senioritis

[yohankwon]

Who's got it already? Too much work and I have to practice for auditions -_-

[rachmaninoff_forever]

As long as you have a good audition and you don't dip below a 2.5, you'll be fine.

I ended with a 2.33 but I guess I got away with it because I'm a music major. 

[davidjosepha]

Who's got it already? Too much work and I have to practice for auditions -_-

Take 1st semester seriously. Colleges will still look at that. 2nd semester, don't drop too low, but it takes a bit of work for a school to un-accept you. Even dropping a full point probably isn't going to make them care.

Remember though, you might still one day be responsible for knowing the things you were supposed to learn during that time, so I wouldn't blow it off completely. Plus, if you're taking AP exams, you should take those seriously. It can save you a lot of time on general requirements if you do well on them.

[yohankwon]

Take 1st semester seriously. Colleges will still look at that. 2nd semester, don't drop too low, but it takes a bit of work for a school to un-accept you. Even dropping a full point probably isn't going to make them care.

Remember though, you might still one day be responsible for knowing the things you were supposed to learn during that time, so I wouldn't blow it off completely. Plus, if you're taking AP exams, you should take those seriously. It can save you a lot of time on general requirements if you do well on them.

I'm applying to music schools only, so I doubt they will care about academics in terms of grades and stuff. I took AP music theory last year and it's probs going to be the only AP I take.

[davidjosepha]

I'm applying to music schools only, so I doubt they will care about academics in terms of grades and stuff.

I don't know much about music schools, but the reason colleges care about grades isn't just to figure out if you're smart or not. Much of it is to figure out if you are a hard worker. Only working hard at things you like doesn't make you a hard worker, and I would guess music schools would also be interested in having hard workers at their school.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I don't know much about music schools, but the reason colleges care about grades isn't just to figure out if you're smart or not. Much of it is to figure out if you are a hard worker. Only working hard at things you like doesn't make you a hard worker, and I would guess music schools would also be interested in having hard workers at their school.

If you're majoring in music, first comes your audition, then your grades.  by quite a large margin.

On the Carnegie Mellon website, for music majors, they said that 90% of the admissions process will be your audition.  For Oberlin it's 85%.  Some conservatories you don't even need to send your ACT/SAT scores.  I know a jazz percussionist who got into U of I with a 2.0 GPA because she had a good audition.  I think she's bullshitting that, but believe me, she's not the brightest or the hardest working in class.

Of course for some schools it's different.  For instance, if you're applying to Northwestern, you can't get an audition unless your grades are in tip top shape.  Which by the way the music faculty hates.  



To the OP:

Remember, your audition is more important than your grades.  After your 1st semester, you're home free.  As long as you don't get like straight F's or something.

[yohankwon]

I don't know much about music schools, but the reason colleges care about grades isn't just to figure out if you're smart or not. Much of it is to figure out if you are a hard worker. Only working hard at things you like doesn't make you a hard worker, and I would guess music schools would also be interested in having hard workers at their school.

If you don't know much about music schools then you don't know what you're talking about, so what's the point?

[Bob]

Hm.  Interesting.  The place I went to wouldn't touch student with a low GPA regardless of performance ability -- They're going to flunk out if they can't handle classwork.  The school didn't want to invest in them if they flunked out after a year or so.

[yohankwon]

Hm.  Interesting.  The place I went to wouldn't touch student with a low GPA regardless of performance ability -- They're going to flunk out if they can't handle classwork.  The school didn't want to invest in them if they flunked out after a year or so.

Where?

[Bob]

I can't say exactly.  I thought that's how it was everywhere. "Music" on the resume meant you did well in everything in high school.  Not that high school means so much later.  People said music made you more employable.  Why?  Because it meant you were well-rounded and did well in lots of areas.  And then the music school picked you.

[davidjosepha]

If you don't know much about music schools then you don't know what you're talking about, so what's the point?

Because a music school is still a school? And schools in general look for hard working people, because it means the people are more likely to do well at their school and after, making their school look good?

There's no need to be a pissy ***. My comment was intending to help, as was, I'm sure, Bob's, which you also blew off with the implication that wherever he went to school must be different than other music schools.

[Bob]

Yeah, I'm remembering... I think at my school you had to be accepted generally (which would weed some people out) and then the music school had higher standards.  So if you were accepted in the music school, being accepted generally wouldn't be an issue.  You could do them in either order but both had to accept you.  I guess you end up with... good performer, bad student = flunks out.  Bad performer, good student = might not pass music exams or  graduates still a bad performer.  Good performer, good student = Graduates a better performer and still a good student.

I think they took grades as a sign of seriousness.

Still, just a formula.  Just a method for betting on things.

[emill]

I am glad my son got through with all of these last Feb.-March 2013.

The last year was really tough with all the academic requirements and preparing for auditions. As an international student applying in US schools ... the schools just seemed to require that you be a high school graduate by June 2013 ... I do not remember of any grade level requirement that was set by any school, though some schools asked the GPA equivalent of my son's grades.  Of course they required competence in the English language as reflected in the TOEFL scores.  TOEFL is an English proficiency exam administered and required for international students wanting to take further studies in the US.  Aside from the TOEFL, they were interviewed individually using English at the different schools.

I have to agree that the first problem of any applicant is how to get invited for a live audition ... and you really have to make sure that the video you submit is well made and reflects as closely as possible how you played the piece. A poorly made audition video may just spoil your chances even if you have very high academic grades.

[oxy60]

Maybe you all have heard this before but it's worth repeating. You are at the time of your life when you feel, look and have the energy you will never have again.

It's true. Yes you may acquire more knowledge but your physical self is at it's best.

[pjaul]

Title of this thread = pathetic excuse for laziness.

[yohankwon]

Title of this thread = pathetic excuse for laziness.

Not if you're practicing at least 6 hours a day. The title refers to school only.

[emill]

Title of this thread = pathetic excuse for laziness.

Unless you are are a genius where you can treat senior year as child's play or your school is a diploma mill where nincompoops can make it, I personally feel your comment about the Thread Title being a pathetic excuse for laziness is uncalled for. 

In most high schools, senior year requires some degree of effort in diligent study... and this adds up .... piles up to the efforts exerted to get into a top notch music school which includes, depending on one's innate talent, 4-8 hours of daily, serious piano practice. Not an easy job anyway you look at it and definitely not for a lazy person.

[Bob]

The cure for senioritis is looking ahead and preparing for the future.  There's no end to the work, and the future will arrive.