<p>MichaelNKat- maybe something has changed, but that is the polar opposite of what a parent that I know was told there this past fall! Could be that it depends on who one is having the discussion with and I don't know whom she spoke with while you clearly state in your post. Hey, it would be nice, and I would tend to trust the people that you named, but I think that many more factors some into play in their program, such as male/female ratio, voice type, etc.
Which school did your D end up selecting and could you share why (maybe this should go in a PM since we have drifted off topic in this thread!! I'd really like to here though as it seems that you have definitely made the effort to talk to those who should know!). Thanks!</p>
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Which school did your D end up selecting and could you share why
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<p>I see absolutely no relevance to the discussion here, and this question. I don't remember if they have already posted that information, but if not, that is certainly their right. The information which MichaelNKat provided, and which alwaysamom confirmed is the same as what I know. My D chose not to apply there, but I know others who have.</p>
<p>As always - anyone interested should consult directly with the school, and not rely upon information gathered on boards such as these.</p>
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but I think that many more factors some into play in their program, such as male/female ratio, voice type, etc.
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<p>True, with most programs - but that doesn't at all change the weighting of academics vs. audition. If you are their #1 tenor choice, they are more willing to overlook less than stellar grades.... If you are in the middle of the pack of 5 or 6 sopranos they are considering, your grades may be more helpful (but, they are not going to help you bump their #1 soprano choice out of her slot!).</p>
<p>As far as CMU goes when my D auditioned there she was told by several of the male students who were in the program that talent was the thing!! Two of the students said that it was too difficult for them to take several of the few academic classes that CMU required so they elected to take them at another college that is close by..one that they found to be academically easier. They expressed that the individual's talent is the BIG thing at CMU. I am not an expert on this matter but instead am sharing what the kids in the dept. said. The guys seemed very happy with the program and tired...because they were so busy.</p>
<p>Every program is so different..I would simply encourage everyone to do all that they can to be successful academically so that their minds have more to draw on to bring to the roles they will perform. Good luck!!! It is tough but it only takes one offer from one school that you like to send you on your way towards your dreams. I have been told by many more knowledgable than I that there are many paths to the dream. Keep believing AND working hard in every avenue but don't forget that many things make up who you are and all those things show in an audition.</p>
<p>The comment about one only being able to get in to a state school for MT disturbs me as some of the best and top programs for MT are housed in state universities: UMich, OCU, CCM, PSU, FSU. In fact, the School of Music at UMich has lower standards for admittance to its school than the university at large, as do many conservatory type programs. The Admissions Office at CMU was very clear that to get in to CMU for MT one must be admitted through the Theater Dept. first, not the school at large. They also indicated that if one got in to the Theater Dept. it was rare to not be admitted to the school no matter what the GPA or SAT scores. Just wanted to clarify for upcoming kids and their parents - if you are unsure, call and ask the specific school. The Theater Departments are all very helpful and have much more accurate information than the admissisons offices, since Theater, at least MT, is handled differently than general admit programs since it is audition-based.</p>
<p>woops-sorry, ttmom, but if you read back a bit, you'd see that I didn't mean that in a derogatory way (as a matter of fact, my own D is looking at some of them as we know there are some fine programs out there), it's just that, as another poster agreed, many kids were "all that and more"(top grades, honors and leads in EVERYTHING )this past year and normally would have been expected to end up at schools like CMU, Julliard or Yale Drama, but the high number iof outstanding candidates and the tightening of belts academically has led to those kids having to make choices they never thought they'd have to face- many with only one acceptance, and let's face it, ALL state college systems are NOT created equal and neither are the departments that lie within them.They are no different than private colleges and universities in that respect.</p>
<p>mhappiness- I really agree with your last paragraph, which sums everything up perfectly! What I didn't know, was that CMU permitted students to take required classes at an "easier" college and still graduate with a degree from CMU (which is what I assume is the case?). THAT bothers me and after all schools are doing to try to make college athletes step up to the mark and meet the academic requirements, I really hate to see them "dumb down" one of the finest programs in the country just to keep several students. It wouldn't bother me at all if they were granted a " performance certificate" or something along those lines, but it surely doesn't seem fair to the kids that have spent long hours the previous four years in Honors and AP courses, doing their homework when they were not on stage at during rehearsals and writing papers around tech. weeks and living on 4 hours of sleep when they have a show on stage, one in rehearsal and AP exams to study for. Yes, talent IS the core of an MT major's career, but college is supposed to be more than that, and since there are schools that offer just professional training this seems to me to be a step backwards and I hope that we are not headed the down the same path that the athletic departments took (and still take), admitting students who can do something with a ball, but can't meet the same admission standards required of say, a History or Mathematics major. Most of the top ballet companies in the country take students right out of their own training schools or from regional auditions and those kids never attend college at all, so we know that option exists.
We've all seen where the poor aademic records of college athletes has led- restructuring of departments, firing of Dept.Chairs and academic inelegibilities or dismissals for students. With the "shelf life" of a lot of performers being relatively brief, it would be nice to know that they have other things to fall back on ( I just saw a really cute shirt that had "ACTOR" printed on the front and "WAITER" printed on the back!). Heaven help my D if she ever has to do that, as she can dance but trips over regular floors!
Again, I never intended for this to become so involved, so I am going to go finish my library book! Goodnight all!</p>
<p>FYI...OCU is a private methodist affiliated school</p>
<p>.....and you must be admitted to OCU or in the process to audition.</p>
<p>Actually, yes, many top programs take actors the way they take athletes - admission standards are not compromised, but they are different. Talent is the defining hook. The programs will support the students that they want because they want what these students have. They want this just as coaches want players who can keep their programs competitive. They are not looking for the same qualities in students that they look for to strenghten their history or math departments - SOME schools are more concerned with SATS and grades - but some of the best are not.</p>
<p>Just for purposes of clarity, CMU does NOT have a bifurcated application process where you first must be accepted academically and then audition. You apply, audition and in general who the theatre dept wants, they get. At the meetings I attended when my D auditioned, the head of the department stated outright that admissions accedes to the selections of the department. In addition, because it is considered a double major, MT majors are NOT required to take any courses outside of the department. Again told to us at the info sessions and stated explicitly on the curriculum page of the drama dept website. Acting majors are required, however, to take electives outside of the department.</p>
<p>This is in contrast to schools like Emerson and UMich. Emerson's application/admissions process is in fact truly bifurcated. There is an academic review undertaken by admissions and a talent review by the department and separate acceptances or rejections are issued. You must make it through both in order to attend as a MT major and if you don't meet academic muster you're done. At UMich, you apply and then based on your application you are invited to audition. I don't know for sure what is looked at during the initial screening but I know a young lady with fantastic performing "chops" and a long involved resume who didn't make it past the initial screening and was not invited to audition. Then there are schools like Northwestern where you apply like any other BA candidate, major in drama, and after 1 or 2 years audition for admission to the MT certificate concentration which veers off the BA track and becomes more like a BFA program. Or Syracuse where it is both academics and talent but there is flexibility on the academic end.</p>
<p>Finally, and germane to the original OP's inquiries, there are the pure conservatory programs, like BOCO, that are not part of a broader college or university setting, where academics are deemphasized and the name of the game is performance and training history and the audition. In addition, there are programs that are not 4 year BFA degree programs but are pure professional training programs where academics are irrelevent. I think AMADA is one of them that I have seen mentioned on this board but I don't know much about it.</p>
<p>All of the above are just examples of programs that put differing weights on h.s. academics and SAT's. There are many other schools/programs that fit within each "category". The trick is to make a realistic assesment of your strengths and weaknesses, research schools exhaustively and make a selection of a good variety that seem to be a match to what you bring to the table and your interests/desires.</p>
<p>Yale Drama School is only graduate school/ certificate program. The undergraduate program at Yale is not the Yale Drama School, rather a Theatre Studies degree within Yale University. As an ivy league school, admissions to Yale undergrad will always be highly competitive. As one of the top graduate training programs in the country, admissions to Yale Drama will always be highly competitive. Many people audition multiple years in a row before being admitted to the program. </p>
<p>I think that part of what is difficult in the audition/ application process is the fact that there are more "qualified" applicants applying to the programs than the programs can accept. As a result, people with top grades, talent, scores, extra-curriculars, etc... will not get into the "top" programs. This is why it is important to have a range of schools on your list.</p>
<p>Some of the top programs are housed within state universities, some are housed within private. There are also many strong progrmas, whch are less well known in both private and state schools. </p>
<p>As everyone has said on this board. Contact the schools directly to find out the admissions requirements for the schools in which you are interested.</p>
<p>That's just my freewrite rambling :)</p>
<p>im my experience this year...from a student point of view...(im acting)</p>
<p>i got like straight As and maybe like one B a term freshman and sophomore year...junior year i started doing alot of other theatre out if my area and traveling to auditions and shows (it was during this time i decided i wanted to do theatre) and my gpa began to slip... i went on a college visit to Emerson and fell in love and realized i screwed up my chances my junior year...</p>
<p>senior year i got back on the ball and took spanish 4 and an honors english class... never took any of the aps my school offered. i ended with a 3.3 and didnt think i would get into some schools i did. (like emerson/syracuse) when i asked why i was admitted (at emerson) they find reasons TO ACCCEPT YOU... not to throw your application away. GPA is not the be all end all. if you love a school: do an interview, write a letter like stated above which was a brilliant idea!:) ... at emerson they said the essay was really important to them so if you dont have the hottest gpa like me... find other areas you can kick butt in, obv your audition but dont let ANYONE tell you you shouldnt apply for a school. each school is looking for something different...if a school admitted all valdictorians, how boring would that be! (joking...)</p>
<p>so moral of the story... going to see a school that i really wanted to go to and hearing from the school say 'do good in school' made me try as hard as i could to get into that school my senior year. when i did get in, it was wonderful... and i hugged my mom.</p>
<p>...however im going to a different school that i love more...</p>
<p>hope this helps! :)</p>