pinkpanther

Hello! I have a few questions about the CAP21 5 week summer program. I will be auditioning for it at the end of March and I am wondering how competitive is it to get in? How many kids are accepted. What are the classes like and if you had kids who went did they enjoy it? Also, what is the audition process like. I know you have to do 2 songs and a monologue but what was the audition expeirience like for your child. Also, i heard it is rolling admissions so will that really hurt my chances of getting in? Thank you so so much for all of your help and advice!

ccsmom

My D sent in an audition DVD in mid-February and was just accepted. We were surprised to hear so soon and of course she is thrilled. She has to commit within a week so I would also appreciate any info about the program and how it compares to Carnegie Mellon, our other top choice (not accepted there yet but pretty sure she would be based on essay/recs/resumes, etc). Here are some questions as we are out of state:

1. How hard is it to find housing? The NYU housing is not open to pre-college students. Is it possible to find out from the school who else needs housing to share?
2. What is the typical ratio of out-of-towners to New Yorkers as that would indicate how many are commuters.
3. What is the evening/weekend social life like if the kids' living arrangments are scattered all over? A big part of the fun I would think is the bonding with other kids but if most are commuters, that would be limited.
4. How much focus in on audition training? A big plus to CMU is the preparation for college auditions.
5. I believe I read here the program is about 60 students. Is that right?
Thanks for any and all info!!

NotMamaRose

So, are you guys talking about the non-Tisch/NYU CAP21 summer program? Each year, people get confused, because some people are talking about the for-credit program offered through NYU (non audition) and others talk about the CAP21 program (non NYU.)

alwaysamom

You can probably find answers to your questions on the Summer Programs thread in the main MT forum. The CAP21 program you are inquiring about is not a Tisch program so this isn't really the right place for the post.

soozievt

You are mistaken about the NYU housing not being open to pre-college students. NYU housing is open to pre-college students and to ANYONE for that matter and you need not be enrolled in anything at NYU for the summer (and in your child's case, she would be enrolled at CAP21 which is not NYU). However, summer housing opens up in February on a first come first serve basis and so you would have to reserve right away. I think many who do CAP21 do stay in NYU Summer Housing. The kids may be scattered in different dorms but many live in dorms and so it will be just like if attending college at NYU and they will get together with their pals from the program no matter which dorm they are residing in or its location in the city. The group attending will bond through the day long program. I have not had a child who has attended but I really do not think there are that many commuters. My D attends NYU/Tisch now and many of her classmates did the CAP21 summer program before coming to Tisch and these kids are from all over the country and not from NYC. The kids who attend the CAP21 program are on their own at night, like college students would be and unlike those who do the summer NYU/Tisch program which has supervised evening activities.

The CAP21 summer program is intense and similar to what the college studio program is like....training in all three disciplines. I do not think the focus is on college audition prep in the same vein as at CMU. My personal feeling is to pick a program that interests you and has good training. I do not feel you HAVE to go to a program that focuses on audition prep as you can do audition prep with voice and acting coaches on your own. So, pick the program you like best. My daughter went to a summer program that did no college audition prep. She just worked on audition materials with her voice and acting coaches in the fall of her admissions year. Your D should decide what she wants in a program. Both programs are very good at what they do.

ccsmom

Thanks so much for the info, Soozievt! I have seen many of your posts and know your info is always spot on! Sorry if this is not the right place--the program I am referring to is the audition one direct from CAP21.

Believe me I would love to have NYU housing as an option but here is what's on their website.

"As of February 20, 2008, we are accepting applications for Summer Housing from

* currently matriculated NYU students
* non-NYU students who have enrolled in summer coursework at New York University.

We are not currently accepting applications from non-NYU students who will not be enrolled for summer coursework at the University.

Non-NYU students, not enrolled for summer coursework at the University may submit their contact information for our wait-list. We will contact wait-list applicants if there is additional availability in NYU Summer Housing. To add your name to our wait-list, please click here."

Even before this February 20 date the website said something about not being available to pre-college students which is odd given the CAP21 info includes this link in their materials - NYU Summer Housing

Anyway, we are exploring other options and hope something will work out.

Thanks!!

soozievt

ccsmom, this must be a new development this year then. In the past, ANYONE could use NYU summer housing. Last year, my D used NYU Summer Housing and her friend lived with her and her friend doesn't attend NYU or was in NO summer programs. I would call CAP21 and ask them about this because in the past, pre-college students could use NYU Summer housing and in fact, you are saying that CAP21's site is linking students to that summer housing and so if the situation at NYU Summer Housing has changed this year (I don't know this to be true but based on your quote, it seems that way!), then it is important to tell CAP21 and consult with them to learn more about the options for their HS aged students for housing.

ccsmom

I think the webstie said there is some construction going on so they have fewer units than usual. I am guessing that may be why there is a limitation that may not have existed before. But your suggestion to call and check is good. I was working on my list of questions but wanted to see what I could find out here first. Thanks again!

ccsmom

PS - Soovievt, thanks also for the comment about picking the program she likes as the first and most important consideration (and in her case it would be CAP21). I think I was latching onto CMU's audition-training focus as a way to mitigate what I am anticipating (with more than a little dread I'll be honest) will be this stressful, hectic senior year of auditioning to get into college! (Well, plus having housing included as part of the program is also sure easier on the parent.) So these were MY considerations, not hers. But I will tell you I wasn't sure she'd get in to an audition-based program, so part of me is able to breathe a little that perhaps she has hope of getting into some performing-arts oriented college next year. Hah, this will not be my last post on this site!!

NotMamaRose

This should be moved to the summer programs threads, and not be filed under the NYU/Tisch MT thread. Again (and this doesn't affect my family, as my D is a current senior and not applying to summer programs) but having it here may well confuse a new crop of parents and kids who are trying to distinguish between NYU's summer program with CAP21 (non audition, for credit) and CAP21's by-audition program NOT affiliated with Tisch.

CollegeMom

I have renamed this thread to make it clearer that the discussion is regarding the CAP21 Pre-College program not affiliated with NYU/Tisch and is the audition based program. However, I am not going to move the thread because these two members came here with questions about it and others have in the past as well, since CAP21 is the MT program at NYU and so is a likely place where those looking into CAP21 might come, even though this particular summer program is not through NYU or Tisch. This is still a school forum where many have come seeking information about programs related to CAP21. It is important, however, to continue to distinguish between these different summer programs as this one is not through Tisch and there is one through Tisch, also discussed in the NYU/Tisch school forum.

kardan

What are the basic differences of the CAP21 (non-Tisch) vs Tisch CAP21 summer program? What additional academic requirements are there through Tisch?

MTgrlsmom

kardan - at Tisch CAP21 pre-college you will take classes such as theatre history, there is homework, and a specific assignment that culminates in a final project. The program comes with college credit; it is my understanding that the CAP21 (non Tisch) one does not. Among the Tisch requirements is that you have at least a 3.0 GPA and you are to submit a transcript.

The Tisch CAP21 program is heavily supervised, and includes scheduled (and mandatory) evening and weekend activities, whereas the CAP21 kids have more free time.

My D attended the Tisch CAP21 pre-college program this past summer, and simply loved everything about it, to the point where she applied ED.

There are lots of CAP21 kids however who apply to Tisch for college as well as either ED or RD applicants. Kids from both programs are accepted or rejected, just as those who apply without any prior summer program experience, and so I don't think that there is any extra benefit either way (for those of you who may be wondering).

I think in terms of instruction, there is no real difference between the programs. Both are extremely competitive. In spite of the 'no audition requirement' for Tisch's CAP21, please know that, according to the letter she received, there were 400 qualified applicants to fill 32 slots, and all the kids my D met in the program were very, very talented. I guess that the summer program admissions people really take their time reading every single application.

kardan

MTgrlsmom - Thanks for your response. I assumed that these were the differences, but it is good to have it validated by an experienced soul.

My S has applied to the summer Tisch CAP21 program and a few other MT programs, as well. I know the competition is stiff, but we are keeping our fingers crossed he gets into one of his top choices as we begin to hear from the various programs. He will be a rising senior, so experiencing an MT summer program will give him a good idea of the direction he will be taking when applying for colleges.

encantateatro

Hi!! I don't really post on this site but wanted to say that I attended CAP21's non-Tisch, audition based program this past summer. I cannot begin to express how much I LOVED my experiences while I was there, at CAP and in NYC. I know there were questions about NYU housing and so I wanted to address that. Last year, some of the students that were in the program with me were living at NYU housing. I would have done anything to live at the NYU dorms, but unfortunately I was 16 during the program, and to live in NYU dorms, the minimum age was 17. LUCKILY, Michael Miller informed a friend of mine that The New School had a special agreement with CAP21, and I was able to live in Union Square, in The New School's dorms. If you are seriously thinking of attending CAP21, and the website doesn't give you any options of where to live, I would call Michael Miller. He is extremely nice, and I'm sure he would be willing to help you out.

Also, I believe there were 60 or 65 students in our program. I know it is very competitive and there are a LARGE amount of people that audition either in person or by video. (I sent in a video, I live in California)

I will be attending NYU next year, I was accepted ED into CAP21. :]
I hope that helped!! If anyone has anymore questions about the pre-college CAP21 audition based program let me know!