BFA MT - Looking for schools not as concerned about grades

Carnegie Mellon?

CMU surprisingly does not care much about grades. They say they go by talent alone. But CMU is a lottery school. (It is like winning lottery to be admitted as the odds are not good).

@KPike320 - if you were asking if Carnegie Mellon was the CMU turned down for UNCSA - yes. Some of the same kids get admitted to CMU, UNCSA, Michigan, etc.

CMU has been turned down by a handful for UNCSA in past couple years. Flip side- we do know one boy that turned down UNCSA for CMU. Goes both ways.

^^^ It does indeed. There are several students at Texas State who turned down Carnegie for Texas State (my son was one). At the same time I know several who have turned down Texas State for Carnegie, UMich, etc. Everyone is competing for the same students and students pick different schools for many reasons.

I think one of the most interesting things on the final decisions background threads are the variables about who gets in where. There are lots of kids who get into several excellent programs… But I have never seen anyone be universally successful at the audition process. I also think it is fascinating to see kids who get into one of the “most difficult” programs… But are rejected by others that are seen as “lower” in the BFA food chain.

^^ agreed!

It goes all ways. In D’s class this year, initial offers were made and two kids chose CMU over Michigan, one kid chose Yale over Michigan, and one chose Oklahoma U over Michigan. OU was always the student’s dream school, it was closer to home, and affordable. I get it. It makes sense. It’s an excellent program. On the flip side, students chose Michigan over CMU, CCM, and other programs. It really depends on so many factors. There are supremely talented students in every program and amazing programs that are not as well-known. And, as @toowonderful noted, very few, if any, students are accepted at all programs where they applied.

Keep in mind some kids will have dream schools that they will attend no matter where else they are accepted. Not all of these dream schools will be tier 1 or big 3 or whatever.