Chance me!? USC Thornton, NYU Steinhardt?

<p>Hello guys! I originally wasn't planning on making an account, but after quite a bit of time going through these threads, SO many questions came to mind. </p>

<p>I'm currently an incoming junior in high school. My freshman grades were terrible, I got a 3.0 that year. First semester of my sophomore year, same thing, only worse. My GPA dropped from a 3.0, to a 2.8. I buckled down my second semester though and it is back at a 3.1 now. I know these grades aren't great at all, especially in the competitive world today.</p>

<p>I took the SAT my sophomore year as well, after the PSAT, and ended up getting a 1900. I plan to take it again and try to bring it up to a 2000-2100 my junior year.</p>

<p>I'm very interested in attending a school for music composition, such as USC Thornton, NYU Steinhardt, Berklee, or Frost. I am not entirely sure how the admission process would work..? Could someone please explain this to me? Will an outstanding audition (piano) and interview be accounted for when applying to these schools?</p>

<p>When I apply to USC's Thornton School of Music, for example, does that mean I'm applying to USC itself, or are they separate?</p>

<p>I'm really confused, any and all knowledge is welcome! I'm here to clarify if I was vague about anythinga</p>

<p>Also please note that I am most definitely motivated to get straight As this upcoming year, and those AP classes will certainly help with my GPA. Please help!!</p>

<p>AH! And my ECs include:
-President of SIMS club for the past 2 years.
-Competed at an international level for DECA.
-Varsity golf for the past two years.
-400+ hours of community service.</p>

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