It is undoubtedly a major asset. My girl spent so many hours in dance classes and in regular school school that there wasn’t enough time in the day. Her school is so lame about the arts. It’s a footnote in their curriculum. No music theory courses offered either. Grrrrr.
She has ALWAYS wanted to learn and I hope she can study it in college. I actually made my living in music (NYC based) for over 20 years. Including many jingle sessions where I used my ear and faked my way through.I know zero theory and don’t read music. Maybe this couldn’t happen today and I don’t recommend!! Thankfully my late husband was also my creative partner and he was much smarter and well trained.
I love how it’s blossoming. Write, direct, play it and make your own. The world needs more of this. Our kids are brave!
My son is about to get his BA in MT from RCS-- The school is actively involved in graduating quadruple threats. He was told this when he auditioned 3 years ago. (Course is 3 years long) During spring of their 2nd year, my son’s class created, wrote, produced, choreographed, sang, danced, acted and performed all of the music in a show. During the very last show this year, the 3rd year students performed in an “Actor-Muso” (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) in which, again, the kids did everything, including playing all of the instruments/music. Son went into the program not knowing how to play any instrument, and now he’s proficient in piano, and plays several different kinds of bass guitars (acoustic, electric, stand-up). Music lessons all 6 semesters are required. S is convinced that having these extra skills will (hopefully!) serve him well in the future. Certainly can’t hurt.
My daughter took AP Music Theory and scored a 3/4 on the test – she also took Music Theory her freshman year at Ball State. She was very glad to have the grounding in Music Theory before she reached her college course. It definitely helped her to solidify her skills. I believe they are now starting to test at Ball State auditions, but don’t quote me on that. Piano is a required course freshman year and there are keyboard juries every semester throughout the four years, along with sight singing.
My D picked a school with a BM in Musical Theatre instead of a BFA for this very reason. Two years of piano and two years of music theory. After years of last minute panicking of OMG what key do you need this sheet music in, and her trying to figure it out by ear- I KNOW this will be a good skill to have 
She is in an art/theatre/music dorm so she plans to pick up basic guitar and accordion (!!) from her dorm-mates before she graduates.
Hi I am chiming in here specifically because your question addressed some specific schools. My d is attending Michigan and was waitlisted at Carnegie as well as gaining acceptance or being waitlisted at all programs she applied to. I feel braggy saying that…but I I am trying to be honest and also we have tried to figure out why she did so well. She is a musician - she has played piano since the age of 7 and took AP Music her junior year. At Michigan they did not ask her to play but they did have her sing and match pitch. Carnegie also did not ask her to play but asked her about her playing ability. (They actually spent a long time with her on accents…). The one school she did play and accompany herself for was RCS. I think that her ability to do this was really important and strengthened her candidacy. The other thing I would say is that she can sing both classically and has a mean broadway belt and she made her sure her vocal cuts showed this off. I have read on here that some people say that kids who get into these schools are already ready for broadway and don’t really need to go to school. While it is true that several people in her class have already been on broadway and have agents etc. my girl really should go to school and get more training ( at least that is what I think…). They actually are all amazing in some way but they are all also just kids - I can’t wait to see what they all do down the road!
@singoutlouise What a wonderful experience for you and especially your hard working and talented daughter. It is quit intimidating though. My D has decided to go BFA Acting and drop the MT. It makes me a little sad. She’s a wonderful actor/dancer/singer but it’s her journey. Daunting year ahead…
Wishing her (and you) so much good luck!! You know I love that expression 'it’s not where you go…it’s what you do". Keep that in mind! There are so many different paths and ways that things can turn out - enjoy every minute of this next year with your daughter. I am missing mine already.
@laylamom - my D did both MT and Acting auditions through her process… accepted to both… chose acting. In a recent conversation (happening b/c a younger friend is starting THEIR process) D talked about how she felt she was “supposed to” audition for MT b/c she had been doing it for a long time, and been moderately successful - but her heart was really in the acting. And majoring in acting does NOT mean that musicals are done. My D was cast in a musical this summer… but ended up taking an acting job instead
@laylamom - there are schools where you can audition for both Acting and MT if you want to try your hand at both. OCU is one of them. Carnegie Mellon also considers you for both. NYU sort of does that by placing you in a studio which may or may not be MT (although you can apply MT only if you wish) I know a number of other schools consider you for both majors as well so folks who are aware of other such schools may want to chime in. Also, important to note that just because you go the straight acting route doesn’t mean you give up MT dreams. Several recent OCU BFA Acting grads have had leads in national tours of musicals (Nice Work if You Can Get It and Ghost to name a couple). I know UNCSA grads with no official MT program who have done well in being cast in musicals after graduating. I think the important thing is to find a program where she will get the training she most desires. If that is straight acting, that’s great! Really study the curriculum and make sure you will have the courses you want. The letters or type of degree are not as important as the actual training itself.
Thank you @singoutlouise @toowonderful @vvnstar !! Great info and advice, I really appreciate it. I wrote “quit” instead of “quite” (unconsciously ? tear). She was planning to do both. We are using MTCA and she is well prepared to begin this giant undertaking. She did a one eighty right after a weekend of Masterclasses. She was excited to work her monologue in front of legendary CMU- Barbara but did NOT want to sing in this setting. I think she was intimidated but her fear and feelings are valid and may be helping her hone where she wants to be. It is confusing for me (single parent, last kid). She had also just finished the Adler teen Conservatory which was all acting and loved it. NYU (any of the acting studio’s) are high on her list. I don’t know why I find this all so damn emotional but I need to keep it to myself because it annoys her : /. grrrrrrr. Nice to vent here. Thanks again!!!