Hi, I’m from New Jersey and I’d really like to go to UMich. I am planning to major in Music Performance, Music Education, or at the very least something music related. I play the Euphonium for Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, Baritone for Marching Band, and Bass Drum for Winter Percussion. I’d like to say that getting into Wind Ensemble right after my freshman year is a plus, but I don’t know how others see it. I’m going to go for Tri-M (Music Honors Society) next school year, which is my junior year, and I think I have a really good shot at getting in. I currently take all accelerated classes. Grades for Marking Periods 1 and 2 for Freshman Year were okay-ish, but COVID during the 3rd marking period of Freshman Year started the horrible cycle. This was a horrible year to be going through a pandemic, but we’ll be back in school for my junior year. Currently, I have a GPA of 3.1 (YES, IT SUCKS! I KNOW) and I’ll be going into 1 AP Class for Junior Year (AP Seminar). I’m willing to work extra hard next year because I know how important junior year is. I’ll hopefully get a tutor in the subjects that I need help in and that’ll help bring my grades and GPA up. I’m also gonna study extra hard for ACTs and SATs. On the site for UMich - School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, they state for one of the requirements, “GPA of 3.0 or better (calculated using unweighted grades in all subjects taken from 9th–11th grade.)”. I know my GPA is only 1 point above the requirement, but I’m really going to try to bring it up. Most of my extracurriculars involve band (Jazz Band playing Trombone for 1 Year, Indoor Percussion playing Bass Drum for 2 Years, Marching Band playing Baritone for 2 Years). I’m currently at a crossroad involving Marching Band. I have two options and I truly don’t know what to do. If I continue Baritone this year for MB, I would get solos, features, and I would even be section leader. Continuing this route could even lead to me being Drum Major my senior year. I think all of these things I’ve listed would help on my application, especially Drum Major. The thing is, recently, I’ve really become interested in Marching Snare Drum. Indoor has really influenced this thought and I know I would have so much more fun doing Snare for MB instead of Baritone. I know I should really choose what my heart wants and what I will enjoy to do more, but considering my low GPA, I need something to compensate, and being Drum Major could really help. Please send advice because I really need more thoughts on what I should do.
I suggest that you go over to the music major forum here on College Confidential. People there will be really helpful. Also, make sure to read “The Double Degree Dilemma” under the “Read Me” thread on that forum, an essay about the different ways to study music (not really about double degrees).
You can apply to many many schools test optional, though for academic merit aid you would need scores. Look at this extensive list of test optional schools: FairTest | The National Center for Fair and Open Testing So don’t stress about SAT’s and ACT’s unless a school you want requires scores.
I don’t know much about marching bands. I would suggest attending a summer program, a conservatory prep class/ensemble, or generally something outside of your school to broaden your experience.
Do you want a school with a marching band? Do you have a strong interest in teaching? These are factors in your decisions.
You can do a BM, BA in music, major/minor, BA in something else with extracurricular music, double major, and double degree (BA/BM or sometimes BA/MM).
Not sure why you specifically want UMichigan. There are many schools for you to apply to. Certainly apply there but learn about other programs too.
I have written on other threads lately that a stunning number of students and parents are posting about the effect of COVID on grades, depression and anxiety and so on. I really believe that colleges need to take this into account with admissions decisions.