Elon University - Page 2

Elonactress · 04-17-2005, 10:34 AM

Yes, Alex, who played Lucy in our Jekyll and Hyde is playing Millie on tour... she starts in August. And Rob, who was Jekyll and Hyde is a junior. I'm so glad you liked it... we worked really hard! Yes, I was in it, I was a Red Rat Girl!

As for a senior showcase... right now it doesn't seem very effective for us. It's extremely expensive to do a showcase in NY and it doesn't seem like it pays off. What we've been doing is bringing agents to us. Last year, out of 16 grads, 4 went right onto national tours and most of the others started working in equity houses around the country or trying their luck in New York. Although it doesn't mean we won't be doing one in the future, for now, we're doing pretty well for ourselves.

Ericsmom · 04-17-2005, 01:04 PM

Thanks Elonactress, and the Red Rat Girls were wonderful!

We're getting the Milllie tour during this next year in our city - we'll be so excited to see her in it!!!

To add to your dance notes to mtmommy, based on what we saw on campus and also based on the 2 graduates we know from Elon - they offer very advanced dance - at least, they come out of school as incredible dancers. We've been impressed!

cali · 04-17-2005, 01:20 PM

Elon is also on my son't list. Does anyone know what other strong programs
Elon has besides MT? He is also interested in their athletics. Does Elon offer
merit aid?

mtmommy · 04-17-2005, 01:35 PM

Thanks Elonactress and Ericsmom for the info! Elon sounds fantastic.

Ericsmom · 04-17-2005, 01:36 PM

cali - The admissions office could help you, but in our admissions meeting they said their largest majors are business, communications, and education. The communications school would wow you with excellent facilities and student run TV and radio stations. They offer division 1A sports in all but football, which is division 1AA (I think - don't quote me on the football levels in case I'm confused). I just had the impression that football is one tier down from the major universities, but all other sports are competing against major universities.

kaysmom · 04-19-2005, 04:57 AM

I am not sure exactly how much merit or talent aid they do offer but I have heard that for musical theater they offer three talent awards. I also know friends children who were offered softball scholarships, volleyball scholarships etc. So there is some aid available there.

Elonactress · 04-19-2005, 07:10 AM

There are some talent based scholarships, although not many. Unfortunately, Elon doesn't have a lot of money to give away, mainly because our tutition is so cheap to begin with. Just because you don't get a huge scholarship does NOT mean Elon doesn't REALLY want you. They only accept 16... so if you're chosen, they LOVED you... scholarship or not.

mtmommy · 04-19-2005, 09:10 AM

Elonactress--Does the department want letters of recommendation from performing arts teachers (in addition to the counselor recommendation for admission)? Do you remember?
Also, last year they started the auditions in September. Did anyone get in who auditioned that early? Is there a preference for early or later audtions, do you know? Thanks for letting us pick your brain LOL . . . .

proud_dad · 04-19-2005, 10:18 AM

Elon offers a number of merit based scholarships. Check the website for information on the Presidential Scholarship and the various Fellows programs.

Their science programs look pretty nice. The science building is pretty new and is well equipped. I think they are one of a handful universities with a cadaver lab..

If you strip away the communications and business sections, you are left with a very high quality liberal arts college. (without graduate students teaching!!)

Ericsmom · 04-19-2005, 09:22 PM

Scholarships - I forgot to address that question in my previous post to you. I'd like to echo Elonactress' comments. Elon is among the most reasonable priced of the schools we are looking at. I believe the only schools we're considering that are even a little lower priced than Elon are OCU and Point Park, but they are all in the lower 20s based on last year's US News & WW college guide. Also, my notes from the Elon visit said that about half of the MT students get scholarships. This may be a combination of merit and talent scholarships. My notes mention the merit awards and that you can combine the two if you are also offered a talent scholarship.

Also, mtmommy, in my notes, we were encouraged to come to a fall audition. If you are selected in the fall, you hear before Christmas. I'd also like to hear Elonactress's comments on how many are really selected in the fall.

Elonactress · 04-19-2005, 10:57 PM

You can absolutely send letters of recommendation. I don't really know how much weight they carry, but a lot of people include them. Yes, people who audition early hear early. In December they send out a lot of "No" letters, a lot of "maybes" and very few "Yes" letters. I think maybe 4 this year... I really don't remember. There isn't necessarily a preference to early or late auditions. The February auditions usually have 40 + auditions... so they get to be late... but besides that it's all the same.

Yes, there is quite a bit of academic scholarship. And McMichael, our science building is pretty fantastic... I try to avoid going inside as much as possible... but its a great building. And yes, one of 5 schools in the country that teach anatomy on human cadavers (my freshman year roommate did it!)

jamimom · 04-19-2005, 10:57 PM

I don't know much about Elon's MT program, and I think those who have posted have given a thorough description and lot of info. I can tell you that I know several kids there who are not in MT and they find the school wonderful. That can be an issue when looking at MT programs--whether a good program is worth it if you don't like the school housing it. Schools like CMU, Syracuse, Michigan are top picks because the schools themselves are well known and are considered "good". I have been eyeing Elon for a while, and have watched come up, up, up in the ratings and name recognition. It is a good value school. My only reservation is that the school seems a bit light on the liberal arts.

Elonactress · 04-20-2005, 10:38 AM

Jamimom- I have to disagree with you. We have to take quite a bit of liberal arts even in the music theatre program. There are 4 freshman core classes. Then throughout your four years you have to take two classes in each of 4 categories, science, civilization, society, and expression. It's not a TON, but it's a bit. Freshman year is about one semester music theatre, one semester liberal arts, then after that you have to take about one academic class per semester. And the classes are really good! The academic classes I've taken have helped me improve my craft and make me a more well rounded person!

jamimom · 04-20-2005, 11:02 AM

If you look at the percentage of non liberal arts majors for Elon it is a vast majority. It is surprisingly higher than many like schools. I would have to investigate the quality of offering in the liberal arts carefully because for some reason they are not attracting or retaining those kids as major and that is something that I examine in a school.

Ericsmom · 04-20-2005, 06:34 PM

We were fairly pleased with the mix of liberal arts courses and MT courses at Elon. This is something newcomers should check out - each school has different requirements for courses taken outside of MT. At Elon and other places, they would recognize many of my son's AP classes to allow him to receive credit for the many of the required courses, and the schedule may be flexible enough to allow him to pursue a minor in his particular other area of interest - studio art. We got a special tour of the art facility after the campus tour from the student who took us on the group tour and is majoring in art. Every area we saw there was most impressive.