theater mom

Thanks, ALWAYSAMOM. I took my info from a "Best Value for the Money" list of colleges in a money magazine. When I took another look, I realized they had accessed the value of the colleges by various means (teacher-to-student ratios, retention rate, etc.) and then compared these to the cost adjusted by the average grant. In other words, they tried to do my thinking for me and never told me what I want to know — which colleges are most likely to give financial aid. Thanks for some real info.

be_somebody

Just wanted to note something for future stage management applicants. UMich's BFA Design and Production program, from what I learned from my interview, is HEAVY in the Design part. There is also a Bachelor of Theatre Arts degree, where you can still study stage management while cutting down on the drawing/design requirements of the Design&Production degree. Just something to consider when applying.

However, the professor/interviewer was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and the program sounds absolutely fantastic. I might choose Michigan simply because of the kindness and enthusiasm displayed by my interviewer, in addition to the amazing program and the school spirit.

Mikksmom

Just wondering if others have heard yet from Tech programs? DS interviewed with CCM in January and UConn and Rutgers in Feb. Got a yes from Rutgers but wondering about others???

Burger&Fries

I've been accepted to 3 so far. I haven't heard from the others. I didn't apply to the three you mentioned. Congrats on Rutgers

theater mom

BURGER&FRIES: Where did you apply?

kathydub

Hope you don't mind my asking instead of answering a question! Our junior will apply to CCM next year, interested in lighting tech - could you tell me a little about the interview? What area was he interviewing for? And congrats on Rutgers!

be_somebody

Accept at UMich - Drama - BFA Design and Production program! Stoked!!

theater mom

My D just got acceptance letter for CMU Pre-College for Drama-Design/PTM! Is anybody else on CC going to CMU Pre-College this summer? And where do I find that great, long list of everything to bring from (I think) 4 years ago??

hughesmove

I have been lurking on this board for a few months, my daughter is a sophomore in HS so we're just beginning. CMU is among her wish list schools. I can't wait to hear how the summer goes because my daughter may look into it for summer '10. She really thinks she wants to do sound design and technology. Thanks to everyone for all of the great info -- it is so helpful.

hughesmove

We are working on my daughter's class schedule for her junior year in HS. She has an opportunity to do a lot of crew work in her area (sound) with groups other than her high school next year. It will give her the chance to work with better designers and equipment in much better venues. She is trying to decide how many AP classes to take next year as a junior. Should she keep he schedule at school a little easier so she has time to gain as much practical experience as possible? Any input would be appreciated -- thanks in advance.

hughesmove

The heart of the question is -- do the AP courses matter at all in the interview/admission process at these top tier tech schools or should she focus on getting some good, solid, practical experience. Thanks again.

momof3greatkids

One of my kids is a lighting design major at SUNY Purchase. He came in with a lot of AP credits and MANY hours of pro experience behind him (he stopped doing work for his school junior year and began interning at a local Equity theater, working his way up from "grunt" to designer). The AP credits were helpful because they exempted him from most of his general education requirements (even though Purchase has an intense BFA program, the kids are required to meet a few gen ed requirements, although the theater majors usually take special gen ed classes geared toward the major i.e. history course related to theater).

However, I don't think the AP courses had any impact on his acceptance (nor, most likely, did his SAT scores). By far, the most important factor is the resume and portfolio. If you feel it has to be "one or the other," I'd definitely recommend devoting more time toward developing a resume and a portfolio.

That said, it's important to realize (how do I say this delicately?) that the academic standards for admission to non-theater programs at Purchase are much lower than the academic standards for admission to non-theater programs at such schools as CMU. One of my son's friends majored in lighting design at CMU, and while she didn't have the stellar scores (both SAT and grades) that would have been required for someone applying to CMU for computer science, they still were above-average. Would she have gotten in without any AP credits and with lower scores? I don't know....

Hope this is somewhat helpful!

hughesmove

Thanks momof3 -- your input is very helpful. It confirms what I suspected with respect to admission but I hadn't given much thought to getting exemptions from gen ed rgmts once she gets in! (Classic, right? So much analysis going into HOW to get in without much thought as to what happens once she gets in.) I so appreciate your help -- strangely enough, she is the one pushing to do 4 AP classes in her junior year and we think she's crazy. I would love any more advice/input anyone might have regarding her eventual goal of getting into a great program -- she loves and is driven by "sound" -- kind of specialized, I know.

KatMT

She may want to contact the schools directly. Academic rigor of HS coursework will impact admissions decisions at each school differently. Some schools test academic admissions equally to artistic admissions - for example NYU - other schools weight the artistic portfolio much more strongly than the academic backgroud - for example CMU.

hughesmove

Thanks KatMT - that's a good suggestion -- I'll have her make a few calls to her true wish list schools just to get a sense of what they look for. I appreciate the help.