I may be alone in this thread but I want to start it anyway. There is so much valuable information on this website but often times it’s hard to find parents of students who have less than a 3.0 GPA. There seems to be an attitude that if your kid doesn’t have a 3.0 or great, he/she should just go straight to community college. While there is nothing wrong with that, I contend that many students whose GPA is lower are very capable of going to a four-year university and succeeding.
Please include your child’s GPA, SAT score, Intended Major, Colleges they will apply to, and anything else you want to include. I will begin.
DS has a 2.85 GPA, 1000 RSAT score (took it again last weekend and will take October exam as well). He wants to major in Graphic Design or something related to that (Digital Art). He is considering SCAD, Ole Miss, LSU, and Alabama. We will wait until his SAT scores are released before we start the application process.
I am not a member of the class of 2018, my last is S17. However, I wanted to share with you about my D, HS class of 2009. She was an extremely unmotivated HS student until the end of junior year, when she decided she wanted to be a special ed teacher and finally began applying herself. She graduated with a 2.82 GPA UW (she never took a single honors or AP class). She had a 1260 SAT under the old old system.
She got into a SUNY school, but not one of the top ones. Once there, she applied herself and was admitted into the honors program in her second year. She was accepted into the 5 year masters program, from which she graduated magna cum laude, She also passed the then brand new licensing exams with an extremely high score when many people failed. She no longer teaches but is gainfully employed and very happy.
S17 is a theater kid and I know that a lot of schools consider auditions and portfolios of at least as much importance as GPA and test scores.
I just wanted to let you know that there is hope and sometimes previously unmotivated kids wake up and achieve.
Two classmates from my HS graduating class in the mid-'90s who graduated with cumulative GPAs somewhere in the low 2.x ended up becoming board certified MDs from AMA accredited medical schools.
Just offering that up so students with HS cum GPAs below 3.x gain some inspiration/hope from that.
Yes, there are lots of schools that would love to have your child attend. SCAD seemed really fun to me. What about the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, the Cleveland Institute of Art College of Art, or VCU? The University Circle area of Cleveland is a great area and home to most of the major cultural institutions in the city and close to downtown. It is right next to Case Western, so lots of college students around. VCU has a great reputation in the arts. The student who won the award as the top art student at our very large public high school is thrilled to be going there. Richmond (RVA) is a “hot” city with a fun downtown district (the Fan). I’ll also throw out UNC-Asheville. Asheville is an incredible town and a center for folk art. Mountains are beautiful. It is a public LAC, not a typical state university. Good luck!
Hi, I am a high school senior. 3.0 GPA, 25 ACT score. I want to be a nurse. Looking for direct or pre-nursing schools that I can get into. Looking at mainly midwest (Illinois) schools but I’m willing to go anywhere. My ideal college would be a large, diverse school near a major city or any school near a big city. Any recommendations? thanks!
My S17 was about a 2.8 with around 1200 in the new SAT. He was accepted into all 9 of the schools he applied to for education. He’s currently got straight A’s going into mid-terms at one of our state schools and loving it. Good luck!
I’d avoid SCAD (as a recently graduated adult learner studio art major not from that school). The talk from former students and professors is not happy. I’d ditto what @TTG said above about MICA and VCU. There are a LOT of great graphic art/art departments within larger and regional universities, with very dedicated staff.
When you’re picking a creative degree, being sensitive to cost and debt is a bigger deal because typically you’re making less out of college, and it’s a challenge to get a job.
I am seeing a lot of jobs posted for UX Designers (user experience). It requires a lot of graphic arts chops and a little bit of ability to code, and some good people skills. If I was going to go back for some refresher skills, I’d tailor my classes to that concentration because wow, lots of people are looking for it.
Also, as others have noted above, a good portfolio will often offset meh grades. Just take the time to get your portfolio critiqued by someone who knows what the colleges are looking for (cough NO ANIME cough).
Thank you for that information! I have been leery of SCAD, so many mixed reviews and for the money, it’s not worth the risk. DS has been accepted into may schools already, so it will be a matter of finding a larger university with a good Art program. We have stumbled on an interesting program at University of Kentucky that seems to mold graphic design, art, and video into one major. We will definitely explore that option as well as others that are available to him.
@PetulaClark The August SAT score went down to a 970, but his reading section went up, so he has a superscore of 1010 now. He took the SAT again last week and we will know his score on Friday. He has been seeing a math tutor for the last six weeks to get the math score up. Regardless, this was his last attempt.
DS has been accepted at the following schools:
Ole Miss
Kent State
University of Southern Mississippi
University. of South Alabama
Eastern Kentucky University
East Carolina University
I would like to mention to anyone concerned about the cost of OOS tuition that the cost to attend Eastern Kentucky and Southern Mississippi is $20,000 for tuition, room and board!!! Yes, you read that correctly. Check their website. EKU requires that you have a 2.5 or higher to get this tuition rate (SMART program), and Southern Miss has a flat rate of $10,200 for OOS tuition. So these are worthwhile options! Kent State is also lenient with academic scholarships (DS can get academic merit scholarship with his stats). DS can attend South Alabama for roughly $26,000 total. So you don’t spend an arm and a leg for OOS tuition.
We are still waiting to hear from other schools, will keep everyone posted!
I concur with TTG about RVA and VCUARTS. Daughter attends as GD major and loves it. It’s one of the top art/design schools in the country. In fact , its grad program is ranked #2 with only Yale at #1, so very impressive. It is a school within the larger VCU and the kids are treated like rock stars on campus. The most important thing is the quality of your portfolio. a good gpa helps but most important is the portfolio. good luck
Thank you so much for posting this. There had been a lot of anxiety for my D18 when we started the college application process. She has UW GPA of 2.75 and 1030 SAT in March. Her October score went down to a 1000. She is a theater kid. She wants to major in Musical Theatre and Elementary Education. She applied to 6 colleges.
East Tennessee State
Coastal Carolina
USC Upstate
Winthrop
College of Charleston
USC Columbia
She didn’t think she would be accepted anywhere and thought community college was her only option. She applied to the last 2 because they were in state and she had a fee waiver. She was has been accepted at the other 4. Winthrop was her first choice so that is where she will end up going. Hang in there everyone. There are plenty of options available even if you aren’t the top in class or testing.
Hi, joining the discussion. DS 18 is my second, but much different. My oldest was hs 2013, National Merit.
My son had 2.9 W, 29 ACT composite (twice)
Honors and AP
Terrible freshman year
Really good ECs, but no saving the world
Wants to major in Civil or Environmental Engineering
Wants ROTC
So far, accepted to
Ole Miss, but not into Engineering
Widener with 26k/yr merit
Waiting to hear from
University of Vermont
Ohio University
University of Toledo
Temple (In state, could commute)
Considering applying to
Hofstra
Pitt
We know Pitt is a super reach, but it was his dream school, so now that he has some acceptance, he may just apply so he has no regrets.
Hofstra may drop off. He needs to decide this weekend.
Toledo is the financial safety, but I’m not a fan. I want him to experience a residential college.
His list looks all over the place, but he really concentrated on hands-on engineering and ROTC. All seem to have
@Longhaul thank you so much for your post. I have an “under 3er” son (my youngest) who’s a sophomore. He really wants to go into engineering but I’ve been wondering lately if he had any shot at college much less engineering. Good to see some options. Congrats to your son on his acceptances and good luck on the rest!
My son has a 2.98, 32 ACT (took it once on advice of counselor because such a wide discrepancy between grades and scores already). Wants to major in music, so many of schools require audition into school of music after acceptance into college. Strong music and musical theater EC, no AP, one honors class, college prep school. Applied to 14, so far admitted to Belmont, Berry, Cornell College, Maryville, Birmingham Southern, Florida Southern, and Marietta College. Significant merit aid at Maryville and Florida Southern, haven’t gotten aid packages yet from Birmingham Southern, Marietta, Cornell, minimal merit at Berry and none at Belmont. Did have upward trajectory with grades.
@Longhaul: just curious, did your son look at Clarkson? Great for engineering. I have a niece there who had a fantastic experience. Excellent with placing in internships/job opps/placement and aren’t super competitive in admissions.