jasmom

ToTheStage & Lexismom,
Best of luck regarding Steinhardt. My son, while in h.s., did some summer stock theater with students from both Steinhardt & CAP (directed by Steinhardt faculty, John Simpkins). He had a great time, found John very supportive, and truly enjoyed the other actors.

theatermom

For those of you applying to Steinhardt - Don't you still have the possibility of auditioning on the NYU "Open Audition" days in November? There were two of them as I recall. That's what my D did two years ago. That way you don't have to wait for an "invite." And I was also told that an advantage to going on Open Audition days is that if you have a dynamite audition, the faculty may go to bat for you academically. My D was accepted to Steinhardt and did have academic stats within NYU parameters but I remember thinking it was a good deal easier to go on an open day. In our case, it was the first audition my D had. We chose it that way because the focus at Steinhardt is vocal (you get a BM with a concentration in either VP or MT) and my Dhas a lot of confidence in her voice. It felt great for her to lead from her strength in a first audition.

For the poster who wondered if Steinhardt is more classically based I would say no it isn't - there is both MT and VP - but there is perhaps more crossover than in many other programs. I think that the dance and acting components are perhaps "thinner" than at some other places. But you get great musical training and if you are interested in VP as well, there is great cooperation between the concentrations.

Lexismom

theatermom:

Thank you for the information regarding November open date auditions. Unfortunately, my d is already booked for a previously scheduled college audition and also involved in scholarship competitions. It would have been nice to be able to go to the open audition. D had application in for a while hoping to hear back early so she would know what schools she should audition for on what dates. Now, because of scheduled college auditions and scholarship competition (good news is she is in second round of many competitions) she only has 2/25 left for an open audition date. Of coarse she could always decide not to audition some where in order to get a Steinhardt date.

theatermom

Lexismom,

You're most welcome! I know that many of these auditions involve much travel for you so it is even more difficult at times. Sounds as though she is well on her way. Break a leg!

sareccasmom

Sorry I am so confused: do both steinhardt and tisch programs offer permission to audition pending academic approval, or is that just for ED? I ask because my D has already signed up for an audition for tisch (in Feb., so obviously not ED), and of course we have had to arrange airfare, etc. her gpa is very high, but her test scores can go either way for her, so i am wondering if we should be expecting a "yes, come" or a "dont bother" later in the year well after all our flights have been set? can anyone clear that up for me? Many thanks.

alwaysamom

Tisch allows anyone who wants to audition to do so. The academic review is done later. I'm not sure why Steinhardt does it differently, unless it's just that they want to control the number of auditionees that they see. Academically, it's no easier to gain admission to Tisch than it is to Steinhardt. The only thing that's different is the timing of the academic review. It's the same for E.D. as for R.D. You won't get a 'don't bother' message, sareccasmom.

soozievt

Seconding AlwaysAMom....for Tisch, the academic review is going on simultaneously at admissions while the artistic reviews are conducted by Tisch. You get a final decision April 1. There is not an "invitation" to audition. There is no passing of one step to get to another. This was similar to every school my daughter applied at BUT UMich where the academic review came first and then an invitation to audition was made for students who "passed" that review. For all her other schools, including Tisch, she found out if she was admitted academically and for the BFA all in one envelope later in the year after auditions were done.

I realize there are some programs that let you know if you are admitted academically first and some kids on CC are applying to those and finding out already that they are "in" academically at some schools. Those just weren't on my D's list so was not our experience.

For Tisch you are all set for Feb. if your D has her appt. lined up. Those can be made starting Nov. 1. It is safe to make your air reservations if her appt. was confirmed.

Good luck. It sounds like you are on D #2 in this BFA process so you must be a pro!

soozievt

Samia, following from your post, I was wondering if you could clarify your statement that you were accepted academically to NYU but not for the MT program. How did that work or were you told that? At NYU, you apply directly to a school, and in this case, that school is Tisch. There are other schools like CAS, Stern, Steinhardt, Gallatin, etc. In April, you are either admitted or not. I have not heard of someone who applied to Tisch who then was admitted to NYU academically but not to Tisch or not to CAP as you put it. I am wondering if you can explain so that those who are applying now are clear on how it works.

Your comments about the audition for CAP are valid and point out some aspects of their audition procedure or day that could be improved or differs from other MT auditions. I agree with some of the points you made and I have posted similar observations here. I am glad that we didn't judge the entire program on the set up of the audition day. It is natural to form judgements from these first exposures, and schools should think about the impressions formed at that juncture, but often how good the program itself is and how worthy the experience will be for you in it, cannot be determined from the procedures they used on audition day. I can say as much as I think some changes could be made to how they conduct the auditions, the program itself so far has been wonderful in my daughter's eyes. So if you can look at the whole picture beyond the visit day or audition day, it might be worth it. Also, the actual audition with the person was fine for my daughter but there are aspects of the set up or procedure that could be improved.

While it is an expensive school, those seeking financial aid should still apply as you do not know until you see the package you are offered. We were very pleased with the scholarship and financial aid and in fact it was the highest offer made and has cut the expense by a lot. I can't promise you that will happen but you don't know if you don't apply. My daughter's roommate is not rich either and she is in CAP. I do not know what she was offered of course.

Susan

sareccasmom

thank you so much for clearing that up! Yes, this is D #2, and I have learned a lot since D #1 applied to MT schools! ignorance was really bliss 5 years ago: we were totally clueless about MT schools, as was the guidance counselor at our high school, (she never had a student who wanted to be a MT major, of course!). She took a look at D #1 gpa and SAT scores and said blithely, "Oh yes, youll get in anywhere you apply!" so we blissfully set about applying for some (very few in fact ) MT colleges, completely unaware that so few students were accepted, competition was so fierce, etc.!! We didnt know that audition dates fill up, about a "cut" policy, merit scholarships, NADA! i dont think this site existed then, but if i had ever looked at it i would have had to be medicated! such a large volume of useful information! it would have, (and actually does) boggle my mind! What a fantastic resource for MT students and their parents! We were just plain lucky the first time out, this time around im touching all the bases!! (and driving D#2 crazy in doing so, but who cares? im making up for being so dumb the first time around!!)

Mary Anna

Susan wrote: "As you can see, a significant percentage of the 3000 who audition are wanting CAP."

I agree

Maybe I didn't make that clear. That's what the advisor told me. That the vast majority of the kids who audition at Tisch are there for CAP, and that they fill many of the Tisch acting studios with those applicants. Meaning those who got rejected from CAP.

Understand?

xxx,Mary Anna

Mary Anna

to Jasmom,
I am so sorry. I just read your post.

I didn't mean to offend. I posted too bluntly. My appology.

Let me put it more delicately. Those I referred to were rejected from musical theatre, or received a rejection letter. They are not "rejects"

Thanks for the reminder to be more sensitive.

xxx,Mary Anna

soozievt

Mary Anna, your interpretation of what I wrote is simply not what I meant. When I said a "significant percentage of the 3000 who audition for Drama at Tisch specify CAP as their first choice", I was referring to the fact that 1500 of the 3000 who audition are trying for CAP. That is 50%. That is not a majority, that is simply a significant number of kids, simply put. Therefore 1500 kids are trying for the acting studios. About 220 slots are available in the acting studios. Most of those come from the 1500 who are trying for ACTING, NOT MT. I was saying that the admit rate for acting, therefore, is a higher acceptance rate than for MT because for MT you have 1500 trying for 80 slots. Most who are in Acting studios WANTED acting and are not MT "rejects". Some who wanted CAP as a first choice, who they could not place in CAP, but who they wanted in the drama dept., are placed into a second choice studio, often Stella or Playwrights. Some who I know had that happen, did not accept the offer, but chose another MT program because they wanted MT. The only people I know who still accepted such an offer are those who just really wanted to go to Tisch. My own kid probably would NOT have accepted an offer to another studio because she had four other MT BFA offers. I have met kids at other BFA programs who are in acting but wanted MT first. As mentioned, just at CMU I met some. My kid who auditioned for CMU for MT, was waitlisted for Acting. As great as CMU was, her passion is MT, so she would not have taken the acting offer. Same happens at Tisch. The majority in the acting studios were taken from the 1500 kids who specified acting as a first choice studio. But some who had it as a second choice after CAP, chose to take the offer. When my D auditioned at Syracuse and Ithaca, the audition form asked if she did not get offered a spot in MT, would she accept Acting and she wrote no. She got into MT but there ARE kids at those schools, like many others, where SOME in the acting program, had MT as a first choice but still opted to attend when given the Acting slot in the program. Some don't take such an offer. Same at Tisch. MOST in acting studios, wanted acting. Some in Stella, or Strasburg, or Playwrights wanted CAP but certainly there are many in those studios who wanted THOSE studios as their first choice. I know many in those studios, and in ETW too, who wanted those, NOT CAP.

Also the notion of those who are in other studios as being MT "rejects" implies they could not be admitted to MT BFA programs. The fact is, many who I know first hand who did not get into CAP but got another studio offered, got into MT programs at UMich, CCM, Ithaca, Emerson, Penn State, UMiami, and BOCO, so they chose to attend elsewhere. They were obviously talented at MT. The ones who still chose to go to Tisch for studios such as Playwrights or Adler, just really wanted to attend Tisch.

I do not know how you got from my post that I was saying that the acting studios are made up of MT rejects as I not only did not mean that but it is not true. Are you saying that the kids in the seven acting studios come from the 1500 trying for CAP? What happened to the other 1500 who did not want CAP and who did not even sing at their auditions?

Please try to post accurate information so that those applying will go by what the facts are. Also, I had already clarified my comments once after they were misinterpretted but I feel you are again trying to use my comment that a "significant number wanted CAP" as if to say a majority wanted CAP. Half of those who auditioned for Tisch wanted CAP. Some accounts I have heard of have the percentage as even LESS. If you look at many of the BFA programs where there is both an Acting BFA AND a MT BFA, it is not unheard of that about half want the MT BFA. At MOST schools, the admit rate into the MT BFA is a lower percentage than the acceptance rate into the Acting BFA at the very same school. Tisch is no different that way. The odds of admission into the MT programs are tougher odds than into the acting BFA but the odds into the ACTING BFA are clearly quite selective too.

I HOPE I have clarified what my point was because what you inferred or attributed to my statements is not what I meant.

I understand if you misunderstood me but I want to speak for what I meant, as well to make sure that those who are contemplating this school, have the correct information as given by the heads of the school itself as recently as two weeks ago.

Susan

alwaysamom

Maryanna, I'm afraid your post #25 did not clarify ANYthing. I don't mean to belabor the point but the information which you have now stated again, is absolutely inaccurate and it does not do anyone, including prospective applicants, any good to continue to see it stated by you as if it were fact.
Susan has made an excellent response to your post but I want to point out categorically that this statement of yours:

"That the vast majority of the kids who audition at Tisch are there for CAP, and that they fill many of the Tisch acting studios with those applicants. Meaning those who got rejected from CAP. Understand?"

is untrue. As I stated in my previous response to you, the majority of kids in each studio (other than CAP), in every year, are kids who auditioned for the straight acting studios at Tisch, not kids who auditioned for CAP21 and were 'rejected'. It's not a question of you being 'indelicate', you are not being factual. In answer to your question, yes, I do understand. And I hope that now that you've, hopefully, read Susan's and my responses, you understand, too. This process is difficult and stressful enough for the auditioning kids, especially at this time of year, without confusing them even more with inaccurate information.

samia525

Soozie - I can't fully answer your question about my academic acceptance to NYU, because my father shamelessly held the reins on all of my college applications when I auditioned the first time around. He managed to apply both for MT and liberal arts (or otherwise straight academics) at NYU, and I'm not sure exactly how he did it, but I ended up getting two letters in the mail, one accepting me for academics, and one rejecting me from CAP21. I'm sure it involved a lot of correspondence with the admissions people, but I don't have details, and since then, the HUGE NYU file he kept has gone missing. (My dad is a lawyer, and he's very thorough about keeping files - he had seven humongous files, one for each school I auditioned at last time, and he had several copies of EVERY e-mail he sent to them or they sent to him, and EVERY little thing they sent in the mail, it was insane. Only the FSU and UArts files are still around though, I don't know what happened to the others.)

Sorry I can't provide a better answer, but I really wasn't in control of things back then. Honestly, I regret that - I was too immature to realize that, while my dad had good intentions, he was really doing me a disservice by not requiring me to do any of the work myself. Literally, he would say, here's an essay question, write me this essay by the end of week, or sign these papers so I can mail them off to the school. And he would prepare presentations on the pros and cons of on-campus living at different schools or within the same school, etc. It was crazy, and I didn't have to do ANY work aside from the essays and preparing my audition. I think if I had had to do all that stuff myself, I would have done better at the auditions as a result of all that time spent researching, etc. I just wasn't really given the chance; every time I set my mind to doing something like that, my dad would say he'd already done it and he needed the computer to file my FAFSA, so move. Seriously.

soozievt

Samia, I appreciate your honesty and attempt to explain. I don't quite sure how he managed to have you applying to two schools at NYU as I don't think it is possible but who knows and it does not matter now. I just did not understand your post on that before. Also if a prospective student/parent were to read that you got in academically but not into CAP, they may think such a thing is possible but it is not at NYU. At some schools, THAT IS possible. NYU is set up with different "schools" within the university and you can only apply to one and not be considered at the others. To go to school "academically" at NYU, you might be talking, if liberal arts, the College of Arts and Sciences. If someone applies to Tisch and doesn't get the BFA in Drama, they can't then just attend Tisch or another school at NYU academically.

The other part you wrote about is too bad but I think you have learned from that and matured and are more independent now and have been to college and all, and will take the process by the reins. You are on this forum even to gain more knowledge right there. As a college counselor, I see some instances like you describe and it really is not ideal. A student needs to own this process and be invested in it. He/she is the one going off to college. This is her future. This is one of the first big decisions she will make about it. Even on the college applications, it is important to be able to articulate why you want to attend that specific school and for specific reasons, and a student who has not truly explored that school, really can't come up with any genuine specific interest. I see this in certain families where the student was not that involved. I also see it as a college interviewer which is something else that I do.

In my opinion, there are two extremes. One is like you described where the parent takes over the process. In some families, the parent finds the schools and selects where the child will apply. The parent does all the contact with the school (though some general logistics like lining up auditions is not what I am talking about which is fine). The parent is writing the resume and on and on. The student practicially does nothing but essays and auditions. Not only isn't the student invested in really picking the school, but also not in what it takes to get in. This same student all of a sudden has to be independent in an intense program months later.

The other extreme are kids whose parents, for whatever reason, are not involved at all. They are either disinterested, do not have the time, or do not have the knowledge of how to help. I see some kids post on CC all the time who are wishing their parents would help. They ask parents on CC to help them pick the colleges, edit the essays and so forth. There is so much to do with college admissions, as well as the visits and all, that it is very hard for a teen to be doing it all alone.

What I prefer to see or what I believe in, is where the student is selecting where she wants to apply, explores those schools, meets with faculty and students on campus, does the various email contacts, does the applications, and so on, but the parent is there to guide or facilitate and to be there to do some secretarial tasks, to look things over, to conference with the child when each step gets done, to discuss it, and then also to take them to visits and auditions and lessons and that sort of support. The parents can be a great resource to the student if they take the time to do some research online or read CC (!) and then can share things with the student. The decision of where to attend should be up to the student. The parents, if they wish or need to, can set any financial restrictions or location restrictions as that is their perogative, though not all do and we didn't do that.

I think you now see the limitations of having had the parent take over your process. You've grown and can now take control and assert independence and own your process. As you know, work ethic is going to be a BIG factor in your success in a BFA program, so might as well start with the admissions process (or ideally before that point).

I applaud you for self assessing and learning and growing. You likely will be an even better candidate this time as you have not only done the admissions process once and seen the pitfalls, but have also been in a BFA program before and know where you need to grow and learn. I wish you well on your process.
Susan