# Importance of GPA



## Maijodojo (Oct 22, 2009)

So I will be applying to grad film school in 1 year and am starting to get really worried about something. 

I suffered from depression my first few years of college, hardly ever went to class, etc. My GPA was hovering around 3.0, and then I made one of the worst decisions of my life and basically stopped going to classes halfway through a semester (after the drop date) and did not take my finals. Obviously I failed that entire semester and it obliterated my GPA. I didn't give a crap at the time because I thought i was going to drop out but now that I want to go to grad school I am suffering the consequences.

Basically I will probably end up when I apply to film school with a 2.6 or something along those lines.  I am a pretty smart guy so hopefully I will do well on the GRE, and I am also the VP of a major organization at my university. Also hopefully my short film and writing sample will be good. 

But i'm really starting to freak out thinking that because of my GPA I have almost no chance. It's already hard enough to get into film school in the first place, and having such a disadvantage of a crappy GPA feels like a hole I can't dig myself out of.

So am I just freaking out for nothing or do my worries have some merit?

Also if it matters, the school I really want to go to is FSU, will probably also be applying to UT-Austin, Chapman, and Loyola Marymount. 

Thanks for any input!


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## Mike_V (Oct 23, 2009)

don't torture yourself just yet.
I have known students who have grades similar to yours. Some schools only look towards the last half of your undergrad year. So if you bomb the hell out of your freshman and soph years, but you did great on you junior and senior year, you will still have a good chance. Each school have their own criteria but I can confidently say that if your application is really good (writing samples etc) and your interview goes well, you have a better chance.
Don't forget alot of grad school stuff is about your experience as well.. it's a great benefit when you apply with a good list of portfolio quality material.

Good luck.


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## notroberttowne (Oct 23, 2009)

A lot of film schools want to see your junior/senior GPA, and in most cases if it's below 3.0 you just have to take the GRE.  So I'd say that if your last two years GPA will be under 3.0, start looking at GRE prep.

Grades aren't terribly important if your other materials are strong, but there are minimum requirements.  If you're concerned, maybe plan on whaling on the GRE just in case.


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## Jayimess (Oct 23, 2009)

Producing (i.e. Peter Stark Producing @USC) and Critical Studies programs tend to emphasize academics, but for the creatives, the storytelling and the potential and the work you've done and the everything but the numbers matter.  


I too failed out of undergrad my junior year, and I made sure that my personal statements reflected how and why that happened, in the context of how it contributed to my path as a filmmaker.

Address the grade issue in your personal narratives...in a creative, compelling way...and I can all but guarantee you'll be forgiven if they like the rest of your application.  Don't address it, and that'll probably still happen.

Also, as mentioned above, if your performance since returning to school after the flunk-out shows much improvement, they'll have no choice to believe that you have overcome the challenges that kept you from academic success in the past.

I wish you the best of luck.


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## Soffia Olsen (Oct 23, 2009)

yeah, I wouldn't worry too much.  We don't have cumulative GPA's at Brown (because we can take any class we want pass/fail) and MANY graduates end up in NYU/USC/UCLA/AFI etc.


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## Maijodojo (Oct 24, 2009)

> Originally posted by notroberttowne:
> A lot of film schools want to see your junior/senior GPA, and in most cases if it's below 3.0 you just have to take the GRE.  So I'd say that if your last two years GPA will be under 3.0, start looking at GRE prep.
> 
> Grades aren't terribly important if your other materials are strong, but there are minimum requirements.  If you're concerned, maybe plan on whaling on the GRE just in case.




Wait are you saying that you do not need to take the GRE if your GPA is above 3.0 for the last two years? And if it is below, if you take the GRE and do well they will ignore your GPA? I was under the impression that both were necessary and important much like GPA and SAT/ACT when applying to undergrad. Please elaborate.


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## Mike_V (Oct 24, 2009)

it is highly dependant on the school. Many schools are leaning towards the concept that they will weigh the GREs more heavily than your GPA if it's below a 3.0
on the other hand, some schools will either require the GRE no matter what OR not require GRE at all but focus mainly on your GPA.
Make sure you read through the application requirements for each school for they have their own differences.


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## Maijodojo (Oct 26, 2009)

I was looking at school websites, and it seems a lot of schools have a hard 3.0 cumulative GPA minimum. This included USC, UT-Austin, Temple, and a few others I don't remember. The only two I could see that do not require a cumulative 3.0 GPA is FSU and UCLA (those seem to require 3.0 only for your junior and senior year). Am I reading those websites correctly? I mean I know the main school I want to go for is FSU, but shouldn't I have some sort of backups? UCLA is a lot harder to get into than FSU (from what i've heard at least) so that's not much of a backup....


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## Jayimess (Oct 26, 2009)

In regards to USC, the only program that requires a 3.0 is the Stark program...

USC's Graduate School wants a 3.0, but if SCA wants a student, they'll get the student...the Graduate School will require the student to be on academic probation for at least one semester.

People in my incoming class were below 3.0, one was around 2.5.

Just sayin, at USC.


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## notroberttowne (Oct 26, 2009)

Chapman wants a junior/senior GPA at least 3.0 or a GRE score.  I had a cumulative GPA of something like 2.8 but my junior/senior was good enough to get me in.  

I don't know that there's a minimum GRE score, it might just be an effort thing.


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## TwelveMind (Nov 2, 2009)

I'm also a tad afraid about my GPA score.  It wasn't pretty while I was at University, but I did a subsequent intensive film program whereupon I had a 3.76.  Not sure it'll count as much as the former though.

Any word on the most ideal GPA for NYU Tisch applicants?


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## Maijodojo (Nov 2, 2009)

> Originally posted by TwelveMind:
> 
> Any word on the most ideal GPA for NYU Tisch applicants?



I'm pretty sure the ideal GPA is 4.0 hehe

I looked on FSU's website and it does not specify whether they want last 2 years GPA or cumulative GPA. Should I email them and ask or will it not really matter?


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## Bartleby Fink (Nov 4, 2009)

Don't be too sure. I had a 4.0 in college and failed to get accepted to USC for the last couple of years. Make of that what you will.


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## notroberttowne (Nov 4, 2009)

If they just list GPA, I would assume it means the full GPA.  Unless an application actually says that a junior/senior GPA is acceptable, it probably isn't.

If it were the difference between having to take a GRE and not, though (as it was in my case), I'd definitely shoot an e-mail before I signed up for a test.

And, just to reiterate, GPA is really not very important.  Any film school would rather have a driven, talented, creative student with a C average than an undergrad valedictorian with terrible ideas and no talent.


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## Jayimess (Nov 4, 2009)

NRT is right in that reiteration.

A little tip I used, that might make you feel better, was that I wrote my GPA on EVERY application as followed, either in the "special notes" sections or in the spot for GPA.:

"3.29 overall/3.84 last two years"

No way to "un-read" that.


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## Maijodojo (Nov 5, 2009)

> Originally posted by Jayimess:
> NRT is right in that reiteration.
> 
> A little tip I used, that might make you feel better, was that I wrote my GPA on EVERY application as followed, either in the "special notes" sections or in the spot for GPA.:
> ...



That's a great idea.


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## dabbu (Nov 12, 2009)

Hi,im an international student from India.i am interested in pursuing MFA in directing,my options are chapmnan,nyu,usc,calarts and few others, I also have the same issue of low GPA,i bailed out a lil during my undergrad, but i have a convincing statements,and strong portfoilio.
What are my chances ? and how do i mention the reason for my low scores in undergrad in my statement in a creative and compelling way.? any suggestions?


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