GPA and 3D Animation/Concept Art schools entry

#1

Hello guys!
So I would I like to ask you all the people here who have studied 3d animation/modelling , concept art , illustration or anything related , about how much impact did the High school GPA [grade point average] have on their school entry and their career .

What I mean is if you can enter to very good or even the best schools , but have graduated with a non-decent GPA ( regardless of portfolio and other qualifications ) and then get hired at a company or be a freelancer ( and make a living :smiley: ) .

I graduated 3 days ago , and my GPA was 17.83/20 ( I think that’s 4.25/5 if you want to convert it on US standards ) . My art skills are not the best , although I have to work on them. i have several other qualifications and I’m self-taught on photoshop.

Hope I was clear and my words didn’t sound stupid :smiley: .

#2

Honestly, each school is different. Some schools require strong academic credentials such as RISD, USC, UCLA etc. Some schools aren’t as academically oriented such as School of Visual Arts, Pratt Institute, Corcoran, but these school are usually much more portfolio oriented.

No matter what, each school does have some minimum cutoffs for GPAs and SATs regarding admission. Moreover, strong academic credentials can garner some scholarship money that you wouldn’t get otherwise. You will have to research each school with regard to all this.

#3

For a good art school the portfolio will be more important than a GPA.

That being said if your future program is degree based (ie you are getting a Bachelors/BFA) than other related academics are required to fulfil the obligations of that degree. So say if you cannot write your way out of a paper bag you might have trouble ‘finishing’ those requirements/tests etc.

Believe it or not graduating three days ago might have left this a bit late too.
Many folks have decided and been accepted to their schools of choice before they graduate. Admissions might be closed already for some schools (for next fall sessions).

#4

Although a portfolio is VERY crucial, what Circusboy said isn’t totally true. For example, I remember a RISD admission officer candidly note that most people who get rejected from RISD are rejected for academic reasons. As I said, each school is different. You need to check out the school to see what their average GPA and SATs are and ask them about the weight of the portfolio.

He is right though in that most admission slots are already taken this year.