<p>I go to one of the continously rated top 100 schools in the country, except do not have the greatest grades in the world, as I spend way too much time on music and not enough on academics. I'm a sophomore and have a GPA of about 3.4 with a few embarrasing grades here and there (Freshman- Math 4th quarter D+). By no means do I consider myself a bad student, I know I'm truly incredibly capable and have my fair share of A's, but just do not work hard enough at such a demanding school. </p>
<p>I feel like every day I hear about one of my senior friends getting into their top school and it kills me inside that I feel like because of my average grades I won't be able to get into the one I want when the time comes. The music programs at UMiami (Frost), NYU (Steinhardt), and USC (Thorton) are the ones that attract me the most and will most intensley pursue, of course with some narrowinga and adjusting when the time comes. I play guitar and want to be a music performance major. How much will my grades affect the decisions at these schools?</p>
<p>I am a piano performance major…but I thought this might help.
I was just accepted into USC Thornton School of Music. Although I had a 4.7 GPA, I had several B’s and a C in the most current year. I heard that the audition results comes first, then decide which students to take based on their academic programs. If you spend much time on music, which is seemingly your case, and excel on your audition, your transcript may be overlooked. On the other hand… NYU Steinhardt is probably more harsh with academics. I applied there too, but I was waitlisted unfortunately. I thought I did very well on my audition - better than how I did in USC even. Considering that the USC Thornton’s rank being higher than NYU apparently, NYU might lean on academics more. I don’t know exactly though, so you should wait for other responses. Good luck next year!</p>
<p>Here’s what my grades are so far. I’m soooooo scared that my 3rd quarter grades this year went down because of multiple extra-curricular distractions.</p>
<p>Freshman:
Multimedia: A, A, A+, A+
Music Tech (half year): A, A
English: B, B, C+, B
Earth Science: A, A-, B, B
Math: C, C, C-, D+
Global: A, A, A-, B+</p>
<p>Sophomore:
Italian: A-, B
Photography: A, A+
English: B, B
Biology: B, A-
Math: C, B
Global II: A, A-</p>
<p>My sons grades are very similar to yours, maybe not quite as good. His SAT/ACT scores were about average. He didn’t apply for any famous music schools like you are interested in, but he was accepted at every school he applied at based on his musical ability, including a college where the average gpa is something like 3.9 and the average SAT score was close to 250 points over his score.</p>
<p>When DD was applying to schools, NYU Steinhardt indicated that the grades and audition were weighted 50/50. It is your final grades which are the ones on the transcript, not quarterly so you can overcome a bad quarter and improvement over freshman year is also considered. I don’t know how guitar performance fits in. I did not see a lot of guitar on the NYU web site, Frost lists jazz guitar. What are you interested it?</p>
<p>My son is a guitarist at USC, who also applied and was accepted to NYU (did not apply to Frost). USC is definitely a tougher admit academically (NYU admits roughly 30% of its applicants to USC’s 24% - and that USC number seems to be getting smaller each year). </p>
<p>Of course, where auditions and or portfolios are concerned, it’s a different animal. It’s true that NYU tells people auditions vs. stats are weighted 50/50. But USC never gives that number - it’s more of a “a fantastic audition can outweigh lesser stats, but only to a point” situation. Those “lesser” stats have to be acceptable to USC so they’re confident the student can succeed academically there. </p>
<p>I have heard a “minimum GPA” type number batted about at Thornton, but it changes each time I hear it. (Note that USC uses the UW GPA in its considerations and admitted students profile.) Best to ask the admissions department at Thornton if there is such a number, but know that it’s not set in stone. After auditions, the Thornton people sit down with the Admissions people and work out who gets in. The more they want you, the harder they’ll fight for you (assuming you need fighting for, academically.)</p>
<p>While they were nothing to sneeze at, my son could easy have been denied by USC based in his grades alone. So music definitely makes a difference.</p>
<p>My son is also a music major at Thornton and I can second everything jazz said above. I would also add that for a guitarist, Thornton is world class and the guitar majors are world class. So, if you have that level of ability and want to be in one of the best programs it is one to consider. Has the added benefit of a popular music performance program where you can play in bands with drummers, bass players, singers etc who are among the best in the country. You will need to take your academics more seriously and do well on the SAT/ACT. That is a good idea whatever your future holds but it certainly will be required for Thornton and likely others. If you do really well your last 2 years and have good test scores that will show enough academic ability/discipline that your musical ability would be the primary determinant in admissions. Don’t let another semester go by though. Good luck.</p>
<h2>To Singersmom: I will most generally be applying for music performance, but yes will probably pursue jazz studies. I live within a half drive to NYC and personally know a few people in the Steinhardt program and know that guitar is included in the program. </h2>
<p>I’ve literally vowed to myself that I will unrelentlessy work on earning above-average grades from now until I graduate. My teachers and I know exactly how much I am capable of being in advanced classes and receiving top-notch grades, but once again up to this point it’s been a matter of motivation and time management. My school is very well known amongst the most eminent universities and students are very often accepted into such (8 NYU acceptances so far in a class of approximately 200, 10 Cornell acceptances last year in a similar class size, etc). My goal for the SAT is between a 2000-2200 and I will work for whatever it takes to get that.</p>
<p>I also attend an extra-curricular music school year-round with similar music performance programs (that occasionally tour around the country- I will be apart of this next year), summer conservatory prep programs, private lessons, and more. I have met, played, and learned with many important musicians in the local NYC community and abroad, from college professors to grammy-award winning artists. </p>
<p>The last thing I am trying to sound here is pretentious, especially with my grades in consideration. I do not think I will have a problem musically when the time comes around for my auditions and applications. How my grades fit in is where I’m most concerned and uninformed. I really appreciate all of your responses!</p>
<p>We have it on very good authority that the popular music program only accepted two guitarists in this latest round. The studio/jazz guitar department took a few more (makes sense - that department doesn’t HAVE anything besides guitarists). </p>
<p>My son entered USC as one of 6 freshman studio/jazz guitar majors but has since switched switched to popular music. So Raddad is correct that USC is very competitive for guitar. Everyone there seems to come in with an already impressive resume of extracurriculars, awards and public performances. I’m sure the same is true for vocals, etc.</p>
<p>Interestingly, USC and Frost were two of the only schools we heard of that have a separate guitar department. At NYU, for example, guitar is part of the jazz department.</p>
<p>We took a recent tour at USC and by accident son was given a personal interview by one of the Thornton admission directors. He asked the very same question you did in your original post- the answer is exactly what jazzshredder gave. The overall gpa/test scores are slightly lower for Thornton because first and foremost is talent. Sounds like you are covered there - don’t worry about the past- focus on your future. Btw- my s is struggling but in reverse - having to decide to allow a drop in 4.0 gpa to get more time in on music- auditions are right around the corner for him (current junior). All I can say is - it is so tough to be a kid these days…</p>
<p>To comment on the original question in regard to Frost, when my S applied for the Fall of 2009 the studio teacher asked him specifically about his grades and scores. The previous year there had been a highly talented student that they had wanted in their studio who was denied admission due insufficient academic credentials. My S also has a friend who is an extremely talented jazz pianist who was denied admission to Frost because of poor SAT scores. I think he was a B to C average student (fall 2008). They told him on the spot at his audition that he was accepted in to the studio at Frost but ultimately was not admitted to UMiami.</p>
<p>If you have one or two poor grades in 9th grade but show that you have stronger grades as you have progressed through high school, then you should not worry as much since you have shown that you can succeed academically. </p>
<p>My impression is that if your audition is strong and Frost really wants you and if your grades and scores are on the lower end of their average that they will make an exception and grant admittance. On the other hand, they want to make sure that you will be able to succeed academically at the school. U Miami has become a fairly competitive academic admit. </p>
<p>Since you are in your sophomore year you have time to work on your classwork. I would suggest taking both the SAT and ACT. My S did much better on the ACT and did not even submit his SAT scores although they were in the upper ranges for his schools. Good luck, you are already ahead of the game since you are thinking about this in 10th grade.</p>
<p>Just wanted to report that my information about USC’s popular music program only taking two guitarists this round was wrong. There were around 5 or so accepted as guitar instrumental majors. This does not include guitar-playing singer/songwriter applicants or guitar-playing composition applicants.</p>
<p>When our daughter was applying to music schools several years ago, I systematically surveyed a number of music schools, including Frost and Northwestern, asking about the GPA and SAT admissions policy. This was three years ago. Things may have changed since then. What they all told is that the minimal acceptable GPA was a 3.0 and a combined score (math and reading) of 1100. But here’s what you have to consider when you get that kind of information from the school – competition and the availability of scholarship money. For the schools that you are talking about scholarship money makes a big difference in what you and/or your parents will have to pay. Of the three schools that you are looking at, by the way, Frost probably has the most generous scholarship program and is probably the easiest to get in.</p>
<p>I’ll post back when I get my report card in a few weeks. Next year I’m INCREDIBLY determined to get straight A’s- seriously- especially after seeing two kids from my school this year apply to USC, get accepted, and decide on going there. I want that to be me in two years.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, I recently applied and was accepted to a program in my school called the Alternative School, comprised of about 30 students. in which I will take my English and Social Studies classes in for the next two years, along with a pursuing of two internships per year. By the time I graduate, I will have about 100+ hours of community service and two career-based internships. In this program, we are not given grades, and therefore I will not recieve a GPA. Instead of a standard report card with grades, an intensive written report is given every quarter. At the end of every year I am also to create and present a two-hour presentation on a topic of my choice. The written reports, presentations, and final grades are what will be sent to the colleges.</p>
<p>My question is- how do you think this will appear to these colleges opposed to the standard school? People from this program are regularly accepted at top schools, (one acceptance at Steinhardt and one at Tisch from this class, Cornell and Harvard in the past) however I don’t know if this well help me stand out with USC in a positve or negative light.</p>
<p>By the way, jazz/shreddermom- do you by any chance have a video of your son playing guitar from around the time he was accepted? Is there a video of him on youtube I can check out? thank you!</p>
<p>Whatever the colleges said earlier this year, there were record numbers of applicants at all of them and academics are one way they make the cut. I expect this year to be the same, It’s just a lot harder to get into the top academic schools than it used to be, even for musicians. My S applied to NYU Steinhardt for composition, had a fabulous audition, but was not accepted. He had a 31 ACT but only a 3.4 GPA, which is the low end of the stated range there. He has a few high school friends who were admitted to NYU (not for music) and they had 3.8 GPAs or higher. They were also admitted to places like Carnegie Mellon and MIT. NYU had 42,000 applicants this year.</p>
thank you!</p>