<p>I do apologize for providing you all with the wrong website on my previous post. NAST’s website for accreditated colleges is [NAST</a> Home](<a href=“http://nast.arts-accredit.org/]NAST”>http://nast.arts-accredit.org/)</p>
<p>Thanks admdir. I think I may audition for next summer.</p>
<p>admdirfornycda still hasn’t answered the question directly, which everyone seems to be curious about: how many people apply to the 2 yr. program and how many people are accepted? As of now, based on these posts it seems that the school is too easy to get into, and perhaps money-oriented. That’s just how it comes across. Please enlighten us!</p>
<p>Sooz: Wow, great questions. Do you think it would be worth it for me to do their summer program?</p>
<p>Early_College,
While I admittedly don’t know much about their summer program, I do believe it would be a good one for you to do during a summer of high school as you could get some intensive training in acting and i know you are interested in acting for the screen and they offer that. It would make sense to apply to more than one summer program, even though this one says it accepts all who apply for the summer. But I know financial aid is an issue for you and so look into various options and see what works for you. For instance, Circle in the Square and Strasberg have a summer intensive too and so on. Looking for a summer program is different than for a college or conservatory program post high school.</p>
<p>Thanks soov, it’s been a while since we have talked. I would def. apply to more than one summer program. I think I would have to apply for a scholarship, so it may come down to money. But I may be a lifeguard this summer and save up some money. I liked NYU’s program in Dublin, but let’s be realistic that I couldn’t save up 10k. Anyways, I am thinking of doing that program you guys told me about at the Alliance. Also, I am very impressed you have an agree with Harvard. I’m still looking into Simon’s Rock and I think a BFA/BA will be a good option if it doesn’t work out. :)</p>
<p>My D recently had a negative experience with NYCDA. Nothing drastic, just left us both with a bad view of the way they operate.</p>
<p>After being seen auditioning at a state theatre competition, she received a phone message from an admis person at NYCDA who said (short version), “We saw you at state and I’d like to talk with you about your audition and about auditioning this Saturday for NYCDA.” He left his number.</p>
<p>D called him the next business day and they spoke for a short time - he gave her a tip for auditioning, said they wanted her to audition on Saturday, and asked for her email address to send her the details about the audition.</p>
<p>When the email came, we were both surprised.<br>
The email was not about auditioning for the school - it was about auditioning for and attending their summer program. Excuse, me, what I should say is that it was an email about auditioning for their nearly-six-thousand-dollars-for-four-week summer program. (Which, if I read correctly, has no requirements other than being able to pay for it.)</p>
<p>He had not - in either the phone message or the subsequent conversation with my D - mentioned that their interest in her was as a 6K summer participant.</p>
<p>I called and spoke with him. He was receptive of my complaint, very polite, and exceedingly apologetic for the… oversight, promising that it was unintentionally done. </p>
<p>Considering that the exact same oversight happened to one of her best friends, I found the apologies ingenuine at best and… ■■■■■■■■ for tuition at worst.</p>
<p>Seriously - calling a wants-to-be-on-Broadway-some-day teenager and saying “I’m from and important (sounding, if not actually) NY theatre program and I’m intersted in YOU” as a fundraising tactic? How’s your bait-and-switch?
That’s like nineteen different kinds of wrong. (Granted, in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t rank up there with war and famine and whatnot, but in our little life in our little world, it certainly wasn’t right.)</p>
<p>They must know better than that. I get that they’re probably desperate for tuition in this rotten economy, and that this guy was just trying to fill his audition spot quota for his boss - but tricking teenagers? Seriously? </p>
<p>Maybe I am too much a neophyte in the Theatre World and this kind of thing is common place. Maybe it was an outrageous assumption on my part to have assumed that a school who called was actually speaking as the school. </p>
<p>Perhaps in all other aspects they exceed expectations. Perhaps they run a phenominal program. Perhaps there is a wrench in an otherwise smoothly running machine. Personally,
I don’t care what method they teach, who graduated from there, or how selective (or not) it is. If they care about their reputation, they should behave better.</p>
<p>She too was contacted. We researched the school (visited, which I believe you may have not) spoke with not only our daughters counselor, but their director as well. The phone call we recieved was to give our daughter the opportunity to earn scholarship money to the school (which she did and we are very proud of!). We simply did our research. It sounds like you did not and that might have been the issue. By the way it was 3k when she went to the summer plus her housing, not 6 as you put it and she recieved straight A’s and I believe 6 college credits. Worth itif you ask me!
They also helped and counseled her after graduation from the 2 year program.
I received a call, did my research, spoke to the nice young gentleman, read some more and couldn’t have been happier with the choice. SO the bait and switch you speak of sounds to me of poor research that was readily avaialable at all times to me at least.
I’m so very sorry you had a bad experience. We couldn’t have been happier with our choice (by the way our daughter just booked her first tour with the company of the musical BatBoy and we couldn’t be more excited!!!). If I may offer a piece of advice that worked for our son as well, we read, spoke and visited every higher education facility he chose before we made our final decision as we did with NYCDA. I suggest maybe doing the same. Again I’m sorry you had a bad experience as we are christian people and would not wish any ill will or harm to anyone on any level and we will pray for the right direction for your D. Good Luck to you.</p>
<p>I actually agree with 1sttime, it was NYCDA’s fault for misleading her. There should have been more communication, but I don’t think that has anything to do with quality of the education at NYCDA. Congrats to maud’s daughter, :)</p>
<p>I have to agree with skipsmom, that’s why I never bothered joining Drama Club and getting Thespain points to go to a conference like that.</p>
<p>Skipsmom is having inferences about the school, she said herself that she doesn’t know much about NYCDA. She is posting from what we have heard from other people. To admissions: Are you aloud to have an agent while being at NYCDA? Is there any time for auditions, are schedule’s flexible?</p>
<p>Another question for you, Admdirfornycda…
Your website does not list any personnel for the admissions office on the site which is unusual. What is your position at this conservatory? Your posting name implies you are the Admissions Director. Are you? </p>
<p>Question for maudelebowski…congratulations on your daughter’s casting. Which part of the country are you from? I have not heard of a tour for Bat Boy. Which touring company is producing this tour? Just curious as I have a daughter who just graduated from a program too. She was in a professional production of Bat Boy four years ago and so I know this musical and so your post caught my eye as I had not read that Bat Boy is touring. Can you share the name of the production company?</p>
<p>Maude, earlycollege is correct; as I said in my comments, I know only what has been written right here by an avowed representative of the school. </p>
<p>Frankly, it doesn’t make too much sense to claim that the school auditions 4,000 students, because to do that would require more manpower in the admissions office than a school with roughly 360 students could possibly maintain. Even if the school has a 5 to one ratio of students to staff (which is giving them the obvious benefit of the doubt), that would give them a staff of approximately 72 teachers and administrators. Even if a full third of those staff were engaged in auditioning students, each one would individually have to audition about 250 students per year. If they did auditions in the way other schools do, with a group of admissions/instructors seeing every kid so that admission decisions are made with the most people having seen the most students, they would do little else all year other than audition. </p>
<p>The numbers simply don’t add up. Therefore they MUST be “auditioning” by viewing kids at thespian conferences, which is exactly what the administrator’s post said both by denotation AND connotation. </p>
<p>As I pointed out, I don’t know anything about the school. However, I modestly admit to knowing something about statistics, and I don’t think the admissions of the school does it any good by posting information that only leads people to more questions.</p>
<p>Yeah I agree with both Soov and SkipsMom. It just doesn’t make sense at ALL. Also, the link you sent me was about auditions for this year and not auditions for the scholarship for 2010. It kind of sounds like she is trying to get Soov to go to the school, lol. It seems like she is avoiding the questions, no offense. I have just been thrown off and don’t know if I really want to go to a school for a summer which has can’t keep their story straight.</p>
<p>I’ve successfully auditioned for the NYCDA and am desperately trying to find out if I’ll be getting good value for money? It’s so expensive for 4 weeks and I have no idea if it’s worth spending all my savings and a bit of debt. If anyone could help me figure this out it’d be much appreciated!! Obviously it’s not just the course fees, it’s flights and living too…$6000+ for 4 weeks is scary!!
Thanks</p>
<p>Soov, how did you get CC College Counselor/Musical Theater Counselor under you? Did you have to have special permission too, btw I’m curious. Has anyone done the summer program and how was it?</p>
<p>SOOZIEVT: Are you sincere or are you just showing off with regards to New York Conservatory? Your endless questions regarding the statistics regarding 180 students admitted doesn’t make sense. Of course they accept more than 180, and a few students choose to go elsewhere. This is how it works, and you know darn well. You’re just showing off and it’s getting on my nerves. Had to say it.</p>
<p>My son did the summer program and loved it, learned a LOT, and went back to his theater high school with some confidence under his belt. Could he have lived without it? Yes. But it was not a waste of time or money, and was not “fake” either! The people at NYC were sincere and worked hard with the students. They were/are highly credentialled. As for the 2 yr. program, I know next to nothing. Maybe it’s overpriced, I don’t know. Based on what I’ve seen, however, I do think that the students learn.</p>
<p>I have to agree with actingbug, you really are on a witchhunt. Good luck with that. Out of the 9 jillion colleges, you’ve chosen this one. Seems fishy to me.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s fair to say anyone is on a ‘witch hunt.’ People come to this forum to ask questions and share information, and every so often, someone will post a question about the NYCDA. No one seems/has seemed to know much about it. In fact, when someone I know went to a very experienced actor/director/actor training program person with questions about NYCDA a few years ago, the actor/director/teacher in question admitted that he had never heard of it and knew nothing about it. So it’s not fair to assume that when people say that they know nothing/not much about it, that is somehow a way of casting aspersions on the program. However, I don’t think the lack of information that many have has been helped much by posts by admdirfornycda, who seems (by screen name) to be an official admissions director for the conservatory but nonetheless is not well informed or is reluctant, for whatever reason, to share information.</p>
<p>I do find myself skeptical that NYCDA actually auditions 4000 students. I truly believe they are counting the kids that THEY go to see at various festivals, even if the kids didn’t come there to be seen by that particular school. </p>
<p>Again, I honestly am not saying negative things about the program, which I know little about. I am just saying that it seems to me that whoever speaks for the program ought to know figures/facts/details and be willing to share them.</p>