Does Great Dancer = Great Quarterback?

<p>I know the title is a stretch, but wondering if there are any stories out there that provide evidence illustrating a dance instructor or theatre instructor having influence in the admission of a talented dancer or actor the way a coach has influence over the admission of a star athlete? My child is a talented dancer and while i don't anticipate her being on Broadway i would like to use that talent to its fullest in the BS admissions process!</p>

<p>Do i have any hope or is dancer = quarterback a serious reach?</p>

<p>Any talent that sets your child apart and is a desirable trait for a given school is a plus. Being a great quarterback means “reasonably” easy admission at many schools (just look at Andover’s starting 11 this year) but would do very little for a candidate at Interlochen, an arts-centered bs. The schools that I am familiar with all have “athletic advocates” and “arts advocates” who sit on the final admissions committee. They advocate on behalf of coaches, music directors, drama teachers, dance instructors during the admissions process. So, the quick answer is…it depends. If a school is looking for talented dancers, then being a talented dancer helps! If you are a talented quarterback but Andover already has 2 players at that position, then it doesn’t help so much. Either way, be sure to be in touch with dance teachers, send video etc. if they would like it because it can’t hurt to try. I know many talented dancers who are below the academic “norm” at their schools, it certainly does help at many schools.</p>

<p>I know my DS (who plays a musical instrument at a pretty advanced level) was encouraged to apply by the head of the music dept. at every school we looked at-- and I was later told they had contacted the Admissions people about him. He got in everywhere he applied. Not saying it’s the same as being a star quarterback (I have no idea), but definitely make an effort to meet the dance/ theater directors and send a video.</p>

<p>It only helps if you reach out to the dance instructor and they know about the talent. Schools want excellence in all their programs. Be sure to send links to videos and perhaps have the current instructor write the EC rec. I would stop short of writing about it in the essays, however. Let the videos and rec speak to that part of your child’s talent and choose something else to highlight in the essays.</p>

<p>Thanks for the feedback. We are going to submit a video to the dance teachers. We met several on the interview circuit and she has corresponded via email with them as well. Her current dance teacher is writing the EC recs for the schools too. I’m just comforted to hear some stories where arts dept personnel at the school have/had some input into the decisions in a similar manner to that of athletics coaches.</p>

<p>What is the appropriate way to reach out to these faculty members? And what sort of talents are worth reaching out about and what level of accomplishment is worth mentioning? I don’t want to be pushy or annoying (unless it is what is expected and required!).</p>

<p>I’m not sure there’s a clear line, any more than there’s a clear line for sports (some small schools might be interested in anyone who’s played some tennis in the summer for a couple of years; others might only be interested in really recruiting serious tournament players, because they already have very competitive teams)-- so just reach out and let THEM decide how interested they are. Lots of kids play sports at school or on a town team, like art in school, play in the school band or have taken music lessons for a couple years, or have taken dance classes once a week for a few years. I’m not sure that will necessarily get a huge response. But if your DC has been a standout, or seriously pursued his/her art outside of school and is interested in pursuing it at BS, go ahead and reach out. If you haven’t interviewed yet, call the AO and tell them you’d be interested in meeting the head of the whatever department. If you’ve already toured, look on the website to find said head and email them directly. You can meet them in person if you’ll be visiting or live close by, or send a link to a video (we found some of these got overlooked) or a DVD (that worked better for us). One music director suggested we send a DVD to the Admissions office first but with a request it be forwarded to her. Two music directors invited my DS to visit their class and play in person. Someone we know who does studio art was told to send a portfolio to each school). Every music director invited us to go see performances at the school. I think it won’t sound pushy if you or your DC just contacts them and says, “My DC (or “I”) is/am a dancer (or whatever) at this level and is interested in pursuing that at school. Would you be willing to talk to us about what your program is like and how s/he might fit in?” Arts directors are just as interested in getting talented kids as football coaches are in getting a strong offensive line. They won’t see it as annoying unless you start calling them all the time or something.</p>

<p>“just look at Andover’s starting 11 this year”</p>

<p>Yep: I would agree. Andover finally broke their five year losing streak with Exeter, 13 - 12 last weekend. Andover basically recruited at Stanford and UAlabama (grin). It really loaded up with the PGs this year. I wonder if this escalates, or whether Exeter just says, “hey, you’ve had your fun, you broke the streak, enough’s enough.” If Andover pulls this same stunt next year, it may be war and Andover will lose, as Exeter has better hooks into the football South and California, where the great players come from.</p>

<p>Thanks, Daykidmom!</p>

<p>Andover has 8 PG’s who joined the team this year in a variety of positions. You imply that Exeter doesn’t have PG’s on their team? Look at the roster, all of the Prep schools do it so you are at a disadvantage if you don’t. You haven’t seen the end of it, this is not a one year stunt. Now the playing field has been equalized.</p>

<p>Croissantmiser: Definitely get in touch with the performing arts department and send them a video or post it on you tube. It will definitely add to the application process. 10 applicants equally qualified competing for 2 spots. School needs a dancer, that will definitely work in your favor even if the applicants raw scores are lower than the non dancer. Good Luck.</p>

<p>thanks firstgen,
We are definitely going to submit a video directly to PA departments and Admissions as well. It’s just good to hear that the arts do play some type of role in the admin process, based on the kind feedback i received from this thread.</p>

<p>Instructors in arts programs do have some influence in the admissions process, but it varies a great deal from school to school. For the arts focused boarding schools like Interlochen, Idyllwild, and Walnut Hill, students are recruited directly by arts faculty. The traditional ACRONYM schools are looking more at the whole package, so a hook like dance might work in your favor, but don’t count on it turning a reach school into a sure thing! </p>

<p>My advice for parents of dancers…when you arrange for your interview, ask if you can meet the director of the dance program and also if your child can attend or observe a dance class. At one of the schools we visited, my daughter auditioned for the dance program on the day of her interview by attending a ballet class. Where dance programs fit in the curriculum is also something to consider - in many schools it’s a sport, in others dance may satisfy an academic arts requirement. With respect to sending videos, ask the dance program faculty if they have any guidelines for what they’d like to see (and EDIT EDIT EDIT!)</p>

<p>If dance is your child’s THING, cast that net EXTRA wide! Girls schools, arts schools, etc. Best of luck to you in finding a great school</p>

<p>Croissantmiser: I came across the following clip from the welcome message to student this past March 2013. It goes into detail explaining how the admitted students really do balance out a cross section of the student body (dancing can be a factor)</p>

<p>The arts and athletics are also well-represented in the newly admitted class. According to our coaches, 107 of the admitted students have varsity potential in athletics. In addition, we have accepted 249 singers and instrumentalists. Twenty-one of them have been identified as being among the top young musicians from around the world, according to our music department, which reviewed more than 310 multimedia links. More than 70 actors and actresses and 41 dancers are among the admitted group—surely they will contribute much to Andover’s 35 theatre and dance productions per year. Finally, 60 of the admitted students list visual art among their top interests. We know that they will take advantage of Andover’s extensive art program and the rich resources at the Addison Gallery of American Art.</p>

<p>First of all, CroissantMiser and tomtomclub get props for having brilliant screen names.</p>

<p>Second…I think the answer is “it depends”. Of course you should reach out to the appropriate department head — maybe even meet with them during your visit. But keep in mind that it could be the case that the school is already thick with talent at whatever EC your child is a star in. Can’t hurt to try, though.</p>