@PhilipM @dharmawins Schools this year are not having to follow the policies they have had to in the past regarding May 1. And, last year, MANY MANY schools got acceptances out late (even into May and early June) which means not only did some students defer and take a gap year because of COVID, but some got acceptances to schools they really wanted later and then dropped their original acceptance, leaving their classes not filled. This is a huge problem – they have budgets and have to pay their instructors, staff, etc. Heck, I had a student get an acceptance from Hartt at the end of May when he had been REJECTED after Unifieds. NOT WL - outright rejected. Have never seen that before! But Hartt wasn’t the only school that did that. Even though he turned down several, he got emails and calls from them even halfway through FALL SEMESTER of this school year??? Saying he could start “late.”
This year, I have seen many schools get more aggressive about dates and I have two students who got the same email from ECU and here is what I told them.:
Email them back and explain you have not had enough time to learn about ECU or visit and you would like an opportunity to set up times to talk to their directors and faculty, students and view some B-roll from some of their productions, if that is available. Ask for an extension so you can fully explore what they have to offer.
That date, in my opinion, is a little unrealistic and the letter seems rather pushy (even moreso than some I have seen in the past that were pretty darn aggressive). However, understand, that schools are trying to fix what happened last year and ensure their classes make so they can keep their programs intact and strong.