Hi! I sent in my prescreen for Ithaca for MT BFA and they replied and told me that they would like to see me audition in person for acting instead of musical theatre. Is this bad? Now I’m all nervous that I won’t pass any musical theatre prescreens or that my singing was bad on my video or something… is this common to call you back for a different major?
Also, how common is it to pass a prescreen? For example, are the people who pass the prescreens those who are seriously being considered for the top spots… or those who they believe have some potential?
Thanks!
It is also strange because I’ve always thought of myself as a stronger singer than actor.
Congratulations for passing Ithaca’s prescreen @BeccaW444! @monkey13 could better answer this than I since her D is a current student at Ithaca, but I believe there is a lot of crossover with the Acting and MT students at Ithaca. The training for sure is first rate. Read up on the acting degree curriculum and see what you think. Investigate if acting majors can take voice, dance, participate in musicals, etc…If it is a school in which you think you will get the training you wish, I would go for it. I would not take it as a judgement about your singing. You may be just what they are looking for to add to their acting program this year.
As far as major changes, it is fairly common that students may be offered a spot in an alternate program to MT if they don’t have a spot for them in the MT program.
I have no idea what that means, but at least you heard back and they want to see more of you, congratulations on that! My S sent in his prescreen early October and still hasn’t heard back - just wondering whether any boys have received prescreen results from Ithaca?
@BeccaW444 - passing a prescreen is a first milestone and something to be celebrated! But there is still a ways to go to be accepted to a school. For the most popular schools, like Ithaca, they will still audition hundreds of people in person after the prescreen process before deciding on a class. So there is still work to do! But you should feel good you passed the prescreen as there are many people who do not get that far. Work hard on preparing for that live audition and knock their socks off when the time comes!
I remember that it happened last year too and I know at least one of those students had multiple MT offers at the so called top schools so I wouldn’t be concerned that their decision means you shouldn’t pursue MT. When we visited Ithaca two years ago, we were told that there is a lot of crossover between acting and MT. Students there say that if one is accepted for acting that they should seriously consider taking the offer. Our tour guide was an acting major and he said that they don’t know who is acting or MT in their classes until dance class.
Did your son turn in his application yet?
BeccaW444, if your question is directed to me, yes my S turned in his academic application to Ithaca Sept. 21 and his prescreens October 5…that’s why I was wondering, as it has been a while…
There was a mom a couple of years ago whose son applied for MT, got accepted off the Ithaca WL into acting and then, I think, was given an opportunity to switch after he got there. I’m guessing that’s not super common, but it did happen once at least.
@LifeIsAMusical, My son’s Ithaca app must be waiting in the pile with yours. He sent the pre-screen in early Sept and there is still no word. I’m guessing he is a “maybe” and Ithaca is waiting to see in anything better comes along…
Or, our boys are AWESOME but they are reviewing in reverse order! 
Also, they may be reviewing prescreens of those who’ve applied Early Decision…because that audition date is fast approaching! (trying to stay positive)!
daughter has friend who was in same situation year before last as jkellynh17 friend…now in MT BFA after accepting acting and then clearing the MT waitlist
I was looking back at notes from the year my D auditioned (2013). She did not apply to Ithaca. But it looks like from what I could tell, people were guessing that the prescreens were reviewed in the order of the audition date requested? I’m not sure if that was true then, or if it is true now. But there was a feeling that ED was done first, the early audition date prior to Christmas break, then January, February and so on. Again, don’t know if there is any truth in that, but may be an explanation. Also it looks like that year the passing of the prescreen notification was made through the Acceptd site.
Same here, have not heard anything from them or Texas
D sent in Ithaca pre-screen last week for MT and Acting- got email today to BFA Acting audition…
wow…we jumped the gun on this one! The email that she received is an invite to “apply” to BFA Acting at Ithaca after reviewing her getaccptd profile. I need to simmer down! Good thing my kid is calm…
Sorry guys, I haven’t been on in awhile. Just to clarify: First, Ithaca has not had a WL these past years. I don’t know if they will have one this year, but last year and at least 3 years prior, there was no WL. It was either yes or no or redirect from MT to Acting. Second, I know of one boy who was offered his choice of MT or Acting. This is unusual. But to my knowledge, no one has ever moved from Acting to MT once there. It has not happened since my D has been there (3 years), and as far as I know it did not happen in recent history. However, as others have noted, people DO move from MT to Acting fairly often. Ithaca takes their acting very seriously. If your child sent in a pre-screen for MT and was invited to audition for Acting, good for you!!! And, as others have mentioned, the MT and Acting programs are very tight. They take the same dance and acting classes…they are very integrated. Acting students can also take voice lessons (at an extra cost). If you applied for MT and got asked to audition for acting, they saw something in you they are interested in seeing more of. Go for it. I know a number of kids who opted for Ithaca’s acting program instead of other MT programs and are very happy. (Remember, Josh Gad was an Acting major at CMU…not a MT.)
All that being said, Ithaca will first answer the people who applied ED. They seem to say yes to the people they definitely want to see, no’s to the people they don’t, and then kind of take a wait-and-see with the ones they aren’t sure of. This could be due to type, etc…not just talent. So if you haven’t heard immediately you are still being considered. If you really need to know for scheduling, call them… good luck!
Good to know, @monkey13. Do you have any insight into how the students feel about their major when they are redirected? I don’t want my son to go to a college where he feels he is second-best. Do redirected students get over it pretty quickly and end up feeling they are in the right place within an acting program? Or do they miss MT? Personally, I feel like Acting may be the better choice, as it prepares students for employment in multiple media, beyond song and dance, but my kid is in love with MT right now. . .
@claire74 We know a few kids from our area who were MT kids but got into Ithaca for Acting and attended. As others have stated, the two majors are very interconnected there. These Acting students still got to take dance and voice and were in musicals. So, even if your son ends up there, he would not be giving up MT really. The program is a very strong program and so it is worthwhile to still consider it for Acting. Acting is not a second tier major there. It is a very strong Acting program in itself.
As an aside, there were quite a number of MT kids in the Acting studios at Tisch, where my D landed for MT (she got into Ithaca MT too though). Many of these kids still took voice and were cast in musicals and some are now in musicals professionally, including on Broadway.