MT programs and Academic acceptance

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>I know this topic is popular right now.....lots of different opinions/thoughts about the various schools. In an attempt to slim down a VERY long list of schools, we went through and figured out whether or not schools required academic acceptance first and then what their mid-range of scores was for acceptance academically. My feeling from all the posts, etc is that even in schools with high academic requirements, in the end the audition is what matters.</p>

<p>I would appreciate comments on whether what we determined seems accurate! Thanks!</p>

<p>Ball State: GPA top 25% 1100/23</p>

<p>University of OK: 3.7 1060-1290/23-28</p>

<p>Minnesota: 24 Act </p>

<p>Elon: 25/1700 3.9</p>

<p>Michigan: 3.0 24/1100 academic acceptance required before audition.</p>

<p>Penn State: 1100-1300 GPA top 25%</p>

<p>Otterbein: ACT 22 GPA 3.0</p>

<p>Webster: 21/1600 GPA top 1/3</p>

<p>CCM: unknown</p>

<p>CMU: unknown but audition is weighted much more than academics</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

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<p>I don’t really have the time to explain all the in’s and out’s at the moment but you are not really going about it correctly.</p>

<p>First, the point of “being academically accepted first” is really pretty irrelevant. You have to be accepted to the university whether it is first, a bifurcated process (two separate processes), or all in one decision. Getting into a college academically is PART of the admissions process in all these scenarios. </p>

<p>Further, getting in academically speaking is MORE than simply an SAT/ACT score or GPA unless it is a state U that is more numbers driven such as University of Oklahoma. But at more academically selective schools (ie., Elon, NYU, Emerson or UMich), it is more than test scores and GPA but it matters the rigor of the chosen HS curriculum (GPA is not looked at in a vacuum), essays, activities, achievements, recommendations, class rank, and so on. Most schools don’t just have some score and GPA cut off to get in (though some like Oklahoma do). So, it doesn’t mean if you get over X number, “you’re in!” academically speaking. Further, you must examine the acceptance rate into the university at large. A more selective university that accepts 25% of applicants is not the same odds as a college that accepts 80% of applicants. </p>

<p>Further, in respect to U of Michigan, you are mistaken that there is an “acceptance” before audition. There is merely an academic SCREENING before audition where they won’t audition someone who doesn’t meet a min. standard. But that doesn’t mean that is the end of the candidate’s academic review and that if you are over 3.0 and 1100, your academics are safe for acceptance there at all. In fact, those stats are very weak for UMich and the chances are slim, but possible, with such stats. But in a highly competitive process such as at UMich, when it comes down to it, the odds are more favorable there with a strong academic profile (they also care, for example, the strength of your HS courses). You do not get accepted to UMich before the BFA audition. You will find out from UMich if you are accepted or not as ONE process in winter/spring. If you just apply there for the BFA in MT and don’t get in, you are not then in at the university itself. </p>

<p>Elon and Penn State are fairly selective schools too (not quite as hard as UMich but still academics matter and the standard is not low at either one). Elon has a bifurcated process. </p>

<p>That said, several of the schools on that list are in the “easier” (not easy) academic range. </p>

<p>Also, it is not true that the audition counts 100% of the admissions decision. It also varies among schools. At CMU, the audition is about 85% of the decision and so yes, it is the main factor there, but there is still a bit of academics in the final decision and when they select so few, it pays to be competitive on the entire application. </p>

<p>Then, there are schools with a bifurcated process like Elon where you must be accepted SEPARATELY to the university like any other candidate. It doesn’t matter how much the audition counts…ya gotta get into the school itself. </p>

<p>Then, there are schools like NYU where academics count 50% of the admissions decision and artistic review counts 50% of the decision and actually the academic side is a quite selective university in terms of admission. </p>

<p>One major observation I have had on CC over the years on the MT Forum, is the number of people (NOT everyone of course!) who select their list of MT colleges by merely “these are schools that offer MT major” with no regard at all to the academic selectivity of each school on their list. </p>

<p>I urge all applicants to have a range of academic reach/match/safety odds on their list (relative to their individual requirements which are more than an SAT score and GPA), AND a range or artistic selectivity schools on their list. I have seen people who apply to schools because they offer MT, where they do NOT have a remote chance of getting in academically. It is not ALL the audition at most schools, and particularly not at schools that are programs within a university. You do have to get into COLLEGE here, even if the audition is a huge factor of the whole process. It is not the only factor.</p>

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<p>Also, when you interpret just the test scores for a college and they provide the mid 50% range of scores for admitted students, that should not be taken as “If I get over X score, I can get in” but rather it is an indicator of one’s ODDS…and those who fall in the lower 25% of admitted scores are accepted at a much lower rate than those whose scores fall in the upper 25% of admitted scores to that college. If one is closer to the min. level of scores for a school, then the academic odds for them at that school are a REACH.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your input Soozievt.</p>

<p>I think i may have been unclear, but my point in trying this is exactly what you mentioned…avoiding schools that are not even in the ballpark from an academic standpoint. Even if Harvard had an MT program with a great rep, my D wouldn’t apply, as the stats are just out of reach. So in looking at minimums or the 50% we are just trying to make sure that the lowest numbers aren’t out of reach…i do understand that the lowest numbers may not qualify one for admittance, but if even they are too high, then there isn’t much point in applying to that school. There is simply no way to tell what the highest scores are. The schools i listed so far were just a smattering of ones we are looking at…we are looking at some schools that are non-audition BA schools that seem as if they are in the ballpark academically as well and a few others that i just didn’t list. Insofar as Michigan goes, i did use the wrong terminology, i should have said what the minimums were (as listed on the MT website) to even potentially be cleared to audition. My guess is that one reason UMich has 650 kids apply each year, but only 400 (or something in that range)are deemed to pass academic muster, is that folks have just missed those numbers on the website and apply anyway.</p>

<p>It seems like there is no “right” way to do this…your child must find programs that appeal to them…for all the requisite reasons. Your child must be reasonably sure that they are in the “acceptable” range at some of the schools that require auditions. Your child must have some non-audition programs that they feel sure they can pass muster on academically, to ensure that there is somewhere to go in the fall, …and of course, they must prove themselves during the auditions, at those schools that require them. </p>

<p>Of course so much of where one will “get in” is relative…relative to the cohort of students applying your child’s particular year…That piece is a given.</p>