How imp are the test scores now for admission/scholarships, that most schools are test optional? (RISD/MICA/PRATT etc). During a portfolio review D had asked and she was told that if you have a good score send it in and it will be used for academic scholarship. If not it will be done holistically. How does it compare with two kids with the same range of portfolio/gpa/leadership/awards and one with score and one without?
D has a 1380 on her first SAT. GPA on the higher range (Weighted GPA with mostly A and A+ and lots of AP classes). What does she prioritize after this? Spending time making her portfolio better or studying for SAT and getting trying for a better score? She is currently a junior so applications are just a few months away.
Portfolio is king. When it comes to giving scholarships the school looks at grades (so all those A’s are great!) and test scores as a sign that a student has a work ethic and ability to achieve success. So if two students have equal portfolios but one has better test scores and grades then that will be the student to get a scholarship. But to have a chance at admission the portfolio has to be great no matter the scores.
No she has not. As organized and disciplined and dedicated she is in everything she does, it has been a struggle to have her prep for the SAT and she has not prepped for it other than 5 days before the test. This is the reason we were debating her taking another test.
We were praying she gets a decent enough score (above 90th percentile) that she will not have to do the test again and she did. She feels she can do better if she takes it again. But she only has this summer for portfolio and applications and we were trying to figure out where she can use her time better. She is also taking 3 dual credit during summer so she might be able to free up space to take another art class during her senior year.
She has 3 golds, 2 silvers and a couple of honorable mentions in the Regional Scholastic (Not sure how much that counts at the regional level), she has her art displayed at the dallas museum of art at an exhibition and other recognitions. So we feel these are covered. Its just the test score… and of course the portfolio. Suddenly it feels there is very little time.
According to an interview with USC SCA Admissions on FilmSchool dot org it seems like the personal statement is the most important?
“Your personal statement is the equalizer. If everything else is great and [the personal statement] is bad, it doesn’t mean you’re going to stay out . . . We’re not supposed to look at it like it’s weighted more than everything else, but if it’s done really well we’re not going to be able to leave that application alone.”
My D23 applied for BFAs in filmmaking and our experience was her scores were not very important. Most of the top academic schools told us outright, including USC and UCLA, that the portfolios mattered much more and that film students were admitted with lower overall GPAs/test scores. Most, including Florida State and USC, said if the Film School wanted a student, they would push for them. Our D applied test optional for most schools and did not submit an application to UCLA because the odds of admission were so low for OOS students, was rejected from USC, but was admitted to Florida State and waitlisted at NYU. Even though our D did not have high scores, she had a 95% GPA and received good merit at all the schools she was admitted to, including in-state tuition at Florida State.
BTW, our D took the SAT twice, took Kaplan, and got the exact same scores. She did better on the ACT, I believe around 85%, and submitted that to the only school that required it, Florida State. I would focus on the essays and portfolio, which were very time consuming for her and the family.
Thank you all! The dreaded time is here and my DD did not take another SAT or even try for ACT. She has started applying for schools already and keeping fingers our fingers crossed that her portfolio is strong enough and her essays. All the reviews she went through including NPD seemed to be asking to see “who she is” reflected in her portfolio… same idea apply for the essays too I believe.