Crossing my fingers that it’s not an academic admit, @“boola boola” ! Around my neighborhood “just” an academic admit to USC IS the dream but everyone here wants to major in business, lol.
And I would never encourage a parent to cheat but… Doesn’t USC also have a portal on which admission results will be shown today?
Almost all the schools that have accepted S have invited him to the Honors College. Are there any advantages/disadvantages? None of them seem to offer additional scholarship money for doing Honors and with the type of jobs they’ll be auditioning for post college I am sure an Honors certification is worth it
@gatorbridget yes Honors College has advantages. Smaller class sizes, enrollment for classes earlier, dorm perks, Honors College advisors etc.
It depends on the school @gatorbridget - both Rutgers and Temple had special (convenient/newer and guaranteed) housing for Honors College students and that was a major plus, especially at Temple where housing can be an issue. My kid wanted to have friends both in theater and other majors and it seemed like she’d find a group of her non-theatre peeps more easily in the Honors College. If your S mostly likes to hang with Theater foks then he’ll have a built-in cadre where ever he goes and the HC community might not be important. My D didn’t end up at a school that offered the Honors College but we definitely thought it was a great bonus offering for a big state school.
Lots of no’s coming in fast and furious, another no today from BU… 2 left
@CaMom13 My understanding is that the decisions will go up on the portal tomorrow. Letters were mailed on Thursday. I have no idea why USC doesn’t just put decisions on the portal on Thursday. I guess they like to increase ulcers … I mean excitement!
@“boola boola” Pretty sure USC academic/artisitic is tied together. USC is known for sending a pretty fancy admit package. Doubt they would waste money on a big package for a no. But with this major, who knows!
@@boola boola steam the envelope open and than reglue it. I have never done that, and don’t know how I know to do that!
@BeBop1 @CaMom13 @love2share Assuming it’s a “yes,” it’s hard to know what to think. What would it be like to be a “guinea pig” in a new program (even at a great school like USC)? It’s a long way from NYC. Does that matter? Where will they get the faculty? When my son went for that “callback” weekend, he absolutely loved the Acting teacher. Someone asked her if she would be teaching in the MT program and she said no. She was already too busy with her Drama School commitments. She said they would be hiring new faculty. Finally, this was a program they tried to roll out last year, but could not put it all together. I just don’t know how to evaluate these things. A national consultant told me that she had discouraged any of her students from applying this year. She wants to see what it looks like in two years. But my gut tells me it’s an opportunity that’s hard to turn down. Who knows? It’s a really unique situation.
@“boola boola” I’m a follow your gut type of person…after looking at your son’s other options, if USC comes out on top in your gut, as well as for your son, then I say go for it!
@“boola boola” I can understand some of the trepidation but as far as it taking an extra year to roll out, I wouldn’t put too much weight on that one. I’ve developed new university programs. All the moving parts are insanely cumbersome and often it can be delayed simply because trying to get schedules of faculty to line up to meet takes herculean efforts. I helped to develop our Honors College and we were a year delayed. It wasn’t due to university support or lack of will or interest in the program; it was scheduling, many, many forms, hitting timing for Regent approval, etc. I don’t know in the case of USC, but in my experience in higher ed across disciplines, this isn’t uncommon.
I’m big on following your gut too. I would just offer a few caveats for you to consider: Challenges are fun but chaos is not and new programs can be subject to chaos (as can existing programs but the percentage risk is lower). Ask yourself if your S is the kind of person who really wants to be part of “class 1”. Also, please know that LA is not a Musical Theatre town - it just isn’t. It’s a Film and TV town. That’s not a negative, it’s a neutral - Pittsburgh isn’t a MT town either. 
I think it’s a fantastic compliment to your son that they want him but I agree with you that it’s hard to know what to think - I would really make sure my kid wanted both the school AND the challenge of being part of an “in development” program.
If anyone has the time and is looking to get their mind off “the wait”, please take a minute to comment on the thread below:) Thank you!
@boola boola - five years ago, my D also took a chance on a new program: CAP21’s new partnership with Molloy College. Granted, CAP21 had been training MT talent for years, with a history of success. But they severed their relationship with NYU, so who knew? Who ever heard of Molloy College, then a commuter school known for its nursing program? My D took a chance, and it has worked out better than our wildest dreams. The training is superb, the instructors are Broadway vets, the college has poured money into the program - and the first graduating class, including my D, has found immediate success in the real world. I know your S has options (congrats!) but don’t be afraid to take that chance… There is something to be said for being an MT pioneer.
@EastchesterMom - I was thinking of your D’s experience when I referenced “class 1” 
but imo the situations are pretty different. As you said CAP21 has been around MT for years. USC is really going into unchartered territory with their MT program - they are partnering three different established schools within a university to create one totally new program - I respect that and I’m really interested in how it goes but I think there are more real “unknowns” with their program than when Molloy partnered up with CAP21. Just my own opinion, of course.
USC has well established programs in music, dance, and theater. So, it is not entirely from scratch. And they previously had a MT Minor. There is an unchartered territory to have a BFA in MT, but the school and its individual related programs are not new, and are indeed, highly respected.
@azmtmom13 @EastchesterMom @mtmom13 @soozievt Thank you all so much for the great input. I guess we’ll have to see what the “big fat package” actually says. If it’s a yes, it throws an unknown into the whole decision-making process that we’ve been going through.
We are thankful that our S has options. And a yes would be nice. But, honestly, I know that there are several here who are still waiting for that first yes. Many of those people I now consider friends. I would rather my S’s USC decision be a no, than to see others not get that yes. That’s truly how I feel as we come down to the wire. That’s where my mind and heart are right now.
So, USC MT is a yes for my S.
Sorry, @MRDMTAM this process is rough rough rough.