Could someone point me to a thread, if there is one, regarding actual application numbers that some of the main MT colleges get per year? Seems like I saw this somewhere…like where CMU gets approx 1000 applicants for MT, etc. Thanks!
Actually I’ve had some greAt emails come back to me from the chairs of MT depts at schools with this info, albeit sometimes vague and approx but good to know nonetheless for weeding out schools where the applicant pool is just way to massive
@theaterwork - I spoke to someone in CMU theater last Spring and asked her how many applications they got for the current academic year, and she said about 2,000. I then asked her how many of those who auditioned should have even been there to begin with. She said that out of about every 50-60 people they saw, there were maybe 2-3 that they wanted to seriously consider.
And out of those 80-120, they choose 12ish. There must be better odds at winning the lottery AND becoming president of the United states. I have to believe at the end of the day the 10%ish who were chosen had less to do with “talent” (because those final 80-120 ish were obviously talented) and more to do with some other intrinsic factor that is only discussed in pretentious closed rooms.
Oh to be a fly on that wall.
Why are the closed doors pretentious? Let’s face it, intrinsic factors you may not know about before hand and closed door conversations are going to be a part of our kids lives. Anyone who needs there to be good odds should change majors now
Well I have no desire to think about why CMU takes so few and how they do it. I get that they are one of the top programs & that’s ok. I’m sure that somehow they’ve gotten it down to a science of sorts and weed out the ones they feel are most talented & have a look they want/need. It is a bit insane in my opinion but we aren’t applying there so no worries. As a parent of a girl who loves MT I am happy for those few chosen. I would be the ecstatic parent if my kid got in there but also sad cause we couldn’t afford it. Kudos to those few girls who do get in , can pay for it and can take that opportunity.
@theaterwork - do not assume it is unaffordable. CMU takes very good care of their Arts students with need based aid and for the Arts will also do their best to match aid packages from other schools for Arts students,
The question for kids is: are my talents really good enough to get into a program like CMU or am I better off focusing my efforts elsewhere?
Hmm I think my kid is talented enough but I know in the end for CMU that may not be enough. It just seems like such a crap shoot. Yes I should let her audition & throw her hat in the ring like everyone says I suppose. She has a lot going against her looks wise…not in a bad way lol…just being a female Caucasian brunette soprano is not the best thing to be accepted. She calls it the " I look like everyone else" factor. She has a friend who goes there for another theatre major not MT. Perhaps dramaturgy? So she’d audition for sure. Guess it would be like entering the lottery…you never know.
@theaterwork - we played that game (“can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket”) with CMU. They are so pleasant there that D remembers it as one of her favorite experiences - even after the “no” arrived. On the other hand - there are schools that are considered similarly or even more difficult (U of M, Juilliard etc) that didn’t match other criteria so didn’t make the final list. Some seem to look at things from the “prestige” factor (happens with Ivies too) but IMHO finding schools that will give your kid the environment they need is more effective.
If she wanted to audition there after closely examining their program, I’d let her. Why not? They may determine that she’s what they need or want that year, and financial aid might come through; the latter has shown to be possible at this school.
Really, which school is not a lottery school or a crap shoot to some extent, with acceptances only up to 10% at most of the schools discussed here? Even 20% odds are incredibly difficult; I don’t know of any schools discussed often on CC that have over 20% odds. To me, arguing that 2% vs. 10% (and even 20%) odds is like splitting hairs. It’s all a risk.
The real question is if, apart from the name, your D is intrigued by every aspect of the program. Without knowing the name, and with knowing all details of training, curriculum, and environment, is it a place that she’d want to be? If so, let her audition. It’ll fall under “reach,” of course, but it’s ok to have reach schools. (Have some under 10% and under odds on the list and some 20% and better, as well as a couple safeties.)
After setting aside the name, my own D found that CMU did not interest her, and it was not on her final list. To each his/her own.
@theaterwork - she should apply both for Drama and MT then, increase her odds. Your daughter is right, often times it comes down to a look and what they are planning to stage the next few years. It is much like a Voice conservatory. they accept by their specific needs. If they need 2 Sopranos and 8 Altos, that is what they will take.
Where are you from Geographically?
We are in Maryland
@theaterwork - I am going to throw as school out at you that I had never really thought of for MT, but apparently is very well regarded. We live in Georgia, and one of my D’s classmates that she did many shows with was accepted to at Muhlenberg with a full ride (and attends there). He had also been accepted to Temple’s program (without an audition as they had seen him perform someplace) with a $20K/year scholarship.
My kid got accepted into CMU and non-need based aid is difficult to get. We finally got some but the money gap was still too large. Most scary about the need based aid at CMU is it is on a year to year basis. You are re-evaluated each year for aid. Everywhere else that offered my kid a scholarship was a 4 year deal if you kept up your grades. CMU is an awesome school and my kid loved it; but getting in is only part of the battle.
Fancy you should mention that @CollegeDadofTwo , Muhlenberg is a school we are considering! It is not far from us really & I emailed the guy there for info and he was super great at giving me info. I have heard they are great with money too which is a plus. The only hurdle there might be academic admission. It is a bit harder then the other schools we are looking at. My D is a good student but we will have to see how her SAT /ACT is/are.(she is a jr). We are looking at another college in that area also, DeSales University. I think Temple might be too big of a school for D.
@MTDadandProud - did they not offer you the opportunity to submit your competing offers to see if they could try to come close to some of them? The School of Music does this…
Toowonderful I consider those closed door discussions pretentious because when you are narrowing down to that degree it’s usually not factually based and is in fact based on something no one can quantify. Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear that discussion? I know I would.
I would contend that there are many things in life that are like that. The nfl draft, choosing the one candidate from 850 resume submissions, choosing which piece of art to place in your home. I love to hear interviewers discuss why they picked x candidate. I’ve had the privilege of sitting in on many casting decisions for local theaters and typically there are facts which narrowed down the process to the final candidates. Those are often about how they looked with x, what their voice would sound like with the group, that they would or wouldn’t fit into a costume, if they were pretty or tall or short or fat or skinny enough/too much, etc. In the end it was a “I want to work with x person…I like what they bring more than person y”.
However, I do know that Mt does not have an exclusive hold on those kind of decisions. But I would still love to set in on that closed door discussion that most of us aren’t privy to.
@Sguti40 - I agree that getting to hear the conversations surrounding the final decisions would be fascinating. I just disagreed that the fact that they make the decisions behind closed doors is pretentious. As you pointed out- it’s how decisions are made in many fields. Theater kids have simply chosen a life where it will happen more frequently.
I agree with @toowonderful … All final decisions for college admissions are behind closed doors. Could you imagine the uproar nationwide if these were public deliberations?