I had a friend recently accepted to Oklahoma’s Drama program and thought their letter was interesting. Basically it said that there was no deadline to respond by, but that the responses would be taken on a first come, first serve basis. If the class was full by the time the response was received, the person would be put on the waiting list.
Have you all seen similar with other schools?
That’s not playing by the rules. I would commit and then withdraw if something better came long. That’s awful.
One thing that bothers me is deciding how well an 18 year old knows their “fit”. My D has been at a performing arts conservatory for the past 4 years and so in her eyes, a MT BFA from a conservatory is the ideal. As parents, we would love to see her broaden her horizons beyond that with more academic classes and opportunities to branch into all the aspects of theatre beyond performing like @soozievt’s talented daughter has done. I do understand that each type of program is capable of producing excellent results, but which is better in our own case? We compromised by having her apply to a variety of programs and hoping God would help sort it out for us. So far, it’s still not clear. She’s been accepted to our top choice (northwestern) but she also has narrowed her other acceptances down to 2 conservatory type choices that she loves. We are still waiting on all the financial info which will come into play and waiting to hear from a few more schools that are contenders but it’s got me wondering how much do we trust our gut vs hers. She’s always been an old soul who finds happiness anywhere and everywhere so I’m sure she’ll make wherever she lands work out, but I just don’t want her to miss opportunities I’m not sure she’s even aware of at this point. Any advice?
@CollegeDadofTwo was that University of Oklahoma or OCU? My D got the letter accepting her into the BFA Acting at OCU but it didn’t say anything like that. It did say something to the effect that due to the very limited number of openings it was important for them to know if you planned to attend, but it didn’t seem to do so in a way that indicated you would lose your spot. I don’t think they can do that. I’m sure they just want to know as soon as possible so they can move to the wait list if they have accepted students who definitely do not plan to accept.
@sopranomtmom OU, not OCU
Thank you SO much for your feedback @toowonderful. It is really interesting to hear the different perspectives here. I don’t think these kids can go wrong with most of these amazing programs, but rather it is the personal fit for each individual. I can see the pros and cons in each program. My D LOVES the Syracuse program, and is also interested in the college sport/campus experience. That said, she also sees the value and excitement of the city environment. (Mind you, we have not heard from Pace or NYU yet…) I got a kick out of your daughter not liking the color orange! My D is a redhead, and feels the same - it’s been a joke in our home too… Again, much appreciation for your post!
@ourturn2 It sounds like you are thinking the same way we are. We are very much looking forward to visiting Northwestern on the 10th. 18 is so very young - even for an old soul!
@mtnmama and @toowonderful - Yes, I understand that Syracuse has the NY Tepper semester during senior year. They also offer a semester in London (as a junior?).
@sopranomtmom The letter reads:
“please understand that while we cannot place a deadline on the time it takes you to make a decision, we have a limited number of slots available for our next Freshman class. We will hold your slot as long as it is available, but once these positions of placement are filled, you will be moved to pour wait list.”
Syracuse tommarow folks good luck everybody
@efr9598 - we signed up for wildcat day on the 17th since we already had scheduled a trip to visit her picks the week before. Let’s compare notes after!
@Deputydog - Thank you SO much for sharing about your D. I can’t wait to tell my D… “sharing and supported” is quite compelling. Also, my D is the type of person who thrives on a full and challenging schedule (as I’m sure is true of most of these tremendous and talented young people.) I’m glad to hear that your D adapted to the cold. I grew up in cold weather and I understand it - My D insists that she is looking forward to the cold… That’s cute. We shall see how that reality sits, sometime around mid-December!
@japbmom - Thank you for sharing… The price tag of many of these programs is daunting. One always wonders about the ROI. And hearing now about schools like OCU, and Texas State is somewhat eye-opening. Lots to consider! in this season of excitement!
@milmom2 - Ditto, Ditto, Ditto!!!
@CollegeDadofTwo Wow that is a very aggressive letter. That’s a lot of pressure to put on kids likely still waiting to know all of their choices. I haven’t seen anything like that kind of wording from any of my daughter’s acceptance offers so I’m guessing that is not a common approach.
@ourturn2 and @efr9598 Ahhh, I feel the same way about Northwestern. Great school and I have her going there, but ultimately, she will need to make the choice. Pleas keep me in the loop. Right now, I think her top picks are USC and NU. I think we will be there on the 17th as well. Where are you from?
@ourturn2 Definitely - we’ll be visiting his other choices as well!
@BandMom55 We’re from Virginia. My S has a friend at NU, and I think it’s his first choice now, but who knows what might change after he visits his other options.
@JaneDo - I may not be remembering correctly, after all things fade with time, but I thought the Syracuse London semester was for acting majors not MT. Maybe it has changed, maybe I am crazy, anything is possible
@ourturn2, you had said that you’d like to see your D “broaden her horizons beyond that with more academic classes and opportunities to branch into all the aspects of theatre beyond performing…” I can’t speak to all conservatories, but at the one that my D is at (UArts, where she’s a sophomore MT major), they can branch out into other aspects of theatre. The curriculum has a lot of flexibility. So, just because a program is a conservatory does not necessarily mean that it has to be narrowly focused. Carefully check the curriculums of the programs to which your D has been accepted, and you may find that even the conservatories have room (sometimes a lot of room) for experimentation and development of other skills.