GPA and acceptance to MFA Painting Programs

[OnTheTrail]

I am currently applying to MFA Painting programs.  My GPA is 2.86, but I'm currently retaking classes to raise my GPA.  I don't think I will be able to raise them to a 3.0.  Will the programs I'm applying to hold my GPA against me?

 

I'm applying to:

 

University of Oregon

Boston University

Virginia Commonwealth

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

School of the Museum of Fine Arts

Syracuse University

Rutgers

Purchase College

[Moonhart44]

I'm no expert, but I'm sure it depends on your majors and the classes.  If your major is Fine Arts and your major GPA is 2.86, that will not bode well for you.  If you are a Bio major - for example - and your GPA is 2.86, that won't be as much of a problem because those classes are not related to Fine Art (necessarily).  If your major is not Art but you have taken a few art classes and have a higher GPA in those, the GPA for your art classes will probably be considered over your major GPA

 

I assume this is true because people can apply and get accepted to a MFA program without even majoring in Art, so they must have some leeway somewhere with this.

[kafralal]

I think if there is a problem, it is often with the institution rather than the program itself. If your work is really good the program might fight for you if your gpa doesn't meet the minimum. Check with the indiv. schools.

[hj03yoo]

most master's programs require minimum GPAs of 3.0

but Fine Arts are portfolio > gpa so.. good luck

[OnTheTrail]

My major GPA is 3.38.  The schools I'm looking at don't say anything about requiring a 3.0.  It probably has a lot of weight on acceptance.

[Loric]

Isn't there a whole "sub 3.0 GPA" thread over in the Lobby or something..?

 

I'm not much over a 3.0 for undergrad and i've been accepted to places and offered funding - theater design.

 

Applying now after "failing out" (I withdrew but apparently didn't file the proper paperwork so ive got a semester of F's - and the old school wont budge because "reasons") and asked point blank if it' be an auto-reject. Every place has said no, and that if anything they might ask me to make a formal statement about what the heck happened.

[Loric]

Also - many apps have a short answer section where they'll ask if your GPA or grades reflect your abilities - why or why not.

 

Come up with a very compelling answer that question, one that can stated concisely and clearly. Do not place blame on anyone or anything else and try to position yourself as a "vicitim" - it'll go over poorly. Aim for mature adult who recognizes you're not perfect and strives to do better. 

 

I wrote about how if you had asked me that question a few weeks ago I'd have thought nothing of it and said my grades were a pretty good reflection of my abilities. Then I discovered my transcript was a mess after i supposedly withdrew, the school and department wont do anything about it despite multiple attempts to rectify the situation, and I'm left with what looks like a failing record for classes I never even attended. I can see the point in an F if I had done poorly, but I wasn't even in the same state to have done poorly. I think my portfolio shows a level of work that is compelling enough to overlook a problem in my transcript at a school I chose to no longer attend.

[OnTheTrail]

Alright that makes me feel better about the situation.