<p>I would like to get a better idea of the acceptance rate for the Cherubs program at NU (acting program, not musical theatre). My son is at the top of his class academically with high standardized test scores; moreover, he has been active in the performing arts since early childhood. However, he does not have an extensive resume of having played lead roles in school productions (one supporting lead), though he had some leads out of school in dance productions. He has also attended other summer programs demonstrating his overall commitment.</p>
<p>How much weight would NU give to his academic achievements, and would he have a reasonable chance to be admitted? What is the overall acceptance rate for this program?</p>
<p>I don’t know about the NHSI program but academic achievements are extremely important for the undergraduate admission. The test scores for theater admits are virtually the same as those in liberal arts.</p>
<p>The acting program for Cherubs allows for a large enough total enrollment (with small ratios for student/director and student/teacher in groups) that a good student with appropriate interests and experiences in acting should get in. The two week extension for musical theatre is more competitive (hence the audition) and smaller overall, but since that’s not his interest, it shouldn’t be an issue for him. My son did the program four years ago (both acting and MT) and it was an excellent experience!</p>
<p>Thank you for the information. I would imagine that a student’s chances for admission are greater at NU than at Brown, which is the other theater summer program we were interested in.</p>
<p>The NHSI does place quite a bit of weight on academics, recommendations and essay component of the application. As long as he has some sort of theatre resume indicating an obvious interest, he should be fine. (My son attended last summer.)</p>
<p>Thanks very much! I thought he would apply for two or three programs just in case. But I wasn’t sure whether that would be overkill. Does anyone know whether it’s common to apply to multiple summer programs?</p>
<p>Also to Momof3sons: Did your son enjoy the program?</p>
<p>Yes it is common to apply to more than one program IF the programs have any element of “selection” to attend. I have had students apply to and get into Cherubs but they applied to a few. They all got into Cherubs but there it is not a sure bet when one applies.</p>
<p>ArielTemp,
He thought the program was fantastic and you can count him as one of the kids who says that his summer at NHSI was “life-changing.” They do work them very hard, just so you know. My kid thought he was in great physical shape going into the program and he was shocked by how exhausted his was by the pace of the program. They are up about 7 a.m., get dressed and have finished breakfast before 8 a.m. Morning classes start at 8 a.m. and continue until lunch break. Then there are afternoon classes, followed by dinner, and the shows rehearse from 6:30-10 p.m. The schedule is little lighter on the weekends, but the kids learn so much. Good luck to you son!</p>
<p>I am currently a HS senior and am interested in the acting/music theater extension summer program. I will be graduating in June and will be taking a gap year because of a scheduled surgery.
Do they allow current HS seniors to participate in the program? Are there any exceptions that you know of?</p>
<p>I’d suggest contacting the program head and explaining your situation. The fact that you’re not entering college until fall 2011 will put you in the same entering class year as current juniors so they might make the exception. However, if you are currently in the college application process and seeking a deferred admission from a college so you can start in 2011, I don’t think NHSI will consider you for the program.</p>
<p>I will be taking college classes and plan on having enough units to be a transfer student in the fall of 2011. Chances are that they will not consider me within the appropriate grade range due to my circumstances. I will contact the head of the program and ask them. Thank you so much for your help. :)</p>
<p>ArielTemp - The NU Cherub program is fantastic and definitely life changing. It will let your son figure out if he really wants to pursue this if it is an option. My D still talks about it and she is currently a sophomore at NU! I wouldl recommend applying!</p>
<p>Do you think that applicants to the Cherubs program need to have the same level of academic qualifications (very high SAT scores, top 10%, etc.) as if they were actually applying to the University in order to get accepted to the theater program? If they are a little less academically gifted, but also audition for the MT extension and have talent, would that help get them accepted? We just heard about the Cherubs program last night from my son’s director who regards this program very highly. However, it is a little intimidating to read the admissions requirements to the University itself because he is not at that level. Close, but not that high. Cherubs sounds amazing and he is interested in applying/auditioning but if he has no chance because his academics are not good enough, then I would encourage him to apply to a different summer program. Thoughts?</p>
<p>I would encourage your son to apply. I have had many students who have done this program. They have been good students, I will say, however. In my view, while I would encourage your son to apply, I would not apply to just ONE program. There is no guarantee he will get in, and then the MT extension is by audition. I would apply to a few programs, some that have greater odds (where they seem to take most who apply) as well as to Cherubs.</p>
<p>While I can’t answer your question to how high of an academic standard Cherubs uses for applicants, I feel pretty sure that the acceptance rate into Cherubs is greater than it is into NU itself.</p>
<p>As usual SoozieVt, thanks! He is also looking at CMU pre-summer and a couple others. We are just learning about the whole pre-college thing. Previously, we only really knew of summer camp-type programs such as Interlochen, French Woods, etc. Thanks again!</p>
<p>lesmizmom,
My son attended Cherubs last summer, but did not do the MT program. If I remember correctly, there were ~ 150 kids in the 5 week acting program, and only 32 stay on for the 2 MT weeks. I do not think that the admissions requirements for Cherubs are as strict as the admissions requirements to get into NU. One of my son’s classmates who attended Cherubs last summer was rejected early decision from NU. I would encourage your son to apply because he sounds like he is academically qualified for summer purposes. I know that last year there was actual an opportunity to apply early decision to the summer Cherubs program and you had an answer a month later, but you may have missed that deadline because I recall that it was in March.</p>
<p>If I can answer any specific questions for you about the program, I would be happy to do so. I can also ask my son for answers, of course. Best of luck to your son!</p>
They do work them very hard, just so you know. My kid thought he was in great physical shape going into the program and he was shocked by how exhausted his was by the pace of the program. They are up about 7 a.m., get dressed and have finished breakfast before 8 a.m. Morning classes start at 8 a.m. and continue until lunch break. Then there are afternoon classes, followed by dinner, and the shows rehearse from 6:30-10 p.m. The schedule is little lighter on the weekends, but the kids learn so much. Good luck to you son!</p>