Yup, I know about the TAG and I certainly plan to take full advantage of it. But the application for TAG comes out the right before the application does, so it’s not as “safe” a bet as maybe it seems. The requirements for TAG aren’t too bad, though.
As for Berkeley and LA, they are two of the best schools in the country (ranked #20 and #23 in the nation, respectively). Berkeley isn’t particularly known for its film program, so it would probably be pretty easy (well, easier than some majors like Engineering or Biology) to get into. But UCLA is highly- regarded as one of the best film schools (definitely in the top 5) in the WORLD, with an admit rate of 3% in their film program, so it’s more of a pipe dream, honestly, than anything else. It would be miraculous if I got in (I’ve been doing some research today because I really wanted to know).
Irvine is the safest bet of the three, with Berkeley in second (despite it being the better school) and LA being the “shoot for the moon” school.
Thank you for the info about the importance of high school grades, though. That’ll definitely save my skin on some level, because it was all bad.
Best of luck to you and UMich! 