<p>I'm creating this thread to compare schools offering musical theatre majors as far as how greatly a student's academics factor into their admission. I'm intent on going to school for musical theatre, but I am somewhat inexperienced in comparison to some of the talents out there vying for admission to the top MT schools. However, I am also a very strong student academically, and I was just wondering at which schools would an academically strong student appear more desirable, at which schools does it not really matter, etc. Thanks all.</p>
<p>NYU - They usually say 50/50.
CCM - Academic - 5%, Audition - 95%
CMU - Academic - 20%, Audition - 80%
Michigan - Academic 30% , Audition 70%
BoCo - Academdic 10%, Audition 90%</p>
<p>That's all I got! :)</p>
<p>At NYU, admissions is based 50% on academics and 50% on the audition. If you're not admitted into the university you won't get into the program.</p>
<p>I know that Michigan does an academic pre-screening before you can even audition.</p>
<p>IHeartSondheim - from the schools posted at the top of this forum, I would say Northwestern, NYU, UMich, USC, UCLA, Syracuse and Emerson are known to put a higher emphasis on academics when admitting people, but also know that I am not distinguishing BFA vs. BA and audition vs non audition here. Have you looked into the difference of these parameters yet and what role these play for you? The programs I mentioned are known to attract a lot of talented people, and may be equally academically strong students, and so the competition would still be stiff.</p>
<p>Here is a link to another thread that was posted some time ago with some relevant information. I know that SoozieVT also posted with information about Brown and I think Yale, but I can't find her post. May be she will chime in.</p>
<p>Please be aware that some schools treat academic and MT admission separately. You might be admitted to the university to major in another major but still be rejected from the MT program at that university. Examples that immediately come to mind include Elon, OCU, and BW. On the other hand, at these universities, even if you are accepted from your audition into MT, that admission will be pending your academic acceptance to the university. I can't speak as much about the other example schools, but I've heard that Elon is fairly competitive for academic admission.</p>
<p>Emerson - Separate admissions process coming from 2 different offices for academics and artistic. Can be accepted academically and rejected artistically but be offered your second choice program if you indicated one on your application. Must be accepted academically regardless of program to which you applied.</p>
<p>Syracuse - More of a blended admissions process based on both academics and audition. Drama dept informs admissions of who they want. On a 1 through 5 rating system, must score a 1 or 2 on all of the audition elements for the Drama department to forward you to admissions as an artistic acceptance (some have reported that you must score a 1 or 2 on 2/3 of voice, acting and dance but this is different than what we were told in 2006). Admissions then reviews the academics. My sense is that performing arts students have slightly relaxed academic admissions criteria but that academics are still weighted about 45% for performing arts students. The % weighting is just my sense based on my daughter's attendance at Syracuse's summer MT program and the discussions she and I had with matriculated students and some of the staff. No one actually used a "45%" figure in our discussions.</p>
<p>At James Madison University -- Students must be competitive for admissions to JMU. After we see Musical Theatre auditions we send a list to admissions of students we would like to have in the Musical Theatre Concentration... they come back to us with some "no" answers. For students within JMUs admission range our recommendation to admissions can help, but there are no guarantees. We will not put anyone on that list who is not academically competitive for JMU, this is why was ask for a copy of the students transcript to be brought to the Musical Theatre audition. </p>
<p>So -- I guess we have a two prong admissions process. In order to declare the Musical Theatre Concentration you must BOTH be accepted to JMU and to the Musical Theatre Concentration. Students accepted to JMU but NOT the Musical Theatre Concentration may come to JMU in the Theatre Concentration (or in any other major that does not have special admissions requirements).</p>
<p>I do not know how to put that in a percentage... sorry!</p>
<p>Another academic factor is that some schools require multiple SAT2s. I'm not up to date this year, but it's a good idea to check websites prior to application time.</p>
<p>KatMT - my D is auditioning Saturday at JMU for vocal performance. It is the only school at which she has not been academically admitted prior to the audition. I would love to see them change that so no one goes through the audition process only to not be admitted academically. JMU has become so popular in recent years that the academic standards just keep getting tougher and tougher so maybe some sort of academic screening will be started at some point in the future.</p>
<p>Hi cartera45! </p>
<p>The School of Music Admissions weighting may be different than the School of Theatre & Dance because the SOM program is a BM program and the T&D program is a BA.... therefor the audition MAY have more pull with admissions decisions for the SOM.... I do not know.</p>
<p>On the one hand it would certainly be easier for us in Theatre & Dance if we knew that the people auditioning for us had already been admitted or were within the admissions range BEFORE they auditioned (it was disappointing to be told "no" on a few students who we really liked last year)... on the other hand, because admissions will take our recommendation on students that we would really like to have in the program into account as part of the admissions package, I think ultimately this helps students who may be on the borderline. If admissions made the first pass and told us who could audition and who could not, I think we would lose a number of qualified students who ultimately could thrive at JMU.</p>
<p>Students also do have the option of applying to JMU non-binding EA. These students would know before some of the audition dates in January and February if they had been admitted EA, deferred to regular admissions, or rejected.... but admissions will not take any recommendations from us in the School of T & D into account with EA admissions decisions. </p>
<p>This is my second year at JMU and as I track the admissions for the MT Concentration over the next few years it may come to the point that we talk to admissions to see what they can do to help us help the auditioning students get a better sense if JMU is a school within their reach academically. </p>
<p>I believe that next year on the Musical Theatre admissions page for the BA in T & D we will also post more information on the academic standards for admissions to JMU to help students decide whether or not this is a school that should be on their list. </p>
<p>I do not know how long you will be in town for the audition this weekend.... but if you would like please feel free to stop by Urinetown rehearsal in the Latimer-Schaffer Theatre in Duke Hall (next to the Music Building)... we are in dress/ tech so it may be a little rough -- but we have a combination of Music, Musical Theatre, and Theatre students in the cast who I am sure would be happy to talk with your D about JMU.</p>
<p>On Saturday we have a sitzprobe from 5:00PM - 6:30PM and dress/ tech at 8:00PM.</p>
<p>BEST OF LUCK to your D on her audition! </p>
<p>Kate</p>
<p>Thanks so much - I'm not sure how long we will be in town. We'll be more limited since I am bringing our dog with us this time - he has been boarded so much lately that I'm treating him to a trip too! Anything going on Friday night? We'll be arriving late afternoon.</p>
<p>Hello -- we have rehearsal friday night as well -- this is first dress -- and also the first run since we started tech on Tuesday.... so will be REALLY rough... but feel free to stop in and say hello watch a little.</p>
<p>We are called at 6:00PM and I will start dress around 7:00PM.</p>
<p>Kat - had really planned to stop by but we didn't get to Harrisonburg until after 9pm. I 81 was shut down for a truck fire so we were stuck - at least there was no ice. All I could think about was that I was so glad we weren't on the way to the audition and stuck like that - this process is so stressful, I'm imagining things to worry about!!</p>
<p>Cantera45 -- oh, no! When I went to audition for CMU back in the late 1980s we hit a blizzard, had to stop somewhere along the way, and had to go the remainder of the way the following morning.. I remember how stressful!! And you have a dog with you, yes?</p>
<p>I am glad that you made it to Harrisonburg safely! I will be in the Theatre in Duke Hall tomorrow around 1:00PM working on some light cues... please stop in and say "hi" if you get the chance. Best of luck to your D tomorrow. </p>
<p>Kate</p>
<p>I agree that if you don't qualify academically then they shouldn't waste your time or their time. However due to the shear numbers (i.e. 822 auditioning for CCM) I can't imagine that they can pick exactly 12 girls and 12 boys from all those auditions. I suspect they could narrow it down to about 25 and 25 or more, send it to admissions and then weed out the weaker students.</p>