I already have a couple schools on my list but I am looking to add a couple more to my list. What programs are less academically selective? My GPA isn’t that great, but my test scores are VERY good!
I assume you’re looking at BFAs? Most BFA programs will prioritize your audition above your grades. That said, low stats could cut you off off from merit aid even at most of those places, and schools like BU and NYU place significant emphasis on academics.
You say you have “a couple” schools on your list. I recommend having 12-16 (assuming you’re going the BFA route), unless you have a non-auditioned safety that you’re really in love with and would be very happy to attend. This process is pretty ruthless, and, if you only audition at a few places, you really put yourself at risk of being shut out entirely.
What schools are on your list now? What are your criteria?
I’m applying for BFA, I currently have 14. I want at least 2 more…I want a program that is very intense so a conservatory would be ideal.
This is my current list of schools:
-Carnegie Mellon
-CCM
-BOCO
-Elon
-Baldwin Wallace
-Coastal Carolina
-CCPA at Roosevelt University
-Ithaca
-Montclair State
-Ball State
-Rider
-Point Park
-Pace
-University of Miami
All those may be doable with lower stats with the exception of Elon and Miami – you may want to research both more to see if you would be competitive for admission. They typically have higher stats… Other schools you my be interested in with good MT programs but lower academic admission stats could include Otterbein, Texas State, Marymount Manhattan and Northern Kentucky.
Wright State. Excellent program, not so selective academically. How good are your test scores? National Merit Commended and above get VERY good scholarships - as do good SAT/ACT scores with decent GPA.
You may want to add at least one or two schools that are not listed at the top of this forum to your list and at least one non-audition, academic safety school, unless you are certain that you will be very competitive artistically at the national level. It is very possible that a talented student could receive zero acceptances from this list of programs. I would classify five or more programs on your list as “extremely difficult” for admission and the rest as “difficult for admission.” All of these programs attract students at the national level, vs. programs that attract most of their students at a more regional level.
Just an FYI on Wright State, my kid got nothing from them with a near 4.0 unweighted GPA and mid 30s ACT score. We were told that kids with 30 or more total hours of AP, CLEP or dual enrollment did not qualify for freshman scholarships. It was the only school that told us that, and our kid applied and was accepted to over a dozen schools. Also, we received a letter yesterday telling us to disregard the letter we received previously about financial aid because it was meant for another student, and we weren’t actually getting any. It was a mistake by the printing company and they hope it didn’t cause any inconvenience. Very glad we weren’t depending on that!
What you need to do first of all is make sure your grades and test scores allow you to be admitted to the schools you listed. I know of several cases where students grades were not good enough to meet the general admission standards for the school of their choice, and even though the MT faculty tried to get them into the program they could not. easiest way to do that is to check school’s admissions criteria on their websites or talk to a college counselor (my iwife is a college counselor and trust me, there’s a lot of info out there).
My advice…add a couple of not so well known schools and safeties. Examples include, plymouth state, the ones vvnstar recommended, hartt, some non-audition schools etc. The majority of your list will select a fraction of those who apply nationally. If you are one of those few…that’s awesome, but if not you could be woefully wondering what’s to do at the end of the audition season. As discussed in laborious detail on other posts, talent isn’t always the most relevant decision maker (the relativity of talent is minuscule because there are so many talented applicants). Or conversely it may be that you’re competing with 500 other blonde, blue eyed, 5’5, 110lb ladies with an ingenue sound and they have an amazing triple threat 6’0 tall baritone male they need to pair a 5’10 dancer, that has an ingenue sound and is of ambiguous ethnicity because they plan on doing South Pacific one year and sound of music the next and would maybe add miss Saigon. Or mars is in retrograde. Either way, selecting schools that are diverse in acceptance will provide you with some valuable college audition experience (because I would contend it’s different than professional auditions) and build your confidence for future auditions. The other thing I would recommend is seriously evaluate your type. Some of the schools on your list are classical in nature, some dance focused, some don’t focus on dance in the audition process at all. Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weakness, decide which one you want to focus on, identify where you’d like to study (including type of school and size of city). Things like that should formulate your list…than look at academics and the other institutional criteria like overall cost of attendance and make your list diverse. Can’t wait to see your journey next year.
Check out Missouri State University. It’s not a conservatory , but it has a wonderfu audition l program with an equity theatre that comes to its campus (53 hrs running) in the summer and does a NYC showcase and many alumni on Broadway ! The tuition for my daughter is only 13,500 yr including room and board ( out of state tuition waiver due to good test scores and an academic scholarship with talent scholarship to come jr and Sr years! She was accepted into 8 programs, some very well known ones included , but we were really impressed with program, connections and price at Missouri State! It’s also a beautiful campus!
I’ve added Western Michigan to my list after talking to my voice teacher. Also, I would like to add that my GPA is average so… I’m probably going to add one of the schools suggested on this forum but first could someone tell me which schools already on my list focus on acting, which schools are “triple-threat programs”, and which schools focus on dance?
Just our impression:
Acting first: CMU, Coastal, Ithaca, Pace
Voice first: Baldwin Wallace,
Dance first: Rider, Point Park
Dance/Voice then acting: Ball State, Elon, CCM, BOCO
Note: just because we say one discipline is first doesn’t mean the training in other disciplines is not also great. Just means that one discipline might be the first/strongest. Most all of these programs will give you fantastic training in all 3 areas.
CCPA depends on track - I think they are strongest in acting
Don’t know about Montclair or Miami
I would have said CCM and BOCO were voice 1st - if only b/c I know a girl with a fantastic voice - and two left feet- accepted at both (she ended up at BOCO and loves it, and has been working really hard on dance) Same girl not accepted at BW- but there are a million possible reasons for any acceptance/denial - and she is one anecdote, but it has informed my impression of those schools 
Is it wise to audition for acting and musical theater at some of these schools? I am a very strong actor/singer and I am a strong dancer in jazz and ballet. But I am definitely an actor/singer first and then a dancer.
Also, this doesn’t necessarily deal with the schools I am applying for but I am thinking about changing some of my classes for senior year. Would 3 years of a foreign language (2 years honors) or 4 years of Honors/AP sciences look more impressive for an MT major?
Auditioning Acting and MT: Do that if you really want that school and are willing to attend regardless of the program you get into. Some will have crossover between the two anyway, others not so much. At some schools you can audition for all shows regardless of major. Check on school by school basis.
Do the extra foreign language/Sciences if they are things you truly enjoy or want to be challenged by. Also weigh out how the “stress” and “study time” necessary for those classes will impact your senior year while preparing/applying/auditioning for colleges and perhaps being in school shows (my S is glad he only took AP English his senior year and opted out of doing any school shows). For most of the schools on your list, taking those classes is not going to do much to improve your chances of getting into their MT/Acting programs. However, they MIGHT be helpful for meeting college requirements in those areas - meaning it would free up space in your schedule to take other things once you are in the program. Again, check on a school-by-school basis. Less selective and many state schools are usually more generous with taking AP credits to fulfill college requirements.
CCPA/Roosevelt offers three choices for emphasis: MT Voice, MT Dance and Acting. All students audition for all shows at the beginning and end of fall semester (the incoming freshman have a showcase first and second semesters). Each student is guaranteed at least one onstage role each year. There are a lot of shared classes/crossover the first 2 years although as you would expect, the dancers take more dance, the voice students take more voice and the acting students take less dance and voice. My D was asked at her college audition whether she would be interested in the acting emphasis as well as the voice emphasis and she said yes. Was ultimately offered MT voice emphasis. Dance has a separate audition.