Question regarding planning college tours

<p>I recently went to make an appt at Point Park for my son to visit. The website says “Prospective Dance or Theatre students: Pending approval and availability, a meeting with a Conservatory representative is available on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday only. Enter your meeting request in Additional Requests.” </p>

<p>We had been planning to visit on a Wednesday, but re-scheduled some other things so we could go on a Thursday so that my S could meet with a Conservatory representative. However, when I requested the meeting in addition to the Campus tour, I was told that the Conservatory will only meet with students who have applied to the program. I wish that they had posted that on their website so that I wouldn’t have bothered doing all that re-scheduling! Also, do people find that this is fairly typical of schools, that they don’t want to have you talk to someone in the program until you have applied? I wasn’t sure if mine was an unreasonable request or not.</p>

<p>zebrarunner-I had the same issue the other year when we went to visit at PPU because it was this time of year. When I called they said they were really only meeting with accepted students at this time-however when I just popped in (on our way back from the CMU visit) and went to the offices I was able to talk to the department head and he gave us a personal tour.</p>

<p>Thanks broadway95 - we will probably do the same thing and just wander in and see if anyone is around. We would be happy just to be able to snag a student or two willing to talk about the program! It’s too bad that our spring break coincides with what is for the department probably a very busy time of year.</p>

<p>With regard to your other question about PPU’s response to your wanting to visit and other schools, I don’t believe you’ll find that to be an issue. This time of year is likely chaotic no matter where you try to visit.</p>

<p>I think you’ll find as you continue on that most schools will WANT to meet you and your son and at the very least can get you into a department tour. If you contact someone within the department to set up a brief meeting with a faculty member, sit in on a class (which isn’t okay at every school, but some will let you), or ask if there is a student who would meet with you one-on-one, likely they will be able to help you out with at least one of those things also. Yours is definitely not an unreasonable request!</p>

<p>What’s it like going to school in boston:</p>

<p>Click here:</p>

<p>[What</a> It’s Like To Go To School In Boston](<a href=“http://www.buzzfeed.com/chackattack/what-its-like-to-go-to-school-in-boston-873h]What”>What It's Like To Go To School In Boston)</p>

<p>zebrarunner, finding a student to talk about the MT program will not be hard at PPU. I would also say that it if you just go there they will find someone for you to talk to and answer all questions. I found this process to be a lot like sales from the parental end in that A) you will get more bees with honey than vinegar and B) you will get more “Yes, let me find someone who can answer your questions” when you are face to face (not just at Point park, but at all the schools). Hard to say no to a parent and a bright shining face of a potential student when they are two feet away from you. Especially if “you ain’t from around here.”</p>

<p>I think the thing about only meeting with accepted students or ones who have applied is a stock answer many places at this time of year because they are all under pressure to meet their goals and get butts in the seats. I don’t think it holds up face to face.</p>

<p>So, now we are looking at visiting Rider as well. So we have ohio northern, Rider, OCU, and Hartt. We may not visit BoCo. We will start out in Oklahoma then head to Ohio and head to jersey and Philly. It looks like I will have to rent a car on Ohio and Oklahoma because of the vicinity of the airport to the campuses. Seems like it could get expensive. We are thinking of dropping Hartt because D did not get any scholarship money and that is a huge plus with the cost of a college education. Such a puzzle! So happy to have started this thread and receive so much wonderful input and advice! Keep it coming!! Thanks!!</p>

<p>djexpress~ as an FYI, BoCo doesn’t offer much in the way of scholarship and is more costly than Hartt. Good luck on your travels!!!</p>

<p>Make sure you check hotwire for car rentals - they deal with the big companies but get good deals! Sorry about the lack of scholarship at Hartt-it happened to my d, too! But Ohio Northern, Rider and OCU are great contenders! One of my daughter’s audition voice coaches through MTCA is the newly hired OCU MT voice coach. Her name is Courtney Crouse, and she is amazing! Schooled and performing in classical voice, she also teaches an amazing healthy mix/belt. You might look her up! My daughter attended OCU summer MT camp and loved it.</p>

<p>djexpress- besides a genl visit, shadow days are possible at most schools for accepted students. Rider’s are on T/W/Th, I believe. Sitting in on reg/theater classes, a meal and a voice lesson are all part of the Shadow Day at Rider. My S did it last year, as Rider was among his top 3 after narrowing down his list of acceptances. Hopefully you’re already working in these possibilities in your scheduling for each school visit. It will give a true feel to what attending “X” school is all about.</p>