<p>hi everyone,
i was just wondering how hard it is to get into the penn state musical theatre program??</p>
<p>how many kids try out and how many end up getting in?
is the dance audition hard?</p>
<p>and do they focus more on classical/legit voice or more contemporary/pop voice?</p>
<p>thank you so much!!!</p>
<p>PSU is very selective. Perhaps someone will have more current statistics, but when my D auditioned several years ago, they were accepting a class of 16. We were told they audition about 800 each year.
There is a strong emphasis on dance in this program, and it has been my observation that they prefer a legit vocal sound to contemporary/pop.</p>
<p>In this last cycle, Penn State auditioned 474 applicants. They have a class of 14 freshmen. I am not positive on how many they accepted to yield 14 (I’ll guess at least 18).</p>
<p>The dance audition involves a portion that is learning a ballet combination and another portion that is learning a jazz combination. (at least for on campus auditions)</p>
<p>One of the required songs must be pre-1960. My D’s uptempo song was belty but a very old song by a well known MT composer. Her ballad was from a contemporary musical. She was admitted but did not attend.</p>
<p>do you know which part of the audition is most important?
dance, songs, or the monologue?</p>
<p>My daughter was admitted as a sophomore transfer a this year and is attending. The freshman class is made up of 9 men/5 women. She did her audition at the LA Unifieds and felt the dance was of moderate difficulty. As far as which part of the audition is most important, I think they love to see triple threats, so they are all important. However at the Unifieds at least, the singing was first, and if they liked it they invited you to the dance portion. So in a way the singing is most important because it is the first impression they get. You really need to go into your auditions as the best all-around performer that you can because you really never know what any school is looking for at that time. </p>
<p>BTW, this is only my D’s 2nd week at school, but she loves the program, the talent, the staff, the school- so far everything about it!</p>
<p>At PSU campus auditions, the dance is the first part of the audition day, but that doesn’t signify it as most important. I don’t know any school where dance is MOST important. Many schools want applicants who are strong in all three skill sets. However, many of the schools will accept students who are strong in two areas and show potential in a third area. However, I don’t know any MT program where they accept someone whose weakest areas is voice. Ideally, given how competitive it is, it is ideal to be skilled in all three areas.</p>
<p>PSU appears to accept 12 one year and 14 the next. This year was the “14” year. The male/female proportion appears to vary. I vaguely remember hearing in the parents meeting at the audition that they don’t specifically try for a certain male/female accept rate every year, but just base it on what they need and what talent presents. There are 6 woman/8 men this year. I’ve heard that 325 women auditioned this year of the 474 who auditioned. I believe they accept their number and have a waitlist. There were very few that came off the waitlist this year as most of the original accepted appear to have “accepted”.</p>
<p>musictheatre143 - Did you see the list of schools above the threads on the main Musical Theatre page? You can find more info about PSU there. Here is the link:</p>
<p>[Pennsylvania</a> State University MT - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pennsylvania-state-university-mt/]Pennsylvania”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pennsylvania-state-university-mt/)</p>
<p>Do you know if Penn State does the cut after sophomore year? I know that happens at some schools. Just wondering about this one</p>
<p>My D just finished her sophomore year at PSU. They do not cut after sophomore year. They do hold juries at the end of each semester, but the purpose of those juries is to evaluate the progress of each student and to critique the strengths and weaknesses of each student so that they know what to work on.</p>
<p>One of the significant differences with the PSU audition on campus is the same day callback. The dance audition is first, the vocal audition then follows. After all have done their vocal audition, a list is posted in the hallway for vocal callbacks. If a candidate does not get a callback, they know that they have not been considered and the process ends there for PSU. This at least lets one know if they are in the running for the selection. My s did have a callback, received his acceptance a week later, but did not attend as he accepted UMich.</p>
<p>They actually didn’t use a list this year. You were told in the hallway right after your audition if you were getting a call back. At least you know right away if you are not accepted.</p>
<p>Thanks so much takeitallin! Very helpful! How does your D feel about Penn State? Im auditioning next year and it is high up on my list.</p>
<p>I can’t begin to tell you how much she loves the program and the school. She actually transferred and so had to repeat her sophomore year, but has felt it was well worth it. She is constantly challenged in all areas and since class size is so small feels that she gets a lot of personal one on one. As a bonus she loves the atmosphere of Penn State and the diversity there. She started off at a conservatory, and for her it just wasn’t the right choice. It was too small for her taste; she wanted more academics, and a more diverse group of majors rather than all performing arts. This ended up being a good move for her- just an example of why you should be very honest with yourself about what you are looking for in a school when you are putting your audition list together!</p>
<p>Hey MTgirl110! just like takeitallin’s D, my daughter is extremely happy at PSU. The training she has received in all disciplines of MT has been rigorous, challenging, and very personalized. Plus you get the benefit of a conservatory experience within a vibrant, exciting university. </p>
<p>I want to add a little about the voice faculty specifically. My D went into the program with absolutely no head voice. None. I’m not exaggerating. (She has a mis-shapen vocal chord, so the folds don’t close all the way when they swing to the center). Mary Saunders worked with the mindset of “there has to be a way”. It has taken lots of work, frustration and tears, but they found a way. The dedication, determination and commitment of the entire faculty has opened up a whole new area of her voice that I am sure many would have given up on long before. D has just finished her 3rd year, and the changes in her voice as far as depth and range are truly remarkable.</p>
<p>PSU is currently my top choice for when I start auditioning next year. I am graduating in a while but was wondering if anyone could really talk through the audition process as much as possible? This and other threads have been extremely useful but I erally want to know what technique I need to solidify before my audition. I know you do a jazz/ballet combination - can you talk me through the kinds of steps required (ie double pirouettes, chaines, jetes) and also through whether all the kids going into PSU have a fantastic range? Thank you so much!</p>
Hi! I was wondering if you could say what songs your daughter sang for her audition? This will help very much in figuring out the style they like. Thank you!
@Emmajones you might want to ask this question on the Pennsylvania State thread pinned with the other schools at the top of the Musical Theatre page. This thread you posted on is pretty old and it’s unlikely the original posters are still active on CC. The Penn State school thread appears to be pretty active.
@emmajones - this thread is pretty old. You might want to start a new one as most people on this thread aren’t on CC anymore.