<p>Congratulations Theatremomma! Agree with lojosmo and halflokum. Read those MT program acceptance documents very carefully when they arrive in the coming months! There were extensive threads last year and prior years about the ethical obligations of the schools and students. Point Park was the most notorious but other schools also provided response deadlines prior to 5/1. When S#2 got his acceptance at Point Park, he was requested to send in a deposit quickly to hold his spot, which was later returned when he opted to attend FSU’s MT program, instead. At the time, we mistakenly thought he could only send in one deposit and was bound to attend that school once that went in. I would not be shy about calling the MT programs for clarification upon acceptance. It is a stressful enough process without adding another layer. It is true that many will hold spots until 5/1 but make sure that you understand the protocol. As you all know, admission decisions come in all shapes and sizes depending upon the school for MT kids. Best wishes to HS class of 2013!</p>
<p>Congratulations on the quick acceptance. We were in San Marcos last weekend for auditions and just got word it was a no. Grateful for the quick answer so the focus can move forward to all the other upcoming auditions. San Marcos is a fantastic program and I’m sure your student will love it. We would have called it too had the answer been yes!</p>
<p>I would ask around about housing at that particular school though . . . some schools have limited housing and waiting until May 1st might be too late.</p>
<p>^kksmom5 clearly knows something that I don’t about the specifics of the school in question (I don’t even know what school) so ignore my housing scarcity doubt comment. I was generalizing and don’t want to offer misleading advice.</p>
<p>@theatremomma and those in the same boat that will follow: there is something incredibly civilized about knowing it’s right and not needing to gather more data just for sport, ego or whatever. I applaud the chutzpah to say: “it’s right, we know it and we’re out”. I would have LOVED to have been able to do the same in December last year but it’s very much a function of your student having a true front runner and having that front running school have an admission cycle that either is rolling or notifies early. Oh… and also the student has to get in, :-)</p>
<p>It is fantastic that the planets aligned as they did. It’s nice for the school that wants the student, nice for all of the schools that don’t have to process the student that isn’t really going to be coming and also nice for everyone else who might want that audition spot that you will now not be needing. Well done!</p>
<p>Oh no halflokum . . . I don’t know Chacha or the school of which she speaks :0) . . . I just know that some schools DO have limited housing and most “regular” students don’t wait until May 1st to place their dorm deposit. I’m not saying to blindly pay deposits, but do your homework so you don’t get stuck.</p>
<p>I know housing can be an issue at some schools. In Calif. those applying to Cal State Fullerton are advised to send in a deposit prior even to acceptance. Those who wait until they are accepted will not get on-campus housing. I think this is rare, but it is a good idea to check at each school.</p>
<p>The school in question is OCU. I would LOVE for my child to go there. Does anyone know if it’s bad to ago ahead and accept, but still go to scheduled auditions for other schools? OR…ask for an extended deadline - say March? She has gotten conflicting advice from theatre teachers and coaches.</p>
<p>Cha09Cha - my S was also just accepted at OCU. I noticed that the scholarship offer did request “acceptance” by January 4 - however, acceptance of the admission offer is still May 1. This same thing happened to my D three years ago with Webster. If you read the fine print, it says on the scholarship form that you agree not to look at other schools after May 1, 2013. Very confusing.</p>
<p>So, in essence, you can accept this scholarship (we will) and continue auditioning and applying to other schools (we will), and then make a final decision on attending by May 1. Just make sure you notify them whether or not you will attend by May 1. If you decline, then they will give the $ to someone else. Clear as mud, right?</p>
<p>Oh, and we heard from other students that if you get your housing deposit in early, you might get put in Methodist Hall (the really nice suite style one).</p>
<p>A housing deposit is often refundable and if OCU is a top choice it might be worth doing. It’s totally against the rules to ask students to firmly accept before May 1…but some programs do this and some people got into a very hard situation because of it last year. (See this thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/point-park-university-mt/1312918-waitlist-process.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/point-park-university-mt/1312918-waitlist-process.html</a>) I don’t know about OCU-- if the deposit is refundable you might want to send it in.</p>
<p>I know I’m taking my life into my own hands here. But please. There is some misinformation here. First, most (READ: NOT ALL) colleges participate in the Candidates Reply Date Agreement (CRDA). This means that admitted applicants have until May 1 to choose a college. If a school on your list is demanding a commitment before May 1, check to see if this college is a CRDA subscriber. If no, then you may have to make an earlier decision. If yes (which is likely), politely tell the admission officials that they will have your decision by May 1. </p>
<p>Second. There is a difference between department and university admissions. While I would argue this is completely unethical, the simple reality is that a department may “require” you to “commit” prior to May 1. What you need to understand is that for most BFA programs there are two admissions processes. You can be admitted to the program but not the University, and vice versa. If the program asks you to commit prior to May 1 or lose your place. They can. You can still attend the University, but not as a BFA student. Again, I AM NOT ADVOCATING THIS POSITION. I think this is a highly questionable tactic. If fact, I think it’s awful. But it’s a way around the “letter of the law.” </p>
<p>Now, before I get a reply that tells me that May 1 is a holy day, and nobody can tell you that you have to make a decision before that date. Please. I understand the system well. There may be consequences for a school that attempts to circumvent these voluntary rules. But I imagine that reports are rare, and consequences rarer. I also believe the vast majority of universities that sign on, follow the letter of the law.</p>
<p>Well said, kjgc. However, it may be worth noting that these schools are also supposed to “work with their institutions’ senior administrative officers to ensure that financial
aid and scholarship offers and housing options are not used to manipulate
commitments prior to May 1.” So the ones that do are not only engaging in a questionable tactic, but are going against a specific provision of the Agreement.</p>
<p>Personally, I believe that a school that engages in coercive or deceptive practices - which include pressuring/implicitly threatening a student to accept well before May 1 (however it’s phrased and however you get around the letter of the law) - is sending a HUGE RED FLAG that reads: “Do Not Go Here.” At least, that’s what the flag reads to me. A school that is willing to coerce a student to accept NOW is a school that will coerce and bend the law in OTHER ways as well, while your child is there. I am absolutely not willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars and entrust the future of my child to an institution that is basically, in my moral universe at least, unethical and sleazy. As a parent of current & prospective students, I find this practice reprehensible. Kudos to the schools (the majority of them) who are behaving ethically. It shows in your programs.</p>
<p>To be fair, OCU is only asking kids to “accept” the scholarship money by Jan4. I assume that they want to know how much money to offer to the next round of auditioners. They don’t actually request an admission deposit or housing deposit until May 1. But you do have to read the fine print to figure this out. </p>
<p>I am torn. Right now, S2 has 2 acceptances. OCU is 2nd choice right now. But whose to say where it will be on the list by May 1. I hate to turn down money now. But, if he really isn’t going to go there, then I hate to “hog” the money until May 1. (Although I know from experience that many schools send out a 2nd round of scholarship offers after May 1 when they know who is attending and who is not)</p>
<p>megpmom - my daughter also received early scholarship offers but one of them had a note that allowed her to ask for an extension. She submitted the extension request to that school, and then sent emails to the other schools requesting an extension and explaining that as appreciative as she was for the offer, that due to auditions, she would not be able to make a decision until the spring. Every school was fine with this.</p>
<p>megpmom, I think you need to keep all your options open if he he really is unsure. This is such a tough emotional process. He may have different “firsts” by May. We had this talk before our commitment- would you go to any of the other schools on the list REALLY? I told my son that he might be knocking other people to the wait list so he can’t do more auditions just to see if he would get in- just to feel good. If I felt he was really unsure, I would keep them all on the line until the final decision. You don’t want regrets. Decline only the definite “no’s”. Keep the “maybe’s”.</p>
<p>megpmom-- if I were him I would ‘accept’ the scholarship money. You are not ‘hogging’ money-- OCU has decided to use their resources this way, with this result. And if your son decides on a different school that money will become available to the next person. </p>
<p>This is your son’s future and he should be able to consider all his options, not be bound to uphold a contract the school itself isn’t subscribing to.</p>
<p>We have accepted all scholarship offers even though we have no idea where my D will go. They will just give it to somebody else if we don’t use it.</p>
<p>theatremomma - Just over 3 years ago, when no one in the MT BFA world had heard of Texas State, my son was accepted into the program in late September of his senior year. At that point, even as an “unknown” program, it was in his top 2, but Kaitlin specifically told him to do more auditions to be sure that it would be his top choice. He had a file folder for each school he was considering, so he made “yes, no, maybe” piles and then narrowed it down to a handful of his top choices. It sure made for a nice senior year!!! In the end, he accepted the offer to go to Texas State, as did the other 13 who got offers that year. It was a fabulous leap of faith and he has not looked back!!!</p>
<p>do-what-u-luv- don’t you just love her?! I’m so glad to hear from families that love it there!</p>