<p>@MTTWInsinCa, I had to lol when you wrote : “But what if your kid is EXACTLY who Otterbein is looking for?” because that’s exactly what I said to my D when she nixed the school. And her reply was a good one, saying there are other schools that appear on paper to be a better fit than Otterbein, and she has to cut somewhere. And she is right. But @TIMES3, you are too. Its unfortunate we can’t make multiple trips (or even one trip) to the 18 schools to which she is applying. We will make trips if accepted of course, and she has taken some master classes at a couple campuses. But an in depth examination of each school is not possible prior to application.</p>
<p>Its pretty crazy this process, and I do think many kids fall through the cracks. I believe some kids “end up where they are meant to be” but many do not. Because they never apply, or worse, they apply to two or three Big Name schools. Or if they do make it to one of the Unifieds, they sing something from Wicked. Or inappropriate. Who knew they werent supposed to play Mama Rose? </p>
<p>I think we live on the “wrong coast” for MT. There are seriously competitive and talented kids in my area who never look beyond their state school. They simply cannot afford it. They cannot afford the application process and travel, they can’t afford the training or the tuition, their parents can’t afford the time. </p>
<p>But mostly, they don’t really know about all the stuff that can help one to be competitive on a national level. Those who live West of the Mississippi or attending arts high schools seem to know all this. Things like YoungArts and the Jimmy Awards and National Thespians. Most here have never heard of Interlochen, Stagedoor Manor or French Woods , MPulse or Baldwin Wallace Overtures. They think Moo is a drink and MTCA some government acronym, Goodness, they’ve never even heard of LaDucas! And I suspect this is not unique to the West. </p>
<p>Bisouu, if by “they only accept 4,” you meant “they only accept 4 girls for MT, 4 boys for MT, 4 girls for acting, 4 boys for acting, plus perhaps a few more dance concentrators,” then yes. They usually accept four per category. And as was the case with entertainersmom’s son, an MT applicant might be accepted as an acting major instead (other schools do this too, of course). But out of the 200 who actually audition (and the number of prescreens was a guess by someone in that earlier post–they said 400-500, not 700), there are at least 16 acceptances, and then some waitlisted students. The odds are slim, but it isn’t four or five out of 700. And 16-18 out of 200 is quite a bit better, so if a student makes it past the prescreen, their chances are more like 9% overall (as Soozievt points out, not accounting for how many are applying for MT vs. acting). </p>
<p>All I was saying was that 9% is quite different from the .5% that “5 out of 700” would imply! Hope that clarifies it somewhat. </p>
<p>I agree with Soozie also that you can’t always make generalizations about “hardest schools” from those kinds of statistics. Some programs have a self-selecting applicant pool; Otterbein isn’t on everyone’s radar to begin with, and based on conversations with h.s. kids at my own school, a small town outside of Columbus, Ohio, is not always perceived as the ideal location for an acting program. My son wanted a smaller school in exactly the kind of environment that Westerville provides, and while he applied to a range of places, this was his dream school for many reasons. It wouldn’t suit everybody! It’s just like “normal” college applications–the big names and glamorous locations (and high-profile sports programs) attract a lot more applicants than the smaller non-name-brand schools that you have to do your homework to even hear about. Think about women’s colleges, for example: their applicant pool is automatically smaller because they only appeal to women who want that kind of environment. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have to be smart to get in–just that the original applicant pool is smaller so the overall odds are somewhat higher. Just one of many reasons that this whole process is so complicated and fascinating! :)</p>
<p>Gotcha, bisouu, but that’s not 4 out of the whole applicant pool–I know you know that–just want to make it clear for people just reading this, that of the 200 who actually audition, a relatively small proportion are acting applicants (of either sex). Maybe it’s more like 4 female acting majors out of…30-40? My memory of the numbers for 2013 is vague and unreliable. </p>
<p>YES @uskoolfish! With sons at two different programs, both of whom have done summerstock with kids from all over the country and many different schools, I’m still amazed how few MT parents I meet have even heard of these CC MT and Acting boards, let alone gotten involved.</p>
<p>I really do not think there is an accurate way to quantify “chances”. There are simply too many variables. Cast an informed/thoughtful wide net (whatever your schedule/budget will allow) and hopefully you will catch something. That’s all anyone can hope for. </p>
<p>For certain there is no accurate way to quantify “chances” on the artistic front of BFA admissions. You can get some evaluation as to if you are in the ballpark to apply and are a viable candidate to attend a BFA program. After that, it is too hard to predict which specific programs may accept you. There are some extremely rough (inaccurate) ideas of which are the most competitive programs and such that can factor into building the list. A balanced list that is appropriate for an individual applicant is important. Each applicant’s list should vary from the next kid when many factors are taken into consideration to build one’s list.</p>
<p>I agree 100% with @MTmom2015. Do your research and select schools that are a good “fit” for you regardless of the chatter out there about the program. </p>
<p>Another reason why these attempts to quantify are silly is that programs become “hot” or not based on factors that are impossible to discern. For example, TSU is hot now so its harder to get into than it would have been 4 years ago. The game changes so much every single year that more than 2-3 years out and the information is pretty stale.</p>
<p>Not only does “hotness” change, so can the specifics of what a school is looking for from year to year especially for a small program that needs to balance what they have to round out their program. For example, a school might have their fill of amazing leading ladies and only want to admit women that are strong dancers that would be content in the chorus. Or they might seek a more diverse look including different ethnicities. If you are the type they need that year, your odds of getting in are far stronger than if you are not. The thing is, you often don’t know up front what they are looking for and thus, the mystery of who gets in where and who doesn’t.</p>
That’s all anyone can hope for. </p>