<p>I read these posts often and have occasionally posted here before. I could use some feedback.</p>
<p>My son, a senior, is applying to stage management/theatre tech programs. Stats: 3.5 GPA, many IB/AP classes, 1980 SATS, great paid and school experience in tech/stage management, nice portfolio etc.</p>
<p>He applied early action to Emerson and just plain early to VCU Arts, which is in state for us. And...was deferred from both.</p>
<p>I am now learning that in these portfolio/audition based programs it might not have been so necessary to apply early as they really need to look at much more of the group's work before letting most people in. Did this mess up his chances? Should he have just waited for his interviews and done them in February. I think I am more disappointed than he is.</p>
<p>In any case, he is going to apply to four more schools, some with portfolio reviews, some not.</p>
<p>I just have no one to discuss this with as no one I know has kids in this type of program. Any advice? Anyone's kids in MT, Acting, Tech get deferred early and then offered a place down the road?</p>
<p>Being deferred is not the end of the world. Students who are deferred EA and ED are accepted in the RD pool each year. It simply means they want to consider him in relationship to the entire pool of applicants. Many programs only take a few stage managers each year, so they may want to get the “whole picture” of applicants before making a final decision. This should not have messed up his chances at all. </p>
<p>Submitting applications and scheduling portfolio review appointments for other schools on his list is a positive way to move forward.</p>
<p>In February he had a group of terrific schools on his list to be excited about. The deferrals are disappointing, but those schools are still in play for him. Now he has the opportunity to spend more time researching the other schools on his list as well. He may find that he falls in love with those schools just as much as he had with Emerson and VCU. </p>
<p>If he is still applying to JMU, I would be happy to put him in touch with current students in the program and recent alums… now would be a good time for the current students, since we are on break for a couple more weeks.</p>
<p>Thanks, KatMT - I was hoping you would answer. I keep saying JMU, but he says he just doesn’t see himself in Harrisonburg. I will revisit.</p>
<p>The VCU thing is odd, because it is rolling admissions and not early action. But they even told him at the interview “you should hear by Christmas, and don’t be disappointed if you get deferred. We need to interview more candidates in January.” </p>
<p>Still, was hoping he would get one acceptance from the early round!</p>
<p>Oh well, he will be waiting and still applying, like many theatre people I am sure.</p>
<p>The waiting is hard, and it is great to have early acceptances to take some of the “edge off.” It sounds like he is moving forward positively and ready to tackle this next round! </p>
<p>;) Yeah, Harrisonburg is much more college town than city… and if he is leaning towards schools in cities, he may have a hard time seeing himself in HBurg. Honestly, the theatre students, like students at most theatre programs, spend more time in the theatre building (the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts) than in HBurg as a whole. </p>
<p>I teach performance and directing classes at JMU because that is really my most significant training and professional background, but I worked as an AEA stage manager off and on as well briefly, and think that the SM focus and training at JMU is very strong. Our students are securing work professionally in the summers, and alums are working. Over the past 6 years two of the undergrad SMs have won the USITT SM award at the national conference… in competition with graduate students. Within the past 3 years we have had a Kennedy Center SM finalist at the national American College theatre Festival conference. </p>
<p>He doesn’t have a decision to make until all the offers are in, so it could be worth submitting the application and completing the portfolio review/ interview at JMU if he is trying to expand his list of schools at this point. </p>
<p>However, if he is really looking for more of a school experience closer to or in a city, he may want to look at George Mason and American to see if he might like to add them to his list of schools. Much more suburban/ urban environment than college town. </p>
<p>All the best! This phase of the process will all be over before you know it!</p>
<p>I learned from parents who accompanied their student to 27 school auditions and previews that admission is often based on ‘casting’ for any given 4-year period. That is, schools often recruit to fill casts of shows that are planned years in advance. If a school already has that ‘type’ on board, they may have no incentive to admit another, regardless of talent.</p>
<p>Everybody off the bridge! IMHO, while Dad above may have a point to some degree, I highly doubt the majority of programs can forecast their production schedule four years in advance. There are too many variables at play, including faculty changes, capital expansion delays, etc. Schools need the most talented students they can attract because those kids go out Into the world and become great marketing for these programs. They are more likely to build shows around the talent pool they have in order to showcase them better, than the other way around.</p>
<p>I don’t question that you heard that TischDad, but I seriously doubt that it is true for all of the reasons lightingmom mentioned plus securing rights to material that far in advance or boxing yourself out of using other material that may become available down the road. And then you can add that students evolve and change over time so why would a program box themselves into a train of thought so early on? Doesn’t make sense to me.</p>
<p>As an example, my daughter is playing the daughter of the lead character in a play at her school. The lead is an extremely talented Asian woman. Daughter is a very tall non-asian red head. I’m pretty sure their program didn’t imagine that combination a few years ago when these gals were admitted. The only common denominator between them for casting is that they are both very good actors capable of doing their respective roles justice. Sure, things wouldn’t work like that in the real world, but this is college.</p>
<p>@Virginia718, I think early deferrals are quite common. Don’t read into it beyond what KatMT mentioned. In essence, your son is exactly where he would be now had he applied RD which most kids do - under consideration with the entire applicant pool. Trust that what was meant to be will be and he is not at any disadvantage. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Also, except for the very top schools that only admit the exact class they will take and go to a wait list, most schools are admitting more than than their expected class size, and have no real way of knowing of the 40 students they admit which 20 they will end up with in their class. (I just picked these numbers as an example, but many schools do something like this)</p>
<p>Perhaps the idea of choosing a class based on planned shows comes from MT programs, where they might plan large mainstage productions a year or more (?) in advance and would be looking for an appropriate mix of vocal ranges/types.</p>
<p>I’d be interested to know what programs are choosing their seasons (even partially) more than a year in advance. It’s certainly not the practice at my son’s school, which does exactly what lightingmom suggests: they build their season with student input, but base the final decisions on the students they have, particularly rising seniors and juniors. My daughter’s BA program followed a similar method but was less focused on the performing talent, I think, since it wasn’t a conservatory program and held open auditions for their shows. In neither case were entire seasons mapped out years in advance. Does anyone have first-hand knowledge of specific schools that do this?</p>
<p>NJtheatremom, not even remotely an MT thing either as far as I know. My daughter is an MT. I can’t identify a single school that does this. Doesn’t mean there isn’t one but it feels terribly unlikely. </p>
<p>I’m with Times3 and would be very curious to know which, if any programs do this. Feels like an urban legend because it is so impractical for all of the reasons mentioned above. But I freely admit, I’m not an expert. Anyone?</p>
<p>All parents step away from the bridge!!! My son was deferred from Point Park in early January of last year and then admitted, with a nice scholarship, in February. And I agree with the above posters that the majority of programs do not precast. This just does not make sense to me and I am the mom of 2 theatre BFA kids in 2 different programs.</p>
<p>I remember having a discussion with Ken Martin one day about how they choose the upcoming season. One thing he said is that they would not choose a show where they could not identify at least 2 students who would fit each role in the show. We talked a bit about the incoming freshmen, since they do audition and are cast in shows. The shows for the upcoming season were not even finalized at the time offers were made, so the upcoming season really played no part in “casting” the incoming class. At CCU they are very much into fit - students who they feel fit their program and for whom they feel their program is a good fit.</p>
<p>I don’t believe shows are known 4 years in advance on a continuum, but I do think that most classes are formed in both drama and MT to reflect all types. So you will have leading ladies that are ing</p>
<p>D just had closing night of her community theater gig, I have had a couple or three glasses of wine and I am now on firm ground. Thank you all for talking us down. I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>Speaking with a friend last night and talking once again about deferments (cuz I can’t let it go) LOL and my D made a very interesting comment. She said “Mom, being deferred is like getting a callback. The school just needs to see how I will fit with the rest of the cast and make it work”. I am in awe of how or kids see the world. <3</p>
This phase of the process will all be over before you know it!</p>