<p>I'm a current senior applying to BUTI for summer 2008. One of the supplementary forms they ask you to send (the Participation Terms form) has wording that kind of worries me:</p>
<p>"If accepted into a program of the BUTI, I agree to participate in all activities, including those scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays, and to remain in the program until I have completed my final academic obligation. I further agree to abide by all rules and regulations."
(and then there is a space for your signature and that of a parent/guardian.)</p>
<p>I know I'm probably over-thinking this, but it sounds like they're asking you to commit to the program if accepted. I'm applying to three other summer programs... what happens if I'm accepted to BUTI and somewhere else, and I want to go to the other program? Is my signature of this form going to bind me to going to BUTI? It seems really unlikely that a summer program would do that, but I figured I'd ask just to put my mind at ease.</p>
<p>If accepted at BUTI and you wind up going elsewhere, they will probably keep your deposit and admit someone else off the waiting list to take your place. They are not going to send someone after you trying to force you to attend or to collect the remainder of the program cost.</p>
<p>The wording is likely there to let anyone with religious convictions against performing on certain days of the week know that the festival runs seven days per week, and to keep people from starting the program and leaving before the final concert for reasons that BUTI does not consider valid.</p>
<p>If you are accepted to BUTI, you will be given a very limited amount of time to let them know whether you are accepting their offer of acceptance and send your deposit. If you agree to enroll at BUTI, you MUST be available to do the things within the program for the duration of the program. If you get accepted elsewhere, you certainly can decline their offer of acceptance and not send in a deposit at all. A number of students apply to multiple summer programs (e.g. Aspen might be another). </p>
<p>I will add however, that BUTI DOES require you to be there for all events but if there IS an emergency, they are more than accommodating. We live within driving distance and the first year DS was at BUTI, we had to pick him up twice for a funeral and memorial service in the same week. He did not miss rehearsal, but he did not sleep there for two nights…we (the parents) just called, explained, and signed him out overnight. You can’t do this “just because” but for a good reason (like a funeral) they are most sensitive.</p>
<p>Thanks, thumper. I had forgotten that BUTI was one of the programs that requires a deposit upon acceptance rather than upon application. The financial info page is at [BU</a> | CFA | School of Music | BUTI | Admissions | Financial Information](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/cfa/music/tanglewood/financial_information.htm]BU”>http://www.bu.edu/cfa/music/tanglewood/financial_information.htm) for anyone who is interested. The short version is that if you never send in an acceptance with the $500 deposit to BUTI, you will lose nothing. If you do send BUTI the acceptance and decide to attend elsewhere before starting at BUTI, you will lose the $500 deposit but they will return the rest of the money that you send them up until the start of camp.</p>
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<p>Geez Bassdad…you mean there are programs that take your deposit BEFORE they take YOU?? Yikes. DS has been to Eastern Music Festival, BUTI, and Aspen, and none of them required anything but an audition application fee until AFTER they accepted the kiddo. Thank goodness. I mean…there are many students who apply to these summer fest that don’t get accepted. I can’t imagine losing a $500 deposit to a program that didn’t even ACCEPT my kid!!!</p>
<p>To be fair, the ones that do request money up front tend to accept a much higher percentage of applicants and also tend to have somewhat lower deposits, around $100 - $200. They also return the deposit if you are not accepted. Strings International (stringscamp.com) is one such.</p>
<p>Thank you guys so much for your help! :)</p>