<p>Hi!</p>
<p>I was reading a few treads, and many of them were mentioning that there are certain people that everybody wants. How do you determine this? I don’t really understand how the college admissions board or whatever knows the people, and how everyone (or a lot) of the colleges want the SAME person. How does this work? Do they hear about these people somehow?</p>
<p>Signed,
A Very Confused sdaytime.</p>
<p>First, it is very rare for any MT candidate to get into EVERY school to which they apply, no matter how super talented. (the same could be said for applicants to elite schools like the Ivies) However, my guess is that if someone uses the phrase “the students that every college wants” (I haven’t used that phrase myself and so will make an assumption here)…they mean that the student has all the qualities that a college or program would look for and stands out distinctly in a very strong talent/student pool and is a very strong contender for admissions. Such applicants may get a number of acceptances to very selective programs (though few will get into every single one). It is not that the colleges know these kids in advance, but simply there are some applicants who stand out in a very competitive pool and so many colleges want these same students and the students will be accepted at several programs and can only attend one and schools hope to have such students enroll at their college.</p>
<p>For example, say a student is a super fantastic singer, actor AND dancer, and has a strong academic record, many artistic achievements and training and so on, and has been able to stand out in very strong talent pools…such students will be in demand once they audition and apply to colleges, even if the colleges never heard of them until they applied and auditioned.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that type is everything, but I was told my quite a few schools that I wasn’t the “type” they needed this year. I’ve discussed it with many people, and almost every year, a tall soprano who dances gets in, or even a few of them, but the short red-head who is a character actress and mixes (me) is only needed once every 4 years or so as the parts for me are more limited. They know what shows they are doing and “cast” their class based on what they need for shows and therefor if you are a more “needed” type like the leading lady or a chorus type strong dancer/singer, you might have a higher chance and getting into more schools. The girl I know who got in to every school she auditioned for (including CCM, Elon, BoCo, etc.) is a tall, pretty, thin, blonde soprano who is an exceptionally good dancer. It’s just a fact that odd types like me have to live with.</p>
<p>Alexa, are you saying that some of your schools actually gave you feedback as to why you were not accepted? Just wondering, as that isn’t something many ever find out.</p>
<p>Yes, I spoke with some of the heads of the departments from my early auditions that I did privately through my college audition coach. I know it’s rare to do so which is why I felt very lucky to hear that (well, not to be rejected but it was VERY nice to get some feedback) from those schools early on in the process. My first rejection came via email with a “You’re very talented but just not the right type” and that seemed to set up the rest of the process.</p>
<p>Thanks for explaining!</p>
<p>this is an interesting thread</p>
<p>Soozie: No problem! </p>
<p>I’m not saying that people who are of a different type can’t get into a lot of schools, just stating that, especially in the extremely small programs (Otterbein, for example) there are less spots for EVERYONE, especially less-used types. :)</p>
<p>Alexa:</p>
<p>I have used the words “everyone wants” a few times in past posts. To be clear and Soosievt eluded to this a couple of posts earlier that there are some specially talented people who just got “it” or something special. But I will say the “it factor” comes in all sizes, shapes and colors.</p>
<p>I am aware of only a few schools that seem to go after the same type of student but overall I would think most programs want to be as diverse as possible. I use the analogy that you can’t play football with 22 quarterbacks (or leading ladies or men). I recently saw a main stage production where the “mother” was played by a freshman.</p>
<p>BTW I think there will always be a need for short, red headed actresses who can act!!!</p>
<p>I agree with the above that at most programs I have visited, as well as the one my kid attended, there were all types in the MT class.</p>
<p>So, the student everyone wants can only go to one school. After May 1, what happens to all of the offers that student had at other schools? Is there a domino effect of people getting off wait lists and, in turn, opening up spots at other schools with other wait lists? What is the etiquette for withdrawing your commitment from College A if you get off the wait list at College B?</p>
<p>Exactly. Every applicant can only go to one school. But one thing I think many here sometimes misunderstand is that there seems to be an assumption that if an accepted student doesn’t enroll, that automatically “a spot has opened up.” However, at many schools (not all), the school accepts more students than the number of slots in the class, as they know not everyone who was accepted will enroll and so they plan for their “yield” based on trends from previous years, and then only go to the wait list if not enough students have enrolled. Now, there are a few small programs (example: CMU and Otterbein) that only accept the number of slots in the class and utilize the wait list if the slots are not filled. There are no “extras” accepted in the first place. </p>
<p>There is a domino effect at colleges after May 1. If a student gets an offer off of a wait list after May 1 (when most wait lists start to have movement), then they are giving up their slot at the school where they put down their deposit, thus opening that slot up to someone off the wait list at THAT school. That is like dominoes and can continue on for some time, even into the summer. </p>
<p>Colleges know that students can off a wait list at another college even if they have deposited and committed to another college. If you do get off a wait list and choose to enroll at the wait listed school, PROMPTLY inform the school where you put down your deposit and commitment to enroll that you have gotten off the wait list at another school and wish to withdraw your commitment to attend. You will not get back your deposit, however. It is best to put this in writing.</p>
<p>I think I can chime in here as well about the term “the student everyone wants.” Every year, you hear of a handful of students who get into many of the big name programs. Usually they are a combination of being talented in all 3 MT areas AND a very good type. I know of someone who this year who got into CCM, CMU, and Mich this year for MT. He is a triple threat who goes to one of the big-name arts high schools. He is also black–a very very great type. I have payed close attention the past two years and see that there are always a few students every year who get into many of the very competitive programs…they are usually rejected to some places, but overall have very very good results. As I have already said, these are the kids who are talented in all 3 skill sets in addition to being a very good type/are a boy…lol. The girls have it harder than the boys. I just noticed that lots of the kids who got into X school also was accepted or wait listed at Y as well. This is similar when it comes to Acting applicants. It is, as everyone has and will forever be saying, a very arbitrary process, but there are always some really talented kids who are ALSO great types that schools end up trying to recruit for their incoming freshmen class.</p>
<p>Actually, CMU overaccepts by 1 or 2 every year.<br>
This year, a couple boys and girls declined for acting and I know of at least one boy who declined CMU MT…but they are not planning to go to the wait list at this moment.
Otterbein accepts the same number that they want to yield, however.</p>
<p>When my D was auditioning for the college programs I figured she would be competing against other girls who had performed locally and regionally. I was extremely surprised at some of the kids in her audition pool who had performed since young children on Broadway, in tours, or even European tours. It made sense that eventually these young performers grow up and go off to college but it just had never occurred to me. And naturally these kids were very wanted by the different top programs.</p>
<p>CCer2014…perhaps that is true this year at CMU, I don’t know. When my D applied, they did accept the exact number of slots in the class and there was a Priority Wait List (D was on that). Maybe things have changed. It has been my understanding over the years that due to both the small size of the program, as well as their high yield rate, that they don’t accept “extras” and utilize the Priority Wait List instead. </p>
<p>Hoosiermom, that is good to point out. I am always explaining to prospective BFA in MT applicants that they need to get an idea of their competitiveness in a broad talent pool beyond their local area. When they apply to BFA programs, they are competing against the standouts in each local region, along with students who have worked professionally, as well as some who have garnered national awards and such.</p>
<p>CC2014, as being a part of the team that runs the auditions, I know for a fact that we didn’t over accept our maximum number for students this year or any other year in the past. We have a set pool of students that we look to accept, and then keep about 4 or 5 depending on the wait list.</p>
<p>^^^Thank you for verifying what I have thought to be the case at CMU.</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to give any false information, but Barbara herself told me and a few of the other wait listers and accepted students the same thing this year. She said “we always over-accept by a little.” I don’t know how long “always” has been, but it is at least true for this year. None of us priority wait listers got in this year, boys and girls…and we know of a couple of the kids who declined to go elsewhere (for MT and acting). I’m just going by what Barbara told me!</p>
<p>My son will be graduating HS class of 2011. He is currently at a performing arts HS. He is AEA and AFTRA, has performed in regional and professional productions as well as a National Tour. He is still not sure where to apply, he is not sure if he wants to stay near the LA/Orange County area, he is recurring on a couple of TV episodics, so maybe UCLA or UCI(his brother is there as a Honors Directing Major). He also is thinking he may want to audition for the big MT schools. It will be interesting to see how his experience will play out in the auditions. Soozie, you seem to be the person in the know, do you have an opinion on this? He is a successful singer, can pick up choreography quickly and seems to be a decent actor based on his bookings. I guess it will just depend on the “Type” each school is looking for. This is my first post, we are just starting the journey, the posts are interesting and a big help, thanks.</p>