<p>Now that more and more schools are starting to send out admission decisions, we are wondering if anyone has heard from CMU. (My son has not.) Spring break is the last week in March and we are hoping to visit colleges then -- knowing that CMU is a very long shot for everybody -- but still hoping we might need to visit Pittsburgh....</p>
<p>Nothing here yet… I was thinking it would be around the 15th.</p>
<p>If history is a guide, calls will be made over the weekend of the 16th and 17th. As far as I remember from past threads, rejections have never gone out until after the weekend where they get the 800 or so applicants to all be sitting by their phone for the entire weekend.</p>
<p>Nothing here yet either. My S is waiting to see if we can include it in our final visits in early April.</p>
<p>Does anyone remember how many MTs and how many BFA Actings they are taking?</p>
<p>Don’t quote me, but I believe I remember Barbara saying in the introduction meeting that they look for 10-12 MT’s and 12-14 BFA Acting.</p>
<p>The current graduating class has 26 combined, with 12 MT’s and 14 BFA Acting.</p>
<p>Thanks, that’s encouraging! Does anyone have a good description for the school’s “vibe” we know nothing other than what we have googled which I know from experience is not at all what we know after visiting. To give you an idea of a good fit, my s decided that his NYC options weren’t for him after visiting 3 of them - too big or too narrowly specialized; that Emerson was nearly perfect in most ways; that CCM was a strong contender given that CCM Village carves a smaller space for him and still has the larger campus and downtown Cincy experiences nearby. He LOVES people and wants to be where he knows most everyone and most everyone knows him and most importantly I think, is that he thrives in an atmosphere of friendly non-cutthroat competition. We have yet to hear from or visit CMU or Syracuse so any thoughts on vibe or fit would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I might be able to help a bit, ANJALU, since my son graduated from CMU in 2011. From the description of your son, I think he would thrive there. We found the drama department to very nurturing, although intense. Almost all the kids who enter end up graduating - the staff really helps them get through. I can think of only one young man who left after freshman year because he wanted more academics. A girl left for health reasons, but came back the following year.
The professors are stringent about showing up on time and prepared. Students who consistently don’t may be asked to leave for the year, but even they are given the opportunity to come back the next year if they feel they have matured enough. That happened to a couple of students in the class ahead of my son’s.
At least from a parent’s point of view, it did not seem at all cut throat. That might be partly because the students don’t perform until their junior year (except for Playground and cabarets etc.) That lets them experiment and try different things without the stress. Because it is a small class and they don’t perform until junior year, everyone gets cast, if not in a lead, at least in a substantial role.
The professors emphasize listening and collaboration.
The students become very close. That doesn’t mean everyone likes everybody, but it is a very cohesive group. Trying to make friends outside the drama department can be difficult, however, since they spend so much time together and the program is so time consuming. Some of the students managed, joining fraternities and such.
Saying that, it also seems that every class has its own “vibe,” which varies year to year.
My son is in a theater troupe which he formed with six of his classmates freshman year, and they are now enjoying considerable success in New York, writing original plays with original music. I believe this would not have happened without the collaborative skills they learned at CMU.</p>
<p>Waiting here, too - ActingDad (hi! I can’t PM you back due to the new limit on PMs until I get 15 posts, sorry!), do you think it’s this weekend for the phone calls, truly? I don’t want to say anything at all to my S - his stress level is off the charts (but probably not as high as mine, heh)</p>
<p>I talk with the director of admissions when I see him at campus functions, but I’ve learned to never ask about the drama department. His only advice was that “Drama does what Drama wants to do, and we just confirm their list whenever they give it to us.” </p>
<p>S is accepted at RWCMD, UNCSA, Seton Hill, and Point Park, and is waiting on Emerson, Rutgers (probably a ‘no’), and CMU. CMU is his first choice, with UNCSA a close second. Wales would be a wonderful life experience, but his acting and voice coaches both were hesitant to give an enthusiastic recommendation - mainly due to the challenges of finding work in the US after earning a degree abroad, and the added challenge of obtaining a work visa in Europe/UK after school. </p>
<p>Fingers crossed for everyone waiting for that phone call!</p>
<p>My S also waiting for CMU. My younger daughter takes singing lessons from a CMU professor in the drama department and my recollection is that the decisions are typically made this week during CMU’s break and then students are notified shortly thereafter. I got the impression it was this coming weekend and then into next week. Not positive nor definitive.</p>
<p>S is accepted at Penn State and Point Park but CMU likely first choice. </p>
<p>Wish I had found this site long ago as we entered thus whole process blind and frankly are fortunate he has choices given that he only auditioned at 3 schools. First child and parents without knowledge of the arts. I feel bad about all the opportunities he missed out on the past few years because we just did not know. His younger sister (9) is benefitting from this new found knowledge.</p>
<p>Don’t feel too bad fink26 it seems like he has faired pretty well if he is 2/3 for acceptances and both very great programs</p>
<p>Bookowl – can you tell us how S was notified of UNCSA admission?</p>
<p>Sure - similar to ActingDad, we had been checking the UNCSA EZArts website, and saw “UNCSA Admit Decision” in the decision field early last week. S auditioned with them in Chicago the first week of February and ended up spending almost 20 minutes with the auditor, talking about various theories of acting, books he had read, etc. He had a very good feeling about the entire experience.</p>
<p>I had sent an email to the UNCSA Admissions office requesting clarification on the whole ‘decision field’ dilemma, but received no response.</p>
<p>S received an acceptance letter and some paperwork in snail mail yesterday. The EZArts website still states “UNCSA Admit Decision.”</p>
<p>In our case, we don’t have anything in the mail yet but did receive confirmation from admissions that my daughter was on the admitted list after seeing “UNCSA Admit Decision” on her EZ arts page.</p>
<p>Thanks Bookowl. I knew about Actingdad’s D but wasn’t sure whether anyone had gotten snail mail. Sorry for hijacking CMU thread temporarily! We will now return to the regular CMU programme. :)</p>
<p>Or not. Since they ain’t sayin’ nothin’.</p>
<p>Still waiting on CMU and Boston Conservatory here. Either one of these schools would be like hitting the lottery! lol</p>
<p>We will be out of the house most of the weekend- S has two shows Sat. and one Sunday. So at least we will be busy. Every time the phone rings though my heart skips a beat. Could we be the one to win the Lottery?? Hey, Ya Never Know!
Good Luck everyone!</p>
<p>Oh honestly… it is 9:42 a.m. on the east coast SOMEONE must have heard something. We have another 18 minutes probably before a self respecting school might start to call those in the midwest to give decisions. West Coast you can go back to sleep for a while. This is the last hurrah for this go round with this child (my 2nd to take me on this roller coaster ride and I am likely to have a 3rd in 4 more years) and I am looking forward to getting off, counting our blessings and seeing where the next step takes us.</p>
<p>Sounds like if calls are made, it will be Sunday at the earliest from Gary but more likely Monday/Tuesday from Barbara if not both. At least that’s the word on the street…:)</p>