Leading non-audition schools

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>If theater programs only WERE recruiting....:D. Like AlwaysAMom says, they don't. Spots are filled via audition. If it is any comfort, my D (and most of us can say this) was a complete unknown at all of her BFA auditions. </p>

<p>About the sports....first, NotMamaRose, yes, CAMP, the movie, was filmed at Stagedoor Manor and was written/directed by an alum of the camp loosely based on HIS experiences of having gone there (but ask any kid who goes, they'll tell you that it did not seem at all like Stagedoor other than the on location set). I think that scene about basketball was to make a point. They have tennis courts, a basketball court and a volleyball area and I don't think they ever get used. Most kids are there for their theater passion and the day is taken up by that. I even think in free time that kids are either socializing or learning lines, etc. </p>

<p>Many kids in the arts are not into sports but many are or are athletic. My daughter who is now in a BFA program in MT.....she grew up doing sports a lot. She did soccer for 8 years, ski racing for 8 years, figure skating for 9 years, horseback riding for 4 years, and a little bit of gymnastics and Little League when much younger. All the while, she also was in dance and theater and music (instrumental and choral). But what happened was that her passion in musical theater and the commitments that started to take over, turned into lots of schedule conflicts with soccer team and ski training program, and figure skating, that eventually mid way through middle school, she gave those up to just do more and more of what she was doing in performing arts only. She did not give up instruments or jazz band though but those relate. She hasn't done sports in a while now. </p>

<p>My older D grew up just like the younger (BFA in MT) one...instruments, band/chorus/jazz band, dance, musical theater but also sports every year (soccer, ski racing, softball, eventually tennis, horseback riding and figure skating). THAT daughter never wanted to give up her sports or her performing arts and so she kept one half of herself in sports (three varsity sports in HS) and one side in performing arts (two instruments, band, jazz band, various dance classes, theater was just in summer due to schedule conficts w/ ski team). She is the "well rounded" type. </p>

<p>But to truly go on in one of these fields, be it a sport or a performing art, at some point, you do have to specialize and throw your all into that one thing. For my well rounded kid, these things are extracurricular pursuits and passions but for my theater kid, this is HER LIFE and her college Major and hopefully CAREER. So, it made sense for her to start to put lots of eggs in one basket and focus on training in this one area (which has several related parts to it, so it is not really just one thing....be it music, instruments, dance, acting, theater work). My other daughter cannot achieve TOPS in her activities on a big scale (nationally etc) unless she had focused on one sport year round and she would never do that as she would not give up her other sports or her arts activities but that was right for her. She achieved in each area, often on a local, regional or state level. Her biggest passion is ski racing and while she would never be competitive with those who only did that and attended ski academies for high school, which she opted NOT to do, she still is on the Div. 1 varsity team at Brown and got to go to collegiate Nationals last year where her team came in second and it was quite the thrill. But she can never be at the top, which is fine by her and us, as she does more than ONE thing. Right now, in college, she is no longer doing all of her "loves" because the commitment JUST to the varsity team is DAILY. So for now, the one love that has the most eggs in her basket is ski racing! We can only tell one child to break a leg, however :D. </p>

<p>So count me in as a sports AND arts mom. Last year, every weekend I was at either a college theater audition or on a mountain watching a college ski race. But I have spent countless hours at games and matches in several sports and so rather miss it now. </p>

<p>Susan
aka soccer mom, tennis mom, band mom, ski racing mom, figure skating mom, theater mom, dance mom, etc.</p>

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<p>Believersmom...I had no idea your daughter also did soccer and ski racing. Both mine too! One gave both those things up in middle school but the other is still doing both now in college! </p>

<p>Sporti, you are right that at some point, when the commitments to each sport or art became greater, choices had to be made. One of mine gave up ski racing because she wanted voice lessons and her pointe class also met on the ski training day and so that choice had to be made. I do have a kid who kept a foot in each area....was a juggle but she is not going into one of these things as a college major or career and they are passions on the "side". </p>

<p>I hear you on how it is weird when others find out you actually did sports at one time and are now in theater. I made each of my girls a gigantic poster sized framed collage of approx. 200 photos of their lives for graduation and these hang in the dorm rooms and I think some are suprised at the theater kid's school to see photos of her ski racing, in soccer, in horseback riding shows, etc. I think my other kids' friends may be surprised to see her in various musical theater and dance show costumes as she is not doing that at college and they likely know her as the girl on the ski team and club soccer team. LOL
Susan</p>

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<p>Yeah, and she is hanging on for dear life, burning the candles at both ends trying to maintain the sports team involvement. Ski racing may be a good thing, as she has the potential to go to state on varsity for four years[great achievement she keeps pointing out and I do agree however...] but this spring, her F and I may put our foot down on the soccer [unless she can figure out how to study in her sleep!].</p>

<p>Okay, I guess we should quit hijacking this thread, what was it about again? Oh yeah, NON-audition schools with MT...</p>

<p>IS Ball State one???</p>

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<p>Back to the MT recruitment topic......</p>

<p>While college MT programs do not send "scouts" to high school performances or pre-recruit students before auditions like big time athletic programs do, once a student has auditioned for a program it is possible that the school will let the student know that that they are very interested, even before an official acceptance has gone out. I have first hand knowledge of this. Also, once acceptances have gone out, schools absolutely DO try and help students see why coming to their program would be a good choice. Phone calls are made by prestigious faculty, letters are sent, students may be contacted by working alumni, current students call "prospectives" and current parents are made available to talk with the prospective's parents, etc.</p>

<p>It is naive to think that there is no competition between the top programs to "land" the top students. As MTDad wrote quite awhile ago, these programs understand that the best advertising for their programs is the success of their graduates and the more talented the students they recruit, the higher liklihood that their graduates will be successful and the cycle will continue. That's just the way it is.</p>

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<p>That's so true, theatremom,</p>

<p>My students are continuing to get letters and even personal phone calls from the heads of theatre/musical theatre to plead with them to accept their offers after NET auditions, or to apply to their schools' theatre/mt department with an enticement of scholarship $.</p>

<p>My older daughter was a state ranked competitive swiimer and varsity college rower. Although none of this is exactly the same, there are similarities, I am recognizing that now. Hadn't though of it before. Interesting.</p>

<p>xxx,Mary Anna</p>

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<p>I still maintain that it is a very different 'kettle of fish' for these drama kids than it is for recruited athletes. While it's true that some students may get letters thanking them for auditioning or letters expressing some level of 'interest' after offers of admission are made, my point was that it is not done at every school and it is not the same process as it is for recruited athletes. The similarities are very slight. I don't think any of us is naive enough to believe that schools do not want to 'land' the absolute best students they can but I also think that it's a disservice to those who are at the beginning of this process to indicate that there are spots reserved ahead of time for any particular group of students. I have never heard any indication from anyone I know, either parents, students, individual schools, or people 'in the business' that this is the case. And I'd also like to add that I'd be very wary of a school where the director of a program has to plead with students to accept their offer.</p>

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<p>Hey</p>

<p>This might be off topic now but I am going back to the original thread title "Leading Non Auditioning Schools" OK I am going to advocate one right now, Northwestern University. </p>

<p>hmmmm how do I put this...it is the perfect school for someone who knows exactly what they want which for me was: COnservatory training with a liberal arts education sandwhiched on top of that. I am not gonna lie...I rarely have time for much else but the training I am receiving here is amazing. IN my first quarter my class schedule was filled with these courses: Voice for PErformance, PRivate VOice, MT SEminar and TEchniques, PIano, BAllet, MT DAnce, TAp, Theater in Context, Intro to Shakespeare. Also we had some AMAZING master classes this quarter with the addition of the American Music theater project workshopping new works with our students. The first production "WAS" I absolutely thoguht was amazing. The talent here, also, in MT is ridiculous. It is extremely competitve...Something to keep in mind though...MT really is an audition program, you just audition end of Fresh year so it is a gamble. But even the MT classes I am in this quarter are by audition only. So it is pretty selective...but I stand by the fact...if you know what u want and u are confident in your talent...come here...there is nothing I would change about my school and I would not want to be anywhere else...</p>

<p>course many schools are wonderful!</p>

<p>All my best!</p>

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<p>Good point you make alwaysamom,</p>

<p>I don't know anything about reserving spots. I suppose each school is different in how and when they make their offers. I don't think the kids should worry much about that.</p>

<p>Let me correct, maybe plead is too strong a word. Maybe encouraging or recruiting is a better term. Some of these college reps are actually called recruiters on their business cards. They certainly have been very aggressive about pursing some of my students. Whatever you wish to call it. Some of the schools are considered top tier on this board, so no need to be wary.
Thanks for the interest, though.</p>

<p>good luck to everyone,
xxx,Mary Anna</p>

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<p>Alwaysamom,</p>

<p>I'm not sure what you mean by "reserved ahead of time for a group of students." That is certainly not what I wrote or meant. And as far as "pleading" with students to attend their program, I hope this is just a semantic misunderstanding. Why is it wrong for a department to give personal attention to a student who has already auditioned or been accepted or to offer addditional information that might persuade them to seriously consider their school or accept the offer of admission? How is it a disservice to those beginning this process to know that things like this take place? Can you clarify your concerns?</p>

<p>In all honesty, the scenarios that Mary Anna has shared about schools making offers to a VERY small and select portion of the audition pool before seeing most of what's out there is something I find a little disturbing. But it also seems to me that most of the offers she has described have been for straight acting or for tech theater placements. I hope she will correct me if my assumption is wrong. So many of her students seem to be actors not MT hopefuls so I think her posts can be a bit confusing at times. Hope you can clarify as well, Mary Anna.</p>

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<p>I am reposting my original post from the NET audition thread. Hope this makes it more clear theatremom. This is just the result for my students.</p>

<p>All these are results contingent upon the receipt of a completed application. </p>

<p>Cincinatti Dept. of Drama offered places in their freshmen class to one male and one female for acting</p>

<p>Marymount Manhattan accepted one female for acting (mt minor pending)</p>

<p>BoCo made offers to one female for MT and another female pending the mailing of supplemental materials</p>

<p>Webster offered one male for theatre and one female for MT</p>

<p>Santa Fe accepted two females for MT</p>

<p>C.W. Post/Long Island University accepted one male and 2 females for theatre</p>

<p>OU accepted two females for theatre (one had a completed app)</p>

<p>Otterbein called back 5 of my students and enthusiastically encouraged them to audition in Chicago so Dr. John and his faculty heads could see the scope of their talent.</p>

<p>There were so many other call backs, it seems silly to list all of them here. And likely more firm offers. Problem is, many schools we frankly didn't have time to even go to the call back. Call backs are only scheduled for a 2 hour period and when you have a large number of schools calling you back and they take a long time with you, it's hard to have time to make it to every school.
I prioritize my students' call back list to try to avoid this problem but even though, I still had a student who never made his call back from Evansville and we don't know if it was a firm offer or an invitation for an on campus audition. That makes me sick to have missed that. Evansville would be a great match for this kid. I will have to follow up and find out.</p>

<p>Based on their GPA/ SAT/ACT scores, students were told with certainty of the academic scholarship awards that would be available to them should they decide to attend that particular school.</p>

<p>Talent scholarships were discussed and offered verbally from some schools' department heads and reps, the exact amount of which were not confirmed but a range was discussed.</p>

<p>Department heads who were present assured students of their acceptance based on what they had seen that day and offered personal support during the admission process, should any problems arise.</p>

<p>That's as specific as my students/parents are willing to let me go at this point. I hope that answers some questions posted here. For more info, contact the colleges directly.</p>

<p>xxxx,Mary Anna</p>

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<p>cadget03--</p>

<p>Try to repost this on the new Northwestern sub thread. It will be more helpful for a newbie who is curious about your program.</p>

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<p>Thanks Mary Anna!</p>

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<p>theatermom, my comment, which you quoted, was in reference to the original discussion and question which was asked by fluffqueen, if I'm not mistaken. In athletic recruitment, when a coach 'wants' a particular athlete and indicates such, a spot is 'reserved' for that athlete, sometimes even prior to an application being submitted. The coach is very involved in the admissions process itself for his/her list of athletes and may be the one to tip a candidate to the positive side of the accepted list within the admissions office. Recruited athletes are often invited to campus and are as close to 'wined and dined' as the rules allow. All of this takes place before an admissions decision is even made. My point was that THIS type of situation does not exist in the world of theatre auditions and admissions. </p>

<p>These kids audition and then some receive nice letters thanking them for auditioning, but that's just some kids, and some schools. Not all schools do this and I just wanted to make it clear to the new parents and kids here that they shouldn't start worrying if they don't happen to hear from a school shortly after they audition. I don't see anything wrong with schools indicating interest, I'm sorry if that is how it came across in my comment. My 'pleading' comment was in direct response to this comment of Mary Anna's:</p>

<p>"My students are continuing to get letters and even personal phone calls from the heads of theatre/musical theatre to plead with them to accept their offers "</p>

<p>I will state again that I'd be wary of any school that felt the need to have the director calling a student and pleading with them to accept. It's unprofessional, in my opinion. It's one thing, as a school representative, to be a proponent of your program and to explain the benefits fully to a prospective student, but pleading? I don't see that as a positive reflection of the school. There are a lot of very talented kids out there on the audition circuit and I don't see the need for pleading for acceptances. If it's a semantics issue, that's fine but that certainly wasn't the way it was originally described. I share your concern about some of these schools making these offers to these kids in Texas, some without even having received an application. I'd be interested to know if these offers come in writing, or if they're just oral offers made on the spot. The whole scenario just doesn't sit well with me.</p>

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<p>Okay so since this is the thread about NON-Audition Schools, can we please go back to that?</p>

<p>Not making judgements here, just making a request. I'll even start a new thread for those that want to continue the recruiting discussion...give me two minutes.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone!</p>

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<p>Ball State is NOT a non-audition school - you must audition into MT. However, I believe, although no audition program can really be considered a "safety", the competition may not be as stringent as at many of the other schools discussed here.</p>

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<p>alwaysamom,
I must say, respectfully, I don't understand why you continue to voice your skepticism about this NET audition/call-back/offer/recruitment process. I guess I am not explaining it well. Please forgive me.</p>

<p>All I can tell you what I have already stated in previous posts. These are real offers in writing, snail mail, email, verbal. Some have follow up personal phone calls urging/encouraging students to accept the offer or apply with scholarship offers. </p>

<p>These are excellent theatre/mt programs at some of the top universities and certainly nothing to be wary or afraid of. If my students are reading this, I would hope they would not be "wary" of taking one of these offers. I sincerely appreciate your concern but feel I am the best person to advise them.</p>

<p>As another poster remarked, these kids have already auditioned and the schools are ready and very eager to accept them. I already corrected myself that maybe saying pleading was too strong a word and that aggressively encouraging or recruiting would be more appropriate. </p>

<p>If there is anything else I can do or say or write that will help you to understand this, please let me know and I will be happy to take another stab.</p>

<p>Best of luck to you and your students and others reading,</p>

<p>xxx,Mary Anna.</p>

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<p>Thank you MusThCC! :)</p>

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<p>Auditions are the way to go. I had a rejection overturned and got a bunch of scholarship money. Yes, I had actually received a rejection letter then like two days later I was admitted. So in my opinion it can help in most cases unless you are talking about a top program or conservatory.</p>

<p>As far as non-audition schools go, Drew U would be tops on my list. Its a small school but the theatre department is tremendous.</p>

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<p>Does Drew U offer MT? Are you a student there?</p>

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<p>I have two student/clients applying to Drew. They offer a BA in Theater. They have a London semester and a NYC semester. There are 1500 undergrads at Drew and it is near NYC. It is not a MT program. Howver, as I have mentioned elsewhere over the years on the forum (as has DoctorJohn) there are BA schools with theater departments but also where there are musical theater opportunities on campus and this may be a good option for some kids to study theater but also have MT productions available. Drew does put on some musicals and this year they are doing Urinetown. The theater program seems to have extensive productions. </p>

<p>This school no longer requires SATs, though their mid 50% range of scores of accepted students are: V 550-670 and M 550-650. 68% of those accepted graduated in the top quarter of their high school class. Overall, 72% are accepted to the college.<br>
Susan</p>