<p>Who should I go with? I put down NYU because I know they are academically minded, and I put down UNCSA, as I am auditioning for their high school program next month anyway. My third school is a local college with an excellent theatre program that could potentially give me good scholarship money.</p>
<p>My tie-up is with the fourth college. I initially put down AADA but looking at the main CC site, I see that their average SAT and ACT scores aren’t even available. Would they even care to see my ACT information? If not, I’d like to send it elsewhere. I’m interested in a a four year college (yes, I know AADA isn’t, it’s essentially my only exception), preferably a conservatory. I know conservatories care more about the audition, but there must be some schools like NYU that care more about academics than others. The best decision for me is to send my scores to one of those schools. An academically-minded conservatory would be ideal to send the scores to, but I also wouldn’t mind sending them to a school like NYU with some elements of a conservatory. Don’t hesitate to name some of those schools, too.</p>
<p>ActingDude, its probably a good idea to take an hour or more to review some of the threads in this forum that discuss the differences of a number of the schools. There are numerous threads comparing BA vs BFA; Audition vs Non Audition schools. Pick about 10 schools and go to their websites and get a feel for whether you want a certain geographical region? a school in the middle of a city, a school in a confined campus? or a school which has an acting program which focuses on certain techniques, a school which has rigorous academics or light academics. These are questions you want to ask yourself that noone here can answer for you. I don’t think AADA needs Sats or ACT scores so it really wouldn’t be the best use of your money. Best of luck to you in this journey.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, mom2gals. I know what I want in a college (for instance, I wouldn’t send these scores to a BA-only institution). My question is which reputable theatre schools with a BFA program, especially conservatories, care most about academics, so I can reap the most benefits of sending them my ACT scores.</p>
<p>Neither of my kids used the 4 school free thing. They both wanted to see their scores before they were sent off to schools. So, I may have paid a little extra but I’m glad we did.</p>
<p>I agree with supportive. I’m an SAT/ACT tutor, and I always advise people to wait until the actual scores come back. Then, if your scores are not to your liking, no one has to know. It’s really worth the modest investment of extra money to be in control of your scores.</p>
<p>I took the PLAN (the precursor to the ACT) and it projected about a 33 on the ACT. I suppose the smartest thing to do is wait until I see the scores myself, but the quick and costless mailing to any four schools is almost too good to pass up. I read another post on here in which a student was able to have the ACT people not send his scores after he knew he hadn’t done as well as he’d thought. Can anyone confirm this?</p>
<p>Actingdude, we did the same, kept the choices blank I recommend you keeping it blank. Once you put a school down there, they will be hounding you with emails and snail mail. And it doesn’t go away until May. However, we can’t lose site of the fact that it truly is a savings but only if you are really putting down some realistic options that YOU choose for yourself. If you insist on putting something down then look at the list of where all the prior classes have gotten accepted at BFA’s and choose: U Mich, CMU, Syracuse, BU, Ithaca, Fordham, Rider, Hart, Rutgers, Pace, the list goes on. My point is that its not something a stranger on a forum should tell you, you really should put some thought into it and Best of Luck to you!</p>
<p>Actingdude, you will be applying to more than 4 colleges. So it doesn’t really matter which 4 you send your ACT scores to, you will have to pay to send them to the other places anyways.</p>
<p>actingdude, please, I advise you to not send your scores. This is my professional advice to all the students I tutor. Projections are just that: projections. YOu have no idea how you’ve done until you get those scores. And no, don’t rely on the ACT not sending the scores after you’ve asked them to send the scores–based on an anonymous web post at that! </p>
<p>Trust me and everyone who has posted–it is simply not worth the money. It sounds convenient but the risks outweigh the benefits. Wait until you get the scores. Then send or don’t send.</p>
<p>I have to chime in here, albeit as a rank amateur. Almost all schools, apart from the Ivy League, “superscore.” Most students who aren’t happy with their initial tests will take them again. I see no harm in taking advantage of the free report option. If your test scores are satisfactory for the first four you list, you may pick others the next time around. If any schools on your tentative list are “test-optional,” then by all means wait, but I have grave misgivings about advising kids to hold off - they will have to submit scores eventually, and there are no guarantees that the next set will be radically different. I see posts all over C.C. from kids who blithely predict that their future scores will be hundreds of points higher. If your scores fall too far below a college’s range the first time around, then so be it. If they rise dramatically, the college will look at the superior results. If not, then waiting to submit them is of no advantage. Sometimes, it really is best to play the hand you have. I expect that many people, with far more wisdom and experience, will disagree, but I am one who cannot resist a freebie.</p>
<p>^^ADude, are you a junior? If so, I cannot fathom why you would have the scores sent now. As a long-time independent school teacher, advisor, and junior class dean, I am very much aligned with those who are telling you to hold off! Seriously. Just wait.</p>
<p>Everyone has given very good advice. I just don’t see why ACT would offer this if it wasn’t a thing students could benefit from. I understand the positives of waiting, but I’ve had these schools in mind for years now and I’m eager to start the application process. Isn’t there a possibility I could get good responses from some of these schools? But perhaps waiting and seeing the scores first is the best option. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do, so if anyone else has any other thoughts, please share. I really appreciate all the feedback.</p>
<p>Adude, my daughter is a junior to and we are currently dealing with the same issue. She is taking the ACT in April and we still have to input the 4 schools we want her scores to go to. Of course she is set on only taking it once and going with whatever she gets according to her, but that could always change. We are trying to figure out who even requests them and will need to check the admissions section of the schools she is looking at to see. We were going to start by looking at her 4 top chocies and then checking to see if the scores are required. Julliard which is one of her choices I am 99% positive does not request or care about these scores and therefore that would be one school not to place in the mix. Now, I was under the impression and maybe I need to get on the phone and call someone , that if you get your scores and do not like them and plan on retaking the test which in our case would be early Fall then you can ask to not have the scores sent. I need to get that in writing:) Because it would be a huge bummer if they did not follow through on that.</p>
<p>Once you check the box to have them sent automatically, you cannot then rely on ACT complying with your request not to have them sent. Of course you can try, but ACT is a very large organization and there is no guarantee or assurance that they would comply even if they wanted to. I have never heard of anyone successfully doing this, but even if they did, it would be a rare event.</p>
<p>As to why the ACT and SAT offer this service? PRobably because it sounds like a perk. Why does a corporation do anything? They are corporations. They are not always offering perks in your best interest. Why does McDonalds offer a dollar menu? So you can have healthy food? Because they want to feed the hungry? No, they offer it as a loss leader, to get you in the door, and to be competitive. </p>
<p>As to superscoring–you superscore from YOUR end. Not AFTER you send the scores. Once you send the scores, they’re sent. You can’t then tell the colleges 'Hey, don’t look at such and such score." You can only control the scores from your end before they’re sent.</p>
<p>Do what you want, of course. I am simply saying the decision to send early has no benefits except that it saves you a few bucks – but college is a huge investment, so in the scheme of things, it’s very little. As far as psychologically making you feel you’ve started the process, I totally understand, but there are other way to express your interest than sending your first ACT scores as a Junior. Emailing or calling them and talking to them is one. Visiting is another.</p>
<p>I also think you should hold off. Between now and when you actually apply and audition, you should worry less about sending scores, but make sure you are looking carefully at all kinds of programs. Your top four today could be a totally different top 4 by September. If you go to the UNCSA high school, you may find out things about yourself that you never realized. Leave yourself open to discovery and growth, and make sure you are applying to schools you would love to go to, safety and non-safety (which does not exist in any audition program).</p>