<p>Yes - that is why we sent our son - so he could decide if this is really what he wants. He has a good friend who went off to a BFA this year (she is a freshman) and he was surprised when she told him that she was switching majors. Turns out she loves acting, but not enough to stick with a grueling BFA program.</p>
<p>And as far as money goes, if the planets align (kid loves the work, kid loves the school, kid gets in the school), the summer program may count for credit at that particular school. So you will get back something, at least.</p>
<p>One other chance you will be taking - and happened to my son - is that once you complete this type of program, you will feel like you are ready for college, only to remember that you have your whole senior high school year in front of you! My son felt a little like he was taking a step backwards at first, but as the fall musical started up he could focus on high school again.</p>
<p>But the friends that are made are still the best part!</p>
<p>That was the point I also was trying to make describing my son’s and daughter’s summers. Truthfully, we could have sent them to summer programs but I made the decision (and nobody seemed to contest it!) that I wanted them in town for summers as I knew our time with them is so limited. They were immersed in the theatre world through our community, both adult and children’s theatres. They were able to work on productions from the other side, which was a wonderful experience. The upside, they also fulfilled their volunteer hour requirements for their respective schools! And again, we got to spend summers together as a family. </p>
<p>We do not live in a large city but are very lucky to have such an active theatre community.</p>
<p>^My son did have a bit of that “step backwards” feeling in terms of coming home and working with his school theater teacher (whom we love–but he’s had the same teacher since 3rd grade). He clung to the coaching and new ways of thinking and working that he’d acquired at BUSTI, and I’m 100% sure that it had a huge impact on his audition process. On the plus side, he was a strong collaborator in our school theater program and felt more confident about acting as a senior leader when he assisted the director in the fall play and had the lead in the winter musical (hadn’t done either of those things before). And while he ultimately has decided on a smaller program, he learned a lot from BU in terms of the kinds of teaching he responds to, how much work and focus are required, and how to take risks as an actor and artist. I think they grow up a lot in a program like this, and in many ways (not just artistically).</p>
<p>Personally, I didn’t have much interest in CMU’s School of Drama going into Pre-College (clearly a phenomenal school, just not the best fit for me) and I believe choosing to spend my summer there opposed to one of my top choices saved me a lot of heartache. While taking classes, I never stressed about certain faculty members (who potentially take part in the audition decision) forming opinions about me–*but it was clear a few of my peers felt that pressure. Instead, I just did me and learned a lot from professors and professionals working at a school I could probably never get into. While I ultimately did end up applying (very last second,) it was merely for the audition experience. And if you can spare the extra money and time to apply to CMU as a school, I highly suggest it because it was the most encouraging and comfortable college audition I went on. </p>
<p>But what I’m trying to say here is that doing a summer program at a well-reputed school that you don’t necessarily love can be a very beneficial thing for your mental health in the long run. Much like actingdad implies, it’s far too easy to fall head over heels for a school with such a high success rate and such a low acceptance rate.</p>
<p>Sounds like a healthy approach to a pre-college program. Your audition experience confirms what my son described. He wasn’t that excited about CMU until he went to the audition. Then I remember him calling to say he’d realized this was the school he really wanted to attend. He was lucky, but I think even if he hadn’t been accepted he would have felt good about the audition.</p>
<p>I don’t know what’sgood0, this seems like going too far the other way to me. On the one hand, there is nothing wrong with going to a summer program at a school you don’t think you’ll want to go to. However, I don’t see any reason someone should explicitly try to avoid going to a summer program at the school they really want to go so as to avoid heartache or for fear that they will somehow be too stressed. </p>
<p>As Marbleheader pointed out, going to Busti was a big help to get into BU for example. And I don’t think my daughter felt any extra pressure to impress faculty just because she wanted to get into CMU. She would naturally want to do her best work regardless of where she went.</p>
<p>Yeah, when it finally appeared to be confirmed that all the calls were made and she did not get one, she had to go through the emotional disappointment. But no one should run away from anything for fear of emotional disappointment. She did everything possible to try to get into the school she felt was both her dream school and a good fit for her. There is no shame in reaching for what you want even if you fall short. </p>
<p>As I said to her tonight, I don’t have any doubt that all the effort she put in to try to get into CMU paved the way for her to get into UNCSA a school that may turn out to be an even better fit for her. She’s just got to get to know it in the same way she knows CMU.</p>
<p>My son got into the BFA Acting program at NYU and never attended a summer intensive or did community theatre or hired a college audition coach. He worked his ass of in high school and read as many plays as he could. Yes, it helped that he went to a PA school but he worked his ass off! Personally, I believe the summer theatre intensives held at colleges have become huge money-makers- and that’s a great for them. Of course, everyone loves to attend these programs but they can be very expensive. If your family has the money, then go for it. What kid doesn’t want to go away for the summer and be with kids who share their love for theatre. However, it is totally not necessary to get into a good BFA program. I think sometimes, posts on CC make parents feel like they must do all of these things to get their kid into a great program. I firmly believe that the school that accepts your child and the decision is mutual, it almost always works out for the best!</p>
<p>I always question the words “huge money makers” in anything related to theatre but I think what you are saying Supportive boils down to :attendance at a college summer program =/ acceptance advantage at said program. (does =/ not mean “equal not”?) </p>
<p>Completely get the falling in love factor. That is so human. Cautionary tale though: the vast majority of kids that attend school specific summer programs do not get into them in the college audition round. So goes the math of the universe of possibilities the nanosecond the students in front of them goes from “those we already know” to those we “have yet to know but are for sure wanting to know more about”. Not sure of the numbers of students that attend each of these auditioned or non auditioned summer programs, but let’s say something over 20 and less than 50. Hello over 20 and less than 50, meet 2000+. Now go arm wrestle for your spot. And meanwhile some of those 2000+ attended a rival program and come packing heat. Or (as supportive pointed out) many of them did not attend any of those programs but they’re forces to be reckoned with as well.</p>
<p>Message is: don’t pick a program thinking it will create admission advantage. It might but more often than not it is irrelevant and the experience should be enjoyed on its own merits and for the training it provides.</p>
<p>I think my message was a bit miscommunicated, but halflokum says it perfectly right above this post: Don’t get your hopes up, and enjoy your summer. Actingdad, your daughter was part of the majority when it came to stress- I’m simply exposing a possible side effect! I also didn’t choose that program for the reasons I wrote about, just sharing some of my experience in hopes of it helping someone else :)</p>
<p>CMU never sent the message that we’d all have an advantage in the admissions, which I strongly respected. They did, however, provide us interactions with current students (counselors, in classes, etc.) that made me realize that they do actually need a class each year so they have to accept some kids! That was motivating to see.</p>
<p>I went to last years summer session at UNCSA. I was also accepted to BUSTI, but chose to go to nc because it cost almost half as much, and it was shorter ( 3 weeks instead of 5). </p>
<p>Spending my summer there was the best decision I’ve ever made. Here are the basics: there are probably about 200-250 people there in total-that includes all specialties (drama, dance, film, music, and visual), and then I think the number for drama was around 80. That seems like a lot, but the group gets spilt up into about 7 groups, with 10-15 in each group. You have a different group for morning and afternoon classes. In the morning you take (on alternating days) combat, singing, dance (this years was hip hop), improv, text, and circus skills. Each class has AMAZING teachers and so much awesome work is done. Then after lunch you go to your acting class, which is about three hours long. I learned more in three weeks in that acting class than 3 years in high school drama!</p>
<p>The campus is beautiful, and the staff keeps you busy with a ton of stuff to do. But basically you have the freedom to do whatever you want. I could never do it justice by typing it out, but at UNCSA I grew so much as an artist and made lifelong friends and connections that I don’t feel like I could have gotten anywhere else.</p>
<p>The truth is, wherever you go for a summer program you will have an amazing crazy experience. But I strongly recommend UNCSA, because its way more affordable, and you get to meet a ton of different kinds of people, and you’ll get top notch training.</p>
<p>If anyone has anymore questions about it, let me know!</p>
<p>BU also never alluded to the fact that you will have an easier time getting into their BFA program by going to BUSTI. As a matter of fact, they said time and time again that the odds are tough to beat. They work the kids like crazy - and it surely gives them a taste of what the BU program is about. If you want to get in, that’s the intensity that they want and yo need to show them that.</p>
<p>Also - and this sounds GROSS so I apologize profusely ahead of time - I don’t mean to imply that my son got into BU simply because he did BUSTI, he got in because he is awesome! LOL! Said by the mom, of course, but he was told throughout the summer and after his audition, that he is exactly what they wanted. So did he get a leg up? In my opinion, yes, just because they got to see him and interact with him long enough to know those things.</p>
<p>Again, totally gross for me to say that about my own kid, but I don’t want to imply that he got into BU just because he went to BUSTI. But I believe it helped overall.</p>
<p>^^Absolutely agree with halflokum re: attending these programs on their own merit. And can I respectfully request that we stop with the insinuations that summer intensives are for people who “have money”? We are not wealthy; I set aside money from the sale of my parents’ house because I wanted my son to have this experience before we invested even more time and money in the audition process and a 4-year BFA. I do not regret the sacrifice. It cost less than the amount that many families spend on, say, an older used car for their teenager (something we have NOT chosen to do for any of our kids–the money has gone into education instead). We don’t have good local summer theater options, and it seemed important for my son to get some in-depth experience and also to see the other kids from around the country who would also be applying to BFAs. In that sense, he had an “advantage”–NOT over other people’s kids, but compared to how he would have done without the summer experience. We did not use coaches at all, by the way. </p>
<p>As a high-school visual arts teacher, I can tell you that my PA colleagues and I do encourage our serious students to attend summer intensives if possible, for several reasons: (1) to find out if this is the kind of college education/experience they want; (2) to hear feedback from other teachers and older students; (3) to meet and compare their work with that of peers from outside the community; and (4) to spend time immersed in their art form, which results in a qualitatively different kind of growth and expansion than can be experienced in the typical high-school schedule with a 45-minute arts class packed into a cluttered day. Many of our art, music, film, and theater students have applied for and received financial aid for these programs. We also encourage internships and community involvement if that’s possible. It all contributes to kids’ artistic growth and readiness for college.</p>
<p>It’s important to know what will work best for your child and to do what you can with the resources you have–a very individual decision. None of responding to the OP insinuated in any way that summer programs were a “must have” for admission to a BFA, only that our kids did benefit from having been able to attend them. A thoughtful approach will help your child make these choices without feeling either desperate about attending or defensive about having NOT attended.</p>
<p>Am editing this for a typo but just saw Marbleheader’s post and want to echo that indeed, her son IS awesome! also–we looked at the NCSA program too, and it seems great. In an earlier summer, my S also did a shorter, significantly less expensive program at UMinn that was very good. Many good options!</p>
<p>As usual, Times3 - you’ve wrapped up this thread nicely! Agree with everything you’ve said, and I think we’ve all given the OP enough info to make a decision on his/her summer plans. Only they can tell if they want to invest the time/$$ to do a program.</p>
<p>Thank you so much everyone! I am definitely going to do BUSTI this summer. Boston U is somewhere that I think I might want to go to for college, so thank you so much for the falling in love warnings-I’ll try my best.
Times3 & Marbleheader— I actually have read that thread that you all posted on as your kids were in BUSTI, and it was EXTREMELY helpful in making BUSTI my first choice summer program.
Josh703-wooow!! Guildhall!! congrats!
Thank you so much everyone! If anyone would like to post a review of their BUSTI experience, it would be immensely helpful.</p>
<p>Alyrose, if you’d like to pass along any questions, I expect our kids would be happy to answer (Josh too, obviously), so let me know! You can’t send PMs yet, but you can receive them, I think? so I could pass along my son’s contact info. He did that last year with a CC connection, and it did help. You will have a GREAT experience–so glad you’re able to do this! I think my son would definitely return if he could!</p>
<p>Just to echo on Times3 as far as the wealthy tag being totally incorrect.</p>
<p>There are some summer pograms that offer scholarships. Sometimes all you have to do is ask or check the programs website, see what they offer, and apply.</p>
<p>The summer programs take in a variety of kids from all types of background not just kids who live in the richest zip codes in the US.</p>
<p>@Times3 - thank you! I’m really happy I’m able to do this too-getting in was such a long shot. And I’m still in shock (being one of 60, 70 kids accepted is amazing!). And CC really does fix everything. If you get the chance and he has 5 minutes to answer some questions, that would be really great. My parents and grandparents have been hesitant on me going, so getting some answers on campus safety, going into Boston etc would be really helpful for winning them over. I appreciate more than I can say.</p>
<p>And as far as the whole scholarship thing, I agree. I live in northern NJ, so not exactly a rich kid here. And supposedly a lot of these programs are ‘need blind’</p>
<p>Hi Times…I was able to find him on FB and send him my questions. Poor kid, there must be like a million questions I asked haha…thank you so much for helping me out here!! I appreciate it!</p>
<p>^^No worries, Alyrose, I hope he answers you! He wasn’t home all day so has not been on the computer. But he did love BUSTI and told me that he’d be glad to talk with you, so be patient if necessary. It helps a lot to hear about it in advance…you won’t have so much Fear of the Unknown. Also, there are pictures from last summer on FB that might make it all seem more real.</p>
also–we looked at the NCSA program too, and it seems great. In an earlier summer, my S also did a shorter, significantly less expensive program at UMinn that was very good. Many good options!</p>
He wasn’t home all day so has not been on the computer. But he did love BUSTI and told me that he’d be glad to talk with you, so be patient if necessary. It helps a lot to hear about it in advance…you won’t have so much Fear of the Unknown. Also, there are pictures from last summer on FB that might make it all seem more real.</p>