<p>I've tried searching but I haven't found anything that discusses my exact situation. Forgive me if there is and I have missed it.</p>
<p>So here's the deal:</p>
<p>I am currently 20 years old. I graduated from high school in 2009 with a 3.89 GPA. My SAT score was 1820. I then attended community college for 3 semesters, then stopped to work, re-focus and figure out what I want to do academically. </p>
<p>I would like to attend a school with a Musical Theatre BFA program. I realize that I will have to spend 4 years at school, regardless of what community college courses I've taken and I am fine with that. Here's what I'm confused about: Do I apply as a freshman or a transfer student? I realize that I will need to send my transcripts from the community college I attended, but I don't think I have received enough credits to qualify as a transfer student (I didn't do so well during 2 of my semesters at community college).</p>
<p>Has anyone been in this situation? What do I do?</p>
<p>Most schools will consider you a transfer student if you have taken any college courses at all, but they may have transfer unit requirements. For example, UCs require 60 units. If you have 20 units, you don’t get to apply as a freshman, you have to do 40 more and then apply as a transfer. Each school is different</p>
<p>Most schools will consider you a transfer student for admissions purposes if you have attended 3 semesters of community college. But, you really need to check with each school’s admissions office individually to know for sure.</p>
<p>You mention you HS GPA, what is you CC GPA? Depending on school policy you may or may not submit your HS transcript at all.</p>
<p>I spent the night going on different school’s websites individually and seeing what each school’s policy is. For all but one of them I am considered a transfer student. Since I have less than x amount of credits (it varies from school to school), I will be required to send in my HS transcripts and SAT scores. Most schools require that a transfer student has a 2.0 GPA from whatever college attended. Some will make exceptions. The reason I don’t have my GPA from community college listed is because I actually don’t know it! I’ll be going to the school this next week to figure that out!</p>
<p>Don’t assume you won’t get money as a transfer. My D transferred and still had some extremely generous scholarship offers. However, most programs did require her to start as a freshman or sophomore instead of a junior. She was able to transfer as a sophomore to Penn State’s BFA program.</p>
<p>I fully expect to start as a freshman and I’m totally okay with that.</p>
<p>Here’s what I’ve decided to do:</p>
<p>First of all, I am going to get my hands on a copy of my transcripts from the Community College I attended. After writing out all the classes I took/attempted, I realized that I did quite well in most of them and only a few had poor outcomes. I think I have been overreacting because I’m not used to getting anything below a “B”. So, if my GPA isn’t bad, I’ll apply to the schools as a transfer student and start auditioning.</p>
<p>If my GPA is poor, I’ll take some online classes with University of Phoenix to bump it up, and then apply, etc.</p>
<p>Oh yes. I know it’s expensive. This is how I look at it though: I’ve put myself in a bad situation. If my GPA is lower than needed to be accepted academically as a transfer, I have no one but myself to blame. I put myself in this situation and now I’ve got to work my way out of it. I’m going to have to sacrifice some things in order to get to where I want to be. So, if I need to spend the extra money and time to get there, so be it.</p>
<p>Before you spend money to bump up your GPA, you might review your list of MT programs. To be honest, many of the MT programs are more concerned with your audition than with your GPA. Of course a lower GPA might affect your chances at an academic scholarship, but it shouldn’t affect your chances for admission to most programs.</p>
<p>I know that many are more concerned about the audition than academics, but for most programs you must be accepted academically as well as artistically. I would be devastated if I was accepted into a program but couldn’t go because I wasn’t accepted by the university academically.</p>
<p>I’m pretty much in the same boat as JustConfused except I finished my AA, but my GPA is only about a 3.1. My HS GPA was closer to 3.8. I don’t know if I should try to take more classes to bump up my community college GPA or just focus more on audition prep.</p>
<p>Absolutely you should not neglect your academics. However, there are very definitely some programs for which a lower GPA will not be an issue if they like your audition. That is why you need to form a list of schools and then look at the requirements for those schools to see how your GPA might affect your admission as well as your chances at an academic scholarship.</p>
<p>Most schools say that transfer students must have a 2.0 GPA, which I am above, but just barely. At this point I just don’t know what is going to be the most beneficial for me. Ah!!!</p>
<p>Most schools say that transfer students must have a 2.0 GPA, which I am above, but just barely. At this point I just don’t know what is going to be the most beneficial for me. Ah!!!</p>
<p>What is your training/background in musical theatre? As you know from your research (and I applaud you for taking the time to look at the options!) there are 2 admission points – academic and artistic (for auditioned programs). As you study the schools that do admit transfer students, also take a look at their audition requirements. Thinking about/preparing your audition materials can be another concrete step you take toward this adventure. </p>
<p>Have you contacted any of the schools you are interested in to see their policies regarding transfer GPA requirements versus audition? What are your current criteria for choosing schools, besides an MT BFA that accepts transfers? (That’s a great place to start!!!) Are you planning to audition this year, or is this an information-gathering, preparing year?</p>
<p>Lots of questions, I know…but you are doing such a good job of trying to figure out how best to go about this. Keep searching/thinking/preparing and asking questions!</p>
<p>You may also want to look at the list of schools that have programs of interest to you and see if any of them have rolling admissions. If they do and it looks like your GPA meets their minimum transfer acceptance criteria, you could apply academically and see if you get the academic acceptance before scheduling an audition.</p>
<p>I was in your same shoes this time last year.
I had only a few credits, and as far as MY experiences went- I applied as a transfer. I sent my transcripts and proceeded with my auditions. At the university I am currently attending I am considered a “transfer-freshman”. I am a sophomore academically, but I am a freshman in the musical theatre program.
All of my general education classes transferred and as far as my theatre courses, I tested out of a few lower dance classes.
My advice would be to go ahead and apply as a transfer. If scholarships are of concern, I would look into each school individually. It all really depends on what courses you are wishing to transfer as well. You can always apply at each university in different ways.
I hope this helps!</p>
<p>If you have any questions, feel free to ask away!
:)</p>
<p>Students do not have a choice for academic admissions whether or not they apply as a transfer student or a freshman. Those policies are set by the university. So, if under the university policies you are considered a transfer student for academic admissions you must apply to that school as a transfer student. You cannot choose to apply as a freshman.</p>
<p>In terms of artistic admissions to a program each department will likely also have their own policies, some will allow a student to enter the program at a higher level (sophomore or junior standing) and complete the program in less than four years, others will require all students to attend the training program for four years regardless of how many years of college they have prior to matriculating at the new university. </p>
<p>As Kylerkays says “you can always apply at each university in different ways,” but the different ways will likely be set by the schools themselves. As mommafrog suggested contact each of the schools on your list to see what their policies are regarding GPA, transfer admissions, etc.</p>
As mommafrog suggested contact each of the schools on your list to see what their policies are regarding GPA, transfer admissions, etc.</p>