@hopecladwell that is always a tough call. We had parents last year that made the deposits early without knowing (but very few) and they were only at their top choice. When our D auditioned last year we did not put any deposits down until we had our offers in. We did make a deposit to her top choice while she was on the waitlist. I would think that if there is housing reserved for your fine arts majors you should be fine waiting until the offers start going out.
I don’t know about western Mich but they all say the same thing… “hurry! Rush! Get Housing now ! Don’t let your kid live in the crappy dorm!” …You have until May 1st to accept offers. Take all the time you want.
College Confidential
Looking for some sort of insight/clarity?
MTnewbie1
Today at 4:17 pm in Musical Theater Major
I’m not sure if these questions can be answered but if they can (any of them) please share. Thank you!
- on average how many students apply for a BFA audition program?
- guesstimate that I can see based on a thread in this forum is there are about 600 spots svailable (in all) for the program’s listed.
- do most of what I am understanding to be the “top” tier programs make offers to the same students? (Top tier in my understanding are: CCM, CMU, UMich, Penn State, Univ of Oklahoma, Texas State, Otterbein, Pace). If so, how can these small programs fill each year when, what it looks like to me, is only about 3-5 wait list kids?
- Do these, or any, program have people hired to talk to the programs directly about students? It is my understanding that the college audition coach prepares the student for auditions but does not “act as a scout” for them and actually “peddle” them to certain schools. Is that true or do they?
- are the performing arts high schools better connected with these programs than public schools are? Do performing arts schools actively seek out programs (talking to college program directors) and get individual face time with these programs?
- now that the majority of auditions are over and rejections come in…what do you suggest can be done from schools thst haven’t been heard from yet?
Thanks, just trying to make some sort of sense of it all.
@MTnewbie1 I’ll bite:
- Varies from 250-1250 depending on the School. (See Admit rate thread);
- Looks like you counted. I'll take your word for it.
- No one will agree on what constitutes "top tier" as it nearly always is the school their son/daughter attends/attended. But you left one out that I think ALL would agree to be top tier: Carnegie Mellon, and you included some that I am sure others would argue should not be there. But, in answer to your question, Yes, they do take SOME of the same students, but NOT all. THEY ALSO TAKE MORE in their initial offers, THUS they don't always need to go to a waitlist. SOME schools, like Michigan and Carnegie Mellon are Sooo Tippy top, NEARLY ALL (there ARE exceptions) accept that school; But schools like Pace for example may Make say 50 offers to fill 25 spots. (Just as an example, don't recall at the moment how many they actually take). Its only when the 26th person declines that they go to their actual waitlist.
- No, as a general rule, I don't think coaches act as peddlers. And if they try, I think it would have minimal if any real influence.
- My experience is that A FEW performing arts HSchools are well-known, and do bring Faculty from top schools to their programs for master classes or talks or "face-time" as you put it. But so do coaches. And I would say this is probably not all that common at most PA High Schools. And you can usually get in these classes without a coach if you really look for them. In the end, I don't think PA kids have much of an advantage over other kids, they are just more experienced in some areas. Like acting. But the schools know all this. They know your typical Public HS student has not been trained in Meissner (sp). They plan to do that anyway. 6.You can't really do anything but make sure you have all your paperwork complete, and wait patiently. If offered a waitlist, let them know their school is at the top of your list.
@MTnewbie1 - you seem to want to to see your name on as many OP threads as possible.
Here are my answers from your “Questions” thread
Points 1, 2, 3: there are many threads on this forum that have endlessly debated these questions - look for any threads with the word “list” in the title. CC posters represent only a small portion of those planning to attend/are attending/have attended MT programs. We debate endlessly with very limited/skewed/assumed data. Only thing we agree on is that it is difficult to get into an auditioned MT program.
- This too, is debated. Look at all the threads with "coaching" in the title. There are apparently some MT college faculty who also "coach". Most coaches "appear" to have no direct ties to particular schools, but that too is debated. As far as has been posted to date, there does not appear to be a "scouting" or "agent" system for getting into an MT program - yet.
- Depends on the school. My S's PA high school had no ties to any program - not even the top tier one two miles away - even though they "said" they did. There is a PA school in Georgia (??) that loads up a bus full of auditionees to attend the fall auditions at the program my S currently attends. Some are accepted. Some PA high schools help students with filling out applications, videoing prescreens, counseling them on "best fit" programs. My S's PA HS was NOT one of those.
6, Not sure what you’re asking here. There are many threads on what people do while they are waiting to hear - check mail boxes, email and admissions status portals 30 times a day, call the admissions offices, send “I’m very interested” notes, eat donuts, sip umbrella drinks, post on CC. Many veterans of this process agree that the WAITING is the worst part of the process.
OOps @MTNewbie1I do see now that you included CMU in your original post #1902
I do agree that an umbrella drink (or any favorite adult beverage for that matter) is an essential companion while checking mail boxes, e-mails, admission status portals etc! 
I should add that while you don’t say if you or your child is a boy or girl, there is a difference. Probably not fair but its true. Even incredibly talented girls have daunting odds in an auditioned program. Guys odds are a little better. The point is I’m addressing your point #3: beauty is in the eye of each school’s auditors and especially with girls, not all offers are made to the same group of students.
@mom4bwayboy I know. I couldn’t figure out how to post something. Sorry for that. @MTDadandProud I have a D so I need to double up on the umbrella Drivks. It’s a bad year to quit sniffing glue
@MTnewbie1 all of us who have been through the process COMPLETELY understand… the waiting makes you crazy. Especially with all the people asking questions and wanting to know why you don’t know. @-) The good news is YOU will make it through!! #:-S
@mom4bwayboy this seems like an awfully harsh comment to someone who purports to be a newbie (or to anyone for that matter)…
“Today at 6:16 pm
@MTnewbie1 - you seem to want to to see your name on as many OP threads as possible.”
No, no, the newbie posted the same question several times. It was a joke. The excuse offered was inexperience but I’m guessing that sniffing glue had more of a role.
@shopforpunky I have only posted two things and didn’t know how to start an individual topic. It was my fault and I took the comment as harmless, if it was meant differently than I am sorry if I upset someone.
@vocal1046 you are right, my fault. Not sure how to take the last part of your comment but either way thank you all for your honest responses. I am trying to make sense of how all of this happens. Right now I am throwing up my hands and realizing with all the auditions over its the now-we-wait time. maybe I started asking questions too late. Good luck to everyone!
You said " I need to double up on the umbrella Drivks. It’s a bad year to quit sniffing glue". I thought your remark was very funny and was just calling back to it by suggesting that it must be the huffing that got you confused… Harmless harmless.
This seems to be a good time to bring up a point that has been on my mind lately.(just from the point of a random, funny comment creating momentary tension) Be gentle with yourselves -and others!- through these next few LONG weeks. Tensions can get the better of people, and things that can get unpleasant. D’s process last year put strain on several relationships (in the family and outside of it). Most things bounced back - but it certainly proved the old adage that stress will teach you who your true friends are - or are not. The PA school thing was nice b/c other people understood what D was going for (and going through) but also hard, because intense situations don’t always bring out the best in 18 year olds- or their parents. During one particularly “dark” moment- I took my frustrations out on the flatware basket in the dishwasher (it wouldn’t fit back in properly- so obviously it had to die). That one was funny as soon as the red haze cleared. Others were not. Hang in there everyone!
Agreed. And leave the sarcasm to the professionals. …like moi.
@MTnewbie1 and @shopforpunky - sorry if I seemed snide in my reply original post. After seeing the three identical posts, I wasn’t sure if newbie was was a true emerging closet lurker, just stepping into the CC sunshine - taking a deep breath and the chance we all took at some point - or if newbie was a “younger” person who was impatiently trying to get as many replies in as short a period as possible, or perhaps trying to “stir something up”. We currently don’t seem to get much of that here in the MT Major Outland, but I have seen it in much older MT posts and in other forums. Hoping that newbie was a legit un-closeted lurker, I did try to answer the questions as honestly/informatively as I could, but as we all know, most questions on this forum have seemingly infinite answers. Sorry if I sounded snarky. Unfortunately, tone of voice, a twinkle in the eye, a raised umbrella drink do not come across in our writing. And those rascally emoticons aren’t much help. :)>-
That doesn’t look ANYthing like the emoticon I chose. Go in peace and do no harm.
“During one particularly “dark” moment- I took my frustrations out on the flatware basket in the dishwasher (it wouldn’t fit back in properly- so obviously it had to die)” hahahhahhahha- that made my day! 
I feel for all of you waiting right now. I was in the same boat two years ago. At this point my D had nothing but rejections, and things were gloomy around the house (although she did have her show choir season to keep her spirits up). It was around this time in the process I recall having a conversation with her, and this is what I told her. I said: You will be performing the rest of your life, but what you don’t know right now is whether you are going to do that as a profession or a hobby. And that seemed to help take the edge off.
She started to plan to do a BA theater degree and go that route. And then while sitting at one school in the beginning of March after interviewing for an academic scholarship, and waiting to take a tour of the Theater department where she’d be auditioning two weeks later, she gets a call from another school offering her a spot. Followed three weeks alter by a second call. And then a couple days after that a third call. So know that many final decisions have not been made yet, and keep the faith.
Be there to support of your child. Be there to give hugs and to dry tears. Parents, be there for each other. Come here if it’s getting to you and many here will provide support for you. And be there when the tears turn to tears of joy when that acceptance comes in! Best of luck - us veterans are rooting for you all!
Thank you to everyone! I did try to delete the two other areas my question is posted in but it doesn’t let you. I think that makes me perfect fodder for anyone…and I promise I’m not taking it personally… I have read this for awhile now and (instead of destroying the silverware basket…although that could be next!) I thought I’d put some questions out there. We all are in a very select “club” no one understands this unless they are going through it or have gone through it. Cheers to you all!
In hindsight, I can say our kids are far more resilient than we sometimes give them credit for. They often come through the process less “traumatized” than their parents (which is a huge benefit since they will be dealing with rejection as an integral part of their careers). I may be embarking on the parent-of-another-BFA-hopelful soon and have promised myself to be 75% less emotionally invested in the process than I was last time around. I will still be serve as master encourager, scheduler, empathizer but will vow not take the inevitable re-directions personally. I’ve watched other parents this year go through the process as more of an observer and they seem to have reached this point (auditions mostly done, waiting on most decisions) more emotionally intact than I was at this point last year. Hang in there, all. This too shall pass.