Thanks for the tips - just when I thought we had another month before ‘getting started’…yikes…here we go!!! I know this isn’t a BW thread, but while we’re on the subject…do they ever offer spots to the kids who attend Overtures?
@deelight - I know 2 who did Overtures in the summer of 2013 and 2 who did it last summer who are attending and/or about to attend BW.
@deelight per one of the current BW MT professors, they do not offer positions directly from Overtures but Overtures gives the MT staff the chance to.get to know a student well in advance of audition season (which can ultimately help in decision-making process).
Sorry - I did not mean to imply that those students had been offered a place while at overtures- they were not. But they attended overtures and were later accepted to BW. IMHO one of the major benefits a summer program that uses the decision makers on an audition panel offers is the opportunity for them to get to know you beyond the few minutes of your scheduled time. BUT - some colleges hold training programs in the summer on their campus w/o significant “face time” with those decision makers. So you need to know what you are looking for when you choose a summer program, and make sure the one you pick (and pay for- most aren’t cheap!) meets your Criteria.
Not to be Debbie Downer - but be aware that MOST students who attend college summer programs are NOT OFFERED admission to that school’s MT program. This is true of all college summer programs. Just look at the numbers. Most camps have 50+ campers whereas most programs take fewer than 20 students. And not all students accepted to the school’s MT program will have attended their summer camp. So as you can see, There are just not spaces to include most campers in the actual MT program. So make sure you attend a camp because it will be helpful to you in your training and preparation, not because you think it will help you get in the school or program. Of course there are always some who are the exception and they are offered a spot in a schools MT program during audition season… So it does happen. Just don’t count on it.
@vvnstar- you are certainly correct, there are no guarantees. I know nearly a dozen kids who have done college programs (busti, Tisch, cherubs and overtures jump to mind) and then gone on to that school- but it depends on the school, and the summer program. I also know 1/2 a dozen kids who have done the CMU summer program. (And they all loved it and learned a ton) None of them ended up at CMU. Mileage varies
My D is about 1/3 of the way through the 6-week CMU summer program (there are 200 +/- kids participating in the drama disciplines this summer). At the initial group orientation meeting (kids and parents), the staff put up a slide showing the schools to which their former summer students were offered admission over the number of years (5 I think?). There were 57 schools on the list. While CMU was one of the schools, it was at the bottom. The staff emphasized that CMU admission is NOT the purpose of the pre-college program and the rare student who received an offer went through the regular audition process. As part of the curriculum, the students do take an audition course which culminates in a mock college audition (complete with panel feedback). My D will leave with an understanding of the day-to-day life of a BFA student and a jump on her audition material but without a golden ticket :-).
Again- if that is your goal (admission to that school)- check into the each school’s program, including things like the amount/quality of time spent with decision makers - with the idea being they would get to know your kid more then they would in a brief Austin period. My kid took class every day for 4 weeks with 2/3 of the people who eventually saw her college audition- they knew her. And I would also check whether or not (it would be anecdotally- I am sure no one would offer hard numbers) does the summer program have a “history” of admitting kids to that school.
I agree @toowonderful. At most schools, there usually are a few campers who are accepted each year after participating in its summer program. But it is not the norm. My point is the vast majority of campers are NOT accepted into that school’s MT program later. The only reason I am posting is I just want to caution people to temper their expectations. No one should be attending expensive camps thinking it will insure or help with acceptance later to the MT program. The truth is, most campers will not be invited to be part of the school’s MT program. There is simply not enough space to offer many campers a spot in the actual MT program.
Don’t get me wrong. I am a big fan of college summer programs. Our own D attended 2 different ones during high school. Students can learn so much by living on campus, learning from college professors and being surrounded by like minded, talented peers. College summer programs are great things to do if you can. Just don’t do it thinking that by participating it will get you in the program. That’s all I’m trying to say.
I agree @vvnstar- lots of people who attend college programs will not be offered a place at that school. But I still maintain that increased contact can be a positive- and in a game this competitive you never know what is the tipping point.
And again I say that there can be JUST as much benefit (skill, experience, opportunity) gained from programs (college or otherwise) that offer ZERO admission advantage at a school. You just need to know what you are looking for
Increased contact can also be a negative…
Certainly a possibility.
It is certainly an interesting discussion and raises many issues for juniors (in particular) to consider. There are also programs like TPAP and Artsbridge (off the top of my head; I’m sure there are more) are not pre-college programs but give students access to faculty from multiple programs over a few weeks. And then there are performing arts camps (Interlochen, Stagedoor). When my D was a junior, we worked backward from her goal to determine what type of program she should attend. Never too early to start a spreadsheet!