<p>Hi! I'm brand new to these forums, but I want to go to college as a musical theater major. I was just wondering, if you're accepted to one of the schools like CMU, NYU, Northwestern, etc. that have a academic reputation and are hard to get into even without the theater aspect, do you need to be accepted to the school first? Or if you're accepted into the musical theater program does it not matter? I have a pretty high gpa and act and sat scores, so I'm not worried about it as much as I am for the actual audition lol, but I was just curious.. does anyone know??</p>
<p>Check the websites of the schools where you are interested. Our experience has been that most of the schools operate by allowing you to submit an application as a MT major and schedule an audition and then after the audition they issue an acceptance or rejection (or waitlist). I think that after the MT dept decides they want you they then meet with academic admissions to get their approval before offering admittance. I think the minimum academic standards vary by school - sort of like how most schools view admitting athletes. </p>
<p>Univ of Michigan does the reverse - you are reviewed and approved academically before being offered the opportunity to audition. My impression is this is not an acceptance per se to the university - it's just a pre-approval to audition. Like a nod from the academics committee that if the MT dept wants you they won't fight it. </p>
<p>I don't understand why everyone doesn't do it the Michigan way. If they know going in that even if you are another Bernadette Peters if your stats are too low they would never offer you admittance why waste their time or yours auditioning. </p>
<p>NYU pre-screens by talent. You submit an application and a recording. If they like your recording, they then invite you to audition. </p>
<p>I think everything hinges on the audition though. So I don't think a 5.0 gpa and a perfect SAT score would get you in if they didn't like your audition - I think that is what you were asking?</p>
<p>every school is different. check websites or call schools for validity. </p>
<p>NYU: 50/50 admissions. 50% academics, 50% audition.
CMU: 20/80 admissions. 20% academics, 80% audition.
Northwestern: 100% academics initially. Yes, it is important to have a good resume, etc. But, academics are what gets you into the school. Then, you can audition for the MT certificate program once you are at school. </p>
<p>good luck! I applied for all these schools, didn't get in, but I wish you the best.</p>
<p>Colege - do you think NYU evaluates your academics before they offer you an audition?</p>
<p>NYU - 2 separate admissions processes, academic and artistic. You can be accepted academically but not artistically and still attend but not as a performance major. If not accepted academically, you're out.</p>
<p>Northwestern - is a BA program and must be accepted academically. Can major in theater and then after freshman or sophomore year audition for MT certificate program.</p>
<p>CMU - single admissions process, academics weighed 20% (at most) and artistic weighed 80% (or more). Academic standards are relaxed for applicants to BFA theater programs per admissions office reps at info sessions held at auditions.</p>
<p>Michael - </p>
<p>My daughter has applied for a BFA MT. Are you saying that if she auditions and is rejected they will offer her separately an acceptance to NYU like undeclared? </p>
<p>and if this is true - do you know of anyone that auditioned again and had success of getting in later? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I'm not positive about the others but NYU's admission process is one where the artistic review and academic review are equally weighted. You can't have one without the other. :) The offer of admission comes from the university's admissions office, not Tisch. You do not have to first qualify academically to audition, nor do you have to submit a recording to Tisch in order to audition. This (the recording) may differ for Steinhardt but I'm not familiar enough with their recent policies to answer that definitively. Auditions for Tisch are almost always scheduled before the application is even in so, no, your academics are not even looked at, at that point.</p>
<p>Michael is incorrect about being able to attend NYU if you are not accepted to Tisch artistically. You apply, you audition, you get a yes or no to the BFA at Tisch/NYU. If you are rejected from Tisch, you do not get to attend NYU in another capacity. If you choose to reaudition, you must wait a year.</p>
<p>thanks always...</p>
<p>Yes, my daughter applied to Steinhardt not Tisch..hence the tape.</p>
<p>MomofAPrincess, just a clarification. Steinhardt's program is a Bachelor of Music, not a BFA. It's a BMus in Vocal Performance with a specialization in Music Theatre.</p>
<p>Alwaysamom - I thought on the NYU app you could indicate a second choice school if not accepted to Tisch but could only indicate 1 major within Tisch. Maybe I'm confusing it with another college. It's been a while since I looked at the app process.</p>
<p>The same thing applies to Steinhardt -- If you apply to the BM VP program and don't get accepted, you can't attend NYU that year with a different major, no matter how academically gifted you are. It sure is tough! Good luck to your daughter. Hope you'll be hearing good news soon.</p>
<p>Michael, you must be thinking of another school. :) NYU only allows applicants to apply to one of its colleges, and this includes Tisch kids. While some applicants to the College of Arts and Science get referred to a General Studies Program, if not accepted to CAS, this does not happen to Tisch Drama applicants, nor to Steinhardt BM applicants.</p>
<p>Thank you for your kind wishes :) We are still in the waiting to hear for the invite stage so a lonnnnnnng way from hearing anything. </p>
<p>Considering that NYU admits on the 50/50 basis - I wonder how many of the 1000 that audition meet that 50% academic threshold?</p>
<p>MomofP, I wonder the same thing. While we all know how important the academics are at many schools, we really don't know how many kids are knocked out of the running by their grades. So the real admissions odds are not actually known. A certain percentage of kids (quite talented, I'm sure) didn't ever have a chance at the academic-focused programs.</p>
<p>I think this is where the "fit" comes in that is often mentioned on this board. As someone pointed out, it's really interesting to look up the curriculum at all the schools - they really vary by what classes and how many of each are part of the program. </p>
<p>I also looked up BFAs that later decided to become an attorney or doctor. (it reminded me of that line in Legally Blonde - 'they won't be impressed you aced the history of polka dots') With some BFAs if you transferred over you'd have more GE course credits than at others - just another consideration. I've known more than one devoted MT student that later decided the business just wasn't for them - even one that graduated from Cap21.</p>
<p>The possibility of choosing another field in the future makes me wonder about AP credits. Is there a limit on how long they are "good" for? If the credits were not officially accepted for an artsy program, because they didn't fulfill requirements or electives, would they be accepted by a college for a different major ten years (or more) in the future?</p>
<p>I know plenty of artsy majors who now earn a living at something entirely different. I also know a current history major who has done recent Broadway shows & will take quite a long time to finish his degree. Grab the opportunities while you're young....college or more conventional careers will always be around.</p>
<p>I can't speak for med school, but for law school, the GPA and LSAT rule and it really doesn't matter what the degree is. A BFA is fine for law school - as long as the GPA doesn't suffer. An "A" in the history of polka dots means the same as an "A" in Rasputin's Influence on 19th Century Bolshevik Poetry.</p>
<p>Even med schools don't require all that much science. When I went back for an MBA after a BA in English, I did have to take a statistics course.</p>
<p>OK, I will chime in, my D just got accepted into NYU Tisch CAP21 and let's just say that she is not a 4.0 student with the very best test scores out there :). Yes, she does attend a competitive prep school, but still, do not let lower grades stop your child from applying to their dream schools. </p>
<p>Now, having that said, I don't mean that 2.0's will get you places, and of course, the higher your stats, the higher your chances of getting accepted academically at competitive schools anywhere. </p>
<p>In my D's case, she put together a rather diverse list of schools, some that were not as selective academically, but who had MT programs that would have been a great fit for her, mixed with some that on paper were considered reaches, with the understanding that her chances to make it into those programs were slim; some food for thought, she was also invited to audition at UMich, and so her no so stellar academics were still in the ball park there too. She also realized that not all schools might be interested in "her type", and so rejections could easily have come due to circumstances one does not necessarily control. </p>
<p>I think having an interesting extracurricular resume that demonstrates a prolongued (not just senior year for resume building purposes :)) interest in the community, leadership skills and involvement with school activities are things colleges look at more and more. I feel that this type of information actually allows a college to "get to know" its applicants better and so I would definitely not underestimate this portion of the application.</p>
<p>So is it possible to be accepted to UMich academically but not into their BFA program? I have passed the pre-screening for the audition, but I was wondering if they could accept me to the main school based on my grades, application, etc., but reject me from the school of theatre based on my audition.</p>