<p>Again, the key point to remember is that not everyone is cut in the same mold, and what works for one does not work for all. Does it make sense to create additional potential angst for a serious music student by diverting time and resources into academic remediation that would be better spent in ensemble work or additional audition prep? Does it make sense to insist a math whiz practice his bassoon to gain a small participatory scholarship knowing the practice cuts into academic study time?</p>
<p>The answer can be both yes and no. The reality is to know you kid, and apply the resources that will most likely achieve the desired end result. You can manage the process, and guide, but micro managing will make both the parents and student crazy, and often yield half-hearted results in both areas.</p>
<p>I have 2 DD…1st D took act test prep at school…really analyzed what type problems she was missing…had teacher explain any issues she had…1st time she took the ACT got a 23. over the coarse of about a year and a half took it 4 more times…eveytime her score went up 2 points…(last time 1 point) ended up with a 30 which was the exact number she needed to qualify for $2000/year from our state.</p>
<p>D2 took ACT prep class at school … same teacher…same class…hated it…as the semester went on grew more and more bored…ACT scores actually lowered…</p>
<p>Gotta know your kid </p>
<p>D2 who will be vocal performance major next year is very talented musically…lots of teachers really wanted her and recommended her for scholarships…but when it came down to it … she has good grades/test scores but not outstanding… I think that hurt her when it came to scholarships… Conservatories tended to offer her more than universities.</p>
<p>Key of H: It is good to do the research, but in our experience (last year) those schools do not have a hard and fast cutoff. The past two years with huge applicant classes have driven some schools to up their SAT minimums to better their rankings. Others, I think, have used this as an opportunity to snatch up gifted musicians with marginal SAT scores. In our case, I don’t think any amount of studying would have increased my Ds scores because her heart was not in it and she was way too busy with her music. It did end up mattering at one school where she was accepted by the music department but not the overall university (due solely to the SAT we were told, as she did have a high GPA). But this was only one school of many. She is currently attending one of the schools you noted in your post with a lower than 1100 SAT and a nice scholarship.</p>
<p>I would suggest that musicians who do not score well on the SAT take the ACT.</p>
<p>What you say may be true, singermom2. But what is true with almost any information, it has to be corroborated with other data, including experience and anecdotal information. Calling and researching simply gives you a starting point and a possible context for discussion with the admissions office. It gives you a “feel” for what the student has to contend with. As I’ve stated in other postings, I know of important exceptions to the 1100 and the 3.0 guidelines. I also know that some parents and kids are “afraid” to call the admissions office for whatever reason. I was at first. But, I always found the people who work in those offices to be extremely helpful and insightful. The call can only add to the wealth of information available and provide a starting point for subsequent discussions.</p>