Do art graduate programs care about Withdraws on your college transcript?? Please help!

[Leahdog]

Hi Everyone! I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh this April and I plan to attend graduate school for sculpture in Fall 2015. I graduated with a 3.34 cumulative GPA and a 3.78 GPA in my Studio Arts major. 

 

I don't know if I'm being paranoid, but do graduate arts programs care about a lot of Withdraws on your college transcript??? Regrettably, over the 5 years I was in college, I accumulated seven W's on my transcript. I withdrew from classes if I felt like they were interfering with art classes. I never withdrew from an art class. I have looked at the requirements section of many programs and for every program I've looked at they require  a minimum GPA of 3.0 (if you don't have that, then some ask for you to take the GRE). 

 

I am applying to a lot of really good programs: (this my list so far...)

 

 

Rhode Island School of Design School of Art Institute of Chicago UCLA (University of California- Los Angelos) Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) Ohio State University of California (Berkeley) Penn State

 

 

I have a lot of other things as part of my application package that could maybe help this problem though? (Is it a problem??? lol) I have a good exhibition history (group shows and a couple solo shows in and out of Pittsburgh) and I just finished my first art residency and I have another scheduled for October... Have I ruined everything?

[seeingeyeduck]

They should mainly care about your portfolio, then your show record. I had a horrible cumulative GPA and still got into the program I wanted. I would mention it briefly (like a sentence) in your statement just in case but play up the fact that you did it because you were dedicated to art and prioritized art.

Also, I think your GPA is still very respectable so don't worry too much. I don't think committees even look at that stuff much at first. Focus on the portfolio!

[Leahdog]

Thanks seeingeyeduck!!

[evd]

I was in the same exact situation since I used all of my late-drop credits at Penn State, but it never was never a factor throughout the application process/interviews. Like seeingeyeduck said, they care about your work, first and foremost.