<p>I'm a sophomore boy in highschool, and my dream school is the Carnegie mellon.
Seems like the competition is huge.... My question is, How do I know I'm good enough or have a shot for CMU MT?
By the way, is competition huge for boys too?</p>
<p>Maybe pose this question over in the MT forum. I am sure someone there can help you.</p>
<p>Lol, I had no idea there’s a MT forum</p>
<p>Consider attending a summer program - there is a “Big List of Summer Programs” on the MT forum.</p>
<p>Our daughter had the same questions when she was your age - she was a “big fish in a little pond” in our small town. It was very validating for her to attend a summer program, and see how she “stacked up” against others from all over the country/world. It was humbling, and exhilarating, and she learned so much in a very short time.</p>
<p>Attraction21, a lot more girls than guys audition in musical theater. But the competition is so fierce, even if a male has only one fifth as many people to compete against, the standard is just as high. I’ll add that there are probably lower expectations in dance, for the guys. On the other hand, a very strong male dancer will really stand out!</p>
<p>This year I believe that Carnegie Mellon is not including a dance component for their MT auditions. Presumably they will re-assess next year to see if they want to reinstate it.</p>
<p>I agree that although there is less competition for boys, it still will be tough competition.</p>
<p>But somebody has to get those spots in the program, so why not you? Since you are only a sophomore now, you have lots of time to get ready for the competition you will be facing. Do whatever you can now to improve your MT skills–acting, singing, and dancing. Take all the acting, singing, and dancing classes you can, get in as many shows as you can, etc.</p>
<p>The spots are going to go to people who worked really hard, so make sure you are one of the people who worked hard!</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>Great advice, KEVP!</p>
<p>You have plenty of time. Work hard toward your dream school but also expand your horizons on other programs. CMU is a dream school for many, many talented actors, just as many roles are dream roles. There are some factors auditors are looking for that are beyond your control, such as whether they want a look or strength to round out an ensemble. So, work to be your best in what you can control and go for it! But go for others as well. There are lots of great programs out there.</p>
<p>But you’re right, of course, CMU is one of the best. Have fun working hard in the next few years</p>
<p>As a guy, you definitely have better odds. KEVP’s advice is spot on and to that I will add, if you can get a coach, do so. Take a summer program (CMU has a great one). But a coach is something that people will tell you isn’t necessary–even though you will find that a lot of the highly sought after programs have connections with those coaches. I suspect that many of them (the adjudicators) already have a list of kids in mind when auditions start, and they are watching for them. Even if you can’t do a lot of coaching, do what you can. Many coaches offer skype sessions etc. It’s about more than preparing for auditions, which you can do on your own, it’s about the connections. It will also help a lot with putting together a good list of schools for your individual needs. Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>All kinds of people can do this “coaching”. It’s not some sort of job that people are licensed for or something. But nevertheless there are good coaches and bad coaches. Maybe talk to a drama teacher in your school?</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>This article in CMU Today is a great profile of one student’s process to get in to CMU. Take a look! <a href=“http://www.carnegiemellontoday.com/issues/january-2014-issue/feature-stories/whats-past-is-prologue/”>http://www.carnegiemellontoday.com/issues/january-2014-issue/feature-stories/whats-past-is-prologue/</a></p>
<p>If you are a dedicated, well trained, confident performer, I believe that you have just as good of a chance to get into CMU as anyone. However, It’s not only about your talent. It’s also wether you fit their profile, etc. CMU accepts a very small amount of students for their MT program. There are many excellent students that do not get in. They only took 5 girls last year for MT. However, they do accept a few more boys than girls. Although my daughter auditioned for MT, she was on the priority wait list for Acting, and never cleared wait list. We consider that an honor. She got accepted to 3 other schools and ended up at a great program at Syracuse University/BFA Musical Theater. She could not be happier. There are many great programs out there, and I feel that everyone ends up where they belong and fit in the most. You should definitely go for it and give it all you’ve got, but It’s good not to set your sights just on one school. Broaden your horizons.</p>