We were at 15, dropped to 12, then back up to 16 after her coach said it was a little too small. My D is picky. I should have capitalized that P. She is adamant that even though she is going for a degree plan that is extremely difficult to be accepted in, she refuses to put a school on her list that she doesn’t “feel.” Even a top school where she was accepted into the highly selective summer program fell off the list because she didn’t like the campus. She is willing to gap year it if it doesn’t work out this year. I have to hand it to her - if I was in her place I would be willing to go anywhere I could get in, but she says her college experience has to be one SHE loves and the feelings have to be mutual between her and the school.
So just curious what everyone’s dafeties are? Ours is Muhlenberg. We will audition on campus butbits for scholarship, not admission
@carriemc95 My D sounds similar to yours in the respect of being determined to only apply to schools that check all her boxes. Her experience, her choice although my approach would be different. I would like for her to add a few more than 12 but not sure if that will happen.
@MTdreamz It’s a tiny regional (not our region) school that several friends attended that is audition for scholarship only. We were just touring a very small subset of schools last year so she could gauge what she wanted in a college and didn’t. She totally fell in love. It wouldn’t be my cup of tea. But she also crossed off my favorite school lol. That said she has others she would take over that one should she get an acceptance. But it’s great that there are lots of different school options and lots of different personalities looking at differing criteria and everyone can figure out what works for them. Glad your D found the one that was right for her!!!
@NYKaren my D is in a unique situation where we see AMDA as her safety because of her acceptance there last year after auditioning at the end of the summer program. Biggest issue is the lack of scholarship money. We might even see about re-auditioning to see if she can get a bigger scholarship with them to make it more realistic financially.
The other schools she would consider a “safety” are still audition schools but a smaller schools with a lesser academic reputation. The only non-audition she’s really looking at is Northwestern. We looked at Muhlenberg, but I think 25 is probably the highest number of MT students per class that she’d really be interested in and she’d likely prefer something smaller.
I would not consider any school with an audition as a “safety”
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there are more than 25 MT students per class (year) at Northwestern. I don’t think the program at Northwestern is smaller than Muhlenberg. The MT students are mixed in class with theater students, I believe. Also, at Muhlenberg, it is not really a MT program (though is very good for MT) and so one would have to count all the theater majors too. I guess I’m wondering if the reason to not apply to Muhlenberg due to number of “MT” students, and yet applying to Northwestern, where the number may be as many as at Muhlenberg is based on accuracy. Northwestern is a great program, but I have never heard it described as “small.”.
Northwestern’s MT program was small when our D was there. I think there were 15 (or fewer) MT grads her year, and that included some who were Music (versus Theatre) majors. Hope someone with more recent experience can correct me in case things have changed.
@MomCares You would know better than I about the numbers in the MT Certificate program at Northwestern. My understanding is that those focused on MT at Northwestern still take many classes with those majoring in theater. Is this correct? At Muhlenberg, I don’t know how someone actually can count the “MT majors” since there is not an MT major, per se, and I think those focused on MT still take many classes with those who are theater majors at the 'berg. In any case, I didn’t really think that Muhlenberg’s theater program was significantly bigger than that at Northwestern, enough so to rule out Muhlenberg, and to pick Northwestern, because one is seeking small programs.
All that aside, I think both schools are awesome and have had students apply and attend both of them.
@afterp89 I can speak to the Northwestern program a little - it was one of my daughter’s top two choices last year. One thing I wish we’d known about Northwestern ahead of time was that they accept over 50% of their freshman class through early decision. They accept 100 theater majors per year, and I have no idea how the overall 50% ED translates to the theater department, but I would assume it narrows the regular decision pool down considerably. Applicants apply as theater majors and can audition for the MT certificate in their freshman and sophomore years, but I don’t know how many they accept into the program.
^^That is correct @dramamamaCC . I guess what I was trying to say is that Northwestern has 100 theater majors (of all types) in each year, of which a small percent also pursue the MT Certificate. I don’t know Muhlenberg’s total number of theater majors per year, but @afterp89 talked about the number of MT students per year at Muhlenberg as being too high for her D who wants no more than 25 students per year in the major. But there is no MT major at Muhlenberg. Not every Muhlenberg theater student is pursuing MT, but there are many theater students at Muhlenberg and those trying to focus on MT are still in many classes with those in theater generally speaking. At Northwestern, the MT students still take many classes with their theater cohort, which is more than 25 students per year (even if there are less than 25 in the MT Certificate program). So, I don’t think size is really what sets these two schools apart, though a lot of other things differ between them! I can’t see ruling Muhlenberg out due to size of program, was my point, when Northwestern is OK for size.
@carriemc95 My d refused to apply to any safeties … All her schools were marked top 40 on that list I posted earlier! She almost had a nervous breakdown when the rejections started rolling in. Her plan B was to go to a school that let you re-audition so that is a good thing to find out as you gather information. For example Wright does not add allow auditioning after Freshman year, PP and Ball State do. She said if she didn’t get into a top program than she should major in something else and minor in Theatre so she could keep it up as a hobby at community theaters.
And as was mentioned about - no audition school is a safety - I know kids that are turned down from unranked schools and get into NYU or UArts etc… there is no rhyme or reason to this!
@carriemc95 My D was very much the same way. If she didn’t feel a certain vibe from a school, it was immediately crossed off the list. It had to feel like a home and they had to give her the impression that they were proud of their MT program and willing to invest in it. So, what some consider top schools, were nixed rather quickly…and she didn’t look back. She’s just started her freshman year and loves everything about the school she’s attending, the program and the people so far. Her only gripe is the food! The point is, I had to let go and follow her lead.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the size of the class. My D’s school accepts between 30-40 MTs per year but the actual classroom sizes are about 10. And of course, everyone gets private voice lessons and coaching sessions every week. I would ask more about that than actual admit size. It does make for more competition to be cast in shows but my D has managed to perform often and has no complaints about the casting process. BOCO is a top choice for most and they accept 50 MTs per year. Is she applying there? Penn State accepts 6 girls. That’s great if you are one of them but the odds are 0.006 percent that you will get in. I would encourage your D to apply to many schools and then compare the ones she gets accepted to before ruling anything out.
Really hope I’m using this right lol. Anyways hi all! I’m a senior at a non PA high school and I’m going to be auditioning for some BA schools. Definitely adding a decent amount of non auditions as well and still figuring out my final list. I’m working on the common app right now as well and hoping to apply to one ED
Welcome @2018theater! Break a leg in this stressful process! Which is the ED you are thinking of, if you don’t mind sharing (if not, I understand). My DS is also auditioning this year and is thinking of an ED also.
Wondering what the criteria is for adding schools to the list of MT schools? Visited West Virginia University with my D yesterday - their BFA MT is starting its 5th year, is audition only with only 12-16 accepted, a jury at the end of sophomore year to allow continuance in the major, and a NYC senior showcase. The head of the MT BFA (and administrator for all performance majors) is Professor Lee Blair, an experienced Broadway actor and 20+ year member of AEA.
D sat in on the freshman acting class and loved it, we did the regular campus tour, then we got to watch the final dress rehearsal for The Moors (not a musical, but a play with a few songs). It was directed by Professor Blair and was really quite good. Downside was freshman are almost never cast on mainstage shows and in fact pretty rare for sophomores. Plus there was an MFA Acting student in the show as well, so competition will be pretty tough. However there are a number of student directed/run projects, including new works, that do cast students from all years.
One of the appealing things is they are part of the Academic Common Market and offer in-state tuition rates for MT to students from Maryland and Delaware and outside of the ACM they also offer in-state to students from Ohio.
D will be back there in November to audition. It’s not the top of her list, but she could definitely see her self there.
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@MTdreamz what number post was that list on? cant seem to find it, thanks
After reading all your helpful comments, would anyone be willing to share some names of safety schools and/or non-audition schools??? Or where would I go to look? My D needs to add some to her list. Thank you in advance!
From the big list:
NON-AUDITION BFA
Avila MO
Belhaven MT
Brenau GA
Creighton NE
Ferrum College VA
Marietta College OH
Mars Hill College NC
Notre Dame de Namur CA
U South Alabama AL
U Southern Mississippi BFA w/MT opt MS
BA programs (check individual websites for updated information)
NON-AUDITION BA & BS
Asbury KY
Bethel BA w/MT Track MN
Birmingham-Southern College AL
Bowie State BS w/MT Conc MD
Brandeis BA w/MT Track MA
Bryan College BS Music w/MT Option TN
California Lutheran BA w/MT Emp CA
Cal St Chico CA
Cal St East Bay BA w/MT option CA
Cal St Northridge BA w/MT Minor CA
Cal St San Bernadino BA w/MT Emp CA
Carthage College WI
Catawba College NC
Christopher Newport BA w/MT Track VA
Coker College BA w/MT Conc SC
College of the Ozarks BA w/MT Emp MO
Columbia College BA w/MT Conc IL
Edgewood College WI
Emmanuel College BA w/MT Minor MA
Friends KS
Kennesaw State BA w/Conc MT GA
Limestone College SC
Loyola Chicago MT Minor IL
Muhlenberg College BA PA
Northeastern BA or BS w/MT Minor MA
Northern State SD
Northwestern State BS w/MT Conc LA
Nova Southeastern FL
Rollins College BA w/MT Conc FL
St. Edward’s BA w/MT Minor TX
Santa Clara BA Music w/MT Minor CA
Siena Heights BA w//MT MI
Southwestern College BA w/MT Emp KS
SUNY-Oswego BA w/MT Track NY
Sweet Briar College VA
U Findlay OH
U Hawaii-Manoa BA Music w/MT Emp HI
U Indianapolis BA w/MT Combination IN
U Nebraska BA w/MT Minor NE
U Tulsa OK
West Virginia Wesleyan College WV
William Woods BA w/MT Conc MO
Has anyone heard from Baldwin Wallace about November 10 auditions?