<p>I was accepted into Mr. Kujala's studio!!!!!................but I was rejected from the university due to my low grades even though I have a 4.12 GPA.......Does this happen? or is it just me??</p>
<p>What are your SAT/ACT scores? Did you take 4 years of English, Math, Science, Language, etc.?</p>
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<p>I don't understand. How could you have a 4.12 and low grades? Even if it's a heavily weighted GPA ...</p>
<p>Did the explicitly outright say that you were rejected for your low grades? It seems peculiar.</p>
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<p>My ACT score was low. It was a 25, but after I heard the news I contacted Northwestern and talked to the assistant dean of admissions and he said my low grades were why they could not accept me. The thing that troubles me is all I want to do is play music with Mr. Kujala and he happens to be at Northwestern. I did apply early,so maybe that is what messed me up in the long run!!!!</p>
<p>Applying early is never a reason for rejection. I'm puzzled, much like fiddlefrog, how a 4+ GPA could possibly be considered too low, and reason for rejection of a music major who has already been accepted by the professor.</p>
<p>Have you notified the flute teacher about this? The music professors have a lot of clout in the music school, unless things have changed dramatically.</p>
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<p>Those questioning the grades should remember that colleges recalculate GPA according to their own formulas, often leaving out music and anything else they do not consider a core subject. Additionally, they may not give added weight to honors, AP or IB classes. The result is that the GPA that the college calculates from a transcript can be much lower than the one the high school calculates. I do not know if that is going on here, but it is a possibility.</p>
<p>To the OP: Might Mr. Kujala be willing to take you on as a private student if you were to attend some other college nearby? There must be some other schools within commuting distance that have rolling admissions. If you get good grades at the other school, maybe a transfer to Northwestern would be possible in a year. Meanwhile, you could work on classes for which you may be able to transfer credit, such as the area requirements, the writing course and possibly some music history.</p>
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<p>I have seen this happen with violin students. Two suggestions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>As Lorelei suggests, if Mr. Kujala really wants you, he may be able to influence admissions. Profs at Northwestern do have some clout. Contact Mr. Kujala! (Good luck -I know a violinist who got in thanks to the pull of one of the violin profs!)</p></li>
<li><p>If you are in the Chicago area at all, make an appointment with music admissions and talk directly, in person with them. My suggestion, bring parent so there are two hearing the interview. </p></li>
<li><p>Northwestern will accept music transfers if the grades are good. As BassDad says, there's DePaul and Roosevelt in Chicago (their admissions are likely closed at this point). There are other smaller colleges (North Park University, Northeastern, perhaps a community college, etc.) as well that might have admissions openings putting you in the area to study pivately with Kujala for the year. Or you could go elsewhere in the country and study with someone else for a year, then try to transfer to Kujala at Northwestern. If you go this route, I'd keep Mr. Kujala posted and try to have some lessons with him - even if not regular - so he remembers and maintains interest in you. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck. I know it's terribly disappointing and a bit unbelievable. Make sure that you fully have admissions story straight. There may still be a route to your goal!</p>
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<p>Along the same line as Bassdad's reply.</p>
<p>One of the unique features of Northwestern (good or bad) is they have extremely rigorous academic standards across all disciplines including music. Even athletes need to have and maintain high GPA's to get in. I know several prospective students who are excellent musicians, but either did not apply or failed to get in because their GPA and/or test scores were not competitive enough.</p>
<p>If you are really set on studying with Mr. Kujala, you may want to look at other schools in the Chicago area. Many prof's take private students on the side. Several CSO members teach at DePaul, and there are other Chicago area options as well depending on what you are looking for.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
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<p>Four-five years ago I had a direct conversation with one of the high profile string teachers at Northwestern who told me he could get C and better students into NU, but below that was a problem. So unless that 4.12 masks some very poor grades in core academic subjects, which would give pause to the question of whether OP can survive in the classroom, there should be some leeway. It is possible that the flute teacher found the OP to be acceptable, but in his ranking of the total class of flautists, there was a formula which favored others. If academics are a problem, NU is not the place for OP.....its core academic classes are challenging, and they must be managed successfully for academic survival, no matter the talent level.</p>
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<p>There is some consistency as OP was also rejected by McGill School of Arts and Sciences...</p>
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<p>I have a daughter in college in the performing arts, as well as I advise many students applying to college for arts programs. Selecting a college needs to go beyond which schools offer good programs in your specialty. The colleges need to fit your academic qualifications as well. Getting accepted is not just a matter of passing muster in the audition but it also involves being accepted to the university academically and so on. It is not unusual at all to be selected by audition to a school but not be admitted academically. Northwestern is a very selective university. The admit rate to the university itself is 27%. </p>
<p>I do not know your true grades. The GPA you stated is meaningless for me without seeing your transcript. I do not know if that is weighted and how it is weighted. Colleges do not simply look at GPAs as the grading system varies from high school to high school. They look at your grades and calculate an unweighted GPA. Some do that just for academic core classes and some include all classes. But the UNWEIGHTED GPA is what matters. They will also take into account the rigor of your chosen curriculum. I don't know the level of rigor of what you took. I don't know your grades. I would imagine to get into Northwestern, one would have to have taken either the most demanding curriculum available or at least "very demanding." I would imagine that having more A's than B's would be required. I don't know what you have in this regard. </p>
<p>Further, 85% of those admitted to Northwestern come from the top 10% of their HS class, 97% from the top quarter, and 99% from the top half. Are you in the top 10% of your HS class? If not, your odds are less for admission, coupled with if your grades were not in range for the school. </p>
<p>Then, your ACT score of 25 is quite low for Northwestern. The mid 50% range of admitted students to Northwestern have an ACT of 30-34. A VERY small percentage of those admitted to Northwestern have an ACT of 25. </p>
<p>Before you ever auditioned, my guess would be that NU was a FAR reach for you based on just your ACT score alone and I don't have your transcript, grades, class rank, EC's, recs, essays, or all the rest. </p>
<p>You cannot just pick a school because it is great in your field. You must meet the qualifications for admission to the university itself. </p>
<p>The good news in your case is that you obviously are talented as you passed the audition for flute at NU. I HOPE you have other schools on your list, including ones that are not as academically selective as NU (and fit YOUR academic qualifications) because it would bode well that you might get admitted since you have the artistic talent on flute. </p>
<p>By the way, there is nothing "UNFAIR" about your admissions outcome. Getting into a college is more than just the audition, and rightfully so. Hopefully you have a balanced list of schools with a range of academic and artistic selectivity. That's how it works. </p>
<p>Good luck with the remaining schools.</p>
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<p>This also points out the difference between admissions to a stand-alone conservatory (where the audition really is everything, or pretty darned close) and a music school that is part of a larger institution (where you have to satisfy both musical and academic admissions criteria.)</p>
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<p>I will add that in terms of "fairness," I am sure that NU has applicants who have the talent on flute AND can meet the academic qualifications to be admitted, since it is such a selective school and gets a good number of qualified applicants. Therefore, they do not need to accept someone who has the flute talent who doesn't have the academic qualifications for that school, when they have applicants who have both the flute talent and the academics. There is nothing unfair about that.</p>
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<p>Cross posted with BassDad but I completely agree. Getting into a stand alone conservatory is not the same as getting into a music school that is part of a university where you are not judged ONLY on your artistic talents. That's how it should be too. You will not JUST be taking courses in music but will be in other courses at the university and they want students who meet the academic qualifications who will succeed in that academically selective setting. They can find students who have both the music talent and the academic talent since they are a selective school that has a wealth of very qualified applicants. They do not need to accept someone who is only strong in academics or only strong in music when they have plenty of qualified applicants who can pass muster in both areas.</p>
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<p>I'm scratching my head on this one as well. The last few years have been tough ones even for those with solid grades and test scores. soozievt makes some excellent points, the ACT score is low for a number of competitive academic admit schools that balance audition results in offering admissions.</p>
<p>McGill is not an academic safety either, but it seems the jury is till out on the Schulich audition. From recall, admission to Schulich is not necessarily contingent upon grades. It's been a few years since I seriously reviewed McGill or Schulich's admission policies.</p>
<p>Plenty of good advice here, and the options range from choosing some alternate programs academically (if possible at this point) coupled with private music study. </p>
<p>Flute is highly competitive and a successful music audition at a school of Northwestern's caliber indicates a high level of musical talent.</p>
<p>Faculty "pull" can be significant, but there is an academic threshold that many programs simply do not cross.</p>
<p>Perhaps there were errors in the transcript? OP, did you actually review a copy of the transcript that was sent? It is not unheard of for information to be incomplete or downright wrong. Were there past grade changes or omissions that potentially were not incorporated? As mentioned, there could be significant academic weakness in specific areas.</p>
<p>If a recalculated GPA is the true reason, then BassDad's suggestion might make the most sense, or the OP may wish to reconsider the approach, taking a gap year and reapplying as a freshman to strong conservatory/conservatory level programs where far less emphasis is placed on academic criteria.</p>
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<p>I don't see it as unfair; NU is an academically demanding school.
Even at Oberlin, whose conservatory accepts based, they say, about 80% on the audition, and has a significant number of International students with limited language skills, the courses in the college (you need 8 or so) are filled with students with high grades and test scores; so it can be tough going - even if you take all dance courses in the college, the BMus degree requires advanced courses in music history and theory that are not what we used to call "micks" or "gut" courses.</p>
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<p>Stephmin I am confused too! It was my top choice and I was under the impression that if I got into the music program I would get a pass to get into the university. I have contacted Mr.Kujala and he tried to convince admissions but I was still not accepted. He has been so kind to me. I think they simply did not want to change their decision. They may have made a mistake. I was informed by mr.Kujala that he gave me high marks for my audition. This is what made me upset the most. Thank you BassDad for your advice, and the closest school to NU is Loyal Chicago, but I don't think they will accept any more applicants :(.</p>
<p>Thank you fiddlestix! I have tried all of your suggestions and none of them worked! I thought if I told them all I want to do is study with Mr.Kujala that they would let me in. I was mistaken. </p>
<p>lorelei2702 thanks for your advice as well. I know myself and I would be completley able to take classes at NU. working hard has always been my forte.</p>
<p>I also thank you soozievt. I am aware that my overdramtic self should not call it unfair. it is simply devestating to me. My unweighted is a 3.86, but the reason I thought it was odd that I did not get in is because I was told by music admission (the coordinator) that I would get in if I was accepted to the school of music.</p>
<p>It just makes me wonder how many valadictorians (or 4.5 gpa students) out there can get in with acedemics and be exceptional in music. I mean a 3.8 unweighted to me does not seem that bad, but ........I guess it is :( it was not easy to get that either</p>
<p>Thank you all for your invaluable advice!!!</p>
<p>I just think you had to misunderstand something because I am not aware of schools like NU where if the music program wants you, that you are automatically admitted to the university. </p>
<p>As far as your GPA....that alone doesn't tell me enough. It sounds very good, but I'd have to see the transcript....the courses you took, the grades you got in them, and so on. I'd have to see your class rank or what percentage of your class you fell into. And of course, the rest of your application such as extracurriculars, recommendations, essays, counselor report. </p>
<p>I truly believe that it is NOT the case that if the music department wants you, that you will will get a "pass" into the university. I am sorry if you thought that but it is not the case at schools like Northwestern. </p>
<p>You simply can't just apply to colleges that have your area of interest and not look at the academic qualifications needed to be considered for admission. It doesn't work that way. I help numerous students in the performing arts build their college list and believe me, talent is not the only consideration. Their list must be balanced in terms of their individual academic odds of getting in. While I don't have your entire profile, had I been advising you, just based on your ACT score alone, I would have told you that the odds of your getting into NU were very slim. I hope you have some schools on your list with great flute programs where your academic stats fit the profile of admitted students to those universities. You clearly have the artistic talent. But picking colleges involves matching BOTH your artistic talents and academic talents to the schools on your list. As well, considering the acceptance rates is part of selecting schools and building a balanced list. NU has a low acceptance rate and is quite selective. They will have flutists who have the artistic talent along with grades, rigorous curriculum, top ten percent of class and an ACT of over 30. In such a competitive process, if you are not in that ballpark, your odds are slimmer.</p>
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