syracuse, General Admissions plays a heavy role in the decision-making process. My understanding has always been that at Syracuse, General Admissions makes the final decisions for BFA applicants (based on grades, scores, essay & all those factors PLUS the Theatre Dept recommendations after auditions); and at Michigan, your application must actually 'clear' general admissions (i.e., you have to meet the general admissions guidelines) before your audition can be scheduled.</p>
<p>That being said, it's great that you're working so hard to improve your grades in junior year. There are a few opportunities on the common app (those 'additional information' questions) where you can explain your poor performance in 10th Grade and emphasize your hard work to make things up in the following years).</p>
<p>I hope this input helps. Best of luck to you.</p>