<p>We all know that basically all MT programs are extremely competitive, but which ones are on the less competitive side? What are some good safety (obviously using this term light, for no program is really guaranteed admission) audition programs?</p>
<p>None…</p>
<p>Not sure where you are from but schools that accept a larger number of students are statistically easier to get into into. Are you tied to a certain part of the country?</p>
<p>One possibility for MT safeties is the non-audition programs that are starting to be listed in this thread: <a href=“Class of 2014: NON-AUDITION MT Acceptances. - Musical Theater Major - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1627414-class-of-2014-non-audition-mt-acceptances-p1.html</a>. Of course, you still have to meet the school’s academic requirements…</p>
<p>After this year I am not sure there are any you can call “safety” schools. LOL T It has been a CRAZY year this year. Its been crazy seeing some of the kids that get into top tier schools get denied what some would have thought were safety schools. All schools have had a record number of auditioners and schools that were more “mid-range” are now turning kids away in high numbers. Some due to the high volume of those auditioning and some from having had too many acceptances from the year before. The hard part is even knowing what the landscape will be like next year. Really the best thing to do is try to find out where you feel like would be good fits for your child and add a couple of dream schools in. </p>
<p>@bisouu is correct - if you have to audition it’s not a safety. The only safety schools are non audition. There are plenty of good non audition programs out there but you have to figure out what your child wants and where and go from there. Have a good list of audition schools but also have at least one non audition school that your child would be happy attending. </p>
<p>UC Irvine and Northwestern are non-audition but not safeties, either. Friend of D just got rejected from UCI . I don’t know specifics but she was certainly in the expected academic range. Geez, this is so competitive it’s scary. </p>
<p>Cmarshall497, you are wise to be reading this forum early on. I know it is hard to accept that there are no safeties in the world of auditioned MT and acting programs. This is one reason I feel STRONGLY that here on CC it is important to list acceptances and rejections. Please make a point of noting that students admitted to the indisputably most difficult-to-get-in schools have also been denied or wait-listed at schools generally considered to be somewhat less selective.</p>
<p>Believe us, there are no auditioned safeties.</p>
<p>In STARTING to look back at this process - we are by no means done with the process yet - I’m wondering if there is a way to find out what S/D’s TOP strength is (singing, dancing, acting) and then put effort into making that VERY strong and going for programs that look for/emphasize that strength. This is just musing on my part, no evidence to support it. But S (and parents) were so sure that being a “dancing boy” would work in his favor across the board. And during junior year he realized that the acting was something that was important to him, and he wanted to get better at the piano, and music theory, and . . . Long story short, the vocal development - a previous strength - started to take a back seat, although he continued with private lessons. He auditioned at 7 schools - all schools he would be happy to be at - and was accepted to 3. In looking back, he’s wondering if his rejections were more based on his " less strong" singing, and his acceptances were based on his “stronger” acting and movement skills. In this CRAZY competitive process, is it possible to improve the odds by focusing on programs that are “in tune” with S/D’s main strength? Just wondering.</p>
<p>@cmarshall497 I completely concur that there are no audition-based safety schools. You can’t even say that one school is less competitive than others and use that info to your advantage. For example, LIU Post is an excellent program that flies well under the radar by choice, yet they still audition over 800 kids a year hoping to yield a class of 30 total BFA MT’s and BFA Actors. Drake University might be considered less competitive because they only audition 200 kids hoping to pick 20 and yield 15, but you’re still not guaranteed a spot.</p>
<p>@mom4bwayboy it is impossible to predict which traits a school is looking for when selecting their freshman class. You could go crazy trying to get into the heads of the auditors. Maybe the other schools needed no more of your son’s type, even though he gave a great audition. If they don’t need him in their cast that’s it, no offer. He should focus on the 3 schools that love him - that is something he should be very proud of, and it should serve to build his confidence. There are many stories in this current season of kids who only got one offer, or no offers, and it’s heartbreaking.</p>
<p>We just completed our 2nd college visit out of our D’s 3 accepted schools, and we were able to meet with the department heads of both schools. They basically said the same thing when we asked “how do you decide which kids out of so many?” Yes, they see a huge number of extremely talented kids, and the choice can be very difficult. What often makes the difference is often on the resume or comes during the interview. Is the kid confident and comfortable in his/her own skin? Is the kid “posing”, or do they show their unique self? Is the kid friendly and direct? Even if the resume is thin, does it show a work ethic? A kid may have never had a lead, but working in the ensemble and/or working in tech shows that they are a team player.</p>
<p>Add me to the list of folks who believe auditioned programs can never be considered a safety school. You need an non-audition school or two for that (which usually means a BA degrees, although there are exceptions). One thing that surprised me a little was that schools seemed to take about 5% (or less) of the people who audition (based desired class size and total number of people auditioned as provided by the school). For the schools we were at this held true whether the school is what people consider “top tier” or “regional” or whatever. Those are rough odds under the best of circumstances.</p>
<p>I think mom4bwayboy has a good point in researching the schools in an effort to see what their focus is. My S is actor/singer/dancer and I knew he’d be in trouble at the schools that have strong focus on dance. And it turned out that way. I knew before the dance call started, by watching the kids warm up, if he had a chance. To make matters worse, he’s 6’3" so there was no hiding in the back. If I had it to do over, we would have passed on some of those schools.</p>
<p>Ikemom your son is my daughter’s dream! She is ever hopeful that the up and coming crop of boys will be tall like Cheyenne Jackson to match her 5’9" tall but delicate and thin frame. She has the face, figure and voice of an ingenue with the long legs of a Rockette and is already relegated to the flattest of flat shoes in her local theatre productions. Her hope of hopes is that there will be plenty of tall young leading men in her future!</p>
<p>Amen @sopranomtmom!! I have a tall one too!!</p>
<p>Tall and slender? Nothing wrong with that - I’ll bet she’s gorgeous! However I know that can be hard sometimes. My S has been roped into playing the handsome prince in local dance productions because he’s big and strong - never mind about the dance part - as long as he can lift then he’s hired. Never a dull moment.</p>
<p>So, my D did a workshop where they broke the kids into groups by type. A 5’ 2" ingénue was told she was too short to be an ingénue. Not a happy girl. </p>
<p>I’m another one with a tall son in MT, 6’ 3" and possibly still growing. The tall girls need not despair, it seems there is quite a crop of potential dance partners.</p>
<p>LOL at these last few posts! My (5’10") son has a 6’3" friend who’s having fantastic success this year with acceptances. Don’t get me wrong, he’s very talented, but I’m sure it doesn’t hurt when he walks into the audition room and the panel sees a potential leading man for all those 5’10"+ girls…and that’s without the audition outfit heels! </p>
<p>S is 5’4"… he’s hoping for a growth spurt… LOL. He was told, however, that it is good to be either above or below average in the height department, because average is just, well, average. We’ll see. </p>
<p>Average seems to be best for girls. Mine are too short, but not short enough for the tiny girl parts. Someone who’s 4’ 11" always seems to show up. This is so sad. LOL! </p>