<p>Lol, Soozie. I was thinking of whether I came across more masculine in my writing, and then it occurred to me that maybe it’s my screen name! I’m not SDon, I’m SD on CC. It is funny how we get images sometimes of people in our heads based on posts!</p>
<p>^^^LOL…all this time I read it as “SDon”…and for some reason, what stuck out was the “Don” and my Dad’s name was Donald in fact! NOW, I get it! SD on CC! Over the years, people have responded to my posts as “sooviet” and even asked me if I was Russian! My member name is as it says: soozievt…and when I registered, I registered it using caps and lower case as: “SoozieVT” but for some reason, it appeared as all in lower case, and people spell it wrong and get meanings such as asking if I am Russian or Vietnamese or something. 
It was meant to mean Susie (my name) in Vermont (my state). Now, I will know you are a mom…I really assumed all this time you were a Dad. :)</p>
<p>OK…back to audition numbers, accepted numbers, and class sizes!!</p>
<p>Boco had a similar problem in 2007. More kids accepted then anticipated resulting in their biggest MT class ever. I think about 75 kids accepted. Since then, the started to go to the wait-list more often. The target yield for incoming freshman is 50 - 55.</p>
<p>I know from my daughter that Michigan went to the common app this year resulting in the highest numbers they have ever had. Keep in mind those 700 kids were first academically screened before being invited for an audition. Meaning actual applications to the program were likely much higher.</p>
<p>Audition and Class Size Number for College Class of 2015</p>
<p>Please include an * by the audition number if these included auditions at events like SETC, International Thespian Festival, etc.</p>
<p>Ball State University (BFA) - 800/16 Acting/16 MT
Coastal Carolina University - 600<em>/10 MT/10 Acting/8 Physical Theatre
UMiami - 500/16 MT
U Michigan - 700/20 MT
University of Oklahoma (BFA) - initial pre-screen 2600</em>, invited to campus 90, accept 12
Point Park (all accepted into BA, can later audition for BFA) - 1300/30 Acting/40 MT
Roosevelt/CCPA - 350/25 MT
Syracuse - 800 to 1,000/15 - 20 MT/15 - 20 Acting/10 Tech
Webster University - 700/25 MT/Acting</p>
<p>When assessing these numbers please know that some schools in fact limit the number of audition slots they allow, so even though more applicants wish to apply, then cannot. Makes for a different skew.</p>
<p>I very much dislike these kinds of lists because, honestly, what help are they? Suffice to say that admissions for acting and musical theater programs are quite heartily competitive. Plus, there are schools which count the kids that they see at various conventions (such as SETC, etc) and again, yes, that skews the numbers. I think that people take it that the more kids who audition for a program and the fewer they take, the better and more desirable the program is. And really, that is not the case.</p>
<p>NMR, I agree with you about the comparing of this data between programs for the reasons you state. </p>
<p>What is important is for prospective students to understand that the majority of BFA in MT programs have very low acceptance rates. These rates tend to vary from about 2-10% roughly. Honestly, just because a school accepts 8% and another accepts 3%, doesn’t make the first school truly easier to get into! If you were comparing schools that accept 8% vs. 30%, there would be a point! </p>
<p>Also, this information is skewed like you say with some colleges that count who they see at this or that theater festival or conference and some other schools just count or see students at college auditions during senior year at their campus or Unifieds. Also, some people report how many audition and how many slots are in the class and others report how many audition and how many are accepted (which is not the same). </p>
<p>I think it helps to know the size of a program in terms of your college selection criteria. I am not sure how much it helps to know if a school accepts 3% vs. 9%. All BFA programs have low admit rates that are very very chancy odds. </p>
<p>Also, BFA selectivity is not just based on admit rate alone. The applicant pools at each program differ. Some programs’ applicant pools are more concentrated with the top talented kids than other programs’ applicant pools (even if there is some overlap) and some programs draw large numbers regionally and some draw large numbers nationally and so on. Acceptance rate doesn’t tell the full picture in determining which MT programs are more competitive than other MT programs. Most of them have very low acceptance rates. I won’t name program names but I can think of programs that both have about a 4% admit rate but one has better odds than the other in terms of competitiveness of the programs.</p>
<p>It also seems (by reading posts) that the top schools don’t offer a lot of scholarships. Maybe because the demand for their program is strong and they don’t need to? Does this seem to be the case? Why do I always hear the “NYU gives no money” and Michigan gives only a few scholarships when they are getting the top kids who have been offered money elsewhere? I’m not talking about about “financial need”.</p>
<p>I can’t give you the definitive answer but…</p>
<p>One point on UMichigan is it is a state university and has less money to give out. I notice this with Penn State too. </p>
<p>NYU’s scholarships are a mix of merit and need. I know that was the case with my D. She received what I consider a significant scholarship and it was the highest amount of scholarships of 7 BFA schools for her. </p>
<p>Another point is that many BFA programs are located in less selective (academically speaking) universities and some of the merit money is academically based (not simply talent) and if you are a very good student, it is not hard to qualify for a merit award at some of these colleges that are not academically too selective. For instance, the academic selectivity of a school like Montclair State is not like that at NYU or UMich. </p>
<p>Also, even in NON-MT schools such as elite colleges and Ivy League schools, they don’t even have merit aid to lure top applicants as all their admitted students are very qualified and they ONLY offer need based aid. </p>
<p>This may answer your questions about merit aid. </p>
<p>As far as need based aid or schools that offer a mix of need and merit aid, my D was offered that at every BFA school, but the amounts varied. But she also was a Fin. Aid applicant, not just merit.</p>
<p>One bit of advice I would offer in terms of financial aid is: don’t always believe what you hear. Make sure you or your kid has a list of audition and non-audition schools that includes several true safeties, and schools with a range of costs of attendance. Sometimes, you will be surprised to find that the school with the highest total cost gives the best money. A higher cost private college or university can sometimes afford to give more aid than a lower cost public institution. That’s why it is so important to have a variety on your list.</p>
<p>I just don’t want to have the decision to make- got into a great school- can’t afford it. I would somehow make it work and that may make no sense. A friend’s daughter got into Boston Conservatory and got no money. She is going to Northern Colorado. It made no financial sense. You don’t have any idea what they will offer until you do it. No guidelines to help decide if you should not audition because it is too expensive. So hard. What is “a very good student”? 3.5, 4.2, 4.7? I know it is different at each school, but again, how do we know what that school considers good enough? There should be a list!</p>
<p>This is an interesting conundrum. My daughter got into some fine schools (some more expensive - and considered more selective - than others). Unfortunately - despite filling in my FAFSA early - I still have yet to hear from some of the schools about their financial aid offers! Ithaca sent their financial aid package last week - well, by then, based on the information we had - decisions were already being made - including a trip to the University of Northern Colorado to check out the campus and program. Fortunately the trip was great and this school is likely to be the one. Had we known about Ithaca’s financial aid package earlier - we may have considered it more seriously. In the meantime - going $100,00 in debt (us or her) - made no sense given the degree and job uncertainty post graduation!! This is just our family and our thought process - everybody has different criteria for what is most important. Laugh if you will - but in my opinion - Boco or Ithaca may not be any better training (or provide better outcomes) than the University of Northern Colorado depending on what the strengths of the student are (we have received some excellent guidance in this area - I’m not just making this up). The best gift I could give my daughter was a debt free (but still outstanding) education - this - in the end - was a very important consideration for us once we had all of the information. I’m proud of my daughter for her decision and not getting sucked into the endless hole of college debt for a school that may have been one of her dream schools but would leave her paying for years (and this is WITH money we have saved for her education). Best of luck to everyone as they weigh their various options. I had to put this out there because getting those tuition/residence bills are a big reality check - especially when you multiply those numbers by 4 and add up any potential yearly increases!!!</p>
<p>Sorry - bottom line of this whole post - it may be a good idea to choose some financial safeties if this is an important consideration!!</p>
<p>alibabba- well said. Our friend also felt very good about No Colorado and there should be great talent there- BoCo quality! We have another friend going there also. You said everything I am thinking. And add to that- flying home for holidays, flying there for performances, storing belongings over the summer, and on. Working actors come from many schools.</p>
<p>Anyone have updates for post #25?</p>