Low GPA, Perfect SAT-- help

<p>UPitt more than CMU, but not so much so that the admissions officer is not going to be interested in the discrepancy between goa and sat. The AO will almost certainly read the counselor’s letter of rec before moving on, and that should be all you’ll need to get her or him to read the an essay. There may be someone at your school (or church), since you’re local, who could drop a dime for you at either school and alert an AO at Pitt and CMU to look out for your app. </p>

<p>What I decided to do was to balance out my GPA tremendously in other areas. After doing some further research, I do think I have a small chance and that’s enough for me. I’m going to carnegie in October for an overnight stay & interview. I’m also going to contact UPitt admissions for an interview, even though it’s not required. I’m also contacting Duq as well. I feel as though I’m capable enough to succeed at these universities and I’m going to show that. </p>

<p>dang, princess, that’s what I like to hear! if there’s anything else you need, we’ll be here. 3:-O </p>

<p>Thank you so much for all of your help. I’ll update you all as new developments arise.</p>

<p>Just as a really quick update: I’m not going into computer engineering (for my own sanity) so I’m going for an art major at these 3 colleges, anyone have any advice? </p>

<p>For art, definitely look into Bryn Mawr, Barnard, or Wellesley.
Carnegie Mellon’s School of Art is famous so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed - let us know how it goes in October after your visit and interview.
You know you could go into Digital Arts?
College of the Atlantic in Maine, Elon in North Carolina (both very different vibes), American U in DC, all have this major.</p>

<p>I’m gonna look into those colleges the main goal was to stay close to pittsburgh if not in Pittsburgh.</p>

<p>CMU has a good reputation for cross-disciplinary education and research. It has a wonderful fine arts curriculum and I am told that they encourage their students to work in both the fine arts and STEM. They have this BXA Intercollege Degree Program that may prove of interest to you, OP:</p>

<p><a href=“BXA Intercollege Degree Programs - College of Fine Arts - Carnegie Mellon University”>BXA Intercollege Degree Programs - College of Fine Arts - Carnegie Mellon University;

<p>Of course, one could get there and just focus on one of their many schools of art, drama, architecture, design, or music.</p>

<p>Pitt has studio and theater arts and film studies as well as history of art and architecture. I don’t think they’re as interdisciplinary as CMU, but then few schools are. Strong programs, however, in STEM and these fields, and the fine arts are supported by the excellent Frick library.</p>

<p>Duquesne I’m not as familiar with, but I cannot remember seeing that they had a fine arts school.</p>

<p>Does anyone know if it’s easier getting into any of the sections of the schools? Ex. Pitt Dietrich art & science, engineering school, etc. or Carnegie Mellon art school, engineering school etc.~</p>

<p>And also, does Carnegie Mellon forgive freshmen year grades like I’ve heard? </p>

<p>Pitt’s A&S is easier to get into than Engineering. I think everything is pretty competitive at CMU (even if not at the level of CS, which is Harvard-level competitive.)</p>

<p>If you must stay in Pittsburgh, look at Chatham University.</p>

<p>My college list ( I have to start applying in a few weeks really):</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon </p>

<p>University of Pittsburgh </p>

<p>Washington & Jefferson College </p>

<p>Robert Morris University </p>

<p>Waynesburg University </p>

<p>Duquesne University </p>

<p>Point Park University </p>

<p>Chatham University </p>

<p>OP, have you done an official tour of any of these campuses? I think that should be your next step. Your school should allow you a certain number of schooldays to visit college campuses while classes are in session. I’d start with the schools in which you’re most interested. Take notes while you’re there about food, housing, campus safety, campus aesthetics, cleanliness, names of people you met, athletic facilities, etc. there are some good schools on your list, but fit is going to be important to you.</p>

<p>I’m planning on visiting Carnegie for their weekend sleepover. I’m gonna go to Pitt for a visit too. Probably the end of this month/next month.</p>

<p>So I calculated my weighted gpa and if I did it correctly then I have a 3.16 wgpa. Does this help me out at all?</p>

<p>it only suggests that you took some AP or Honors courses, but the AO will already have noticed that. In general, AOs don’t care about weighted GPAs because each school weights the APs and Honors differently.</p>

<p>did you get to CMU or Pitt yet, OP?</p>

<p>I did get to both and I love them both. They are both my top choices (obviously reaches). I also have been using my schools naviance a lot and saw that a few people got into my college list choices with 2.3’s and pretty okay SATs. I’m not sure what to take from that. </p>

<p>I’m glad you liked them. Good schools. Have you talked to AOs at either school? Have you applied yet to Pitt? This is one of a few schools where the early apps get the admissions and money.</p>

<p>Yeah, those outliers could be anything. URMs, recruited athletes, other privileged students.</p>

<p>I talked to the AO at Pitt and I applied yesterday.</p>

<p>If you are applying as an art major at CMU, then that is a BFA program which requires a portfolio for admission. I know for the Drama program, the audition is more important than the academic record (which is strange considering the high academic caliber of the university itself), but i do not know if the same holds true for the Art School.</p>

<p>It also sounds like you are all over the place with what you want to do and study. First engineering, now art. That in itself is fine – college is the time to explore new paths of knowledge and potential careers. This suggests to me that you should look into schools that do not require a student to preselect a major for admissions, or at least offer plenty of opportunity for different types of study and an easy path to transfer within colleges in that university if a student changes their mind.</p>