We live in NY and high school junior S is applying for the state-subsidized NYSSSA summer program. He wants to have a backup plan in case that doesn’t work out, but from what I’ve seen most of these summer programs cost a small fortune. He has an impression from some of his performing arts classmates that this is something conservatories value highly in the admission process but there’s no way we’re swinging the tuition I’m seeing on most of these.
Is there truth to the idea that a good summer program can give you a meaningful boost on admissions? I feel like there’s no way it can be a must-have.
How valuable have you found them in terms of education/experience? And are there good cheaper alternatives to the expensive college campus offerings. We live in a suburb of nyc and some of the city’s professional acting schools offer 1 or 2 week sessions to teens over the summer.
The college adjudicators are focused on the auditioner’s audition. That’s really it. That being said, if a summer intensive can boost a student’s ability to audition well, that would be one benefit. Another is that your student can see what it’s like to eat, breathe, and (barely) sleep in what might mimic a college program, so he can see if this is what he wants.
You’re posting in the Theatre/Drama majors (not MT) board, and you’re talking about NYSSSA (also straight acting, not MT), so I’m assuming your son wants to major in Acting not MT in college? More summer intensives are MT-based, but there are Acting-based programs as well.
My son attended NYSSSA the summer after sophomore year of high school and he LOVED it. My daughter, who was in a college BFA Acting program at the time said that the end-of-summer-showcase showed work that looked a lot like her freshman year in college, so it was a good intro for my son. He also loved the Master Classes that they arranged and NYSSSA helped him see that Stage Combat would be an important part of his college training. He was just certified in hand-to-hand combat and is moving on to small weapons this semester! Also several of his peers in college had been NYSSSA participants so it was nice to have that connection going in to college.
I don’t know anything about NYSSSA but my kids attended summer intensives. There are some schools where you may get a “meaningful boost” with admissions but that is certainly not the case with all of them. A really good summer intensive can help your student determine if the life is for them (as @lovetoact says). It could also help your student build skills and confidence and put together some or all of their audition package. My girls (who both did CMU) also got invaluable feedback and critique headed into the audition season.
There are some programs - ArtsBridge comes to mind - where your student could get a longer exposure to a number of college auditors, and that exposure could help!
Emerson has some nice ones. I haven’t checked but check out Pace since your in New York. Anything to enhance their skills. So those 1-2 week acting classes are great. There are usually audition type classes also that they work on a piece and get critiqued. In New York you should find these just about everywhere. Also a lot of the programs do have some sort of financial aid. But not the 1-2 schools. Even community theater somewhere would be helpful.
@arkham Summer programs are not a make or break deal at all. Being well prepared for the college audition process is what really matters. With that said, if budget is an issue, look for local coach in your area. Coaches can assist with selecting the monologues, provide 1:1 training for the monologues, and give your S some preparation for how to audition in general. Look for a “mock” audition workshop as they are invaluable! My S did a “SSS” program in our home state and it was life changing for him and reaffirmed that this was the path he needed to be on. Fingers crossed that your S gets in! If not, there are many resources to get him prepared for the audition season!
Son heard today that he got into nysssa and is very happily surprised by the news. Getting in is serving as a confidence boost already and I think it will be good for him to get a sample of the intensity of studying acting all day, since he’s thinking conservatory program for college.
@arkham Congratulations! Wishing your S a magical experience! My S attended one in CA and it was pretty much the definer for him and he is now at a conservatory program! Congrats again!
Most summer programs are expensive fun trips! However, I personally don’t know about NYSSSA. Some folks told me that NYSSSA is very enriching whether it’s useful for college admission or not.
The “SSSA”(CA) program my S attended was very meaningful and enriching. It has a 30% acceptance rate and the kids that “survive” are awarded the governors medal of Art Scholar which is the highest artistic achievement in our state for HS students. The Award was highlighted at our Senior Awards night and in the Graduation program at his prep school. This program came up at throughout his college audition interviews and landed my S a very, very nice scholarship for the achievement as well. @arkham Your S is very lucky!
My D did 2 different ones and got something different from both. Both were 2 weeks and neither was one of the high cost options - could not justify that level of expense. Mostly it reemphasized for her that this was the life she wanted to pursue and she could handle the rigor of the 12-14 hour days.
We’re very excited about it as both enrichment and a test drive of intense acting education. Nice to hear that the California version led to benefits in the admissions and scholarship process as well @frontrowmama. I won’t bank on the same thing but it can’t hurt.
My son and other students from his school had great experiences at Interlochen over the last few years. We really enjoyed making a family vacation out of it at the end of the session. I am pretty sure that they offer financial aid to some summer program students. My sister also went there for Cello back in the 90’s. She is now a professional musician via Vanderbilt and BU. Both my son and his classmate were admitted to BFA Acting programs. I believe the extra training and experience is helpful.
