monkey13

This thread is SO helpful to the families of juniors, like me! Thanks to all who are posting!

BvilleLady

monkey13, You are welcome. It is so much easier to reflect on what we have all been through than to face the daunting aspects of upcoming college applications and auditions! Nonetheless, we do have perspective. So, I'm glad if we can help. Every year is a new adventure!

MomCares

@monkey13 - Glad it's helpful! I know stories like these really helped D last year when she was finalizing her list!

I think more people are making final decision this weekend, so feel free to share your decision process while it's fresh in your mind.

monkey13

I will return the favor next year when (hopefully) my D is making her decision, if she has a decision to make!

findingpennies

Thought I would jump in here as an "old-timer" and add my S's experience from 2010. Still like to come back and check in on CC - especially this time of year - as it was so helpful in probably the toughest decision we've ever had to make! My S only applied to a few schools (we were so green!).

Accepted to: Pace (MT), Boston Conservatory (MT), Oklahoma City Univ. (MT), Univ. of Oklahoma (MT), AMDA
Rejected from: CCM
Waitlisted at: Carnegie Mellon (MT) Priority Hold Waitlist (note: my S removed himself from the list in May)
Final Decision: Pace BFA MT

At the end of the day, my S really would have preferred a pure conservatory atmosphere - singing, acting and dancing all day. But - we realize the value of a college education - so decided to go the BFA route. To be honest we really loved ALL of the schools he was accepted to - we were able to visit each of them and during the visits and auditions we were able to meet amazingly committed and talented staff in all of the programs. There were distinct features that each of them had that were wonderful and that made it so difficult.

Why Pace? He had spent a lot of time in NY prior to his senior year and really took advantage of what the city offers & felt "at home" there. Many of the professionals he worked with had recommended Pace and offered that while it was a new program, it was up-and-coming, very connected to the NY "scene" and had a contemporary focus (but still strong in all styles) - very desirable to my boy who loves modern theater and MT. We were happy with the curriculum and got great feedback from kids and parents that were already in the program. After much research, visiting and soul-searching he decided on Pace - and never looked back.

In hind-sight it has been a great decision for him. Now in his 2nd year he has been fortunate to be cast in fantastic shows, worked with unbelievable talent in his classes and masterclasses, and has loved his training - especially vocal and acting training. He now has his own apartment, has been cast himself in shows outside of school, and attends Broadway and other shows around the city on a regular basis - in many cases to see his friends and mentors in them (training in itself in my mind).

On a seperate note - his peer group is amazing. My husband and I were simply blown away at their Freshman Showcase last spring - written and directed by Ryan Scott Oliver.

Hope that helps anyone that has Pace on their final list!

cincopedia

BACKGROUND, Class of 2013

This is for my D, now a junior.

APPLIED: UMich, CMU, CCM, PSU, Emerson, Boston Conservatory
ACCEPTED: PSU, Emerson, Boston Conservatory
REJECTED: UMich, CMU, CCM
CHOSE: PSU

The schools are listed in what was her general order of preference. Things got nerve-wracking after those first three rejections, I can tell you. And then came three acceptances in a row, which was nice. But then she had to make a choice.

Ultimately she chose Penn State based on several factors. One was reputation. All of our research showed this was one of the very top MT schools in the country, and on the rise. Another factor was being at an actual university, with an actual campus, where she could take courses outside of her MT specialty. The idea of going to school in Boston was very attractive to her, but ultimately she couldn't say no to all that PSU had to offer. They also offered a very nice scholarship.

She is SO happy at Penn State. The faculty is amazing. She was not a high belter and more of a legit soprano when she arrived, but has made unbelievable progress thanks to the voice teachers there. She's in an audition class with Susan Schulman now that she also absolutely loves. We are totally convinced she made the right choice for her.

Hopefully that's helpful!

Regine

APPLIED: Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Indiana U., Oklahoma City U.; Oklahoma; Belmont, Webster, Penn State, CCM, Baldwin Wallace, Boston Conservatory, TCU

ACCEPTED: Indiana, Belmont, Boston Conservatory, Oklahoma City U. (acting), TCU

Waitlist directing BFA, CMU (but after May 1 was dropped)

REJECTED: Northwestern, CCM, Penn State, CMU musical theatre, Oklahoma U., Webster, Baldwin Wallace.

Choice: Indiana u.; it really came down to Indiana and BoCo, both BFA in music theater programs. Visited Boston after acceptance; visited Indiana three times – before applying, audition day and after the fact for one more recruiting trip. Son found their program director George Pinney unbelievably accommodating, professional and caring. IU went out of their way to introduce our son to other students, from freshmen to seniors. Met voice instructors and other faculty. The campus offers a full university setting with great arts facilities, the Jacobs School of Music and many performance opportunities. Freshman year, in fact, has been a wonderful experience. Class of 2015 has bonded and auditions this year seem even more competitive in a good way than the year our Son went through the process in 2011.

MomCares

It's great to hear the details of folks' final decision process. Isn't it amazing how it all works out in the end?

MomCares

I want to encourage whatupiact to add a copy of your related post from the MT versus acting thread (post #8) if you're willing. It has a lot of great background about your decision!

Musical Theatre vs. Acting; how do you choose??

MomCares

Just got pm ok from @whatupiact to add the background of their process (no decision yet I think) here.

************************************************** *

Hi there steamedartichoke! You sound a lot like me when I was a junior. I, too, have always considered acting my strength. I'm also a strong singer, but hardly a dancer at all. So here's a little background on me, and what my life looked like from a year ago to now.

I'm 18 years old, and I've been acting and singing for 10 years, and danced on and off for about 5 throughout childhood and teen years. I am not a trained dancer, but I am, in fact, randomly enough, a tap dancer. I have a 4.0 weighted GPA, got a 31 on my ACT, and go to a Public High School. My training is not highly specialized; I took acting classes for about 6 years and voice for about 6 now. Nothing professional.

When it came to college application, I applied for MT and Acting. Mostly, I was interested in MT, but wanted a program with Acting at the core. I applied to many schools. Some required an audition, some did not, and from the perspective of a stronger actor/singer with little dance training, I thought I'd fill you in on my audition process and what came of it all.

Northwestern - Non-audition. Very selective, but a very good school if you are interested in a double major. They offer a BA in Theatre and a Certificate program for MT which you can audition for at the end of your freshman year. If double majoring is important to you and you've got good grades, consider applying here. They even encourage double majoring. I was rejected.

University of Michigan - Audition, beginning with a Pre-Screen video. Very nice and smart people in this department. One of the most difficult programs to get into, I believe. I felt my lack of dance training hindered me from getting in. I passed the pre-screen, but was ultimitely rejected.

Ball State - Audition. Also very kind in the audition process. Though they emphasize acting in their training, I felt it was not the most vital component they considered in admission. Again, my lack of dance hindered me. I know multiple people in the program who adore it, all who had heavy dance training before auditioning. I was rejected from MT, but admitted to their Theatre Arts program and to the school.

CCM - Audition. They believe singing is the most important component of MT. I believe their emphasis seems to be on singing, dancing, then acting. That's the impression I got. Not an approach I'm a big fan of. Their dance audition was fun and not difficult, but I believe they like dancers, once again. I was rejected.

Carnegie Mellon - Audition. This, I believe, is THE most difficult program to get into. Their emphasis is acting all the way. They emphasize dance very little, even in the audition. I think the program is exceptional, but a lot like winning the lottery; your chances have little to do with your ability. I was rejected.

Penn State - Audition. Penn State holds auditions for just singing and acting, then they ask students to attend a dance call later that day if they are interested. This "call-back", in effect, lets you know if you are in consideration or not. If not asked to dance, not considered. Their dance audition was challenging, and they also have a strong emphasis on dance, I believe. I am currently waitlisted.

University of Miami - Audition. I did a walk-in audition at the Chicago Unifieds, then applied. Miami has a strong emphasis on acting in their curriculum; there was a dance call, but I was unable to attend it. Miami also requires their applicants to be academically admitted to the school to get into MT, which means they stress high grades. I was accepted for MT.

Emerson - Audition. This dance call was very basic, with an emphasis on acting through dance. Emerson's approach is very much from a viewpoint of acting first. I was accepted for MT.

Ithaca - Audition. Ithaca had no dance audition, however, I don't believe their training lacks strength in dance. They, too, emphasize acting in their training and admission. Ithaca allows you to be considered for other programs if you are not admitted to your first choice. I was accepted for MT.

Syracuse - Audition. The dance audition was challenging. They seem to emphasize acting, but dance seems to be fairly important, as most of their MTs are very good dancers. Like Ithaca, they allow you to be considered for the BFA Acting program if you are not admitted to MT. I was accepted for Acting.

NYU - Audition. The dance was challenging. NYU considers audition and grades equally in admission (50/50). You can choose, like the above two, whether you just want to be considered for MT, or for other Tisch studios as well, which encompass acting, directing, etc. I was accepted to Tisch, and don't know which studio I've been placed in yet.

In all, I know this was a lengthy read, but hope it gave you some insight. I recommend, if you are unsure about whether to apply for MT or Acting, to apply to the schools that consider you for both. Beyond that, you should know that you don't need to know exactly what you want just yet. Life plays out in funny ways. Think about what you want to learn. Music is very important in my life, but very few MT programs offer in-depth training in classical theatre, like Shakespeare. I'm realizing that this is important to me, so I've really considering a straight acting program, and then I'd take dance and voice lessons outside my major. My point is, whatever you end up deciding, you will always have a role in your education, and you're never stuck at the school you decide to go to, either. Like I said, life is funny. Let it lead you somewhere, then follow it for a bit. I know I'm only a year older than you and am probably not much wiser, but I've been through the process, so I hope my advice helps you out a bit. Good luck to you!

santafedad

Can one of the moderators pin this with the acceptance threads?
Thanks

MTDad1994

Class of 2016:

APPLIED: Indiana, Ithaca, Michigan, Shenandoah, Syracuse, Univ. of Miami, Texas State, Wright State

ACCEPTED: Indiana, Shenandoah, Texas State and Wright State

Waitlist: Syracuse

REJECTED: Michigan, Ithaca, Miami

Choice: Texas State - Daughter really fell in love with both Shenandoah and Texas State. The faculty at both programs were very impressive. However, Kaitlin really won over my daughter, as well as her parents. It feels like we would be sending her to a second family. We couldn't be happier with this decision. It also doesn't hurt that the kids there are so darn talented.

dramaqueenmoma

Class 2016: daughter

APPLIED: CMU, CCM, BoCo, Roosevelt, Ithaca, NYU, FSU, Penn State, Northern Colorado, Elon, Texas state

Accepted: Penn State, Roosevelt, BoCo, NYU Tisch, Northern Colorado

Rejected: CMU, CCM, Ithaca, FSU, Elon, Texas State

Choice: Penn State. My daughter is there this week and fell in love. Warm, caring wonderful kids and faculty. Perfect match

mvic2312

Class of 2016

Applied: University of Hartford/The Hartt School, Baldwin-Wallace, CCM, Boston conservatory
Accepted: University of Hartford/The Hartt School, Baldwin-Wallace
rejected : CCM (on hold after la unifieds -eventually rejected)
Waitlisted : Boston Conservatory
Decision: Baldwin-Wallace
It has definetly been a journey. I originally planned to audition for 7 schools but because of varying reasons I was not able to! But I'm extremely happy with my choice and I cannot wait to start school in the fall. After my BW audition I really felt a connection with the school, faculty and current students. It is such a warm and nurturing place where the students are constantly being pushed to reach greater heights! I couldn't have asked for more. I truly understand what it means to find a school that is perfect for YOU! I hope everyone in the future class of 2016 finds their perfect match. And to the up and coming families -I wish you the best of luck in this journey! It is truly an amazing time to learn more about who you are!

takeitallin

Hi Dramaqueenmoma- My D is a junior at PSU and has spent time with a couple of accepted students this past week, so maybe has already met your D. In any case, your D will love it. Even though it is a big campus, the MT program is small and intimate, and the kids within my D's class are very close. There are a lot of varied opportunities for performance, and the instructors and very supportive. Congratulations to ur daughter and best wishes!