<p>Hi. I'm worried my GPA will put me at a great disadvantage with some of the better film schools. I have a 3.45 undergrad GPA. I'm applying to UCLA, USC, AFI, CalArts, NYU and SAIC. My letters of rec and creative material are all good. Will my GPA hurt my chances substantially?</p>
<p>You should also be adding Chapman to your list of MFA schools. I have a junior in the Chapman’s film program. Last year, DS had the opportunity to team up to work with the MFA students on one of the projects, and had an amazing experience! According to DS, some of those students in the Chapman’s MFA program came from such school like NYU. That’s how impressive Chapman is in the industry! There’s only one way to find out whether you have any chance of getting in is by applying. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thanks. I’m kind of on the fence about Chapman. It’s building a reputation so quickly. I might end up applying. I was hoping someone who got into one these programs could share their undergrad GPA or can tell me if mine is good enough to be competitive.</p>
<p>What do you have a BA in and from where? That generally factors in to determining whether you are competitive or not academically. Those programs will care more about how competitive your portfolio is than whether you have a 3.45 or 3.6+. 3.45 is not bad, and I think most grad programs “only” require a 3.0+, so you are well over the minimum.</p>
<p>Of course you haven’t told us which programs you are applying to. Producing or dual Film-MBA/Law programs will care more about your GPA than Production programs will.</p>
<p>Edit: I just asked a close friend of mine, who applied to UCLA, USC, AFI and NYU for producing and got into all but USC. He had a 3.4 GPA from his Mexican BA in Business, so I doubt your GPA will ruin your chances. He ended up choosing UCLA and has no regrets.</p>