Or a good college at least… I’m a junior in high school. I have terrible grades because I slacked off a lot in previous years. My GPA right now is a 2.5. First quarter this year I made grades ranging from 3.0-4.0 in all my classes, except I got a 1.0 in math and history. I know this is awful.
The thing is, I am an avid actress and singer. I’ve been in over 20 shows, done summer programs, camps, workshops, New York City productions, voice lessons, dance and acting training all my life. I also write songs. It’s truly my passion. I know if I bring up my grades now my GPA can go up but probably not that much. And that terrifies me… I would love to go to Carnegie Mellon school of drama, I would love to go to Boston conservatory, i would love to go to Syracuse, and although a long shot I will audition for Julliard. I have a hard time believing they will not care about grades. I don’t know where to go and I don’t want to go to community college or not get in to any program I like. I’m terrified and it is eating me alive. Does anyone have any advice, pointers, reassurance and college suggestions for me? Is a 2.5 so terrible? Am I hopeless?
@ActingBaby77
Do not left the virus of self doubt erode your confidence. Passion wins. No single chapter defines you.
First take a deep breath and turn the terror to motivation. Colleges will look at an upward trend in grades and you can explain in your essay. Also some MT schools do not care about grades much but rely on auditions. There is a thread somewhere on CC about that. Your test scores also can counterbalance grades so take a good prep course or use a good prep book and prepare well for SATs. You will find the right fit for you!
Junior year grades are important so just try your best to improve them as much as possible this year. Nothing is hopeless! There are schools for MT that will accept you with average grades. That being said it might not be Carnegie M or Julliard (no MT here by the way) or a very expensive school that you would need merit money from grades to afford going there. You need to search for some other schools that are less selective academically. The schools average SAT scores and GPA and so forth are listed on their websites or if you google the school name. Plus if you do really well on your SAT /ACT that would also be great.
I’m not an expert, since none of these schools were highest on D’s list (she did not want a conservatory), but I don’t think either Carnegie Melon or Julliard care at all about grades for acting/MT admissions, which are solely audition-based. As has been said, though, at many schools (possibly including some on your list) a strong GPA (and/or test scores) can equal merit-based financial aid. You also need to know that all top schools (including top conservatories) have extremely competitive admissions, so if you are comitted to college your school list will need to include safeties as well (which might even include a community college).
Others here will offer more current and complete information, but take heart in knowing that a very strong audition can ovecome poor grades at some solid MT programs. Also know that some working actors attended community college or no college at all, while many who attend top programs will never build successful performing careers. There are many ways to skin (or not skin) this cat.
@ActingBaby77 Breathe, breathe and know that this passion was placed on your heart for a reason. As I and many others have said many times, there is NO one path to following your dreams. This means following YOUR path that is right for you and you alone. And having the courage to stand in that decision with confidence. Your path may be a community college to get grades up,might be a conservatory which your GPA wont matter as much, it may even mean no college at all and a direct line to training and auditioning. It is in the quietest moments that our souls speak to us, so sit with yourself first, breathe and discern,then please share these feelings with your parents or trusted adult. The answers will come and you will wind up on the exact right path for you. And that path may curve, detour and change many times, enjoy the journey!
@ActingBaby77 Everything will be ok! Coming from someone with a GPA not much higher than you, I would tell you not to worry! I have gotten a bunch of academic acceptances (my test scores are pretty good though)! My advice to you would be to focus on getting good test scores, in my experience a lot of times good test scores can make up for a not stellar GPA! Just remember in the end everything works out and wherever you end up will be lucky to have you! Also good luck next year, you’ll do great!
Your situation is not hopeless, for example, your GPA would be at fit at Coastal Carolina and Wright State which both have excellent MT programs and are very competitive for artistic admission. At Wright State, 14% of the students have a GPA of 2.0-2.49 and 21% have a GPA between 2.5-2.99. At Coastal Carolina, 5% have a GPA between 2.0-2.4 and 20% are between 2.5-2.99. There are more solid MT programs with similar academic profiles. In the NYC area, Rider accepts 5% with GPA 2.0-2.49 and 20% 2.5-2.99. Long Island Post accepts 19% with a GPA between 2.0-2.49 and 28% between 2.5-2.99. You can look up the stats for all colleges at collegedata.com.
As others have said, good test scores can balance out a lower GPA at many schools. In addition to trying to get your GPA up, be sure to work hard and practice for your SAT and/or ACT tests.
If you have an outstanding audition, some schools, like Carnegie Mellon, will accept you even though your academic stats do not meet the school’s typical profile. At Syracuse, 7% of the students have a GPA below 3.0.
Not to be a broken record about this, but CCPA Roosevelt doesn’t care very much about grades or scores.
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My D attended a Carnegie Mellon presentation at her high school and the admissions advisor stated that if the acting program wants you, you will be accepted provided you have graduated from high school and you haven’t committed a felony. Her words, really. 
Prepare well for the audition process, apply to a good number of schools, and take a deep breath, like others have said. Break a leg!
@ActingBaby77 - one of the keys for you is to make sure your list of schools is realistic. Make sure you have plenty of schools whose average GPAs are in keeping with what yours is to give yourself the best . Go ahead and have a couple of reach schools on there as well, because you might beat the odds. But do be realistic when creating your list of schools to which you apply. Other responders have given you a lot of great suggestions of schools to consider. And there are many more schools whose average GPA falls within your range for your to consider. So do some more research on who these schools are.
The good news is some of your top choices (Carnegie Mellon, Boston Conservatory, Julliard) are definitely talent first schools. However, be realistic about the overall odds of getting in these programs. They are some of the most popular, most applied to programs. Out of the 3, Boston Conservatory may have slightly better odds only because they take a larger number of students than the other 2. But they are all very difficult to get into no matter your grades or your talent.
Syracuse does care about grades, so you might talk to an admissions person there about your grades. And definitely get those grades on an upward trajectory. That will help. Great test scores will help, too. So work hard to do well on your ACT and/or SAT.
@ActingBaby77 - I graduated high school with a 2.67 GPA. I bottomed out at a 1.67 in high school. I began college at Wright State University on academic probation, ended my first quarter with a 3.764 and graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music/Case Western Reserve University with a 3.3. Finished my masters with a 3.8 and my DMA with a 4.0. In my opinion, high school GPA means very little in the big picture and is not a strong indicator of long-term success. Should you do your best, absolutely. However, not everyone excels at STEM subjects, especially when they are artistically inclined and driven. Now this should not be taken as an excuse to cruise through the rest of your high school career. In hindsight, I wish I would have done better in high school.
The lowest GPA acceptable varies from school to school. At Shenandoah Conservatory, the university as a whole has fairly low entry requirements and we have been able to take students with a 2.5 GPA. Wright State obviously used to be that way as well. However, there are other schools with very strenuous gen ed requirements in their degree and they are unable to bypass the university’s higher GPA requirements.
I would recommend doing fewer performances and instead get a tutor for the subjects you are struggling in. Take an ACT and SAT prep course and take the tests early. If you can make a major turnaround during your final semesters, many admissions programs will take that into consideration.
You have done plenty of shows for someone your age, now it is time to play the academia game and get that GPA to a level that will make colleges feel better about your potential for success.
Good luck!
~VT