<p>I'm a guy and I got a call...</p>
<p>I'm a guy and I got the call too</p>
<p>Does anyone know of someone who got the call last year and did NOT get in? We, too, got the call, but it was not a theatre person, and the auditions were not complete. My son asked outright if it meant he got it in, and the guy on the other end of the line said, it was not, that all 15000 applicants are supposed to be called in a couple month period just to be reminded that CMU is thinking of them Decisions are not made yet, he did not think. Cheaper than sending printed postcards, I guess--involves about 250 hours at one minute per call, and the kids are probably volunteers.</p>
<p>I'm not guessing, i know kids who make the calls. I'd imagine that if you get a call then you passed an initial screening maybe.</p>
<p>Who got calls last year and did not get in? The reason I am skeptical is that according to the MT boards, nearly everyone we on CC who auditioned for MT there got a call, and there is no way all of them are getting into that program that takes about 10 people. My son point blank asked, which I am surprised no one else did since they ask specifically if you have any questions, and that has to be the foremost question on any candidate's mind. Everyone S knows who applied got a call.</p>
<p>Thanks jamimom, that's just what my friend told me.</p>
<p>I find it very hard to believe that they would call ALL 15000 applicants to let them know that CMU is thinking about them????? While some calls can last one minute, other calls could surely take more time than that!!! And with bulk mail rate, it certainly would be MUCH cheaper if they sent out those silly little postcards to let you know your info was received!!! Am not yet convinced........not yet. Call me "Doubting Thomas" if you will...or better yet, I have MORE hope than you'all out there. Don't forget..they accept many more students than actually choose to attend. Pittsburgh is not the most desirable of cities in terms of climate......they're percentage of acceptance hovers around 33% or so.....as they're yield is not that great as compared to the Ivies and I'm sure MIT.</p>
<p>Just a thought....</p>
<p>sgiovinc....While what you are saying might make logical sense, that is simply an analysis or theory. I think it is a distinction between saying "if you got a call, you are in". </p>
<p>I can't say what the calls mean other than I don't think it means you are in. As mentioned previously, my D got a call a few months ago from a current student asking if she had any questions and she had not even auditioned yet and in her case, the audition is what the admission rides on. The latest call was two days after the audition but also asked if she had any questions. I can't imagine a decision was reached that quickly since her Sunday audition. The department would have had to finalize its ten candidates and then have sent that list over to admissions for a final review/ok. It seems to me that this university is using outreach to keep candidates interested. I am not going to read anything into the calls. If folks know kids who got calls in other years and were not admitted, that would be interesting to find out. Otherwise, we can't deduct that since your D got a call and eventually was admitted, that all who get calls, are also admitted. I do understand your logic, however. It simply is a theory. And it is common to analyze this or that action by admissions but ya just never know. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>sgiovinc...me again, lol. I got to thinking about your "theory" that the school would not bother to have a current student call an applicant unless said applicant was going to be admitted or was in strong consideration for admissions. I want to make an analogy to college admissions interviews. I am an alum interviewer for a selective college. We attempt to offer interviews for all candidates. I often read kids post on these forums...."I got an interview! Does this mean I am being considered?" and the answer is always "no". We try to interview all students as a matter of course, not based on ANY criteria or chances of admission. It is also an opportunity for the student to learn more about the university. And this means a LOT of interviews (all by volunteers). At CMU, an admissions officer was in our state this past fall and offered interviews to any candidates in the region and my D had one. I know this was NOT based at all on any chances she had but merely was an offer to all candidates. It was, I'm sure, also seen as a chance for her to ask Q's about CMU of the admissions officer. Likewise, CMU is using current students as "outreach" to contact prospective students/applicants to keep the interest up, provide information, etc. It is a wise thing, actually. It takes a lot of volunteer hours, but likely is a plus for them and might even help with yield, by keeping the interest up, etc. Schools do many outreach things. I know as an alum interviewer, I am supposed to call any admitted students in my area after decisions go out and try to be available to encourage them to matriculate, answer Q's, etc. I am kinda seeing these student outreach phone calls in a similar light. Just as the call to be offered an interview is NOT an indication of a positive chance or outcome, I am doubting that a call from a current student at this juncture is either. Just another take on that.</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>I asked a student in the admissions office, and was told that to the best of his knowledge, a phone call does not equal admission.</p>
<p>15,000 phone calls come to 250 hours at a minute a call. Some are over a minute, but some are no time at all as a message is just left on an answering machine, or left with someone who answers the phone, or no one answers. Not everyone gets the call because if you are not at home at the time the phone rings or if someone in the famiy forgets the message, that 's the end of than. But since the calls are done over a two month period of time, it's no big deal for CMU to top about 50-75 kids to volunteer to call. They are not billed per call the way their phone plan works, and it does come out cheaper than having postcards printed and sent since they don't pay the kids or the phone bills and it's not big disaster if someone does not get the call. I know too many kids who got the call to believe it is anything else, and what is said is almost verbatim from the postcard that Syracuse sent (have it right here) a while ago saying that the application is complete, being reviewed and to contact the admissions office for any questions. My son is flabbergastered that hardly anyone asked much of any questions of the caller, particularly the $200K question---"Am I in?" which he did ask. And the answer was "I don't know", I am just calling all these names on the list Admissions gave to me. And this forum is not the only one in a twitter about the phone calls. My son's friend was ecstatic and his family took him out to celebrate. I don't think that is wise to do. It would be wonderful if everyone were in that got that call. Everyone's reaction is that it has to mean something as what school would have 15000 kids contacted, but it looks like that is the attempt CMU is making. Just like most of the ivies and highly selective schools will try to match up all applicants with an interviewer without regard to where the kid is in the application process. My son did not interview, nor did he visit and got into Yale> Many of the kids who did interview, visit the campus, spend the day at the school with a department and were warmly received, were turned down--in fact most of them were not accepted. My good friend's son has a brother at CMU, and he told his brother to "fuggedahaboutit" when asked about the phone call as the younger boy is awaiting word about his acceptance and was electrified by the phonecall. The mom says there was no phone call any of them remember from 4 years ago (the son there is a junior), but with their family, anyone could have taken the call and forgotten about it. </p>
<p>Susan, I think your D has a good chance but not because of the phone call. From what everyone knows of the process, it looks good. The process is not quite how you have surmised it, and the academics do come more into play, trying to put a numerical value on how much it counts, is not easy. The MT/acting program is not pulling the CPA down in SAT1 scores, I assure you. And it is not 1200 kids, as many do not want the MT option, and the school does not necessarily stick with 10 kids. You can look at the actual names of the kids in the program right now and you will see, but my friend's son knows kids in the dept and who work there. The odds are terrible, but there is somewhat of a rolling process as they go along the auditions. There is also something called a "priority waitlist" where you promise to go if you clear the waitlist, sort of like binding ED, that I don't quite understand, but even with that, last year they did not get their 10 somehow as I only see 9 names for MT for the current freshmen. I know the young man (D"s age) who is the source of this and he seems quite comfortable and knowledgeable of the process--I had dinner with him, his brother and mom after our auditions, and he knew all of the kids working the auditions and has seen this for a couple of years. Just statistically, it is impossible that all of the kids I know are in that program, so the call was just something CMU decided to do.</p>
<p>Jamimom, you and I are on the same wavelength regarding the calls. I am flabbergasted to read that a family went out to celebrate over this call. I'll have to tell my D because we thought NOTHING of the call. She took the call, really had no questions as we had JUST returned from a fruitful visit and never had a thought to the meaning (or not) of such a call. I mean we got such one a few months ago but my D was not home at the time. I never read anything into it. It is so funny now for me to read different takes on it. I have not even shared with my D the takes I am reading here. </p>
<p>The info. I shared with you regarding the process at CMU is culled from three things basically....one is the presentation by the head of the department...the other is the BFA student who gave a tour to the parents while kids were auditioning, and third, my D's friend is in the BFA MT program. They said last year they took 12 and this year were looking to have ten slots. They said they don't take extras to yield ten like other schools (probably cause of the high yield rate for this top program) but do have that short waitlist. My D's friend whom she has spent about six summers with, was waitlisted and put a deposit down at CCM but then heard she got off the waitlist on May 6 and enrolled in CMU. The literature says that 90% is based on the audition. The boy leading the tour went to so far as to say that 95% was the audition and then you had to go through admissions. The academic part does not concern me, not so much because it is not heavily weighed but I feel my D is safely in that range on that aspect. It is the odds on the audiition that seem like impossible. But as the kid who led the tour said, SOMEBODY gets in, lol. I realize there were positive things that happened at her audition but some of those things happened to her close friends who auditioned on other days (though frankly those kids are highly talented ones). I figure, yeah, ok, so she might have a better chance than someone who just auditioned and they said, thank you very much. But I feel certain there had to be more than ten kids who got to see several faculty members (she saw four different ones), do four monologues, sing various things, etc. etc. Even a boy we knew at the audition we were at, went in to sing a second time. I figure it is akin to callbacks at PSU. A good sign but not an IN. Your son has kept his hat in the ring here, right? I will send positive vibes your way but figure your son is pretty certain to matriculate at Yale? I guess if he gets the BFA at CMU, some talking will go on at your house? I can't recall if you said he kept his app alive at any other BFA programs. At least your son has the pressure off here as he is in at a top choice. While my D would LOVE to get into CMU, she knows she can go to a BFA program (more than one at this juncture) and so all is not riding on this, other than the preference aspect. She really likes intense programs and her friend loved this one and it seemed like what my D would thrive on as well. But alas, she'll have to wait it out.</p>
<p>By the way, you are correct that it is not 1200 vying for the ten slots. The 1200 are vying for either the 10 slots for MT or the 18 for Acting...and they did not break down how many tried for each. Unlike at other schools where you could stiplulate you would only accept MT, not acting, here you are considered for either. My D talked with a student who got into Acting but had wanted MT but apparently was able to piece together a similar program with private voice and dance even still. I also agree that the BFA program does not pull down the university's stats avg. Frankly several kids I know auditioning there just happen to ALSO be good students academically. But they simply are not weighing the academics to the degree that someone who is applying regularly would be as they stipulated most rode on the audition itself. Also this particular program is more akin to a conservatory, unlike some of the other BFA programs because the students take hardly ANY liberal arts courses, way less than at some of the other programs (ie., NYU, Emerson, PSU, Syracuse, UMich). </p>
<p>While I believe in my child, I just find the odds at these highly selective programs to be so longshot, that getting in is like a prize you can't count on no matter what your credentials or talent, know what I mean? It is what it is. But like the student guide said, SOMEONE gets in....gotta remember that. ;-)</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>They are crazy odds, Susan. And things like this phone call can make things crazier. S still has his hat in the CMU ring. He got an official rejection from UMichigan followed by official directions on how to withdraw an app--we had withdrawn a while ago. And we still get mail from the other school, but he and his counselor withdrew most of the the apps. Just CMU and the state option are the ones we have kept open. And H is not happy about the CMU opening for a number of reasons. THe chances are so small that I don't think too much about them, and I really think he is set, but who knows with this one. I was there when he got the phone call, and it was a bit funny, because the first thing he said, was, "am I in?" Which was, of course, a question the caller could not answer. LOL, you would have enjoyed hearing that conversation. The only info the kid could give was what you could get off of their website or literature, and it's funny, cuz they tell you those are the type of questions that the applicant should not ask. My fingers are crossed for your D, I think she will have several options soon.</p>
<p>Jami</p>
<p>Yeah, that is pretty funny. My D's call was rather brief. I only heard her say something to the affect that she did not have many questions as we had just returned the night before from CMU auditions. I did not really ask her about the call. Now, if it had been a theater kid, she may have engaged in more discussion. My D wants to wait and see where she gets in before digging super deep with each school because she figures the odds of getting in are so slim that she does not want to get too caught up on any one program. She has the basic information, has met with students in the programs and will wait to see what happens next before delving any further if need be. Has preferred schools but is not pining away for one certain school so as not to set self up for disappointment. They are all attractive for different reasons and they actually differ quite a bit. She did not count on necessarily even having a choice. Right now, she counts herself as very fortunate to even have a choice at this early date, better than she could have wished for. The rest remains to be seen. In this field, you have to roll with the punches and not have a faint heart. There is a lot of rejection but it goes with the territory. You carry on because you are driven. </p>
<p>I don't know your son's preference if he gets CMU's BFA vs. his already amazing acceptance at Yale but at least he is sitting pretty right about now. Those are two very different options in terms of program and only he will know for sure. He could not go wrong in either case, that's for sure!</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>I believe that in fine arts, auditions are done and portfolios are reviewed first. Then, the fine arts department sends a "wish list" to the admissions office who will then academically determine admission status.</p>
<p>lfk, I believe you are right about that process at CMU :D</p>
<p>oh so nervous......:S I want this school so bad! I didn't go around to different people, but Don (The head of drama I believe) kept me in there for literally 15-20 min. Got me to do an extra monologue and work it in different ways, and then Gary(in vocal) got me to do an extra song. I hate this waiting! Does anyone know if the MT majors take longer to find out? AS well do you think it will hurt me that I didn't get an alumni interview? oh-I too got a call, I was lucky and got a drama student though.</p>
<p>janimom-</p>
<p>You mentioned that CMU did not get their number last year.
They actualy took 13 instead of 10 last year in MT (this years' freshman class), there are 9 names under second year. I think my S mentioned that someone dropped shortly after they started that year.<br>
I personally know a girl who was on the waitlist this past year, (prority) for MT who did not get off the list and is now at CCM. CMU was her first choice. She was in constant contact with the school until the very last minute but a spot did not open.</p>
<p>wct... this girl you are referring to... I feel like that is going to be ME soon. CMU was my first choice forever and I would still just DIE if I got in there. Realistically, I feel CCM is the better program for me, curriculum wise, but my god, if only I could make CMU. It's AMAZING! It's gorgeous, the people are gorgeous, the have an amazing rep. I did the pre-college this summer and just fell in LOVE with this school. It's so different from CCM is the thing. I'm not complaing about CCM by any means, I realize how lucky I am. But I still get nervous ya know, who wants to be CUT!?!</p>
<p>Hi all- yes many over on the MT Forum are waiting to hear the CMU results. Our D and several of her friends all felt good about their CMU auditions and I have concluded it is because the audition-ers ("auditors") are really professional people. Every student I have heard about was asked to do their monologues up to 6 different ways, sing another song or sing it in another key, etc. These folks on the staff spent a lot of time with each applicant- they seem to be very respectful of the cost charged for the audition and the effort the student puts in to prepare. I am just feeling parental, and compelled to give a tender alert to all here, that this style/ attentive technique of auditioning each person is not necessarily indicative that a given applicant is probably going to be accepted. Sincere luck to you all- this wait is sooo difficult.
SK</p>