<p>Susan, I sent you a PM. I sometimes forget to check mine so I thought I'd post here to let you know! :)</p>
<p>Alwaysamom, thanks I got it and replied. I do not use PM that much but it is really a great option on CC!</p>
<p>Another parent who posted on another thread said that she was informed that last year they took only 3, yes 3 total male or female, in the EA round for BFA for MT at Emerson which coincides with what the admissions counselor said of the handful this year. They just seem to want to hold this next smallish pile of "accepted but deferred for BFA for MT" until they see all auditionees this spring as they can't take too many yet because they can only take a small class in the first place. So, there remains hope to just be on this pile if they take 50% from it which beats the normal 5% odds at these programs! So, it is not like it is over there yet but just a longer wait. It appears just making this small percentage that fell into this pile was not that easy. I saw and met many of the hundreds of teens who tried out and many sound enormously talented and have strong backgrounds in this field. It is pretty daunting. As another parent termed it, it is like she made callbacks for casting a show. This is not for the faint hearted, I'll tell ya. Once my D was called back five times in NYC for the lead on a national Broadway tour and then did not get it when down to the final three being told by the producer that her skin tone was not as pale for the role as the others (who were blond, she is not). That is what happens in this field and you do not enter into it unless you are prepared for this. </p>
<p>Cangel....you asked if she would hear from each school as we go along....in general, NO. She applied EA to Emerson only because it was the one school that offered that option and it allowed her to have a chance to hear from one school earlier on, a school she truly likes, and get one audition under her belt in Dec. when the other seven are in a short span of time in Jan./Feb. Some say don't audition to your first choice school first. She actually is auditioning with different material at the next school for various reasons that would bore anyone not familiar with this field. The only exception that I know of where she does not wait until April is that UMichigan is rolling....they work a bit differently. For one thing, THAT school and none of the others, you must pass academic review (which is rolling admissions) first in order to even be invited to audition (not so elsewhere) and so she already passed that gate and got invited to audition and she goes in Jan. The first group auditioned there in Nov. and her best friend was rejected (and is very talented and just got in EA to Emerson for the BFA) and so heard already cause she went that date. My understanding with UMich is that you can hear that you got accepted soon after the auditions, or be denied or get nothing and still be considered til they hold more audition dates. The rest of the schools, I think tell everyone at once in spring. It will be a long winter. </p>
<p>Angst...I do not quite know the answer to your question if you go to Emerson for BA if you can transfer into BFA. I sorta think not (because the program is small in number) but you can major in theater studies and be in productions there. I don't quite know but honestly my child is looking to go to a BFA professional training program for musical theater specifically and that is her first choice and the only thing she has even applied to. If she was gonna go for a BA, there were more challenging schools academically she could have gone for than Emerson (she happens to be a good student too) though Emerson for a BA has lots of theater so that part is good. I am not going to think BA there for now but yes, she is admitted to college, so that is nice. My hope is that at least one of the BFA programs takes her and Emerson itself would make her a happy camper as she would attend. The odds are so difficult but I believe, or as others who know her work will say she will get in some where.</p>
<p>It is a little like playing the Ivy League stakes (though much worse odds actually) and you don't apply unless you know you have the goods to be in the ballpark...or I should amend that to you SHOULD NOT apply unless you are reasonably in the ballpark. That said, she never would enter these high stakes odds unless she had what it took to be considered. I am only her mom, so am biased, but I do think she has a chance to go some where for this, particularly based on what she has achieved to date in the field and what others predict who work with her. The hard part for me is to have others say she will get into a lot of places when I know that is not likely given the slim odds (had a hard time dealing with folks saying that about other D too). Still, I will admit she has a chance as much as anyone orwould not have let her go for it. (I should amend that because "letting" is not where it is at with this kid...she takes the lead and she is the one who makes us let her). Where there is strong will, there is a way. Believe in oneself....the rest will follow. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>What a fascinating situation. And how wonderfully your daughter is keeping her focus. I remember well the thread about the play she is directing at school, and I think I have never before heard of such commitment and dedication. I feel sure that your daughter's choices will be broad in April. I think it is very clever of Emerson to hold out the carrot in this manner, but I can see it would be a little crazy-making for a mom! Best wishes!</p>
<p>Susan,</p>
<p>I'm not a parent, but I'm an aspiring opera singer who will be pursuing a dual degree from Tufts University and the New England Conservatory starting next fall (I got in last year and deferred for a year). I just wanted to say that while I'm very sorry that your daughter did not get accepted right away, it does not surprise me as fine arts/music schools (particularly ones that aren't quite as large as Tisch at NYU) don't like to commit to students. This is because for fine arts/music schools, unlike normal, solely educational-based schools, it is far more difficult to predict the quality of applicants and the quantity of applicant of quality (I hope that made sense) that they might get in a given year. Therefore, perhaps they'll accept 2-3 truly exceptional students and defer the rest until they have heard them all. This in no way speaks badly of your daughter's chances. I think this is actually a good sign, as she is obviously still being considered and given the small percentage of people that are accepted at these schools, that fact alone is a very good sign. </p>
<p>I wish both of your daughters the best of luck!</p>
<p>-Julia</p>
<p>Soozie:
:) to the acceptance part. :( to the deferral part. Congrats to your D for handling it well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her... as Thomas Edison said, luck is the residue of hard work. My best to both of your Ds (so glad to hear that the oldest is doing well).</p>
<p>Susan-
Your D is both talented and tenacious- definitely characteristics that'll bode well for her in her professional life! Reading about the miniscule numbers of EA acceptees at Emerson really puts things into perspective. Her deferral for the BFA program there doesn't sound like anything to be taken lightly. She must be highly regarded by the school to have made it this far already. Congrats to her! Are the admissions for the BFA program at UMich similar? I was curious if students who pass the academic review can have the option of doing a BA if not accepted into the BFA program. It all sounds so complicated and competitive. You're right when saying that the process is much more difficult than Ivy admissions.</p>
<p>Soozie-- agree with how wonderful your daughter is, and how great that she takes these things in stride.</p>
<p>Is there plan b-- i.e. does she have a safety she loves? Sounds as though Emerson wouldn't be a great fit if she were just doing the academic program... does she have time to put an application in to one or two places for a traditional BA where she'd be a sure admit which might have more challenging academics in case the MT thing doesn't pan out for this year given the atrocious odds????</p>
<p>Aries, Kissy, Blossum....thanks for your thoughtfulness and encouragement. </p>
<p>Kissy...the other schools besides Emerson do not have Early action and all these different "decisions". You either get in or you don't. That is my understanding of it but I could be wrong? UMichigan is rolling. Their process is a bit different than the others on my D's list. At UM, you apply rolling and you must "pass" academic review and be invited to audition as they don't want to bother auditioning kids who cannot be admitted academically. Both the regular admissions office and the School of Music (under which Musical Theater dept. resides at that college) review the application and then issue the invitation to audition. Extensive paper work was required and my D had to have a 7 page resume just for the music division! She got the invitation to audition. Due to rolling admission, they held one audition date already in Nov. (my D did not apply by Sept. 15 which was necessary for that audition date) and applied first week of October. After an audition date, they either accept, deny, or issue nothing until they hold onto you until they see further auditions. Again, just talking UM's procedure now. My D's best (out of state) friend who is very talented in musical theater, auditioned in Nov. at UM, her first choice (it truly is one of a handful of the best programs in the country for this field) and got rejected. While she was highly disappointed, she is one of the "handful" that Emerson now took in this early round. It can go like that! Anyway, there is a chance to hear from UM, therefore, before April due to the rolling admissions thing or to have to wait. My D auditions Jan. 14 there.</p>
<p>However, EVERY SINGLE ONE of her colleges has an admit rate of between 5-9% so all have daunting odds. The size of each program differs though the admit rates are all competitive. UM takes 20 kids into the class. Penn State takes about 16, Carnegie Mellon takes about 16, Emerson maybe 20-25? NYU takes 60 but many more apply so MT acceptance rate is still under 10%. If you do not get into the BFA, I don't think you are admitted AT ALL at these other schools. The Emerson decision was not one I had known about but they do have a BA in theater studies so I guess they mean she is in at least for that but they are not really building their BFA for musical theater class until they see all the auditions this winter and she is kinda like in this "hold" pile that is small from what the adcom said and from which they took half from this small pile in spring. </p>
<p>So, I do not think she has the option of going to any of these schools if not in for the BFA and just doing their BA, except I guess she now has that choice at Emerson. Frankly, she has no interest in a BA program for this and normally a BA is just acting not musical theater and she only wants musical theater and she would never give up both singing and dancing. If she were gonna go for a BA, she could go for a more selective school than Emerson (not knocking Emerson as it is selective but she is in the upper range of their academic profile and in fact is a candidate for Honors College there plus the adcom even told me she stood out academically). I suppose if she did a BA at Emerson, it has the advantage over other BA schools in that they offer a ton of theater stuff. I can't even think about that as I don't think she is looking at that option but I guess it helps she is actually admitted some place. </p>
<p>Blossum, you ask a VERY good question as to what is plan B. I would be the FIRST to tell a student, to not apply to all reach schools but to have a balance of reach, match, and safety schools on your list. But if you were familiar with BFA programs in MT, and you will hear this on the musical theater forum from other parents, NONE of these programs are safety schools! It is just a different ballgame than the usual college admissions process. While they all have very very low admit rates, some are more reknowned programs, not sure how else to put it. I feel weird saying this but getting into the BFA program at Ithaca (clearly a great program and well thought of) is not the same as saying you are in at Carnegie or UMich. I don't know if that makes it easier to get in cause it is still highly competiive in terms of how many they take from hundreds who try. Not sure if that comes off right but that is another side of it. Though honestly they are all hard to get into and all the same kids are trying for all the same schools! Just among the kids we know who are trying for this, they are very very talented and that does not even count the thousands we don't know! My D has many friends who just got into NYU/Tisch ED. </p>
<p>I don't know how to say this without it coming off inappropriately....and afterall, I AM her mom.....but as worried or nervous as I am if she will get into any of these programs.....she is able to self assess her talent amongst those she knows in the field as well as numerous older theater friends who have been admitted to all these programs and she is applying, should I say, appropriately where she does stand a chance, even if the odds are overwhelmingly selective. She has spent seven summers at an intensive theater program out of state where the most accomplished kids have been admitted to all these BFA programs. So far this fall, again, that is coming true. To be honest, she is also amongst that accomplished group in that program, which helps with some perspective. She has achieved at the "top" there and also in our state. A good friend in our state, with some similar accomplishments just got in ED to NYU/Tisch, one of my D's favorites but she chose not to apply ED. I think she is able to assess herself among those that do get in, and other adults in the field also are highly encouraging. I do get concerned when other parents who know her keep telling me she is going to get into a lot of these programs but I take that with a BIG grain of salt because the odds are so crappy and I heard folks say that about my other D in terms of elite colleges and I know the story there too. Does she have what it takes? Of course, I am her mom, what am I gonna say? LOL...but as objective as I can be, yes. She has the background or achievements to date to be in this pool and do well. The rest remains to be seen. I get nervous that so much rides on what happens in the audition and they do not see her body of work in actual shows, and so forth, but the colleges know what they are doing .</p>
<p>There is a LOT of subjectivity involved in this process as it is not like SAT scores and GPA stuff. To give an example of perspective, my D auditioned for a national competition in musical theater. Kids from all over the country, many who attend the finest performing arts high schools (we don't have those where we live) auditioned. She got an award that went to the top 10% and is the only winner from our state in any of the arts categories out of 6500 applicants. So, she has this one tiny measure in a national sphere. Now, her best bud, who is extremely talented in this field, auditioned for that and did not get an award, though won one for creative writing. This girl is now one of the "handful", likely less than five, that Emerson took in the early action round. I don't know why she did not get an award for MT nationally as she is extremely talented but that had certain judges and now Emerson had other judges and she was at the top in this audition process, so the subjective factor comes into play. The girlfriend from our state who just got into musical theater at NYU ED, is VERY talented. My D won the state scholarship for voice last year and she did not. It does not make my D any more talented, believe me, this girl is GREAT. Does that mean my D can also get into NYU for MT? She has been equally if not more accomplished some of the times. Who knows?? Not sure if that gives you a look at this whole deal. </p>
<p>As far as plan B, I know I sound like an utter jerk, as knowledgeable as I am about college admissions, but there is no back up if she does not get into any of the 8 BFA programs. I guess I feel confident that at least one will happen for her, even if I am sounding dumb about that. Others tell me she will have a choice. I only hope that ONE works out. </p>
<p>If this does not go her way, we will have to discuss what she would do next year. Just going for a BA is not where her passion lies. She happens to be an excellent student and gifted writer but as much as she wants to ALSO study liberal arts (one fo the appeals of UM and NYU is that not only do they have great conservatory training but also very good academics and she cares about that too), she does not want to ONLY do liberal arts. This might be hard to explain but this kid is very very very passionate about musical theater. She would term musical theater as her raison d'etre. It is who she is. She cannot NOT do it. She does not want to do it as merely an EC any longer. </p>
<p>Continued....sorry so long but it not only is a chance to explain it, but it helps me to contemplate all these what if's too!.....</p>
<p>What would we do? I am not sure yet. Also, in case, you may have not realized, she OPTED to graduate high school a year early and in fact is actually two years younger than most applicants. She is 16 yrs. 2 mos. She could take a year off and re-audition, I suppose. I am not sure what we would do then. I don't know that she could go work at some theater company out of state as she would not be a legal adult. I'm not sure what we would have to look into at that time. I sound unwise to not be looking now but right now we have to put so much energy into this process the next two months that I can only do so much. We would just have to regroup. Study abroad maybe? She does have a top agent in NYC but I have laid low with that area as it is so difficult pursuing NYC auditions when she is so heavily involved where we live but she could next year I guess. I guess I am taking it one step at a time because while the odds are so long, by the same token, I have confidence in that she will get into ONE of them. And my confidence is supported by getting this message from so many in the know in this field. Come April, I could be proved wrong. Right now, I have to stand behind this big process for a few months and then take what comes and go from there. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Soozie:</p>
<p>It strikes me that Emerson may want to see your D grow a bit. Could that be the reason behind the split decision?
It's a bit unsettling, but she has many other possibilities, right? Though if she went to Emerson, she would be next door to my H's office!</p>
<p>Susan, best of luck to your daughter. Everything will work out for the best in the end.</p>
<p>Susan,
Reading about your saga makes me think about a boy we knew here who applied in MT 3 years ago. His mother and he made a mid semester trip back to the US for auditions- they played the "have sympathy for us it takes us 30+ hours to get here" card and the schools accomodated their schedule. He was accepted to a program in Chicago, I am sure I don't remember the school- and given the odds, everyone was thrilled.</p>
<p>You have such encyclopedic knowledge on this topic that it is amazing. Your daughter clearly has will and talent.. Would that will and talent and knowledge were all it took...</p>
<p>Like the song says, "the waiting is the hardest part!"</p>
<p>Marite, I can't quite make that conclusion with regard to Emerson because if they only took 3 kids out of many hundreds (I venture to say 500) and are now holding a small number of kids in an "admitted but deferred for BFA" pile from which they took 50% last year, I can't read a whole lot into her case. She is virtually in callback mode if you were casting a show. Now, if she gets rejected to a BFA program, that may be a different issue and even then there is no forgone conlusion to be drawn just like if a kid with 1600 and val gets rejected at Harvard. So far, she is still in the running. I can't conclude anything if she is not one of two possible girls let in so far. For instance, her best friend who is one of this small handful already admitted for a BFA (who as I said got rejected at UM so I don't think her talent is of question seeing this result), is not even in "competition" so to speak for the same slot as my daughter (her mom would say the same thing). As with building a class in an Ivy league school, they want a variety of types of kids. Her daughter has a killer operatic soprano, though a wide range including belt. My daughter is not a soprano or ingenue but has a wide range but her forte is the Broadway belt sound and comedic acting. They are not vying for the same slots/roles. Emerson might want to secure a high soprano for this class and maybe there are more belt singers on this other pile, just a wild guess but an inkling into how this field works. I am not worried on the early graduate "card" because every school told me they do take early graduates who have a diploma and this was spoken to in both her own app materials and those of the GC and teacher recs. Though my D will say she is competing against older kids who have been at it longer, on the other hand, she has ALWAYS been among older kids and fared very well in casting and awards in this field so I don't know that that is of issue. The adcom even said she stood out in their pile academically. I can't read a thing into it at this point in time at this school given that they have not yet given a "yes" to barely anyone yet. Last year they only said yes this early to three kids even though the class has about 25 in it. It is too soon to tell. Honestly, even when/if she is rejected at some of these schools, I am not going to analyze it a lot because I cannot analyze the umpteen kids on the Ivy forums with amazing profiles that did not get in this early round. At least at this juncture, her "deferral" is not quite the poor odds as normal....the normal odds are 5% and she just moved into 50% so it is a step in the right direction, LOL. Normally when a kid is deferred in the early round at a place like Yale, I might say, keep trying but the odds of getting in after deferral are still on the slim side. At least at Emerson, with this "admit but defer" status, her odds are improved. </p>
<p>Roby...which song is that from?? </p>
<p>I don't know which school your friend got into but am guessing Northwestern? DePaul? Northwestern is not via audition until soph year or something like that. Most of the well regarded programs are on the east coast.</p>
<p>Susan,
I am a lyric person, but never know titles or singers- my own personal learning disability . Some of the other lyrics:</p>
<p>You take it on faith
You take it to the heart
The waiting it the hardest part! </p>
<p>I'll ask DH tomorow, he is asleep as I should be. Son arrives in 6 hours and I am too excited! </p>
<p>The boy was accepted at a small school in Chicago itself...not sure...</p>
<p>Roby, enjoy having your son home! My freshman daughter is home this week too! yay! </p>
<p>I wonder if those lyrics are from the musical theater repertoire. My D is a walking encylopedia with musicals and songs. Her knowledge of musical theater history and songs is so extensive that I find her exposing her voice teacher to songs he is not aware of and he is a long time, fairly well known, voice teacher in NYC, with clients who are on Broadway. She just happens to have quite the memory and interest in that sort of thing. Some day, if she ever "makes it", I am going to pull out a video from when she was 8 years old and did an independent study on the last 100 years of Broadway. Thankfully she had a teacher who let her do extensive research projects like this and she wrote a 15 page research paper back then, and created this 7 foot long illustrated time line of Broadway shows over the years. She then presented her research to the class and as she hit on each musical in her paper, she broke into song/dance/costumes...even piano for some, of each of the significant shows from 100 years. I recall looking at it once last year and it all is so "cute" and was the precursor of so much that has happened since. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Those lyrics are from a Tom Petty song called, appropriately enough, The Waiting. :)</p>
<p>Thanks! Now I can go to sleep!</p>
<p>Oh! She likely would not have known that one, nor I! I thought you were talking from a musical. </p>
<p>sweet dreams...</p>
<p>Alwaysamom.....I did not see at first that you posted but if you come back to this thread...I wanted to let you know that D's boyfriend from Philly, got into Stella Adler Studio at NYU/Tisch. While he stated Atlantic as his first choice studio, he gave Stella as second choice and is apparently elated. For the past year or two, he traveled to the weekend program for high school students in acting at Stella Adler Studio in NYC. If you recall he went for acting and is a talented actor but does not do musical theater (rarely). I don't know yet if any of D's friends are in Atlantic but she had many friends get into Tisch ED. I know of three into Cap, rest for acting, not sure studios. I knew you were interested in that outcome cause of your D, so thought I would tell ya now that I see ya ;-).
Susan</p>
<p>Susan, I thought I had replied to this but it doesn't seem to have posted. :) Glad to hear that your D's b/f got into Adler, too bad about Atlantic, though. From what D has told me, it seems as if most who applied Early have been placed in Adler, and some in Playwrights. She hasn't heard of anyone going into Atlantic. Many of the kids who auditioned for Cap are going to be in Adler. Traditionally, Atlantic takes kids who are also very good students academically because the workload is heavier in that studio for some reason, and also kids who are interested in double majoring seem to be concentrated there. I'm sure he'll be happy in Adler, though, I think most of these kids are grateful to be in a top program because the admissions odds are so difficult.</p>