<p>I’m a Senior at a performing arts high school. I’ve included my list of schools that I’m applying to…can anyone tell me if they think I need to add more safety schools? </p>
<p>I’m applying as a Musical Theatre major. I’ve sent in my prescreens and have received dates for both Pace & Penn State. However, UMichigan hasn’t confirmed…do you think I have any chance for Michigan? </p>
<p>GPA: 4.0
SAT: 1670</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
–Senior Class President (Last year: Junior Class VP)
–CSF President
–School Site Council Student Member
–San Diego Unified District Advisory Council Member
–Community Outreach Chairman (La Jolla Playhouse Student Board)
–UCSD Extension Reading Program (One summer)
–Performed in around 20 musicals
–National Youth Arts Nomination
–Delta Sigma Theta Black History Essay Contest Winner
–Mock Trial President (10th & 11th grade yr)
–Have traveled to a bunch of places!</p>
<p>My schools are:
NYU: Tisch
University of Michigan
Carnegie Mellon
Pace University
Penn State
Fordham (BFA Acting)
USC (BFA Acting)
UCLA
University of Cincinnati: College Conservatory of Music
<p>A school is only a safety if it has a non-auditioned theatre program. I am not familiar with the Cali schools on your list- are they non-auditioned? Your GPA is great but your SAT could be considered a bit low for some of your schools (U Michigan and NYU). However, you’ll hear this a million times on these forums and it is true, your audition will be the overwhelming factor at nearly all audition-based programs. If you blow them out of the water, they want to make sure you can graduate for their school, but are not going to decline a student who doesn’t have a strong SAT. They WILL look for evidence of a strong work ethic, passion, demonstrated interest, and commitment. CMU famously does not put much into grades and scores. NYU theatre would have to fight admissions about you given the SAT-which they likely would if you had what they needed. Pace is a very good option for you. Great program and more relaxed admission criteria. Fordham has a challenging academic side of things, so examine their curriculum carefully. You must take 3 years of FL, math, science, etc. </p>
<p>You might want to add UArts in Philadelphia, Rutgers at Mason Gross, and Montclair State U in NJ. All have excellent programs, are close to NYC, and slightly less competitive academically, however, they are very selective artistically. Montclair has a BA in theatre as well as a BFA and so sometimes they will offer the BA option to students that are not accepted into the BFA- though I think you have to audition for that also? </p>
<p>Nothing is safe in audition-based programs, even for National Merit kids or those with tons of talent-everyone needs to have at least one safety so check your list and see if any are non-auditioned and if not, consider adding a couple. Other folks who’ve been on the forum longer will have more recc’d for non-auditioned programs. Stand by :-)</p>
<p>The only reasonably safe school on that list is UCI and that’s an academic admit so the low SAT could matter. It’s also low for the BA at USC. For the rest, your scores are probably fine if they want you after the audition.</p>
<p>@lightingmom: thank you so much for the reply! I appreciate it. I forgot to add Montclair State to the list, but I definitely already applied there. I will look into Rutgers though! All my schools requires auditions except for UC Irvine. I visited Pace a year ago and loved every minute of it. I’m glad you think its a strong option. :)</p>
<p>@actor12: Thanks for the advice! What other “safety schools” do you recommend??</p>
<p>Maybe Temple in Philadelphia? I’m pretty sure it’s non-auditioned. Not in the greatest neighborhood, but students have good things to say about the program. Muhlenberg on Pennsylvania is non-auditioned, and has a very well-regarded theatre program, but it could be a reach academically. Depends on the rigor of your curriculum since your GPA is so high. Is that based on a 4.0 scale?</p>
<p>@lightingmom: Yeah, I decided today to apply to Temple and Rutgers I actually visited Temple as well as UArts last year. Temple is not in the greatest location, but I do like Philly.
My GPA is based on a 4.0 scale.</p>
I actually visited Temple as well as UArts last year. Temple is not in the greatest location, but I do like Philly.