@TexasMTDad I see what you are saying. The only ones that would be easy to detect are those with automatic merit based on grades and scores. Talent, need-based, and named/university grants are both subjective and variable. Factors that determine amounts could depend on: the year (how much the department has to offer), the kid (how they rank at the school and what their other offers are), the college (have named grants already been allocated).
Examples of schools that make merit awards clear/transparent (that we have personal experience with) include - Baldwin Wallace and Arizona. Obviously there are others.
Schools that work hard to make special circumstances (we have a unique situation, and this is only based on our experience) or need-based situations work include: Coastal Carolina, BW, Carnegie, Shenandoah.
I’m sure more folks will weigh in.
Thanks all. I don’t know that there’s much to glean this year, but maybe after the fact we can pull all of this information together to help the folks who will be here next year.
@beachymom What an awesome list you put together. I think those in future years will appreciate the focus part of the list (music, acting, dance). For us, we naively targeted big names with no honest assessment of our strengths and weaknesses. Applying to many schools that we would later learn were more focused on her weakness or required you to already be a triple threat before college, led to early prescreen rejections and made us have to pause and take stock. We had to look at what our D was good at and what was shall we say “gapped”. You do the same thing in marketing, promote your strengths to those that want your strengths. Then we started applying to schools with a more “focused” approached and it paid off. My advice to those in the future who are not triple threats (yet) or you are stronger in one area, would be to take a look at @beachymom’s focus list as it may increase your odds (slightly, although I agree there is little logic to it all). Just my opinion, but I am still very new to this.
A list like this is most helpful when considering which schools to apply/audition for. And, of course, people should cast a wide net to include safeties and less competitive programs.
When making the final decision after receiving acceptances, I printed out the curricula of each school (we had three to consider), and layed them out side by side without the school listed. This allowed my son (and us) to compare the programs without the prejudice of the school name, though when you’re down to three you sort of know which is which but it still was a useful exercise.
Any comments on SMU (Southern Methodist) BFA Acting? Thoughts on the program or the quality of training?
@BelleHankmom - SMU has a very solid rep for Acting.
Thank you beachymom! S was accepted and loves the people so guess we will go visit!
Shenandoah is not a music program any longer. It used to be a BM, but now it is a BFA. We believe your actor must lead in everything you do. The dance component of the audition is getting more competitive every year. We are seeing a lot of great dancers and a lot of them are now in the program. However, each year we end up taking a few amazing actors and singers who have a lot to learn in dance.
After reading this list I feel like my D’s list is very unbalanced because she has so many of what is considered extreme reach schools.And to counterbalance that she feels the need to cast an even wider net. But my mantra has become she will land where she’s meant to be. Trying hard to embrace the journey.
@flippedout I think you are right to consider whether your D’s list has too many extreme reach schools on it and to think about casting a wider net. They aren’t kidding when they say it is really hard to get into those schools, no matter how talented you are. It is a good idea to have schools on the list that are at least a little easier to get into (although no audition school is a safety)- and a non-audition safety if possible. My D did not want to add a non-audition safety, so she did some early auditions and got an early acceptance- that is another solution if your D does not want to add a safety. If the early auditions don’t pan out, you would have time to add a non-audition safety. Of course, not everyone wants to do early auditions: that is another very personal choice.
It’s helpful to keep in mind that it’s not only about whether the student is talented enough to get into a program. It’s also about whether or not the student fits what the program needs that year. The programs are trying to have a diverse group of talented students. A balanced list reduces the chances of not having any (or enough) options come April when all the acceptances/declines have arrived.
I have heard from 2 separate program directors that last year’s decision process was heartbreaking for them. They had students that they absolutely loved passionately, but they can only take so many. One program director said that after a 12 hour decision session that was supposed to be the final session they still had 120 students on the yes pile.
If, after the audition season is over and your student still does not want to attend the more “comfortable fit” (as opposed to reach) school, they don’t have to accept their spot. But their feelings on these schools will change a lot during the audition process.
@flippedout - my theory is that everyone should only apply to schools where they really want to attend - and everybody should have a plan for what they’ll do if auditions don’t work out. The tougher your school list is the more comfortable you should be with your “alternate” plan. Whether than plan is a gap year, an academic back-up admit or going out on your own and starting to audition for shows - there is no one-size-fits-all, you need to think it through. If there is no alternative plan that your child is happy considering, then have them rethink their school list and learn to love some of the less competitive programs because applying to only “reach” schools increases the chance that you’ll really need that back-up plan.
I dunno @CaMom13 that sounds like a risky strategy to me. Especially since so many kids end up going to schools that they had no idea about prior to the process. The process allows for kids to discover more about themselves and what they want in a school.
? Not sure what’s risky about knowing what what your back-up plan is?
Since almost all MT schools are “reaches” nowadays, I have to agree with TexasMTDad. It is nearly impossible to learn enough about every school in order to determine which school they really want to attend. While it can be daunting as to the logistics of applying to so many schools, it is really beneficial to widen the net as much as possible, which could mean applying to schools they don’t know a ton about, but could be that diamond in the rough.
With that being said, a back-up plan is one of the most important things to plan for as this whole process gets rolling.
I don’t disagree about the wisdom of casting a wide net but I also think that the panic of school list development causes parents to encourage their kids to make some poor choices. Almost everyone starts with a “dream school” list and adds on programs they think will have a higher acceptance rate … which really isn’t the way to find good “fits”. You need to find something other than acceptance rate by which to judge a school!
I guess what I find most unfortunate is the students who cast that proverbial wide net, go through the BFA application process, get multiple acceptances and then figure out that they actually don’t want to attend any of the schools that accepted them. So much work wasted on everyone’s part! And it happens every year.
I had a picky kid. Super picky and I’m the first to say she wasn’t prepared enough to be that picky. She wouldn’t look at small schools, she wouldn’t look at rural schools, southern schools, California schools… the list goes on. Her BFA list was not wide, she only auditioned at 6 schools but she had a solid back-up plan and she was committed to following it. So there was no “losing” - only best outcome / better outcome / good outcome. It helped that she knows herself, she knew where she would be happy and where she would be miserable and I respected that. If you have a MTer who would be happy studying anywhere then you’re golden, you won’t end up as a “paragraph 2” above and any list is probably a good one.
I’m really not contradicting anyone who feels you need to be open-minded in picking your schools. I’m saying if you have a kid who has strong preferences, listen to those and let your child’s requirements (and finances!) drive the school selection. As long as they are aware that the chances for acceptance at any school is small and they commit firmly to a plan for what will happen if the audition process is unsuccessful then it doesn’t really matter if their school list has 30 or 3 schools - it’s the right list for THEM, not some wide ranging random selection.
I agree that many people just look for colleges that offer MT. No school should be on one’s final list if the student would not be happy to attend that school. Understandably, a student may like certain schools more than others in terms of preferences, but it makes no sense to have a school on a college list if the student would not be happy to attend that school. Explore college options in depth. Find the fits. Create a well balanced and appropriate list. The “fit” goes beyond simply that the school offers a MT program. A student can still cast a wide net. But the schools that land in that final net should all be ones that are there for a reason and that the student likes the school and program enough to attend, even if it is not their top choice.
FYI, UARTS is a top 5 dance school in the country. All classes are leveled and MT students can take classes in the school of dance. The options are endless, from partnering, aerial silks, auditioning, etc.